Considering switching from Lumia 930 to Galaxy S7, anyone else ?

[midnightfrolic]

Sounds like your decision is already made up. Android is mature enough and have great support and very open. You're not really missing much if anything at all by switching. I use the big 3 platforms and support them. I currently like Windows Mobile most of all at this point in time. Lots of unique features and potential. If only they can get rid of the annoying stalls, crashes, lag, battery drains. Too much to ask. Do yourself a favor and keep your old phones around when you get a case of nostalgia. Or just wanna check out new builds.

 

[vEEP pEEP]

Nope. Not switching.
Your reasons are valid.
Thanks for sharing!

Hello,

This is my first message on this forum.

I have been a long-time Windows Phone user. My first smartphone was a Samsung Omnia 7, back in 2011. I was very happy with it, as it was stable, different, and certainly better at performing important tasks than most other smartphones. At that time, I was the only one around me who carried a Windows Phone, and when I was seeing what Android was like, I was convinced that I made the right choice. As I was very satisfied, 2 years ago, I bought a Lumia 930. Great camera, good interface with almost no bugs (WP 8.1) and amazing screen. However, battery life was not that good, but acceptable.

10 months ago, I upgraded my phone to Windows 10 Mobile. The overall experience was so bad and so buggy that I reverted back to Windows 8.1. I thought that it was normal, as I was using beta software that wouldn't be released any time soon.
4 months ago, I renewed the experience, mainly because the OS was due to be released as a final version for the Lumia 950/950XL, and because I felt (and still feel) that Windows Phone 8.1, however great it was, belongs to the past, in terms of functionalities and interface.

The experience has undoubtedly improved, but there were still many bugs. Too many. I waited, hoping that this would be addressed. It hasn't. Edge still refuses to load some webpages on a daily basis, has interface problems and sometimes make my phone completely reboot. The texting app, probably the most important one, can be slow, or closes unexpectedly. On three occasions, my phone didn't wake me up although the alarm was set. No sound came from my phone at all. Outlook also has many bugs, and is not that great. I experience regular Bluetooth audio problems. And there are many more issues... Some of you might argue that it is still beta software, but so close from the final release on all devices and 3 months after the final release on the 950, I don't possibly see how things could change.

Meanwhile, the app gap is still there. I have never cared about the number of apps available, what I want is to have the most useful apps, and more importantly, quality apps. Just an exemple. As a medical student, I use some of Elsevier's textbooks. They have created an app that allows you to consult them online, without the need to carry them with you. Such an app doesn't exist on Windows Phone, it only does on iOS or Android. I agree this is just a personal detail that doesn't affect everyone, but the accumulation of these "details" makes the whole experience pretty bad.
More than that, I feel that the quality of apps is often poor on Windows Phone : bad interface, many functions lacking, etc... There are exceptions, but overall, it is not satisfying. Take the Facebook app. It is extremely bad. When I first tried it, I thought I made a mistake and that it was an unofficial one. I have to use m.facebook.com, which is unfortunately far better.

I used to hate Android and be an unconditional fan of Windows Phone, and even of Microsoft in general. I even lobbied a friend to switch from Android to Windows Phone. He was very happy that he switched, but he had a very low-end Android phone, which explains a great part of his satisfaction.

There was certainly a time when Android was really bad. But I don't think this is still the case. I tried a Galaxy S6 Edge in a store, and I was blown away by the quality of the screen, the fluidity and by how good the apps were. All of my preconceived ideas went away. Everything was not perfect, I didn't like the main interface for instance, it looks too much like one for a toy phone, but as it is very customizable, I don't think there is an issue there.

Microsoft has put a lot of effort recently to develop equivalent apps for other platforms : Office, Cortana, WordFlow keyboard, ... Much more than for fixing WP bugs, it seems. Some of them are actually far better and less buggy on Android than on Windows Phone, which is for me a real lack of respect for their loyal customers. Someone asked me recently, "What is better with your Windows Phone?". I almost couldn't answer, I only had negative sides flowing into my head.

