Help needed! Debating whether to switch to WP

[UKGuy31]

I'm an Android user and I'm debating whether to switch to WP, the main reason is I want the Lumia 1020 because of it's stunning camera and Xenon Flash BUT i'm worried because reading online it seems top apps like Plentyoffish, Ebay, Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter etc are poor and nowhere near the Android or iOS Standard.

Plus reading news about HTC's Windows Phone market share dipping below 5% makes me feel like Windows might die sometime in the next year or two? Will the apps get better? will more and more apps be made for this platform? that's one of my biggest worries and i'm not sure what to do.

Thanks.

 

[MilkyTee]

All the offical apps work well for the most part. If they're not to your liking there's always third party alternatives. Oftentimes they work way better than the offical app too. A lot of things you hear about WP is just Chinese Whispers and hearsay. I heard a lot of negative things about the platform (from people who didn't even use the OS), then realised it was total bollocks when I got my phone.

HTC's Windows Phone share is @ around 5%, correct. That's because Nokia is the platforms biggest advocate and does far, far more than HTC does, or ever will do, to push WP8 forward. Nokia has placed all bets on WP, so it'll be around for a long time to come.

As for HTC, they haven't put a lot of time or money into the platform, and this is reflected in it's sales. But they won't pull put, and are in fact rumoured to be working on a WP8 variant of the HTC One, which would be amazing. The alleged specs include a 1080p screen and 2GBs of RAM though, so I wouldn't expect it for at least another 3 or 4 months (GDR3 is the update enabling Full HD support, and it won't roll out until October, maybe).

 

[Indistinguishable]

I wouldn't take htc's performance as an indication of the future of the platform. I'm pretty sure Samsung is #2 in wp8 market share anyway.

The app situation is vastly overstated as well. I prefer our twitter app to any other platforms twitter app. Whatsapp has received 10 updates in the last month & shows no sign of slowing.

Check out some of the recommended apps on these forums. There are a lot of good ones!

 

[iamtim]

So... if you're the type of person who is always chasing the hot new app, Windows Phone is not for you. If you're the type of person who believes that third-party apps are for suckers and the platform is doomed if there aren't "official" apps, Windows Phone is not for you. If you're the type of person who wants to tweak every single aspect of your phone's behavior, Windows Phone is not for you. If you're a social networking "power user", Windows Phone is probably not for you.

If that's not you, Windows Phone will probably fit the bill quite well.

 

[Fade_z]

1 problem with android users is that they whine about lacking features (because on android you can pretty much download any file and any app but on wp8 and ios its alot more closed but alot safer, faster and stable)

So what android features do you not want to lose at all costs?

 

[Fade_z]

So... if you're the type of person who is always chasing the hot new app, Windows Phone is not for you. If you're the type of person who believes that third-party apps are for suckers and the platform is doomed if there aren't "official" apps, Windows Phone is not for you. If you're the type of person who wants to tweak every single aspect of your phone's behavior, Windows Phone is not for you. If you're a social networking "power user", Windows Phone is probably not for you.

If that's not you, Windows Phone will probably fit the bill quite well.

on the app part: they are catching up, I wouldn't worry about that (Nokia and msft have made some deals)
Also with people hub you can use social networks pretty easy and fb,twitter etc are already avaible

 

[iamtim]

on the app part: they are catching up, I wouldn't worry about that (Nokia and msft have made some deals)

It will always be catching up, though. The Windows Marketplace will never be a first-tier app store like the iTunes App Store or Google Play. That's the reality of the situation, and someone who wants the latest and greatest app as soon as it's available will be forever disappointed with Windows Phone.

I'm not saying it's not getting better, nor am I forecasting doom and gloom. The OP wanted to know, and he deserves to know.

Also with people hub you can use social networks pretty easy and fb,twitter etc are already avaible

Yes, but, if you're a social networking "power user", the built-in integration will be a huge disappointment. It works GREAT for me, but you can't "like" pictures. You can't search for friends not already on your friends list. You can't pick between views of your wall. There are a lot of ways where the built-in integration falls short, and that's because it's integration, not a bona-fide social network app.

Again, no doom and gloom, just being honest for the OP.

