Android Loyalist - Swapping Sides

[despertador]

Don't wait for things to happen! I say go to Verizon and get a 928, they've proven their update support for the 928 and it looks like a sexy phone.
On the other hand, their plans are expensive...

 

[11B1P]

Wow you guys have been very responsive and thoughtful! I greatly appreciate it. :amaze:

I would just like to clarify something, in regards to the "waiting game." I am very familiar with the idea that waiting for the newest, latest technology before investing is a futile effort. This pretty much true across the board with all technology. My only issue is that like chezm pointed out, the hardware in the 928 (while still an upgrade for me) is outdated by comparison. The 1.5GHz S4 Snapdragon CPU on the current Nokia flagship phones is about a year old... My thought was that Nokia & HTC will probably be holding out on releasing sweet new high-end hardware until 8.1 or at least GDR3 is released to add support for better hardware (1080p screens and such).

Everybody wants to talk specs. If my "one year old technology" can run rings around your "triple quad-core, 15000p screen, Bluetooth 10.0" phone, who is better off? Everybody wants to say how much better the competition phones are with their multi-core, yada, yada phones, but when my L928 never locks up, I can hit Bing and get the Local Scout to get my results faster, display current info on the screen with Live Tiles and more, I have the better os. Having the multi-core, snap dragon cpu and whatever, means nothing if the phone lags and needs regular reboots.

Don't fall for the "higher specs" trap. WP8 is quite capable of handling everything you need to do. Yes there are some nice improvements coming with 8.1, but the L928 right now will run with the pack.

 

[chezm]

. .

Don't fall for the "higher specs" trap. WP8 is quite capable of handling everything you need to do. Yes there are some nice improvements coming with 8.1, but the L928 right now will run with the pack.

Most definitely I agree my L920 runs super fast and never lags, compared to even the latest android devices. However as you've even stated above, "right now" is the key word. I ain't saying our devices will blow up by next year...but the truth of the matter is we don't know what to expect with 8.1 and maybe waiting out could be a huge benefit for the OP. When signing on a contract you pretty much give in for 2 years...so hypothetically speaking signing on a year old device now would leave you dragging out a 3 year old device before your next upgrade.

I'm just saying....same reason I would t recommend people to pick up an iPhone 4 or GS2.

 

[Giddora]

I would recommend buying a 520 off contract and wait for the christmas and GDR3-phones before making your purchase. It's available for like $80 or something in the US. When GDR hits... You'll be used to the system and know for sure what you'd want to invest in. And $80 is hardly something you'll go bankrupt and whine about losing if you find out you really don't like WP.

I came from 2 years of Android-use and haven't missed it for a second, but everybody isn't me.

 

[kriz225]

Most definitely I agree my L920 runs super fast and never lags, compared to even the latest android devices. However as you've even stated above, "right now" is the key word. I ain't saying our devices will blow up by next year...but the truth of the matter is we don't know what to expect with 8.1 and maybe waiting out could be a huge benefit for the OP. When signing on a contract you pretty much give in for 2 years...so hypothetically speaking signing on a year old device now would leave you dragging out a 3 year old device before your next upgrade.

I'm just saying....same reason I would t recommend people to pick up an iPhone 4 or GS2.

Yeah, chezm gets exactly what I'm driving at. I'm not your average consumer. I don't generally fall for gimmicks (GS4's 9000+ sensor b.s.) and I understand that WP8 is much slimmer, faster and more reliable that the OS that ships with most of the competition. That's why I'm looking at WP in the first place.

However, this is the phone that I'm going to have to make do with for the next 2 years at least. While I know that it won't perform badly, it makes me a little uneasy to invest into a year-old piece of technology, particularly in a time when there's very exciting things going on with ARM processors.

Also, 11B1P, a higher pixel count (or better yet, pixel density) and support for newer technologies (such as Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11ac) are very valid consumer concerns. If you want to scuff at people who fall for gimmicky phone features then I'd look at the Nokia Lumia 1020's disgustingly large 41MP camera or Samsung's "hand-wavy" sensor things.

