My Opinion: The Death of Windows Phone: As a Windows Fan I Don't Need One

[Nogitsune Micah]

This is ridiculous. I love how people tell me that based on their criteria I don't need a windows phone and I only want it because I am a fanatic.

These types of post need to be locked for flaming but they get to stay open.

What baffles me is the fact that people feel the need to try and influence others to go android.

Android is a Crap Pos to me

 

[IAMBLCKJ3ZUS]

Might sound crazy but I think some people work for Android or Apple. I myself have z3, s6, and my wife has Nexus 6. My daily driver is Lumia 930 since it gets Insider updates and my Lumia 950. I just can't see the appeal to Android or IOS I keep coming back to Windows. Maybe bluestack could make an app to please the Android crowd that complain about everything.

 

[antiochian2010]

Left Android and my Samsung Vibrant 6 years ago for Windows Phone.

Guess what? Back then there wasn't a 'gap' it was a frickin ABYSS - but I never looked back.

People say - sure WP has a better UI, but...

To me UI is EVERYTHING. Someone had actually made a WP7 launcher back then for Android - and me who was changing launchers and skins 2-3 times a week suddenly found that I had left the WP launcher alone for 2 months and I STILL wasn't tired of it!

Over the years, I have been completely satisfied with WP and absolutely love the latest iteration on my new Lumia 950.

Things I hated about Android (besides drag and drain)

GMail - I use it online and still hate it. Hate contacts as well. Hated Picassa.
The last is a bit rectified - my nephew has Google Photos and looks like it's caught up pretty well with Flickr.
While I love Cyanogen Mod - I hated having to install it in order to make Android work the way I wanted!

What I hate about WP - Msft making premium versions for anything but their own OS!!!

My Gap from Android has narrowed to three critical items:

Rocket Bunnies - O man I STILL miss that horrid little game.

CyanogenMod - able to turn the entire UI monochromatic - would love to see this. With AMOLED, you could turn your device interface to deep blue and set to lowest dim setting and you could text from any dark environement without anyone else being able to see anything.

Samsung Pay - have seen people use it and even Paul Thurott loves it - so who am I to argue? Never did use, so don't miss it.

Against all of these, to me the overall experience of the Lumias coupled with kickass Photo and Video shooting still IMO set WP far far above AOSP or iOS no matter the app gap is.

Shows how personal these things are. I disagree Msft is 'killing' the platform - up to now they just haven't done a good job developing or promoting it - but to me it's still the best.

 

[DrWMJ]

In all fairness, the OP has a point here and is entitled to express it. And here is my opinion! I am a strong MS fan for several reasons:
1) I appreciate the beauty and engineering of the hardware (Surface Book, SP4, 950xl)
2) I support the business philosophy of the company (giving us options for making us more productive and improving our communication)
MS is, of course, a big company that needs to show its shareholders a return on their investment. While by no means "open source", MS products tend to be more inclusive and cooperative with other companies' products and services, creating multiple "win-win" situations. It is my opinion that Apple and Google are more focused on simply generating maximum profit, while restricting their customers' options.

I feel like a pioneer with MS software now; so much is changing, and it is exciting to experience; but there are frustrations as well when bugs pop up. I can still be as productive as I need to be with my Surfaces and Windows phone. I do not feel I lack for anything, but I can understand that other people who want shiny things that "just work" will look to Apple and Android. So for me, I will continue to support and root for the team that is willing to try bold new initiatives.

 

[fhm]

You know what I love about my 2 year old Samsung S4? Me neither so I bought the 950XL and it has at least 4 times the battery life, memory to add apps and does everything I need.

I can still throw a 64gb card in the S4 and use it as an MP3 player instead of an overpriced iPod.

 

[Clinton_O]

Yea im with you OP, I switched over completely to an iPhone + s at the begining of last week after being with windows phone since 2011. There was plenty of reasons why but its safe to say stuff like constantly rebooting and losing features/beauty each time did me in. And the fact that mircsoft cares more about iOs/android then their own platform.

 

[cpmcgrath]

I have to admit, I'm coming to a similar view. Like the op, I've championed Windows Phone since day dot. I've had the HTC Trophy, 8X, 920 and now the 1020 as my daily drivers. But with Microsoft abandoning its plans to get Android apps working on Windows Mobile, I just can't justify a Windows Mobile as my next purchase. The app gap is a problem and without plans for android apps, it seems worse than ever.

Lots of the things that have kept me from Android in the past just aren't an issue anymore. The UI is much better than it was and there's still some big UI problems in Windows Mobile.

And despite thinking that the Galaxy line was some of the ugliest phones ever made, the 6 edge is absolutely stunning.

All that said, it'll probably be a few months before I get my next phone, so maybe something will change that will keep me.

