So I was given a choice of new work phones and decided on the HTC 8S as it was the only non-Droid amongst the selection (a bit of a funny way of choosing phones but I just don't get on with Android). I'm normally an Apple guy and my personal phone is an iPhone but, as it was going free, and cash is tight at the moment, I decided to take the plunge and try something new.
I've had the phone for a few days now and here are my first impressions - please note that these are mine and your experience / opinions may be different; if so then I would be interested to hear why as it may help me use the phone differently - but abuse just doesn't help anyone!
Interface/Win 8
I like it - the tile system looks great and you can get a reasonable amount of information in there without actually having to go into the apps. It is fresh and modern and doesn't have the gimmicky "ye olde style" app designs that Apple suffers from.
There are a number of improvements I would make though:
Back button - take me back through the apps to the home screen and no further!
Notification centre - coming from Apple it is a nice to have, yes you can see a reasonable amount in the tile view but sticking it all in one place is ideal
Volume - it would be good to be able to control the volume of different apps. So that phone calls are loud but emails quieter. I need to hear the email notification at home but not at work and am too lazy manually change but, at the moment, have to have email notifications off. Better still would be an app that would adjust settings depending on location.
Which brings me to bug-bears:
Lack of apps - I know it is new but, seriously, there is almost nothing out there that is decent!
Time - randomly changes time zones / days / time etc. I've taken it off automatically adjust and leave it at that but it still messes up things like Twitter feeds on the app (most recent tweet shows as being 12 hours old even though, when you look at it, it was sent a couple of minutes ago)
Inability to control storage of apps and data - it does only have a 4GB memory so not being able to tell apps to store data on the extra card is going to be an issue!
And the biggest of all:
LACK OF NAVIGATION - seriously ... this is meant to be a smart phone and yet there isn't a decent turn-by-turn navigation option. Even a paid for one! Which is all the more annoying as there is one out there (Nokia Drive) but it can't be downloaded to HTC in New Zealand. AAAAARRRGGGGHHHH!
Phone itself
In terms of the phone I knew what I was getting so things like lack of front camera and the lack of memory aren't really an issue; if I wanted more I would have got a different phone or not been so cheap and said no to work's offer and bought myself another iPhone for work use.
That said it is nice; I like the screen size and the feel of the handset. Design is nice too - modern and looks good with the tile design.
The only real issue is that the glass appears to be made out of talc or soapstone. My pockets are clean and free of anything that could possibly scratch a phone (I don't carry keys, coins or a wallet in my jacket pockets) and yet the screen has 8 scratches on it after 5 days; some pretty big! I'm getting a screen protector delivered now but it is very much a case of the horse having bolted before I even thought about getting to the barn door. To put this into context I have had my iPhone 4S for a little over a year now; this previously lived in my left interior jacket pocket but has now made way for the HTC and been relegated to the right pocket (because the work phone is used more so easier access for a right hander) - even after 14 months of ownership there is not a single scratch on the glass and it has never had a screen protector on it. So 14 months no scratches compared to 5 days and 8 scratches - under the exact same conditions. Which isn't good enough in my mind; if the screen is that soft then, at the very least, stick a screen protector in the box with it.
Overall
I like Windows 8 even though I am a Mac man. It also appeals to my slight OCD having a separation of Windows for work, Apple for home. Overall though the phone is let down by the inability to control memory use, lack of navigation options and, especially, the lack of robustness of the screen.
I've had the phone for a few days now and here are my first impressions - please note that these are mine and your experience / opinions may be different; if so then I would be interested to hear why as it may help me use the phone differently - but abuse just doesn't help anyone!
Interface/Win 8
I like it - the tile system looks great and you can get a reasonable amount of information in there without actually having to go into the apps. It is fresh and modern and doesn't have the gimmicky "ye olde style" app designs that Apple suffers from.
There are a number of improvements I would make though:
Back button - take me back through the apps to the home screen and no further!
Notification centre - coming from Apple it is a nice to have, yes you can see a reasonable amount in the tile view but sticking it all in one place is ideal
Volume - it would be good to be able to control the volume of different apps. So that phone calls are loud but emails quieter. I need to hear the email notification at home but not at work and am too lazy manually change but, at the moment, have to have email notifications off. Better still would be an app that would adjust settings depending on location.
Which brings me to bug-bears:
Lack of apps - I know it is new but, seriously, there is almost nothing out there that is decent!
Time - randomly changes time zones / days / time etc. I've taken it off automatically adjust and leave it at that but it still messes up things like Twitter feeds on the app (most recent tweet shows as being 12 hours old even though, when you look at it, it was sent a couple of minutes ago)
Inability to control storage of apps and data - it does only have a 4GB memory so not being able to tell apps to store data on the extra card is going to be an issue!
And the biggest of all:
LACK OF NAVIGATION - seriously ... this is meant to be a smart phone and yet there isn't a decent turn-by-turn navigation option. Even a paid for one! Which is all the more annoying as there is one out there (Nokia Drive) but it can't be downloaded to HTC in New Zealand. AAAAARRRGGGGHHHH!
Phone itself
In terms of the phone I knew what I was getting so things like lack of front camera and the lack of memory aren't really an issue; if I wanted more I would have got a different phone or not been so cheap and said no to work's offer and bought myself another iPhone for work use.
That said it is nice; I like the screen size and the feel of the handset. Design is nice too - modern and looks good with the tile design.
The only real issue is that the glass appears to be made out of talc or soapstone. My pockets are clean and free of anything that could possibly scratch a phone (I don't carry keys, coins or a wallet in my jacket pockets) and yet the screen has 8 scratches on it after 5 days; some pretty big! I'm getting a screen protector delivered now but it is very much a case of the horse having bolted before I even thought about getting to the barn door. To put this into context I have had my iPhone 4S for a little over a year now; this previously lived in my left interior jacket pocket but has now made way for the HTC and been relegated to the right pocket (because the work phone is used more so easier access for a right hander) - even after 14 months of ownership there is not a single scratch on the glass and it has never had a screen protector on it. So 14 months no scratches compared to 5 days and 8 scratches - under the exact same conditions. Which isn't good enough in my mind; if the screen is that soft then, at the very least, stick a screen protector in the box with it.
Overall
I like Windows 8 even though I am a Mac man. It also appeals to my slight OCD having a separation of Windows for work, Apple for home. Overall though the phone is let down by the inability to control memory use, lack of navigation options and, especially, the lack of robustness of the screen.
. The 8S is awful next to the iPhone. Almost no advantages, only drawbacks. Too bad my iPhone is broken 
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