 

[chezm]

So based on that, much like myself and some others stated...if you want a temp change while waiting just go with a 520 or 521. It will reassure you if WP is your style or not, at a cheap cost and tons of benefits. My final 2 cents

 

[willied]

Yeah, chezm gets exactly what I'm driving at. I'm not your average consumer. I don't generally fall for gimmicks (GS4's 9000+ sensor b.s.) and I understand that WP8 is much slimmer, faster and more reliable that the OS that ships with most of the competition. That's why I'm looking at WP in the first place.

However, this is the phone that I'm going to have to make do with for the next 2 years at least. While I know that it won't perform badly, it makes me a little uneasy to invest into a year-old piece of technology, particularly in a time when there's very exciting things going on with ARM processors.

Also, 11B1P, a higher pixel count (or better yet, pixel density) and support for newer technologies (such as Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11ac) are very valid consumer concerns. If you want to scuff at people who fall for gimmicky phone features then I'd look at the Nokia Lumia 1020's disgustingly large 41MP camera or Samsung's "hand-wavy" sensor things.

The 1020's 41MP sensor isn't a gimmick, though...

 

[TechFreak1]

Like others suggested try out the Lumia 520 / Lumia 521 or try the 720 (if you need a decent camera) and see if WP is for you. As the beauty of the WP8 is you will get the same experience across the board (unless you want to run some heavy duty games that need min 1 gb to run), which is smooth and lag free.

However there are some quirks you need to know as you will be using your phone for productivity, if you want to attach a document to email a i.e. word document use share from the office hub. As currently if you try to attach via an email created from any email live tile you are confined to the pictures hub. However once you have attached the document via the office hub and you tap attach it defaults to the pictures hub.

I get around this by saving my documents to a shared sky drive folder and saving it there, which then my colleagues can access it via the generated link.

 

[kriz225]

The 1020's 41MP sensor isn't a gimmick, though...

Please follow this link.

That's a high-end, $4,000 Canon DSLR. Note the megapixel count. That's right, it doesn't break 24MP. Now tell me, how is offering a 41MP camera on a phone not a gimmick?

Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt for a second that the camera on the L1020 is superb. What I'm saying here is that in releasing that phone Nokia is (at least partially) subscribing to the Apple state of mind of "buy me, I has more bigger number stuffs." The truth of the matter is most people don't truly understand what a megapixel is, let alone how it truly affects photography. Phone companies know this and simply engage in a phallic measuring contest to try to draw in unaware customers.

 

[mase123987]

Please follow this link.

That's a high-end, $4,000 Canon DSLR. Note the megapixel count. That's right, it doesn't break 24MP. Now tell me, how is offering a 41MP camera on a phone not a gimmick?

Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt for a second that the camera on the L1020 is superb. What I'm saying here is that in releasing that phone Nokia is (at least partially) subscribing to the Apple state of mind of "buy me, I has more bigger number stuffs." The truth of the matter is most people don't truly understand what a megapixel is, let alone how it truly affects photography. Phone companies know this and simply engage in a phallic measuring contest to try to draw in unaware customers.

It isn't a gimmick because it is need for the lossless digital zoom.

 

[coip]

Hey everyone!

My name is Cristian, I'm from Wisconsin (US). I'm 21 and work doing technical support for security equipment (video surveillance and access control). I've been a loyal Android customer since the HTC Hero hit the shelves about 4 years ago. As a techie, I've thoroughly enjoyed rooting my phones and tinkering with every last detail. However, as of late I find that I do a lot less of playing with my phone and am much more productivity-oriented when I do need to use it.

Because of this, now that my rooted HTC Evo 3D is showing its age - and incidentally has a cracked screen a month out of warranty - I'm looking very seriously at getting a Windows phone. I'm also going to be switching carriers from Sprint, most likely to either Verizon or T-Mobile. I'm strongly considering getting either the Nokia Lumia 928 or the Nokia Lumia 925, depending on which carrier I wind up with.

My biggest concern right now is which of these two carriers I should go with, and although coverage and cost are my bigger concerns I am a bit torn between the 928 and 925. As if that weren't enough, I'm also struggling with whether to upgrade at all at this time considering that I could possibly keep my phone and Sprint (I get a highly discounted rate with them) for a few more months to wait and see what Nokia or HTC do once WP 8.1 hits the ground... :straight:

I hope to be able to find some good information and discussions here in the WPCentral forums so that I can make a more informed decision on my next phone purchase. Either way, I'm already won over by Microsoft's guile

You can't go wrong with either the Lumia 925 or 928, but I'd go with the 928 for a few reasons:
1. It is free right now. Free!
2. It has 32 GB instead of 16GB
3. It has a Xenon flash
4. Built-in wireless charging
5. Verizon has better coverage and better customer service

 

[kriz225]

It isn't a gimmick because it is need for the lossless digital zoom.