I really hope Windows Mobile does improve, and that I will move back. I love live tiles, and I know that I'll miss them.

 

[tropolite]

Sharing has come a long way since you had your Venue Pro and Mango. Very easy and usable for a long time now and has stepped up again with Win10M.

 

[Slovenix]

Might sound crazy but I think some people work for Android or Apple. I myself have z3, s6, and my wife has Nexus 6. My daily driver is Lumia 930 since it gets Insider updates and my Lumia 950. I just can't see the appeal to Android or IOS I keep coming back to Windows. Maybe bluestack could make an app to please the Android crowd that complain about everything.

Yep Windows just has that something...

 

[Jonnny4]

The one thing that will keep me is the BT interaction. Android and iOs still don't have it completely and Samsung has gotten rid of it on their latest phones. This video is 3 years old and it has gotten better. I love that I don't ever have to touch my phone while on BT in the car. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZITRb8eYhmI

 

[cracgor]

It is too bad that you have been influenced by this post. L950XL is nearing a perfect phablet. Hardwarewise, it is the best Lumia ever. The issue is that W10M is not quite there yet. We knew that Build 10586 was not quite done before L950XL was released. But it was good enough to launch and relying the subsequent updates to finish it up. Because users really don't want to see the release be pushed out to Spring. I fully understand this so I never expect the L950XL to be bug free. After 9 days of heavy use as a daily driver, I can honestly tell you that L950XL is definitely usable. There are some crashes and unexplained reboots. But noting is deal breaker. I'm quite happy with L950XL as is now. The display, camera and Continuum have given me real pleasant surprises. The Continuum experience with a Dock is a real treat that would make L950XL standout among the competitions. Some people are criticizing L950/L950XL hard in order to justify their plarform switching decision they already made. But if you plan to stay with W10M, L950XL is definitely ready for you now. The coming W10M updates will certainly iron out the quirks and become mature over time.

Well my reason was simple. I bought the phone expecting to move it. I had a horrible experience. I was stuck in a reboot cycle I couldn't stop for an hour or two. It crashed enough to make it unreliable to take phone calls. And it was missing visual voicemail. This dissatisfaction put in light ask of the workarounds I was using to stay with windows mobile and convinced me to try a different phone. Not just the breast Lumia available. As to continuum. I'm still waiting on the display dock to arrive.

Oh, and 5 years of waiting to see a break out year and only seeing the gap get bigger finally broke me.

 

[Chong Han]

You know what, I become MS mobile fan only for 2 months. Then done... Please, the apps gaps is the serious problem!

 

[cracgor]

The one thing that will keep me is the BT interaction. Android and iOs still don't have it completely and Samsung has gotten rid of it on their latest phones. This video is 3 years old and it has gotten better. I love that I don't ever have to touch my phone while on BT in the car. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZITRb8eYhmI

Sigh... This is not safer than texting and driving. Even driving mode on windows phone is there so you can shut down text and phone calls. Maybe other companies are just more responsible. Before you say you're special and do this safely. Just research the actual statistics... Our just going the phrase "hands free texting".

 

[madapo]

Guys Windows mobile 10 is ok OS. But i believe Microsoft killing this operation System.
Sorry BUT nothing special and without apps i believe it's over.
Shame Microsoft, because this OS is more powerful than android or iOS (but without apps and customization).
SHAME.
NOW the option is awful iOS or LAgdroid???? F...k

 

[realwarder]

Guys Windows mobile 10 is ok OS. But i believe Microsoft killing this operation System.
Sorry BUT nothing special and without apps i believe it's over.
Shame Microsoft, because this OS is more powerful than android or iOS (but without apps and customization).
SHAME.
NOW the option is awful iOS or LAgdroid???? F...k

They are not killing Windows 10. And to them the phone is just another Windows 10.

 

[chidoro42]

Arsenic.... you are leaving a whole lot out though.
First of all, there only so much hardware you can throw at a bad OS before you have to give up on it and THAT is definitely Android. If it weren't for CPUs as fast as desktops and now almost 4 GB of ram.... Android would be hobbling along a feebly as Windows
.

A 2 year old moto g with 1 gig of ram and a snapdragon 400 disagrees. The skins slow things down, but it can run on reasonably modest hardware.

Security, we'll that's another story altogether.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[Justin Engel]

I've been using the technical preview as a daily driver on my Lumia 635. I now have the Lumia 950 and here are my problems with it. It hangs at times, my battery life is horrible, Windows Store search isn't great, Windows Store is slow in general, Edge is slow and makes me want to give up on web browsing, and Here maps have taken me to the middle of no where several times. I've submitted two to four bug reports a day (through windows feedback) since I've had the phone, and yes, the lack of apps (I know everyone is sick of hearing about this; It's just common for someone to tell me to get an app, but I can't).

