One month in to android as a windows phone convert

[fschmeck]

Not sure how I missed this thread, but it is almost as though I wrote it myself. I went with LG, because the only other option was the Xperia XA1 ultra that offered no fingerprint reader and a pretty terrible camera. Replaced the launcher with Arrow, then replace LG's keyboard with the BlackBerry one. so now it is "ok" , but apps crash weekly (Google Play Store in particular) and it slows down every few days. Yesterday I had visions of doing a BlackBerry Battery Pull from 10 years ago.

I wonder now if maybe Apple was a better choice, especially now that gestures remind me of BB10. But the ability to customize is a big plus....

All said and done, I miss my Lumia. Apps aside, I still think it provided the best user experience, followed by BB10. But I doubt any amount of money could have swung things in Microsoft's favour.

 

[beman39]

It is the best overall package, taking everything into consideration: performance, features, price, availability. That is why it's popular.

The speed or performance of the software is not the only measure of how good the device is.

NOT TRUE AT ALL the "ONLY" reason they're more popular is because they have all the cell companies in their back pocket! either through kick backs or profit margins.... if the other phones were backed like Huawei or heck all the rest then they (Samsung) wouldn't be so favored by the people....

 

[3165dwayne]

Try the new Pixel phones ... no bloatware, the best cameras, security, and guaranteed updates and upgrades for 3 years. Not as good as Apple upgrades, but then you're not tied up in Apple's "walled garden" either!

I agree with the all of that

 

[3165dwayne]

Android is the world's most popular phone OS because it was second and Apple made a conscious decision to try and keep the margins on their phones extremely high rather than be a market share leader. Also, different Android OEMs offer very different experiences.

Samsung - great hardware, the most bloatware in the industry, good security, great updates.

Blackberry - good hardware, no bloatware, great security, great updates

Motorola - good hardware, no bloatware, no security, poor updates, low price

Sony - Great Hardware, No bloatware, No Security, Great Updates, Xperia X models can be flashed to sailfish.

LG - Great hardware, some bloatware, no security, poor updates

Choose the mix that is right for you.

No security on Moto, get out

 

[mikefarinha]

I switched to Android this past December and I agree with everything the OP wrote. Android is a dumpster fire of an OS. I have the LG V20 and my wife has Moto G5.

After hearing such praise about Google's Material design I'm surprised how childish it looks. Reminds me of the playschool look of Windows XP.

I miss so much about my Lumia's. I never fully knew how special Win10 Mobile was until now.

Unfortunately time marches on and the Windows 10 Mobile has been left behind.

I've jumped in with home automation with Smartthings and Ring and Windows has no options to help. Even my new Linksys Velop WiFi can only be managed through a phone app.

I'm also surprised at the downgrade primary MS apps are on Android. Cortana has been lobotomized, Outlook calendar is awkward to use and visually clunky. The MSN news app doesn't do as good a job with the "My Sources" section, MS Edge doesn't support forward/backward swipe gestures. I miss the MS Photos app! AoE Castle Siege works mostly the same but gets laggy performance occasionally. Minecraft works the same, thankfully!

On the bright side the Xbox app supports volume control. (Not sure why it was removed from the Xbox app on the W10m store version).

Heck, i even like the old MS Facebook app better than the 'fully featured' one in Android... there are soooo many ad's in my mobile Facebook feed!

I miss my dedicated camera button too!

Anyone recommend a metrotube replacement?

The official Google YouTube app doesn't support downloading for offline use (unless you want to pay for YouTube Red).

If there was a way to reliably run Android apps on my 950XL I'd jump back in a heartbeat!

 

[silentintrigue]

As for YouTube only having one app. Navigate in your browser to F-Droid. F-Droid is FOSS (Free Open Source Software) and there are alot of apps that google will not allow in Play, like alternative YouTube apps. Just bing search F-Droid and you will get a link (It is f-droid.org). Download the f-droid app. Slide down your shade, hit the settings icon, and check allow unknown sources. Install the f-droid app. You can now download a number of AOSP apps that will allow Youtube alternatives. I am rather partial to NewPipe and MinTube but there are about 6 others. Search "YouTube" on F-droid app. Hope that helps

 

[tgp]

NOT TRUE AT ALL the "ONLY" reason they're more popular is because they have all the cell companies in their back pocket! either through kick backs or profit margins.... if the other phones were backed like Huawei or heck all the rest then they (Samsung) wouldn't be so favored by the people....