I need to change my Lumia 930 as soon as possible, because the battery life is not acceptable any more. I almost never finish the day, and yet, my usage is not that heavy! I have to carry a small USB battery with me in my pocket to "address the issue" . If I wanted to stay on WP, all I have is a disappointing "flagship" with a disappointing design, which I tried in a store and has some of the same bugs of my 930, if not all. I don't think I could wait until the end of the year for a Surface Phone, and I wouldn't want it if the same bugs and the lack of apps are still present. But if significant progress will be made and if I decide to switch to Android now, I would be happy to come back!

I have seen reliable leaks on the new Galaxy S7 (Edge), which is expected to have impressive battery life (the most important point for me), a powerful processor and some unique functionalities. It should be released in one month.

I am wondering, what am I losing if I decide to switch?
Maybe the great Zeiss camera, but besides that, I don't see many things...

Are there some of you who are following the leaks on the Galaxy S7 and are considering switching to the Galaxy S7 when it will be released, or even to another Android phone? If so, what are your reasons? Do you agree or disagree with me on the reasons I have cited?

Sorry for the long message, but I wanted to be thorough on my experience.

 

[Laura Knotek]

If I buy a Samsung device, does that mean that I will have to wait longer to receive updates than if I had a Nexus as they somehow need to be tested and approved by Samsung?

Yes. You would have to wait for Samsung to release the updates, and then wait for the carrier to which that Samsung device is branded to release the updates.

On the other hand, with Nexus
Timing for software updates

Nexus devices
Android updates

Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 6, Nexus 5, Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 9, and Nexus 10 devices get the latest version of Android directly from Google. These devices will receive Android version updates for at least two years from when the device first became available on the Google Store.
Once an update is available, it can take up to two weeks for it to reach your device. Based on your carrier, it may take longer than two weeks after release to get an update. Note: Carrier doesn't apply with the Nexus 5X and 6P-those are sold directly by Google, not by carriers.
Security patches

Nexus devices will also receive updates for security issues documented in our Public Nexus Security Bulletins for at least the following periods:

• Three years from when the device first became available on the Google Store
• Or, 18 months after the device stopped being sold on the Google Store

You can see when your device last received a security patch:

1. Open your device's Settings app
   
   .
2. Scroll to the bottom and touch About phone or About tablet.
3. Under "Android security patch level," you'll see the date of your device's latest security patch. Source: https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/4457705?hl=en

 

[kimigayo]

Not I. My 930 is working out quite well for me. There are times the frustration of Windows 10 Forever Beta sets in, but it's no different than the slow down and issues I had when I had an Android 3 years ago. The so called "app gap" doesn't bother me in the least since I don't Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or play games on it. Call, text, cloud, all works pretty darn great. Add a beautiful screen, great pic taking camera, and a bright orange backing that laughs in the face of Apple/Samsung conformity, and it's a no brainer. Switch to Samsung? Never.

 

[RobsBrutal1]

Why get Samsung when LG is making great phones?

 

[lamminium]

Hello,

This is my first message on this forum.

I have been a long-time Windows Phone user. My first smartphone was a Samsung Omnia 7, back in 2011. I was very happy with it, as it was stable, different, and certainly better at performing important tasks than most other smartphones. At that time, I was the only one around me who carried a Windows Phone, and when I was seeing what Android was like, I was convinced that I made the right choice. As I was very satisfied, 2 years ago, I bought a Lumia 930. Great camera, good interface with almost no bugs (WP 8.1) and amazing screen. However, battery life was not that good, but acceptable.

10 months ago, I upgraded my phone to Windows 10 Mobile. The overall experience was so bad and so buggy that I reverted back to Windows 8.1. I thought that it was normal, as I was using beta software that wouldn't be released any time soon.
4 months ago, I renewed the experience, mainly because the OS was due to be released as a final version for the Lumia 950/950XL, and because I felt (and still feel) that Windows Phone 8.1, however great it was, belongs to the past, in terms of functionalities and interface.

The experience has undoubtedly improved, but there were still many bugs. Too many. I waited, hoping that this would be addressed. It hasn't. Edge still refuses to load some webpages on a daily basis, has interface problems and sometimes make my phone completely reboot. The texting app, probably the most important one, can be slow, or closes unexpectedly. On three occasions, my phone didn't wake me up although the alarm was set. No sound came from my phone at all. Outlook also has many bugs, and is not that great. I experience regular Bluetooth audio problems. And there are many more issues... Some of you might argue that it is still beta software, but so close from the final release on all devices and 3 months after the final release on the 950, I don't possibly see how things could change.