The Windows 10 preview was unusable for me for long time. Windows 10 works so much better on the Lumia 950. However, It does still feel buggy which is a huge disappointment. I have to say that being a Windows Phone user feels like being a constant beta tester. Maybe I just happen to notice it more because I used the Windows 10 preview.

Things I like about windows phone:

• Windows 10 preview was available to everyone. Everyone had the ability to choose to use the Windows 10 preview and help improve it. Microsoft is actually working with people and asking what they want. They have a feedback app to easily report every problem you ever run into, and it is all in one central place.

• 
  I get updates faster from Microsoft.

• 
  All I have to do is sign in to my Microsoft account when I get a new phone and it does everything for me.

• 
  The importing contacts from multiple sources through the contact manager was flawless the first time I bought a Windows Phone.

• 
  I love the clean look and live tiles!

• 
  Windows Hello on the Lumia 950 is awesome and quick! It recognizes me faster than I can type a simple pin number in.

• 
  Cortana! Hey Cortana. Cortana with Ford Sync!

• 
  Quick charge removes the battery drain problem.

• 
  Universal apps. I have a desktop, laptop, and phone. Everything syncs well, and I can play the same games anywhere I go.

• 
  I love the feel of the Lumia 950. It has a good weight, and I think the Lumia 950 is the absolute perfect size for a phone (glad I didn't get the XL).

• 
  Personally I like that the back cover is replaceable. I hate getting a big bulky phone cases, and it is nice to be able to change the look of the phone whenever.

• 
  I plan on using Continuum frequently when I get a wireless miricast adapter. Wish I could get a synergy phone app someday to link with my laptop and use my laptop's keyboard (It's a dream that isn't going to come true anytime soon).

• 
  If my phone broke or I was having financial difficulties I could buy a windows phone that worked well for less than $50.

Why I continue to use and support windows phone. I want Microsoft to succeed with combining one OS on several platforms. I like Microsoft, they have many new things in the works a Universal OS that combines tablet and desktop, a laptop that has a GPU in a detachable base, Hololense. I'm against Apple, because their products only work with their products. You have to have a new charging cable for every IPhone you buy and none of those charging cables work with any other device on the planet. The main reason why I like Microsoft is the very reason you are complaining about. I love Microsoft because you can move to another platform without missing out on their products. They aren't being strict with their products. I like Microsoft because Outlook, OneNote, Word, Excel are all available on other platforms. They don't make users suffer just because they don't have a windows phone.

 

[alodar101]

I didn't abandon Windows. I was forced to another platform and found out that I'm not missing much.

I would agree. In may I moved to iOS, and later grabbed the note 5. The MS experience on both those devices are superior to the WP. I did preorder the xl, but after experiencing the MS services on the other 2 devices, the xl doesn't quite have the zing. I'll still stay on WP, but I'm not as opposed to the others as I used to be.

 

[editguy]

This is ridiculous. I love how people tell me that based on their criteria I don't need a windows phone and I only want it because I am a fanatic.

These types of post need to be locked for flaming but they get to stay open.

What baffles me is the fact that people feel the need to try and influence others to go android.

Android is a Crap Pos to me

Absolutely correct. Most of these threads that have popped up lately are just an excuse to bash WP. I don't care that they're leaving (assuming they ever really owned any WP) or why. I'm sick of seeing these. If Windows Central is going to continue to allow this type of trolling, then it's time to find a different blog. I'm not against legitimate concerns, but a forum like this is far more useful it it's filled with helpful information. I's the same handful of people posting the same fud over and over again. There is one person that had a handful of posts before the release of the new phones that now has over 200 that are all bashing WP. If they want to call me a "******", that's fine. I came to this site because I am a fan of Windows products, and I have no reason to be ashamed of that. If they love their new androids or apples, why aren't they on those sites praising them if they aren't trolls?

 

[chmun77]

Absolutely correct. Most of these threads that have popped up lately are just an excuse to bash WP. I don't care that they're leaving (assuming they ever really owned any WP) or why. I'm sick of seeing these. If Windows Central is going to continue to allow this type of trolling, then it's time to find a different blog. I'm not against legitimate concerns, but a forum like this is far more useful it it's filled with helpful information. I's the same handful of people posting the same fud over and over again. There is one person that had a handful of posts before the release of the new phones that now has over 200 that are all bashing WP. If they want to call me a "******", that's fine. I came to this site because I am a fan of Windows products, and I have no reason to be ashamed of that. If they love their new androids or apples, why aren't they on those sites praising them if they aren't trolls?

Of course.... "Windows Central" should only already praises of Windows phone and Windows.... Nothing else. Other than praises, you will be labelled as TROLL, even though the facts are mentioned. Well done there! /s