 

[Boris Lozac]

but on wp8 and ios its alot more closed but alot safer, faster and stable)

But is it? So far this safe system had stuck apps/processes/whatever three times in just over a month, and restarts/battery pulls had to be done. All apps that i did download were the most popular ones, 4-5 star apps.
Just saying.. I love the OS, but to be considered as 'safe' just cause it closed, I wish it was, but that nonsense with taking out the battery cause it's draining I never had to do in 3 years of owning the 2.2.1 Android..

 

[Nataku4ca]

system had stuck apps/processes/whatever three times in just over a month, and restarts/battery pulls had to be done.

i think you might want to bring your device back for a replacement, i've only had to "battery pull" my 800 once because i was di*k**g around trying to develop an app (hence my fault), just suspecting your hardware might be faulty, one of my friend had similar issue with an htc model when they first came out too, and the sales from the carrier told him it was windows "mobile"s fault which was complete bs.... the thing's memory had issues

 

[Fade_z]

But is it? So far this safe system had stuck apps/processes/whatever three times in just over a month, and restarts/battery pulls had to be done. All apps that i did download were the most popular ones, 4-5 star apps.
Just saying.. I love the OS, but to be considered as 'safe' just cause it closed, I wish it was, but that nonsense with taking out the battery cause it's draining I never had to do in 3 years of owning the 2.2.1 Android..

i've had none since i bought mine like 3 months ago

 

[Indistinguishable]

But is it? So far this safe system had stuck apps/processes/whatever three times in just over a month, and restarts/battery pulls had to be done. All apps that i did download were the most popular ones, 4-5 star apps.
Just saying.. I love the OS, but to be considered as 'safe' just cause it closed, I wish it was, but that nonsense with taking out the battery cause it's draining I never had to do in 3 years of owning the 2.2.1 Android..

Your experience is far from the norm. You have something else going on there.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Here's how I look at it: You have four choices anymore: iPhone, Android, WP, and Blackberry. Forget BB. I've never owned an iPhone, but relatives do. Rock solid, Apple controls the OS, the hardware, and the production. "Sit down, shut up, we'll get you there." Great phones if you can afford them. Android isn't just Android, it's the company that makes the phone, how they settle for "get it out the door," engineering, and a shotgun marriage to Google services. The latter is probably what I hated most about Android.....plus crappy battery life (sound familiar?), reboots, etc. OTOH, if you are on TM, Android will give you Wifi Calling across the board.

Wanting/needing to upgrade my primary phone, I went with WP. My biggest, heart stopping, bowel tightening complaint is the whole cloud thing, no more Nokia Suite ease of use. I still hate it, although many phone users can't imagine what I'm complaining about. They never used a Nokia Symbian phone! Anyway, grudgingly accepting that's the state of things, I LOVE the 810! You don't NEED five desktops! It's well thought out, easy to use, incredible radio and wifi sensitivity, rock solid, fast, and I hate to admit this, the graphics rock. (I'm not much for chrome and flash.) I guess the difference is that the flash here makes it functional.

I admit, I don't do social networking, my chosen apps are boring, and I still haven't gotten the mp3 players to work the way I like them to.

The bottom line is: There is no perfect phone. Weigh it all out and make your choice. I have been telling friends and family that if they are thinking of a new phone, consider WP. It's a great option, especially if you want a, you know, a phone!

 

[Fade_z]

Just check some reviews, but recent ones!!

Also keep in mind that WP is not 100% done, there will be a massive overhaul in early 2014.
So any problems you face now like no orientation lock are confirmed to be changed/improved.
And you get 3years support, which is alot

 

[N_LaRUE]

I'm an Android user and I'm debating whether to switch to WP, the main reason is I want the Lumia 1020 because of it's stunning camera and Xenon Flash BUT i'm worried because reading online it seems top apps like Plentyoffish, Ebay, Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter etc are poor and nowhere near the Android or iOS Standard.

Plus reading news about HTC's Windows Phone market share dipping below 5% makes me feel like Windows might die sometime in the next year or two? Will the apps get better? will more and more apps be made for this platform? that's one of my biggest worries and i'm not sure what to do.

Thanks.

Since you're not replying and only have 1 post I'm starting to wonder if you actually care for an answer but I'll give one to you with honestly.

If you are in deep in the Android/Google ecosystem you will find using WP frustrating. Google barely supports anything WP. Yes there are third party apps available but that's pretty much all you will get. Also most of the Google stuff is available through IE on WP.