Meanwhile, the app gap is still there. I have never cared about the number of apps available, what I want is to have the most useful apps, and more importantly, quality apps. Just an exemple. As a medical student, I use some of Elsevier's textbooks. They have created an app that allows you to consult them online, without the need to carry them with you. Such an app doesn't exist on Windows Phone, it only does on iOS or Android. I agree this is just a personal detail that doesn't affect everyone, but the accumulation of these "details" makes the whole experience pretty bad.
More than that, I feel that the quality of apps is often poor on Windows Phone : bad interface, many functions lacking, etc... There are exceptions, but overall, it is not satisfying. Take the Facebook app. It is extremely bad. When I first tried it, I thought I made a mistake and that it was an unofficial one. I have to use m.facebook.com, which is unfortunately far better.

I used to hate Android and be an unconditional fan of Windows Phone, and even of Microsoft in general. I even lobbied a friend to switch from Android to Windows Phone. He was very happy that he switched, but he had a very low-end Android phone, which explains a great part of his satisfaction.

I'm in exactly the same boat (including posting here for the first time despite being a seasoned lurker). Although I use UpToDate for my daily reference (the only good medical app that's on every platform), I also use guidelines such as NICE and RCH and other calculators which aren't available on WP/WM platform. No matter how much I enjoy the uniqueness of WM/WP, the poor app ecosystem for my work has started to bother me.

If you want to switch to the S7, go for it or study the other options suggested here.

Meanwhile, I'll wait for the reviews, especially from users, of the upcoming devices. This will take a few months but I'm patient. Hopefully Microsoft will have got their W10M experience right by then?

 

[Kevin Rush]

Nope. Not switching.
Your reasons are valid.
Thanks for sharing!

Agree.
Our family isn't switching.
Just not interested.

 

[kjmcintosh]

Just checking should they switch to Android or stay.....

 

[hamphlet]

My view? Go with it. Windows is in a bit of a wilderness at the moment. I think it's over for Windows Phone/Mobile as of right now. The app developers won't support the platform if it isn't selling in large numbers. Microsoft don't seem to have grasped that and in my opinion they have pulled out of mass production too soon. They have left other manufacturers to take up the slack. But why would the OEMs want to pin their sails to the mast of an unfinished and buggy operating system. Microsoft should have nurse maided things through with full manufacturing support until the OS was fully ready in maybe another 12 months.

Anyway, I'm a Lumia 930 owner too (previously L920, L1520 & L800) but I'll be coming with you. Won't be a Samsung though. I'm almost as anti Samsung as I am anti Apple. No, I think that we've shown a bit of originality in choosing Windows Phone in the past & should carry on in the same vein. I'm thinking Sony, Asus, LG, Oneplus, HTC...... Basically anything but Samsung. Don't follow the crowd

 

[Copper58]

My view? Go with it. Windows is in a bit of a wilderness at the moment. I think it's over for Windows Phone/Mobile as of right now. The app developers won't support the platform if it isn't selling in large numbers. Microsoft don't seem to have grasped that and in my opinion they have pulled out of mass production too soon. They have left other manufacturers to take up the slack. But why would the OEMs want to pin their sails to the mast of an unfinished and buggy operating system. Microsoft should have nurse maided things through with full manufacturing support until the OS was fully ready in maybe another 12 months.

Anyway, I'm a Lumia 930 owner too (previously L920, L1520 & L800) but I'll be coming with you. Won't be a Samsung though. I'm almost as anti Samsung as I am anti Apple. No, I think that we've shown a bit of originality in choosing Windows Phone in the past & should carry on in the same vein. I'm thinking Sony, Asus, LG, Oneplus, HTC...... Basically anything but Samsung. Don't follow the crowd

I'll switch, but I hope I will be tempted to come back on Windows Phone in one year maybe.

I am also anti Apple, but why are you anti Samsung? You don't seem to be the only one on this topic... Is there something significantly worse with Samsung than with other manufacturers such as Sony, HTC, ...?

