Is it worth going for another Windows Phone or is it dead?

[JasonH81]

My 950 XL is still going strong, so I'll patiently wait. I guess my answer is yes

 

[sd4f]

I would, but at this stage, W10 still needs work, and the app situation would have to look like it really was going to get dealt with.

There's no point being on this plaftorm while it's a significantly inferior experience.

 

[Elky64]

Will hang to my 640 as long as possible... so sad and disappointing how much Google and Apple out 'competed' Microsoft...

IMHO, MSFT out competed themselves by trying to continually reinvent the wheel. After awhile it started to become clear, their approach wasn't very methodical as they couldn't look far enough ahead to envision their future moves. So when it got to a certain point in the journey, their tires went flat requiring another "change of direction"/"retrenchment".

And personally, in the beginning it was never about competing against Android or iOS per se but more about "doing our own thing our way".

 

[anon(5947965)]

No. It's dead.

 

[Melle Zwerver]

Re: Is it worth going for another Windows Phone or its dead?

i've used windows mobile 6.1, and after a few years of android 2.3-4.4, i started using windows phone 8.0, and it was so much better than android, but after 8.1 the experience didn't really improve, with all the integration being removed. and with windows 10 mobile i moved back to android, and then ios. ios is much better than android, and even better than windows 10 mobile. i do miss windows on my phone, but they need to improve windows 10 mobile

 

[shanahben]

I suggest holding out for what's to come from Microsoft. Almost everyone is convinced that a 'Surface phone' is in the works. That would be a far better deal than switching to Windows 10 Mobile now.

 

[amirmaqhashmi]

I have been switched to android recently!

 

[anon(5340153)]

I'm very unlikely to buy another Windows Phone.

 

[robwards]

Still happy with my 950, no driving need to switch just yet. But if it were to break I would have a difficult decision to make.

Probably would look for a good cheap used 950 again. I would be loath to spend lots on a windows device given MS silence on the future of the platform

 

[Mars2003]

Microsoft have a huge task to get me back now. They've lost credibility and trust through their retrenchment strategy. I'm not sure I'd trust they were committed until I'd seen three yearly iterations of flagship devices and a building momentum manifesting as improved market share and developer support. I think that too many people will take this view as well and that will leave MS in a self imposed catch 22.
I've moved to Android on a SGS7 Edge and I'm enjoying the richness and support of the ecosystem.

 

[ScubaDog]

Re: Is it worth going for another Windows Phone or its dead?

I don't think anyone can answer this question for another person. There are so many variables that make a difference for each user. Some people like to spend their lives customizing their device while other find this a ridiculous waste of time. Some want a 100 apps on their phone--usually because other people have them--and other just need a few basic apps and everything else can be web-based. It also depends on where you live. If you live in a metropolitan area, there are features/services you may use that simply aren't a thing in rural areas. None of the banks in our town have an app on ANY platform, so there's no need there. Publicly accessible wifi doesn't exist except for at a couple of chain restaurants, so a large data plan is pretty much a must around here until you get home and can use your own wifi. Public transit doesn't exist here, and the couple of taxi services here mostly serve to take people back and forth across the Mexican border. In the end, what perceived negatives are you willing to accept in order to get the positives you desire? If the good outweighs the bad for you, then switching to another platform may make perfect sense. Bite the bullet and move on. As for me, there are no positives about iPhone or Android, so I'll stick with what I have until what I have won't work anymore. I doubt seriously we'll see any new Windows-based phones, sad to say.

 

[DSR11]

Ive actually been toying with the idea of upgrading my Lumia 640 to a Lumia 650......I'm still on the fence seeing as how the whole Linkedin app issue just happened, and now I have trouble navigating my Linkedin profile on Edge browser....I'm tons of issues replying to messages, and posts.....got the same issue with ebay, ever since they got rid of their app as well. Using Edge to navigate in ebay also is a royal pain. For instance I wanted to update my addresses since I'm a seller, and I can't get into my profile settings, I had to use my laptop. Its ridiculous....

 

[Elky64]

Microsoft have a huge task to get me back now. They've lost credibility and trust through their retrenchment strategy. I'm not sure I'd trust they were committed until I'd seen three yearly iterations of flagship devices and a building momentum manifesting as improved market share and developer support. I think that too many people will take this view as well and that will leave MS in a self imposed catch 22.
I've moved to Android on a SGS7 Edge and I'm enjoying the richness and support of the ecosystem.

Personally, I feel similar. Hard to erase the negativety of the past as it's always lingering in the back of one's mind, at least it would be for me... I just have to look at BB, their antics of the past are still playing a role in my decision to not go with them.

I too own the GS7/GS7 Edge, love their stability and the fact they are there for me when called upon. For various reasons, unable to say the same about WM/WP.

 

[envio]

It's worth getting a Windows 10 mobile device right now if you can answer yes to 2 or more of these questions:

a) You're a Windows 10 Mobile diehard and you just prefer it over the other 2 platforms.
b) You've lived with the "app-gap" all the way since WP7 and are fine with that.
c) You've no worries about there being no new features or only minor tweaks and bug fixes coming until the next "big thing."
d) Your W10M device will continue working but might be dropped from support at the next OS refresh and you're fine with that too.

The only phone I would consider right now, if I had to, would be a L950XL to go with my L950. My trusty L930 was dropped from future updates after the Creators Update and I was using that as my Insiders device. But I've no inclination of going back into the Insiders Program at this point, because I'd need a new device and there's no point since the WM10 Preview branch was split and now it gets no new features.

 

[Gabriel Ortiz1]

I've been a long time Windows mobile user since before iPhone was a thing. I actually prefer Windows Os to ios and adroid. I would certainly buy another windows phone but I would love if msft followed a similar model as apple and Samsung namely, only focusing on HIGH END devices and subsidizing them with mobile carriers so that anyone can afford to own them.

