Jason Ward uses Windows phone (for now) and asks why do you?

[Giovanni Roverso]

Why Windows phone? I've always loved the idea of having a PC in my pocket, and the evolution of Windows on phone, from Windows Mobile, to Windows Phone to Windows 10 Mobile has embodied that for me to varying degrees over the years.

Beginning in 2006 with the Cingular 2125 running Windows Mobile 5.0 (my first smartphone), my Windows phone journey has ridden the spectacular crests and frustrating valleys that have defined the platform. In fact, what may surprise many who follow my work is that Iinitially rejected Windows Phone 7 as an oversimplified UI and a backward step to Windows Mobile, the powerful, flexible and open mobile OS I loved.

Windows on phone, with its unique approach, is now a fading shadow of what it could've been. Still, Microsoft's enduring Windows on mobile strategy,via the rumored Andromeda device reflects the inspiring ambition Microsoft's previous mobile efforts (though poorly executed) exhibited. Will, the synergy of Windows 10 on a folding pocketable device be a winner? I don't know. Will the device even launch? Microsoft could scrap it. Still, Microsoft's pursuit of a vision to put real PC power in our pockets, via context conforming hardware and software on a device coupled with telephony is inspiring.

So as I contemplate my next move, Microsoft's Andromeda device which will likely be too expensive, or an Android phone, I'm enjoying what inspired me years ago, the Live Tile life, on my Lumia's 950 XL(personal) and 1020 (business)!

So what inspired you to embrace Windows phone and why are you still holding on?

Honestly I like the four microphones and camera. Great for taking footage at music events and such. I also use the phone to record audio or interviews and it just works, ao why change it?

I had to get anew battery which was challenging but it's ok now.

Facebook works, messaging, email and calendar I use a lot. I csn read books on it fine, manage my OneDrive files and use office fine.

I can use tinder (6tin) and Instagram and YouTube is on the browser. Soundcloud could have better web support, for example.

I'm just used to it honestly and see no reason to throw away a device I paid $500 for. If there's a must use app I can't get I'll take out the Asus Virgo Z00D I got for free from ATT.

I have an offline music collection. It's not nice like the Zune sync was but I can manage. I also like the keyboard nub a lot.

Dark theming and the start menu and tiles are a huge deal for me. I love thr aesthetic

 

[Wevenhuis]

Yes, still using a 950XL and 1520. I likend snazzy labs recent review of a windows phone. I'm still getting app, map and windows updates on my lumia devices.

 

[rapitts]

Actually I'm still using my Elite x3, I've switched before to android but reverted back after several months however the clock is ticking.

I dont use alot of apps, mainly its phone, email, facebook and a few browsing sessions.

The best feature is the power to stick email inbox folders as live tiles, I find this very powerful and handy and surprised iOS/Android havent added this yet (but gmail is crap at organising!) . I normally create folder rules for each person so its VERY handy to then pin each folder (people) onto the tile menu for my most VIP's

 

[RiskDr]

I teach and work in the business and project management world which is dominated by Microsoft products. I need a pocket PC. The 950 XL does what I need better than anything else. I teach online and in physical classrooms. I use my laptop but I have the 950 XL as a backup. I have used the 950 XL as the primary with the laptop as a backup. It works great. The 950 XL will do some extensive analysis in Excel and Project. It will present other MS Office products such as Word and PowerPoint. The main problem with the 950 XL is the screen size but it easily connects to monitors, screen projectors, and large flat-screen TVs. I use the laptop less and less. The 950 XL just works. At some point I know I will have to change but not now.

 

[anthonyng]

Still using... and still writing apps for them. Check out Sense Clock and Sense Desktop; giving some of that old HTC animated weather flip clock to Windows.

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Um wow that's really nice! I don't even think to look for this sort of stuff. Is that a problem with windows? It does so much we don't really need 3rd party apps?

 

[anthonyng]

I just bought an HP Elite X3... I have an iphone from work. Will fix or replace my 950XL I broke again.

I like the live tiles, one drive syncing everything... works how I want in both business and consumer life. Windows 10 getting more complete, new features that also help with our day to day consumer lives.

My wife uses Skype for voice calling (We subscribe O365 home) or WhatsApp voice calling now on her 950. We got her a decent data only plan one sim and we use a pay as you go for her actual phone number on the other sim.

It's brilliant.

WhatsApp just needs to allow installation to windows10 and it'll be great. Actually, they should allow multiple devices using the same whatsapp account. The verification can be done on anything the sim is at.

 

[Adventurer64]

I just bought an HP Elite X3...