It's all part of the overall package. I understand that you and many others here do not like Samsung, or Android in general, but your views do not reflect that of the general population. Samsung outsells everyone else by a wide margin, and their customers keep coming back. There is a reason.

 

[Guytronic]

Samsung outsells everyone else by a wide margin, and their customers keep coming back. There is a reason.

Very true...
The leagues of Samsung users are immense.
Cruising the Android Central forums yields every 4th or 5th thread in line to be about Samsung phones. I see the Samsung wave here in my own neighborhood. Funny thing is so many who could care less refer to any phone including Samsung as the iPhone.

 

[beman39]

It's all part of the overall package. I understand that you and many others here do not like Samsung, or Android in general, but your views do not reflect that of the general population. Samsung outsells everyone else by a wide margin, and their customers keep coming back. There is a reason.

never said I didn't like Samsung, yes I don't like ADroid but has nothing to with Samsung, and again its not cuzz they make the "best" phones they're so popular, cuzz there is better phones out there, ONLY reason is cuzz they're the most backed and "pushed" by cell phone companies for what ever reasons... maybe they offer better % kick backs?

 

[anon(50597)]

It's all part of the overall package. I understand that you and many others here do not like Samsung, or Android in general, but your views do not reflect that of the general population. Samsung outsells everyone else by a wide margin, and their customers keep coming back. There is a reason.

Completely agree. Everything else is an excuse.
Just like Apple, they give the majority of users what they want. Word of mouth is very powerful.

 

[RumoredNow]

Samsung - great hardware, the most bloatware in the industry, good security, great updates.

Blackberry - good hardware, no bloatware, great security, great updates

Motorola - good hardware, no bloatware, no security, poor updates, low price

Sony - Great Hardware, No bloatware, No Security, Great Updates, Xperia X models can be flashed to sailfish.

LG - Great hardware, some bloatware, no security, poor updates

Somewhat agree...

Samsung - great security and updates is relatively new for them and mostly on flagships. It started after the US Congressional shaming about security on Android. Many love their screens and cameras. I think they rely a bit too much on heavy color saturation in both those areas.

Blackberry - I've found their updates to be good, except that they have an error where you have to uninstall all Play Updates to get a system patch to install. If you don't know the workaround you'll pull your hair out. Very Privacy Forward. A true rarity on Android and worth it just for that, IMHO. Love the Hub. Bestest Personal Information Management since webOS. Might even be better as our PIM has grown exponentially since the webOS days.

Moto - Haven't touched it since it was sold to Lenovo. Their (Lenovo's) privacy record is abominable.

Sony - Not sure what you mean by "no security" as they get the OS patches and hot fixes out fast. There are good 3rd party security measures that should be put on any Android really so there should be no problem since patches come in regular. Great Build Quality from my small sampling. "Xperia X models can be flashed to sailfish." Limited markets only and that statement is probably moonman gibberish to most users.

LG - never touched a flagship LG. At the bargain level they seem a good value and a great alternate to the ubiquitous Samsung. And at that level updates and patches are still rare. As I said above, there are 3rd party security measures everyone should be availing themselves of anyway and those don't discriminate by OEM brand.

 

[neo158]

Originally posted by 3165dwayne
Dude, why do all of you keep going to the worst of the worst just because they advertise more? Samsung is awful. Try HTC, Motorola, or even Huawei. Leave Samsung alone, they'll never get any better.

I have to agree, I had an S6 as a work phone and while the hardware was alright the software just plain sucked. I was glad when I had to hand it back to them and just used my Nexus 5X and now my Nokia 8 for work purposes, both are infinitely better devices from both a hardware and software perspective.

 

[neo158]

Originally posted by RumoredNow

Originally Posted by Old_Mil
Samsung - great hardware, the most bloatware in the industry, good security, great updates.

Blackberry - good hardware, no bloatware, great security, great updates

Motorola - good hardware, no bloatware, no security, poor updates, low price

Sony - Great Hardware, No bloatware, No Security, Great Updates, Xperia X models can be flashed to sailfish.