WP is not currently and probably won't be a major mobile ecosystem for some time. Maybe next year after WP8.1 things may get better and numbers will increase but unless we start going past 10% user base world wide we will not be first or second in line for any new app that comes along and will still be way behind in niche apps which typically go to iOS first.

As for the apps you mentioned not all of them are great on WP. Some are better than others. Most are being constantly updated to improve performance and bring in new features. Twitter, eBay and Whatsapp are apparently very good. The Facebook app is still being worked on but usable.

Thing to keep in mind however is that WP has integrated social media so you don't really need the apps all the time.

Lastly, if you are going to jump to WP my suggestion is to do it fully and work with the OS as is. To do otherwise is to get frustrated. When WP8.1 comes out things will probably be better but we don't know that for certain.

 

[Pete fin]

It will always be catching up, though. The Windows Marketplace will never be a first-tier app store like the iTunes App Store or Google Play. That's the reality of the situation, and someone who wants the latest and greatest app as soon as it's available will be forever disappointed with Windows Phone.

I'm not saying it's not getting better, nor am I forecasting doom and gloom. The OP wanted to know, and he deserves to know.

Never say never.

 

[Chris2183]

Lastly, if you are going to jump to WP my suggestion is to do it fully and work with the OS as is. To do otherwise is to get frustrated. When WP8.1 comes out things will probably be better but we don't know that for certain.

In my situation going all in with WP8 was counterproductive. I ended up returning my first 925 because I was struggling with a few workarounds to get WP to run the way I wanted. I replaced my 925 with a 521 and carried it along side my Nexus 4. With no pressure to make the phone bend to my will within the 14 day return period I was able to research at my leisure and find suitable alternatives to the apps I use daily. The 521 did such a fantastic job of presenting WP8 that once I got it running well enough for me, I gave it to my son and got another 925.

Personally I feel that complimenting your current phone with a 521/520 and enjoying WP8 with no pressure makes a much more pleasurable experience. But this is strictly my opinion based on my experience.

 

[N_LaRUE]

In my situation going all in with WP8 was counterproductive. I ended up returning my first 925 because I was struggling with a few workarounds to get WP to run the way I wanted. I replaced my 925 with a 521 and carried it along side my Nexus 4. With no pressure to make the phone bend to my will within the 14 day return period I was able to research at my leisure and find suitable alternatives to the apps I use daily. The 521 did such a fantastic job of presenting WP8 that once I got it running well enough for me, I gave it to my son and got another 925.

Personally I feel that complimenting your current phone with a 521/520 and enjoying WP8 with no pressure makes a much more pleasurable experience. But this is strictly my opinion based on my experience.

I agree with you and it's something I would recommend to anyone if they can do that. Unfortunately not everyone can. It took me a couple of months to sort myself out with WP8. My comment reflects the fact that I had to resign myself to the way WP8 is and wait for WP8.1 for the 'hoped' improvements. You can't bend it to your will really. Not all the apps you may want are available and unfortunately the websites are not always optimized for mobile. This is the issue.

The simplest way to put it, if your needs are basic, WP8 will work for you, if you need something with a bit more functionality you will be disappointed. It's that simple.

 

[iamtim]

Never say never.

I'll make you a deal: if I'm proven wrong, I will literally eat my hat and I'll put it on YouTube.

 

[iamtim]

The simplest way to put it, if your needs are basic, WP8 will work for you, if you need something with a bit more functionality you will be disappointed. It's that simple.

In some aspects you're correct. In others you're very incorrect. While some of my needs are basic, for instance, many are not; they just mesh with WP8's strengths.

 

[Edward Woodward1]

In my experience, I was an Android user for 3 years and switched the the Lumia 920 2 weeks ago, at first i thought i would never switch to WP8 due to the app market situation and no notification centers, but, i researched and found that WP8 would suit me better due to having Win 8 PC and my xbox 360 and soon Xbox One, so i made the switch and honestly, it was the best move i've ever made in phone OS terms, IMO, WP8 runs much more fluid, its smoother, its easier to use and less clunky than Android, yeah it lacks some features and gestures, but it has everything you need, imo the only thing its lacking is the notification center, but i find live tiles and tile counts make up for it for the time being.

People say its still "catching up" to IOS and Android, where this may be true in some fields, WP8 can still compete well with the other Mobile OS' and i personally prefer WP8 after using Android for 3 years before making the switch. I still enjoy Android, but i don't think i'd ever go back now.