I'm looking for an X3 and they seem rather expensive still. I missed out on the MS store $299 blow out sale. New ones I can find are still north of $500 with seems high for a dead OS.

 

[anthonyng]

I'm looking for an X3 and they seem rather expensive still. I missed out on the MS store $299 blow out sale. New ones I can find are still north of $500 with seems high for a dead OS.

Couple weeks ago, saw one listed on Ebay, $310USD plus shipping... Desk Dock package. I lucked out, right place right time. I remember browsing through used ones, phone only, then a refresh suddenly showed the one I bought, took a quick look at listing, seller feedback, double checked my eyes, bought.

Everything was pretty much brand new, they had applied one of the 3 screen protectors and signed in on the phone but other than that, it looks brand new to me.

 

[nate0]

I can use tinder (6tin) and Instagram and YouTube is on the browser. Soundcloud could have better web support, for example.

For soundcloud on WP I use audiocloud. The app is awesome. I am not certain entirely yet, but the whole time I have used it I have not heard even one ad compared to the native Soundcloud app on Android

 

[aximtreo]

I'm looking for an X3 and they seem rather expensive still. I missed out on the MS store $299 blow out sale. New ones I can find are still north of $500 with seems high for a dead OS.

PM'ed you.

 

[TechFreak1]

Unfortunately it does, yes. That's why I don't seem to blindly follow and believe in MS as much as I used to. They backtrack on their promises and usually sacrifice their own consumers or fans over the bottom line.

I know what you mean, I'm both an idealist and realist - one of the reasons why I am hypercritical of Microsoft. I can see the good they can do for many people i.e project emma and how that projects like that is beneficial in terms of marketing (PR) thus creating a circular resource economy and increasing profitability as they're a business not a charity.

Thus allowing them to make investments in similiar projects to project emma along with community out reach enabling many people in not so well to do countries become IT literate (which in turn generates positive PR - you get the picture).

Apple and Google are really in it for themselves, Google wants all your data and Apple just wants to fleece you dry and they will do what ever they can to retain profits i.e. they have bought many renewable (green energy tech companies) to solely benefit themselves. They are both the supplier and sole client of their energy consumption and generation. They can use this tech to provide cheap and even free energy (electrical) to their local communities but they don't. If there are any such projects they are just lip service otherwise it would have been on the news almost daily given the penchant in the technosphere to faun over apple and their "accomplishments" some are well deserved and others not so much.

 

[Rahsna Asurac]

I was inspired by the Windows to Windows idea. Windows on all my devices have always intrigued me and it still does to this day. More than ever. Next to that it was the different design, the personality level possible! I first saw it as an IT-admin that sat-up phones for employess. Windows Phone 7.5 (I think it was) quickly became my favourite type of Phone and I eventually purchased my first Lumia, the 920 shortly there after

Now I have 950 XL. I cling to it because I don't trust Google and Apple is the opposite of a connected experience when everything else you own is Windows

 

[tgp]

I know what you mean, I'm both an idealist and realist - one of the reasons why I am hypercritical of Microsoft. I can see the good they can do for many people i.e project emma and how that projects like that is beneficial in terms of marketing (PR) thus creating a circular resource economy and increasing profitability as they're a business not a charity.

Thus allowing them to make investments in similiar projects to project emma along with community out reach enabling many people in not so well to do countries become IT literate (which in turn generates positive PR - you get the picture).

Apple and Google are really in it for themselves, Google wants all your data and Apple just wants to fleece you dry and they will do what ever they can to retain profits i.e. they have bought many renewable (green energy tech companies) to solely benefit themselves. They are both the supplier and sole client of their energy consumption and generation. They can use this tech to provide cheap and even free energy (electrical) to their local communities but they don't. If there are any such projects they are just lip service otherwise it would have been on the news almost daily given the penchant in the technosphere to faun over apple and their "accomplishments" some are well deserved and others not so much.

It is all very simple. Microsoft, Apple, and Google all have exactly the same goal: to make a profit. The only difference is that they do it in different ways. None of them care one bit about you as a person, as in making your life better for altruistic reasons. They do want to make your life better, for the sole reason of making you (or another business) give them more money.

Don't overthink this! :wink:

 

[dlalonde]

Well unfortunately I'm using because I don't have a choice. But read on, as I'm enjoying it thouroughly!

See I had a Google Pixel XL but it broke. Google's been sending me refurbished replacement devices that all broke and refuse to send me a new one because I'm not the original owner (which is bull). I just received my fourth refurbished device in 2 months. It's that bad.

