The iphone avoids the spec wars discussion because the 4S has very good specs along with a well-matched operating system. I still don't see what's wrong with wanting higher specs to go along with the speed and reliability of our current WP's. I like to take pictures and watch videos. Therefore I want a good camera and a high-res screen. People that play a lot of games might want a better gpu for better gaming performance. None of this means there is anything wrong with the phones we have now. We should be able to have our cake and eat it too! I am as committed to the WP platform as the next guy, but I won't be upgrading until I can get a camera and screen like I want (which should be coming in WP8). I absolutely love my phone but there are areas that I want to see improve and we should all feel this way. When Microsoft does upgrade the spec requirements that doesn't mean WP will turn into the wild west like Android. We have to trust that WP will evolve in a good way. Rant over, carry on, lol.
Forgetting to Be the Underdog
- Thread starter JNM
- Start date
...and the DVP came in a 32GB model. as well as the original generation Focus that could be upgraded to take a 32GB card. I'm still holding out hope for a 32GB option when the new WP8 devices come out.
Providing the minimum specs makes sense, but putting limitations on the maximum is there only because MS is slow to support the latest hardware. That is, the only reason why WP doesn't have multiple cores is because MS doesn't support them yet. Same for expandable storage and resolutions. WP8 is expected to lift some of those restrictions and that's certainly good news for the platform.
Big Supes
New member
- Sep 1, 2011
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Props to the OP for a well thought out and written post. 
Whilst I agree with those who stated specs aren't necessarily everything, I think the OP still has a point regarding the reality of the situation; people buy into specs. For example, who here wouldn't be salivating at the prospect of a Windows Phone 8 device packed with Nokia goodness... 332ppi, clear black LCD, curved gorilla glass, dual core processor, 41MP Pureview camera, expandable memory... ???
... Yep, I thought so.
Whilst I agree with those who stated specs aren't necessarily everything, I think the OP still has a point regarding the reality of the situation; people buy into specs. For example, who here wouldn't be salivating at the prospect of a Windows Phone 8 device packed with Nokia goodness... 332ppi, clear black LCD, curved gorilla glass, dual core processor, 41MP Pureview camera, expandable memory... ???... Yep, I thought so.
Get to work, slacker! Joking... But don't blame IT. Restrictions are almost always requested by management outside of IT.
Props to the OP for a well thought out and written post.
... Yep, I thought so.
Please bring said device to Verizon! I want it now!
- Jan 20, 2010
- 7
- 0
- 0
Se1fcr3ation,
Sorry about the length. Every time I thought I was finished I just kept considering more and ended up with a "book" but figured posting wouldn't hurt.
freestaterocker,
I had a feeling someone was going to mention the S2000 and was tempted to use another make! The S2000 was/is and impressive car, simple, nimble, and direct, but that engine is so anemic that driving it on the street was not enjoyable. Not even a little.
bigkevbosky,
You make some fair points with which I don't disagree. Windows Phone does not need all of the hardware specifications to match or beat those offered on Android to operate smoothly. My Titan, HD7, and Radar were all as fast or faster than my current Galaxy Nexus at performing most tasks I ask of my phones. My suggestion is that Windows Phone needs at least one, or preferably a few, truly stand-out devices that offer something that really catches the attention of tech-geeks and general consumers alike. Windows Phone needs something like the Galaxy Nexus or iPhones, something that looks really great while giving me a no excuses top-of-the-line phone, even if it is overkill. Most high end Android phones are overkill. The same is true for the iPhones when they are released. But overkill now means getting people's interest now and a still-competitive phone 12-18 months from now.
Sorry about the length. Every time I thought I was finished I just kept considering more and ended up with a "book" but figured posting wouldn't hurt.
freestaterocker,
I had a feeling someone was going to mention the S2000 and was tempted to use another make! The S2000 was/is and impressive car, simple, nimble, and direct, but that engine is so anemic that driving it on the street was not enjoyable. Not even a little.
bigkevbosky,
You make some fair points with which I don't disagree. Windows Phone does not need all of the hardware specifications to match or beat those offered on Android to operate smoothly. My Titan, HD7, and Radar were all as fast or faster than my current Galaxy Nexus at performing most tasks I ask of my phones. My suggestion is that Windows Phone needs at least one, or preferably a few, truly stand-out devices that offer something that really catches the attention of tech-geeks and general consumers alike. Windows Phone needs something like the Galaxy Nexus or iPhones, something that looks really great while giving me a no excuses top-of-the-line phone, even if it is overkill. Most high end Android phones are overkill. The same is true for the iPhones when they are released. But overkill now means getting people's interest now and a still-competitive phone 12-18 months from now.
Except that when the iPhone finally went multicore, the battery life took a HUGE hit. Look at the new iPad; the battery has 70% larger capacity than the previous model, but the same battery life. Not that the battery life is bad, but I think you get my point... Higher specs come at the cost of battery life. For something as critical as a phone, something that could be your lifeline in a bad situation, I think battery life has to come ahead of bleeding edge technology. A great example would be that new 32nm quad-core chip (snapdragon, I think... Could be wrong) that has the same power usage as its dual-core predecessor. The tech can be implemented once it's efficient enough not to make the device useless after a few hours. I think MS has the right idea letting the tech develop and mature a bit more so that the end-user experience doesn't suffer.
