Android or iPhone for Windows user?

[anon(5348535)]

Hi guys,

I have been 100% Windows-exclusive since Lumia 920, back in 2012. Currently on Windows 10 desktop, laptop, Surface Pro and Lumia 950XL. Outlook.com is my main email/calendar/address book, OneDrive my cloud. The only thing I have skipped was Xbox - but it is not overly relevant in this story, I think.

I'm planning to stick with my 950XL for another year... but I'm starting to consider where next. For those who have already made a switch - what do you think, which platform is easier to integrate in my Windows ecosystem? I have experimented a bit with Android - since Nexus 5X is my work phone - and were not fully happy with Android's native apps incapability to sync both ways basic requirements such as contacts, calendar... but it looks like it can be worked around with Outlook for Android. I used to have iPhone before Lumia 920, and - much as my memory serves - it worked quite nice with Windows, but then again last iOS I was really using was iOS6, so I have no idea how well new iOS goes together with Windows 10.

Any observation, recommendation, experience... much appreciated.

Nick

 

[Guytronic]

I went to Android along with being a WP user about 2 years ago.
As WP/WM started to prove to me that it was steadily being pushed aside by the Microsoft corporation Android as a full-time alternative became my preference.
I like Android running on a good quality powerful phone. I would recommend not going too cheap with an Android phone. I've found smartphone Nirvana with higher end mid-line Android phones.
Good luck there...hope you find a good place in the ocean of alternatives.

 

[anon(5348535)]

Thanks! Are you using Outlook.com with Outlook app, by chance? Are you happy with reliability of setup - contacts' syncing both ways, calendar entries... no hiccups... It appears that Android default mail/calendar/contact apps work fine with Office 365, but not with Outlook.com... even if those two solutions share same infrastructure... so Outlook app is the only other option for my usage scenario.

I only tried Outlook app on Nexus with my personal email for a short time, looked like it works fine, but I haven't used it for too long - it is work phone, after all.

 

[Guytronic]

Thanks! Are you using Outlook.com

Apologies...
I'm not using Outlook or Outlook.com on my phone.
The only MS app I use on Android is One Note.

 

[Adventurer64]

Go with Android. I use Outlook, OneNote, Office Apps, Groove, Bing, One drive and Edge as the primary apps from MS. I don't use Cortana or MS Launcher. I prefer Squarehome 2 which is a tile based launcher. I still prefer W10M, but satisfied with my V20.

 

[anon(5348535)]

Must ask the same question - do you use Outlook.com as yourmail/calendar/contacts?
I know that native Android apps do not play nice. Emailworks as POP, and even if you manually set it as Exchange, any change incontacts on phone will not be synced back to Outlook.com... meaning, changewill not show on any of my Windows machines.
Not pointing fingers - don't care if this is Google's orMicrosoft's doing (undoing?), but it is reality. I'm guessing Google doesn'twant to do ActiveSync, and Microsoft doesn't want to implement Google's preferredsolution.
I have been using Outlook.com as my main email for ages -back from early Hotmail days, and while I have Gmail account, it is not myprimary. I'd like to keep it that way. I also have another IMAP mailbox from mylocal ISP... 3 of them work perfectly on Win Phone, and I would prefer not tohave to settle for less. This is more important for me than having larger phoneselection or being able to get phone cheaper... I'm not filthy rich oranything, but I'm also not heavy phone user - no games on phone, to start with- so historically phones were lasting me for 4 years easily. Because I'm notplanning to swap phone every year or two, cost isn't too important... havingall my stuff working fine, on the other hand, is.
Outlook app on Android should do well - but I only hadchance to test email, didn't play with contacts and calendar. I am not evensure if this would force me to use Outlook app exclusively, or if it would syncwith native contacts and calendar... and in both directions.

 

[Adventurer64]

I've been using the Outlook Android app since it first appeared and it's performed well for me. I preferred the W10M version, but Android version is good enough. It syncs well with my other W10 devices and receives email from other accounts with no problems. Calendar is OK, but I'm not syncing with gmail or other calendar. I moved my contacts over from gmail long ago and have not been syncing with gmail since. So, not sure how smoothly contacts sync nowadays between accounts. I'm guessing not very good. I committed to solely using Outlook for Calendar and contacts when I made switch from gmail. I did move from Android to W10M last year and back again to Android with no issues.

 

[Old_Mil]

Android. Lots of customizable features, tile launchers f you want to preserve the UI, and no iTunes.

 

[anon(5348535)]

OK, thanks.

But are you using Outlook.com or Gmail for your calendar and contacts?

Back in the days, old version of Android Outlook would initially sync well with Outlook.com... get all contacts etc. But, if you try to change contact, or add a new one, change would show in Outlook app on Android phone (where the change was made), but if you open Contacts in desktop Windows 10, change would not be there - basically sync was one way only, from Outlook.com to Outlook app on Android. It didn't work the other way.

It should have been sorted since... should. Eventually, maybe I should drop Outlook.com and move contacts and calendar to Gmail, let everyone know my new main email address and get it done. Not impossible, not even too hard... but I do feel some loyalty for Outlook.com, served me well for years. Additionally, I do live - and work - in Windows ecosystem, which somewhat justifies sticking with Microsoft services.

Alternatively I can drop Outlook.com and move to Office 365. I believe Android plays nicer with O365.

Gah. First world problems!

 

[libra89]

@nikon133

For me, I'm similar to you in that I use Outlook for my main emails, which holds my contacts and calendars. My Google account is a shell for my Outlook email. It really depends on you. You have 2 options that work well in the Android world.
First, there's the Blackberry Hub which will sync your email, contacts and calendars two way. This is already on BB phones but you can download it for non Blackberry Android phones. It has a small charge but works well.
The other option I personally use is Nine. It does the same thing as the BB Hub but you get a 2 week trial to try it out with all of its features.