I have never liked "following the crowd" as you say, but the Galaxy doesn't seem like a bad choice to me. As I said, I'll keep an open mind and I'm gonna follow all the new high-end devices unveiled at the Mobile World Congress, and see if there is a better alternative than the Galaxy, but this is my first choice for now...

 

[wellsje]

The LG G5 looks really good too.

I'm in a similar boat to you. I've been on windows mobile/phone since WM5. I had been waiting for a decent lumia since xmas of 2014 but they canceled that release. Was going to get the 950xl but when I saw it was not receiving any carrier support I decided to wait for reviews. They were pretty bad and W10M seems to have a lot of bugs and the 950/XL doesn't seem to have any significant hardware leg up (ie extremely better camera performance like the 920 or 1020 did at the time) on the newer android phones. I don't care too much about the apps but I've run into a couple situations where the app wasn't available or the app was poor quality.

Maybe in a couple years Microsoft will turn it around but I'm done waiting. I'll own either the new S7 or G5 in the next month.

 

[Johnny Tremaine]

This is a Windows forum, or it used to be. I find it interesting how many Android/iOS users follow Windows forums. Why is this?

Well, speaking for myself as a gadget/tech enthusiast, I use multiple devices.
I own a Lumia 1020 that used to be my daily driver, an HP Envy Phoenix running Windows 10, an iPhone 6S Plus that is my *current* daily driver, and a Sony Xperia tablet Z---Android tablet--and last but not least, a 2014 Macbook Air. Have also used a Moto X (1st gen) and Samsung Galaxy devices in the past.

I suspect many in these forums also owned multiple devices from the various platforms, and we can speak to the pluses and minuses of each.

 

[libra89]

I'll switch, but I hope I will be tempted to come back on Windows Phone in one year maybe.

I am also anti Apple, but why are you anti Samsung? You don't seem to be the only one on this topic... Is there something significantly worse with Samsung than with other manufacturers such as Sony, HTC, ...?

I don't know Hamphlet's reasons, but one thing I hear a lot about Samsung is the UI (TouchWiz isn't good, it's the devil etc.) and also the amount of additional add on apps they include which usually can't be uninstalled, just disabled.

As Laura and Guytronic said up thread, you don't have it in Vanilla Android. Each of them have different amounts of it, but Samsung is apparently one of the worst.

 

[michaelelgrande]

So after being with WP since day one of WP7, yesterday I decided that I had had enough with the beta-ness of the WM10 on my 950xl and went down and got a Galaxy S6 Edge+. After having it for about 12 hours that phone is going right back to where I got it. Personally, I think Android is hot garbage. As soon as you get away from the the core android experience with different launchers, lock screens or default apps issues start to pop up. For example, Google Now would never show all of the correct information on my lockscreen if I was using anything other than the default email and calendar apps, which just doesn't work for me. Maybe I didn't spend enough time chasing down the solution, but the whole thing seems so asinine in its implementation I don't want to deal with it. Thinking the grass was greener on the other side was a mistake. While I am frustrated with the implementation, I do like the vision that MS is moving towards. I'll give it a little more time and if it doesn't improve i'll switch back to iPhone.

 

[hamphlet]

I'll switch, but I hope I will be tempted to come back on Windows Phone in one year maybe.

I am also anti Apple, but why are you anti Samsung? You don't seem to be the only one on this topic... Is there something significantly worse with Samsung than with other manufacturers such as Sony, HTC, ...?

I have never liked "following the crowd" as you say, but the Galaxy doesn't seem like a bad choice to me. As I said, I'll keep an open mind and I'm gonna follow all the new high-end devices unveiled at the Mobile World Congress, and see if there is a better alternative than the Galaxy, but this is my first choice for now...

Anti Samsung? That's just me. I hate it when a company comes along and sews up the market. There are people out there who consider all android phones to be Samsungs. People in our office ask for a 'Samsung' charger rather than a usb charger. They don't realise the same charger fits other phones. I'm not in favour of people wanting an Apple or a Samsung because everyone else has one. But that's just me and I respect your choice of the S7. I hope it's great. I've never been a lover of the design of the Galaxys. Even the Edge. That's what drew me to the Lumias in the first place. I rather liked the N9 and was made up when I saw the L800 sporting the same design.