Props to the OP for a well thought out and written post.
... Yep, I thought so.
Change that screen to a clear black Super Amoled + and I'm wih you....
It seems like a lot of people missed the point of the OP's post. Specs as a way of boosting performance may or may not be necessary, and they may or may not future-proof the phone, but they do do something else. The point the OP was making was that specs, rightly or wrongly, make a phone an object of lust, and WP's inability to do that is a serious problem. Although I could have misinterpreted what the OP said.
fatclue_98
Retired Moderator
- Apr 1, 2012
- 9,146
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I'll offer up another automotive analogy that gets lost in translation sometimes. It's the best analogy I can think of because of its correlation to the WP7/Android conversation.
For a typical truck gasoline V8 to make 300 HP and 400 lb/ft of torque it would require 3500-4000 RPM and some tuning to the intake & valvetrain. Meanwhile, the most pedestrian 6 cyl. Diesel can make the same, or less, horsepower and 575-600 lb/ft. of torque yet would only require 1750-2000 RPM. At the same time it'll easily get you 19-22 mpg while the gas engine will be around 14-16 mpg.
The Diesel will do 80 mph all day long and work less than its gasoline counterpart while being able to carry more payload and have higher towing capacity. Biggest drawback? You gotta turn it off when you pull into the drive-thru, no ifs, ands or buts.
MS will not win the "horsepower" races with Android without upping the specs and I understand this. What they need to do is make people aware that this is a different OS and it doesn't need the bigger firepower. Nobody knows what WP8 is going to bring so I'll withhold judgment until that time. BTW, if you've never put your foot down on a Cummins diesel at around 1800 RPM and felt your lungs pressed against the seat when that turbo kicks in, you haven't lived. That's power!
It isn't a problem, if you seriously think that people are buying phones based on spec sheets then you need to think again with a tinfoil hat on.
I think we will see more manufacturers follow the Razr Maxx route and put very large batteries in their phones. Seems like more devices are coming with big batteries to offset LTE and high resolution displays.
People may not be buying phones based on spec sheets but sales reps do mention specs as a selling point. I don't think specs are the reason for WP not having a bigger market share, but I don't see why Microsoft wouldn't want to make high end specs available for WP.
You (willfully?) misunderstood what I said. I didn't say people buy phones on spec sheets (although I think plenty of people do in fact do that).
I said that spec sheets help create phones as high-end objects of lust. One thing Nokia did right with the Lumia is was making it look high-end, when in fact it's not. A lot of high-end phones have better spec sheets, but they're also more aesthetically pleasing and become a symbol of conspicuous consumption. And people feel validated in their decision by specs.
watch out, here comes "You're a troll why don't you leave" (****** speak for "I don't have a counter argument so I'll attack you instead")
so which is it? people are buying based on looks? or based on specs? you're claiming people buy based on specs (right after denying saying that people buy based on specs btw) but, your example is a phone that (you say) people are buying based on looks/aesthetics. I'm not really disagreeing with what I THINK you are trying to say but, your message is a bit garbled so it's making it kinda hard for me to be able to say that I agree with you.
fatclue_98
Retired Moderator
- Apr 1, 2012
- 9,146
- 1
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You don't understand, he goes by his internet screen name. His real name is Yogi Berra.
That's my point--it's neither and both. People have certain expectations of high-end phones, and specs are one of those things, fairly or unfairly.
I'm claiming people buy based on specs, but not because of some intrinsic value of the specs, but because it makes a phone "high-end." So you can yell at people all they want about WP7 being "fluid" or not needing specs, or whatever, but the fact is that specs, whether they are functional or not, are a selling point that validates peoples' choices. So my point isn't really about specs so much as it is "high end."
Good design helps a lot, but it's also not necessary--the Galaxy SIII has sold 9 million just in pre-orders outside the US. It's not particularly attractive. So why has Samsung sold more phones in pre-order than WP7 has in the last year? Because it's an object of desire, and part of that is specs, part of that is design, but it appears that specs are in some way intrinsic to that decision-making process. Even Apple has to play this game--advertised their A5X chips? Who the **** knows what an A5X chip is? But they have to do it, because Android is pummeling the living crap out of them with specs, and they know it.
I think you're right--it's sort of an incoherent position, but consumers are a crazy lot! What I'm arguing, in a nutshell, is that specs matter not functionally but aesthetically. People here can say that's stupid, or that people are sheep, but it doesn't matter, that's how people have been conditioned to make decisions. Apple succeeds in part because it's a superior platform, but also because they've successfully cultivated consumer desire. Windows Phone just hasn't done that.
They were also probably too late to the game. The Galaxy SIII announcements today are kind of astounding--Samsung basically told the carriers to **** off and take their phones without messing with them as they normally do. They were able to pull an Apple on the carriers. That's either going to galvanize carriers to increase WP7 support as a counterweight, or the carriers are acquiescing to a duopoly. Either way, the GS3 announcement this morning seems to indicate a change in the US mobile landscape.
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