Hmm... so why aren't all these big name DSLR manufacturers pumping out 1,000,000,000,000^99 megapixel cameras? Surely they've heard of this mystical technology.

You can't go wrong with either the Lumia 925 or 928, but I'd go with the 928 for a few reasons:
1. It is free right now. Free!
2. It has 32 GB instead of 16GB
3. It has a Xenon flash
4. Built-in wireless charging
5. Verizon has better coverage and better customer service

You know, I probably am going to go with the 928. I'm waiting to find out exactly what sort of a discount I can get through my employer for Verizon. $$ is going to be a big factor in my decision.

I know most of you seem to think I should wait it out and... well I agree to some extent. There's always going to be something better in the horizon. I know I won't be disappointed with WP8. Inconvenienced at times, maybe, but not disappointed. The L928 is a good enough upgrade to hold me for 2 years I think, and it's free. Verizon should cure my disgruntlement with Sprint's lack of data and voice coverage.

 

[WanderingTraveler]

Hmm... so why aren't all these big name DSLR manufacturers pumping out 1,000,000,000,000^99 megapixel cameras? Surely they've heard of this mystical technology.

Because they don't need to.

Optical zoom > Digital zoom.
Lossless digital zoom is needed due to the fact that optical zoom doesn't really work out on phones (See: N93, Galaxy S4 Zoom) and that the normal phone photo is also far from a dedicated camera in terms of quality.
The 41 MP is supposed to solve those two problems.

 

[kriz225]

Because they don't need to.

Optical zoom > Digital zoom.
Lossless digital zoom is needed due to the fact that optical zoom doesn't really work out on phones (See: N93, Galaxy S4 Zoom) and that the normal phone photo is also far from a dedicated camera in terms of quality.
The 41 MP is supposed to solve those two problems.

True enough. Now if Nokia can pack a 41MP sensor on a $600 phone why can't Canon pack a 41MP sensor on their $4,000 camera? Surely the benefit you have cited would still be applicable, despite the optical zoom.

I think that Nokia would've served their phone better by investing the money they used to shell out a 41MP sensor into a 10MP sensor of higher grade. Sure, you'll lose the ability to digitally zoom into your friend's nostril for comedic purposes but then all pictures in general would be that much better.

I know I'm in the wrong forum for arguing this, and I don't want you guys to take it the wrong way. After years of following Android and buying HTC phones exclusively I am thoroughly impressed and delighted by the offerings from Nokia. Hell I'm already sold on getting one of their phones. I just don't buy that a 41MP camera on a phone is truly something that will benefit anyone as much as they'd like you to think.

 

[dalydose]

True enough. Now if Nokia can pack a 41MP sensor on a $600 phone why can't Canon pack a 41MP sensor on their $4,000 camera? Surely the benefit you have cited would still be applicable, despite the optical zoom.

I think that Nokia would've served their phone better by investing the money they used to shell out a 41MP sensor into a 10MP sensor of higher grade. Sure, you'll lose the ability to digitally zoom into your friend's nostril for comedic purposes but then all pictures in general would be that much better.

I know I'm in the wrong forum for arguing this, and I don't want you guys to take it the wrong way. After years of following Android and buying HTC phones exclusively I am thoroughly impressed and delighted by the offerings from Nokia. Hell I'm already sold on getting one of their phones. I just don't buy that a 41MP camera on a phone is truly something that will benefit anyone as much as they'd like you to think.

Well, Canon doesn't need to go through all of the software algorithms and sampling to make up for the challenges of a cell phone. The SLRs have plenty of optical zoom, which is still superior. Also that glass is bringing in better images so why introduce the noise problem to solve and storage issues?

This technology is amazing on a phone and it's not just Nokia saying so. Of course, you don't have buy it and you've seemingly made up your mind about it. I'll stop the sales pitch.

 

[WanderingTraveler]

True enough. Now if Nokia can pack a 41MP sensor on a $600 phone why can't Canon pack a 41MP sensor on their $4,000 camera? Surely the benefit you have cited would still be applicable, despite the optical zoom.