I should have mentioned that I have had an Android phone before. It was the first HTC Desire and it was a big improvement over the Windows Mobile smartphones I'd had before. The last of which had been the HTC Touch HD. At the time my main gripe with Android was the messing around with memory apps, app killer apps and battery saving apps just to keep the thing working okay. I imagine it's a bit better now. Anyhows I'm going to give it a go too, but I don't have as much cash as you, so I'm favouring something like a Oneplus. I want people to look at it & say 'what's that'. Sad, I know :grin:

I'm not ruling out coming back to Windows one day, but they've some work to do and they need the apps.

 

[Mad Cabbie]

I don't know Hamphlet's reasons, but one thing I hear a lot about Samsung is the UI (TouchWiz isn't good, it's the devil etc.) and also the amount of additional add on apps they include which usually can't be uninstalled, just disabled.

As Laura and Guytronic said up thread, you don't have it in Vanilla Android. Each of them have different amounts of it, but Samsung is apparently one of the worst.

I have to agree. The touchwizz is not very good. I forgot about that one. As for bloat, some of it can't be deleted as you said. The only way is to root / custom recovery it. Then you get into warranty issues thanks to Samsung's Knox security feature. It's not a case of going back to stock as it 'blows' a fuse in the SoC. Samsung's used to be great devices because you could chuck a shed load of roms at them, root them and add a custom recovery and they would still be recoverable! I always laugh at some of their bloat because they seem to withdraw them leaving you with space taken up for no reason. Chat on was one that springs to mind.

I would chose any other android over their offerings, or just stay here! Samsung's are no more than fashion items, like iPhones. They are getting real gimmicky. LG, Nexus or the fab one+. I like to be different. Wish I'd never sold my one+ first gen :-(

 

[Mad Cabbie]

Anti Samsung? That's just me. I hate it when a company comes along and sews up the market. There are people out there who consider all android phones to be Samsungs. People in our office ask for a 'Samsung' charger rather than a usb charger. They don't realise the same charger fits other phones. I'm not in favour of people wanting an Apple or a Samsung because everyone else has one. But that's just me and I respect your choice of the S7. I hope it's great. I've never been a lover of the design of the Galaxys. Even the Edge. That's what drew me to the Lumias in the first place. I rather liked the N9 and was made up when I saw the L800 sporting the same design.

I should have mentioned that I have had an Android phone before. It was the first HTC Desire and it was a big improvement over the Windows Mobile smartphones I'd had before. The last of which had been the HTC Touch HD. At the time my main gripe with Android was the messing around with memory apps, app killer apps and battery saving apps just to keep the thing working okay. I imagine it's a bit better now. Anyhows I'm going to give it a go too, but I don't have as much cash as you, so I'm favouring something like a Oneplus. I want people to look at it & say 'what's that'. Sad, I know :grin:

I'm not ruling out coming back to Windows one day, but they've some work to do and they need the apps.

I cannot, for the life of me, understand why people assume that only Samsung make android phones. As mentioned elsewhere, my mate works for a UK seller and he, like me, thinks it is a fashion statement. According to him, no one goes 'oh that's the phone with a mega core processor'. They ask for the latest Samsung because it's 'cool' and bragworthy. This, despite the LG's, Sony's etc sitting alongside them. These people are paying upwards of ?40 - ?45 per month over 2 years! The same with iPhone.

IMHO, these manufacturers are not selling you a device. They are pulling a Harley Davidson trick. They are selling you a lifestyle, and if you are a youngster, bragging rights with your equally shallow mates. I see parents at school paying ?200 a month so their little darlings don't get picked on. How many, outside of the tech savvy, know what is going on inside? They aren't bothered, they have a curvy screen, and that's cool (?????)

You have to admire their marketing. They got it bang on.

 

[libra89]

I cannot, for the life of me, understand why people assume that only Samsung make android phones. As mentioned elsewhere, my mate works for a UK seller and he, like me, thinks it is a fashion statement. According to him, no one goes 'oh that's the phone with a mega core processor'. They ask for the latest Samsung because it's 'cool' and bragworthy. This, despite the LG's, Sony's etc sitting alongside them. These people are paying upwards of ?40 - ?45 per month over 2 years! The same with iPhone.