The export contact way works too if you are the type to hardly ever save new contacts, and you can just use Google Calendar. Speaking of contacts, the Outlook app on Android syncs contacts two way BUT it doesn't connect to your phone calendar at all. On iOS, it does connect to the phone calendar though.

 

[anon(5348535)]

OK, thanks for that. I'll check on Hub and Nine.

 

[Adventurer64]

I use the Outlook app calendar and contacts on my LG V20 since it syncs well with my other W10 devices, which includes an SP2017, desktop and Idol 4S. One downside is that my Band 2 does not sync calendar items from the android Outlook calendar! Uuugghh!! I think I have to sync Outlook calendar with GMail for the Band 2 to receive calendar notifications. It's just not worth the hassle for me.

 

[anon(5348535)]

Yeah... I think there's, sort of, secret war - or not sosecret - between Microsoft and Google, back in the days I had Asus Androidtablet and it had all the problems working with (then) Hotmail... MS supportwas offering "workarounds", different mail servers to try (and changewhen one currently used stops working)... but, much as I remember, problem wasnever fully sold... for as long as I was using that tablet.
And then, of course, YouTube app on WinPhone, no google mapsand other Google apps and services... not much love there. Microsoft and Appleseem to have some sort of "gentlemen agreement"... at least a bitmore fair play.
My iPhone 3Gs was working brilliantly withHotmail/Outlook.com. As good as Windows phone, considering age... added Hotmailaccount to iOS, checked to sync everything, and everything was working. Appledoesn't let ActiveSync for Hotmail/Outlook.com on their computers, resulting insame restrictions as with Android... Email works, but only as POP, and no calendar/contacts...but iOS does fully support ActiveSync, to my knowledge, as works as good asever.
I guess I'm leaning towards iPhone... but we'll see.

 

[libra89]

Yeah for some funny reason, iOS seems to work better with the ActiveSync situation.

I have no need to buy an app to get this to work right because it always works! I use the Outlook app there, make calendar events there and it updates on my phone instantly. I have even tried making an event in the apple calendar and it still synced back to Outlook. Same goes with contacts. Editing a contact on the phone goes back to Outlook.

 

[anon(5348535)]

Yeah for some funny reason, iOS seems to work better with the ActiveSync situation.

I have no need to buy an app to get this to work right because it always works! I use the Outlook app there, make calendar events there and it updates on my phone instantly. I have even tried making an event in the apple calendar and it still synced back to Outlook. Same goes with contacts. Editing a contact on the phone goes back to Outlook.

Yes, this is how I remember my iPhone days. IPhone's native mail, contacts and calendar apps were working pretty much perfectly with Hotmail/Outlook.com... Can't remember having any issues.

 

[anon(5348535)]

Hey,

If you are planning to switch to android/iOS, I would suggest you to use android since you might get an easy access to your Microsoft applications such as Outlook,One drive etc. You will experience the freedom to use your preferred apps while using android. iOS might make you feel a bit uncomfortable and restricted too.

Adrian Gates
Sr. Developer - Apps4Rent

I'm pretty sure Microsoft, with their new services-first mantra, has same software and services on both iOS and Android. Eventually, it does not matter - when it comes to phones, I just need solution that works for me. Will I use mobile Outlook or native email app on phone, doesn't make much difference to me. I'm not phone-focussed user, in fact I do majority of these tasks on tablet, laptop or desktop PC... phone is really only when out&about...

 

[terrokkinit]

I constantly had issues with Apple and would talk down the iPhone many, many times in being a simplistic device. Windows Phone was what I wanted to use, and I was perfectly fine having a phone that worked so well. On top of that, Google, with its blatant monopolistic practices, has a phone that just doesn't work with a buggy OS such as Android. I found I had to master reset my phone every 2-3 months just for it to function properly.

I miss Windows Phone, quite frankly, but I finally decided to get an iPhone 7 Plus to replace my Lumia 950. Best service I've ever had, to be honest. And I get to avoid the pesky Schroogle.

 

[anon(5348535)]

I constantly had issues with Apple and would talk down the iPhone many, many times in being a simplistic device. Windows Phone was what I wanted to use, and I was perfectly fine having a phone that worked so well. On top of that, Google, with its blatant monopolistic practices, has a phone that just doesn't work with a buggy OS such as Android. I found I had to master reset my phone every 2-3 months just for it to function properly.

I miss Windows Phone, quite frankly, but I finally decided to get an iPhone 7 Plus to replace my Lumia 950. Best service I've ever had, to be honest. And I get to avoid the pesky Schroogle.

I'm leaning towards iPhone 8 Plus at the moment... but we'll see. will probably give my Lumia 950 XL another few months... might even wait next iPhone refresh. And give Android more time to convince me.

My work Nexus 5X works really great. Good on battery, stable as rock. Android 8.0 has messed up BT with my Jabra handsfree, but it looks like 8.1 has improved a bit. But... EAS support still doesn't work.

 

[Mattemt294]

Android works extremely well. I went from the idol 4s w10m to the Galaxy note 8. I'm running outlook app as my default email (outlook Gmail and 365 accounts synced). I also use the Outlook apps calendar for all 3 accounts, contacts and it also gives quick access to OneDrive.

I use the one drive app for storage, cortana as my assistant and Microsoft launcher as my home screen. edge is my browser and I use all the standard office apps as well. I have had 0 issue switching to Android as someone fully invested in the msft ecosystem.

I haven't had any issue with contacts syncing both ways with both the phones native contact app and outlook app linked to my Outlook account. Android has been much more flexible than apple (I was on iPhone 7+ last going back to the 3g)