I feel that this is why Windows phone is not catching on with the masses. The majority can only afford to buy lower end windows phones(which are buggy, lag features, power, and abilities) and only the wealthy canafford to buy the higher end Windows phones (which do offer more power, abilities and features). If you want people to jump on board Windows phone, you have to entice them with all the great features that HIGH END windows phones offer. Make them more affordable by going to more mobile carriers (not just T-Mobile) and get them to offer financing plans or free phones with contracts (like apple and android have done with At&t, Sprint, T-Mobile, Metro PCS, etc.

 

[azteca911]

My wife and I both left Windows Phone last year. She's on iPhone and I have an Android. We're both waiting for the Surface phone to return to the fold.

 

[Drael646464]

My 950XL runs buttery smooth after Fast Ring fresh install and I am very happy with it. However, with all the travel and banking I do, lack of apps gets frustrating. I used to have Android with Microsoft Band 2. I was almost completely paperless and cardless. Now, I'm back to printing boarding passes and a wallet full of cards.
If Surface Phone comes to market, I'll probably be on board. If not, I'm eyeballing the Nokia 8.

These are what I personally think are the four genuine reasons to not get a win10m phone. I don't really buy that uncertainty about the future of new features actually matters at all, to whether a phone is good, and does what its supposed to.

Uncertain future = pretty much bollox to me. All you need is a healthy app platform, and MSFT is so invested in that it basically HAS to try, even if win10m itself isn't doing grand, because its UWP, its the future of the whole platform. You don't actually need new features

However if you:

1) Bank a lot, in a way that depends on the apps

2) Travel a great deal, in a way that depends on the apps

3) Are very into IoT smart devices, that you don't want to have to choose specifically for the phone (there are watches, lights and devices etc but not as many)

or

4) Love the latest trends or are a teenager (I snapchat, pokemon go)

Any of those, you have a fairly valid reason for avoid the platform. I might also include other tiny niche user groups, like people that want 20 streaming services or similar.

All of those might change in the future, if windows on arm attracts ios devs to UWP, for laptop users, and that might bring more full desktop software too (at least IMO, the later). But right now its not a matter of "no apps" but distinct areas that are weak, and ones that are strong, such that particular kinds of users might have an issue, and other types of users (such as the basic every day user, or a photography fan, or mobile gaming, which are "solid enough"), not.

 

[HALagoSilva]

At this moment the only option is an iPhone, but in my country is to far expensive. The Android phones suck, my Samsung experience is awful. The problem with Windows Mobile is the lack of software and the grey zone Microsoft keeps their plans. So, we are in a very lousy moment for mobile platforms.

 

[Gabriel Ortiz1]

I've been a long time Windows mobile user since before iPhone was a thing. I actually prefer Windows Os to ios and adroid. I would certainly buy another windows phone but I would love if msft followed a similar model as apple and Samsung namely, only focusing on HIGH END devices and subsidizing them with mobile carriers so that anyone can afford to own them.

I feel that this is why Windows phone is not catching on with the masses. The majority can only afford to buy lower end windows phones(which are buggy, lag features, power, and abilities) and only the wealthy canafford to buy the higher end Windows phones (which do offer more power, abilities and features). If you want people to jump on board Windows phone, you have to entice them with all the great features that HIGH END windows phones offer. Make them more affordable by going to more mobile carriers (not just T-Mobile) and get them to offer financing plans or free phones with contracts (like apple and android have done with At&t, Sprint, T-Mobile, Metro PCS, etc. As it is, people can only either pay full price ofr an expensive 950, 950XL, or HP ELite on At&t or Verizon or pay full price of a lower/med range Alcatel Idol on T-Mobile. So, the choice for average people (the vast majority) is simple: just go with At&t, Verizon, T-Mobile, or sprint and subsidize a higher end iphone or Samsung S8 for a low monthly payment attached to their monthly bill. Meanwhile, Windows phone is left behind.

Subsidize high end windows phones/surface phones and more people will jump on board

 

[nicolasmart]

Hi, everyone. I've been using a variety of different Windows Phones - the Lumia 630, Lumia 520 and Lumia 820. I like to play around with Windows 10 Mobile and it's my favorite Mobile OS, because it does the casual things in a way that it looks way more professional and the experience is more PC-like. There is no other Mobile OS more close to a PC one than Windows.

Now, I'm using two phones (switching up the SIM cards), and those are my Moto G 2015 and the Lumia 630. Now, just to be clear, my Moto G³ is rooted and I have installed a custom ROM on it (Resurrection Remix) and even though I switch the ROMs weekly and modify the entire look&feel of the device, I get bored with a single ROM too fast.

Windows 10 Mobile is the only platform I never get bored from and love without any mods.

I'm actually thinking of buying one of those Lumia 950 guys. I mean, Continuum is way more useful than you think. I hacked my Lumia 630 to run Continuum and it runs fine, it crashes a lot since the device has only 512 MB of RAM and it doesn't even have the proprietary drivers for the Graphics, the Mouse and Keyboard, so it's a pain in the butt to use Continuum on such a low-end device.

What I want to point out here is that I am still going to buy a Windows Phone in 2017 but it is going to be my last one or at least until Surface Mobile (or Surface Phone, or whatever it's gonna be called) gets released.

Even though I'm crazy enough to buy one of those, I don't recommend it to anyone else. It's like the Sony phones - they aren't worth it but they are nice for the fans.

People who really love Windows Phone should buy one to the point where it's at least usable in the modern world, in 2017. Still, the bare essentials are left in the store.