LG - Great hardware, some bloatware, no security, poor updates

Somewhat agree...

Samsung - great security and updates is relatively new for them and mostly on flagships. It started after the US Congressional shaming about security on Android. Many love their screens and cameras. I think they rely a bit too much on heavy color saturation in both those areas.

Blackberry - I've found their updates to be good, except that they have an error where you have to uninstall all Play Updates to get a system patch to install. If you don't know the workaround you'll pull your hair out. Very Privacy Forward. A true rarity on Android and worth it just for that, IMHO. Love the Hub. Bestest Personal Information Management since webOS. Might even be better as our PIM has grown exponentially since the webOS days.

Moto - Haven't touched it since it was sold to Lenovo. Their (Lenovo's) privacy record is abominable.

Sony - Not sure what you mean by "no security" as they get the OS patches and hot fixes out fast. There are good 3rd party security measures that should be put on any Android really so there should be no problem since patches come in regular. Great Build Quality from my small sampling. "Xperia X models can be flashed to sailfish." Limited markets only and that statement is probably moonman gibberish to most users.

LG - never touched a flagship LG. At the bargain level they seem a good value and a great alternate to the ubiquitous Samsung. And at that level updates and patches are still rare. As I said above, there are 3rd party security measures everyone should be availing themselves of anyway and those don't discriminate by OEM brand.

On the subject of Sony, don't they contribute any changes to the base version of Android back into AOSP?

 

[xandros9]

Android is the world's most popular phone OS because it was second and Apple made a conscious decision to try and keep the margins on their phones extremely high rather than be a market share leader. Also, different Android OEMs offer very different experiences.

Samsung - great hardware, the most bloatware in the industry, good security, great updates.

Blackberry - good hardware, no bloatware, great security, great updates

Motorola - good hardware, no bloatware, no security, poor updates, low price

Sony - Great Hardware, No bloatware, No Security, Great Updates, Xperia X models can be flashed to sailfish.

LG - Great hardware, some bloatware, no security, poor updates

Choose the mix that is right for you.

Just some edits here...

BlackBerry’s updates aren’t great as it looks like they stop after two years. Also you only get maybe one major update as compared to a couple. Google is superior here - one should only really get one for the keyboard.

I think you’re simplifying it too much as far as “no security”
I got to dabble with an Xperia X and it got monthly security patches. And so on, I’ll try to resume later.

 

[Old_Mil]

Just some edits here...


I think you’re simplifying it too much as far as “no security”
I got to dabble with an Xperia X and it got monthly security patches. And so on, I’ll try to resume later.

Perhaphs privacy would have beena better term.than.security since the.latter ia associated with the frequency of patches.

Google is the gold standard as far.as releasing updates - they should be, it is their OS after all. However, there is no privacy there at all.

An Xperia X is my daily driver as well, but I am running sailfish.

 

[gmfeld]

Yes; but no headphone jack and no mini SD storage card. I’m in the midst of reluctantly switching to Android from my 950 and thought I was going to a Pixel 2 until I discovered those Two issues. Instead, I have a V30 being shipped to me. Reading topics like this one bums me out.

 

[Keith White Jr]

I feel everyone's pain! I miss my Lumia more every day. I currently have a Galaxy Note 4, which has been giving me problems since day one, and, I have a Nokia 6 which is scheduled for delivery tomorrow by 8pm from Amazon.

I just wish W10M had the apps I use. Android, as an OS, is a total mess, and, is a huge downgrade from W10M!

 

[jeffchapik]

I agree. I only lasted about 6 weeks on Android before I went back to W10M. I even bought a new 650 to replace my 640 - still loving it. The only app I lack right now that I wish I had was Vudu for converting my DVDs to digital downloads. I have to borrow my wife's iPhone for that, but I have everything else I need.

A better Facebook app would be nice too.

 

[anon(50597)]

A better Facebook app would be nice too.

Or no Facebook at all if you care about your privacy.

 

[nate0]

Or no Facebook at all if you care about your privacy.

While using Android...that is enough invasion on it's own. Why throw salt on it by using FB or the like?
Just stirring the pot...