In the meantime while I'm trying to sort this out with them, I switch between my old 2013 Moto X (which overheats and doesn't hold a charge) and my Lumia 640 which performs very well. I missed this platorm so much. The customization, the keyboard, etc. Sure the same shortcomings that were there then are still there now, obviously. But I'm really enjoying it nevertheless.I even moved my content back to Microsoft services for the time being (and out of anger against Google). But I haven't regretted it.

My only problems is the usual social network stuff but I'm no power user anyway so I get by. Of course it doesn't run as smoothly as my Pixel (which is normal). Other than that, I'm enjoying this!

 

[Dwarf_King]

While I claim to have retired my Lumia 950 XL I still use it now and then. I love the way it feels in my hand. I also love the camera as it can really take some bad *** pictures. And when it comes to the Outlook experience no Android phone has beaten that yet. The screen is also great to watch YouTube and Netflix on. In many ways it is a fine piece of tech. Now the recent Photo app bug where some pictures on OneDrive were unable to show up was annoying (Seems like they have fixed that). Now about the apps... oh man and that is why I also use an Android Samsung S8 phone.... It is not bad at all either.

One thing is for sure and that is that I am not gonna sell my Lumia 950 XL. Now the battery thing is a bit annoying. It works but if you go all photo crazy and take around 300 plus pictures then bring in some extra batteries since they will at best last for around 3-4 hours during such sessions.

 

[TechFreak1]

It is all very simple. Microsoft, Apple, and Google all have exactly the same goal: to make a profit. The only difference is that they do it in different ways. None of them care one bit about you as a person, as in making your life better for altruistic reasons. They do want to make your life better, for the sole reason of making you (or another business) give them more money.

Don't overthink this! :wink:

lol. Well, let's put it this way by being hyper critical the companies know they will be held accountable for malpractise whether it's deliberate or accidental.

 

[George Novak]

Forced to go "Smart Phone" in 2012, so I found a $50 Lumia 635 at ATT. Worked just as well as any Droid or Apple and was my phone for many years. My wife still uses her 635, and loves it.
I picked up a discount 640 at BestBuy for $35. It lives in my truck as a mileage tracker and OBDII reader. It's my backup phone, no SIM. I upgraded it to Win10.
When my 635 started experiencing the dreaded "power switch problem", I found a NIB 640XL on Ebay. I upgraded it to Win10 and moved my SIM. Works good, great camera, tends to stall when too many apps are open. Some apps are dying off (like Waze), so it's just a matter of time.
Like many have said, I like the O/S but hate Microsoft's decisions. They really have zero concern for their customers.

 

[Pacus1x]

I left W10m early 2016 and just played a 950 recently... And well it's just sad, the OS now looks OK and stable than couple years ago but the app selection was like an abandoned Blockbuster store, a pretty sad situation.

 

[RK Faulhaber]

Hi Jason,
I've been a Windows Phone guy since the blue Lumia 900.. I've had a series of Nokia/MS phones since that one and have never been tempted away from it.

Since Jan, I've been using an Alcatel Idol 4S which has given me some minor headaches (hanging, crashing issues) and have reset it several times (a pain). It's too bad because the phone is beautiful and has nice LOUD stereo speakers that throw from the front and the back of the phone. (I make my own music, so this is a really strong selling ponit.) I also like the MS Word/Excel/Powerpoint connectivity and have always enjoyed having a phone I can just plug into a PC and use as a flash drive.

I'm looking at replacing it perhaps later in the year but do not really want Android and definitely don't want an apple phone.

Has anyone considered trying Sailfish? I'm not a huge "app" user so this may be my next "experiment".

The only other actual phones on the market that interest me are the LG V30 and the Nokia 6.1...

 

[fat8893]

I left Android back in mid-2016 for Windows Phone (WP)/Windows 10 Mobile (W10M). My first Windows Phone device is the Lumia 830.

At that time, I was simply staggered on how fast WP/W10M works despite only have 1GB RAM. The equal RAM on my previous Android phone is a complete speed nightmare!

But what really had won me is the fact that despite no official build anymore, I am still getting updates and patches directly from MS. Compared to my previous Android phone, I NEVER receive any single kind of updates or patches whatsoever from the manufacturer. Even that same story goes when I had installed custom ROM on it. I always heard Android users with custom ROM (especially LineageOS) saying that you always receive regular updates. The moment I flashed the custom ROM from day one to this day, the lights of regular updates is not upon me.

Really... despite the app gap, I am still struggling to go back to Android.