I think that Nokia would've served their phone better by investing the money they used to shell out a 41MP sensor into a 10MP sensor of higher grade. Sure, you'll lose the ability to digitally zoom into your friend's nostril for comedic purposes but then all pictures in general would be that much better.

I know I'm in the wrong forum for arguing this, and I don't want you guys to take it the wrong way. After years of following Android and buying HTC phones exclusively I am thoroughly impressed and delighted by the offerings from Nokia. Hell I'm already sold on getting one of their phones. I just don't buy that a 41MP camera on a phone is truly something that will benefit anyone as much as they'd like you to think.

How do I explain this? You already have optical zoom? Tell me, why the hell would you want, let alone need, digital zoom on a camera like this? Adding to that is the fact that oversampling requires a lot of processing power (See: 808 PureView dedicated DSP) and is in fact a form of post-processing.

As for the benefits, I've already listed them down. You have a camera that can match-even beat- dedicated cameras on a slim (for a camera) frame. Add to that the fact that it's also a phone.

Yes, they could've shelled out the same sensor as the N8, but you'll be limited to 12 MP photos or photos of lower resolutions and lower quality.

That's where oversampling comes in. High quality photos at low resolutions.

Whew. I couldn't remember how long it was since I've gotten into a heated debate like this. Thank you!

 

[kriz225]

How do I explain this? You already have optical zoom? Tell me, why the hell would you want, let alone need, digital zoom on a camera like this? Adding to that is the fact that oversampling requires a lot of processing power (See: 808 PureView dedicated DSP) and is in fact a form of post-processing.

As for the benefits, I've already listed them down. You have a camera that can match-even beat- dedicated cameras on a slim (for a camera) frame. Add to that the fact that it's also a phone.

Yes, they could've shelled out the same sensor as the N8, but you'll be limited to 12 MP photos or photos of lower resolutions and lower quality.

That's where oversampling comes in. High quality photos at low resolutions.

Whew. I couldn't remember how long it was since I've gotten into a heated debate like this. Thank you!

You misunderstand me. I am aware that DSLR cameras offer digital zoom and cellphones do not. I am aware that optical zoom is superior to digital zoom.

My point is: if the obscene megapixel count is beneficial to image quality in any way (improved digital zoom, oversampling, etc.) then why would it not be desirable in a device that is intended to do nothing more than take great pictures (DSLR cameras)?

Again, I'm certain that the camera in the L1020 is breathtaking. I'm just saying that it isn't so simply because it has a 41MP sensor. Megapixels describe resolution. Resolution does not necessarily correlate to quality. High resolutions are only truly necessary when needing to produce a (physically) large image, which is unlikely to come from a phone. Picture quality can be better served by a higher quality sensor, able to capture more light and do so more effectively.

It's not as if higher resolution didn't have benefits. I'm sure there would be occasions where the optical zoom could come in handy. Certainly the digital correction of oversampling will provide some discernible benefits. My reason behind calling this a gimmick is that, again, by releasing this phone and touting the 41MP camera Nokia is effectively showing up at the phallic measurement contest with a horse wheenie and slapping it all over everyone else's face. Most consumers are not quite as informed as yourselves and simply assume that 41MP > 8MP = Bettar Photoes! All I'm saying, really, is that statement isn't true but it is what the consumers will perceive as true.

 

[rohitsingh]

You misunderstand me. I am aware that DSLR cameras offer digital zoom and cellphones do not. I am aware that optical zoom is superior to digital zoom.

My point is: if the obscene megapixel count is beneficial to image quality in any way (improved digital zoom, oversampling, etc.) then why would it not be desirable in a device that is intended to do nothing more than take great pictures (DSLR cameras)?

Again, I'm certain that the camera in the L1020 is breathtaking. I'm just saying that it isn't so simply because it has a 41MP sensor. Megapixels describe resolution. Resolution does not necessarily correlate to quality. High resolutions are only truly necessary when needing to produce a (physically) large image, which is unlikely to come from a phone. Picture quality can be better served by a higher quality sensor, able to capture more light and do so more effectively.