IMHO, these manufacturers are not selling you a device. They are pulling a Harley Davidson trick. They are selling you a lifestyle, and if you are a youngster, bragging rights with your equally shallow mates. I see parents at school paying ?200 a month so their little darlings don't get picked on. How many, outside of the tech savvy, know what is going on inside? They aren't bothered, they have a curvy screen, and that's cool (?????)

You have to admire their marketing. They got it bang on.

I agree. When my dad wanted me to help him get a smartphone, he was like "I want a Samsung". Mind you that he didn't even know that Windows made phones, even though I have one. He just assumed that Samsung is like the only good one. For his price range, I looked at the Samsung that was there, and it was barely even good enough to compete with the 640. In the end, he ended up going with the 640 and he loves it! He loves the cameras, the call volume, the speakerphone, how Outlook looks on his phone, etc. He doesn't really use apps, so that hasn't bothered him.

He would have never had this moment if we didn't suggest that he looks at all options. He probably would have just went with the Samsung blindly.

 

[HinoMusouka]

I will not be exactly pursuing the subject, but just two weeks ago I switched from Lumia 930 to iPhone 6s Plus. I do agree that Windows 10 Mobile proved to be buggy and disappointing, but I'd like to share an opinion about iOS 9, which hopefully will be helpful to some people also considering the switch.

First of all, one can't expect this to be easy. From the very first days of my adventure with iOS I am in constant contact with Apple Support due to a load of issues: Siri not working, iTunes Music Library synchronizing things I don't won't or not syncing the songs I want, regardless of professional help and my best tries. Therefore I do consider both mentioned application as beta quality software. Which struck me very hard - isn't this Apple, shouldn't this "just work"? But no, it is my sincere opinion that Apple has issued an operating system that has two application of poor quality, not very far from worst things in Groove or Cortana a few WM10 compilations ago. So before anyone switches, please consider we are talking of software here and it never seems to be perfect. Even the most revered, I would assume, software from the best performing tech company in the world is just buggy. Sometimes I fight with my playlists or try Siri do something for me and I can only sigh and give up thinking of how many time Groove and Cortana served me better even in, officially, just beta version of the system.

But I don't regret the switch, at least not yet. I am currently overwhelmed with all the apps in iOS ecosystem. You see, all my smartphones were WP phones, and my old corporate iPhone 4 was not supposed to be used to install leisure apps. So having a private and newest iPhone I have access to everything iOS apps can offer and I'm thrilled with the choice. This is not to say that I was missing some apps in WP, since I had everything I needed, but with iOS I can discover a completely new world of apps performing things that my WP apps could never do. At the same time I find some apps, e.g. Here Maps, looking much worse than on WP.

So, not to extend this too much, I'd say that switching is a bitter-sweet experience. More of a eye-opening experience: neither ecosystem is perfect. There is no mobile OS without bugs, and what worked for you in WP might be a nuisance in Android or iOS. I'd suggest to the author of this thread to certainly go for it, but be aware that this expensive device he is going to buy will not necessarily be a solution to all the problems Windows Mobile has.

 

[caspervir1]

I've almost done the same but I bought a Xperia Z5. First, camera will be a big thing you'll miss. Second, volume control and keyboard. The volume control on Windows is so much better! And that's the keyboard too! Even though Microsoft are releasing its Word Flow keyboard on iOS and Android, it will never be the same?

And let's talk about RAM, be aware of that you might need to restart your phone about 1-3 times a week, or you need to live with poor animations and a slow and laggy phone. And Samsung has never been good at the battery point, I've tested out the SGS6 for a month and it's really poor. So prepare to charge your phone once a day at least. My Xperia holds out 2 days with normal use, but that's Sony.

Though I can say that the Samsung has better screen, smoothness, camera (yes, I really mean it. Sony says that it's the best mobile camer, but NO. On my list; 1. Lumia, 2. Samsung, 3. Sony), technology and so on? And I'm sure you will not like the notification center on Android, but that's my thought.

And after a little while on Android you will see that the iOS apps is even better. Snapchat is a good example. So actually, when I had my Windows Phone I was more healthy and wasn't stuck at the screen? I was more social among my friends and family, because I didn't have all that hassle?

These was just my tips and thoughts, but I hope you apreciate some of them