It's not as if higher resolution didn't have benefits. I'm sure there would be occasions where the optical zoom could come in handy. Certainly the digital correction of oversampling will provide some discernible benefits. My reason behind calling this a gimmick is that, again, by releasing this phone and touting the 41MP camera Nokia is effectively showing up at the phallic measurement contest with a horse wheenie and slapping it all over everyone else's face. Most consumers are not quite as informed as yourselves and simply assume that 41MP > 8MP = Bettar Photoes! All I'm saying, really, is that statement isn't true but it is what the consumers will perceive as true.

But in all of this you are missing the most important point, Nokia has been very clear about the fact that this 41 megapixel sensor, for average joe, produces 5 megapixel images. The 41 mp ones, 38 actually, are stored simply in the background for post processing.

Look at it this way, my lumia 920 gives me some really nice shots, but i cant really think of using it in a situation where the camera needs to zoom in. It gives me an 8 mp image. The 1020 reduces the need for a dedicated camera, simply based upon the user's need to zoom, by allowing you to work around zoom through their large resolution image. But it still produces a 5 mp image.

I am sure if carrying around phones with huge zoom machinery at the back was not a problem, even Nokia would have preferred to go the gs4 zoom way, and possibly come out with something even better.

And why doesn't a 4000 dollar camera company not do it. Well, considering they can utilise the better option of optical zoom, they haven't probably thought of using it. But they very well could. Would you really complain if your camera gave you 10x optical zoom and then allowed you another 4x lossless zoom of comparable quality? I wouldn't.

 

[gkrew]

since 8.1 for Window Phone will not be here until 2014, I would not want to wait that long if I were you. Verizon's new plans spurred by T-mobile and AT&T changes should make Verizon more favorable for new customers. Us old Verizon users are the least of their worries.

Verizon has better coverage.
Lumia 928 is free for new customers.
32GB storage on the phone.

 

[coip]

Hmm... so why aren't all these big name DSLR manufacturers pumping out 1,000,000,000,000^99 megapixel cameras? Surely they've heard of this mystical technology.

You know, I probably am going to go with the 928. I'm waiting to find out exactly what sort of a discount I can get through my employer for Verizon. $$ is going to be a big factor in my decision.

I'm guessing big-name DSLR manufacturers haven't yet because of inertia. And that they will follow suit soon, if the 1020 is a hit, because of isomorphism. Those are just fancy words to mean that they haven't yet because it's easier not to and no one has pushed them too, and they will follow suit once other companies do (because they have to). Most corporations do as much as possible to innovate because innovating is risky and expensive.

I know most of you seem to think I should wait it out and... well I agree to some extent. There's always going to be something better in the horizon. I know I won't be disappointed with WP8. Inconvenienced at times, maybe, but not disappointed. The L928 is a good enough upgrade to hold me for 2 years I think, and it's free. Verizon should cure my disgruntlement with Sprint's lack of data and voice coverage.

I don't think you should wait (also note that the majority of responses in your poll say not to wait: 56% as of now say to get either a Lumia 928 or 925 right now). Both the 928 and 925 are fantastic phones, and both of them just came out within the past few months, meaning that nothing new will be coming to either carrier in the next few months, so you'll likely be waiting a long time when you could have an already amazing phone. If you play the waiting game in the tech industry, well, you'll be waiting forever because something is always coming down the road. That said, what's the point of waiting for a phone with GDR3 or 8.1/Blue when Microsoft already announced that current Windows Phone 8 devices will get free upgrades to GDR3 and 8.1/Blue? A phone with slightly higher specs? The 928 and 925 already run smooth as butter on their current specs, so other than a minor bump in screen resolution (and the 928's and 925's screen resolutions already look oh so pretty), you'll be getting the bulk of the GDR3 and 8.1/Blue benefits, for free, when the time comes.

Given how good the 925's and 928's cameras are (it's not just the hardware, either, Nokia has fantastic software for those cameras too), given how cheap they both are--especially the 928 right now at free for 32GB is, unquestionably, the best deal in the entire U.S. cell-phone industry right now--waiting would be silly. You will not find a better value than the 928--again, for any phone (iPhone, Android, or Windows Phone). It's a fantastic phone; every one of my friends who have seen it have been impressed with it. Good luck with your decision, and welcome to the Windows Phone family. I switched over from Android in May (to the 928) and have been very pleased with how well Windows Phone performs--I'll never go back to Android (way too sluggish). All right, time to go play me some Halo: Spartan Assault. Boom.