Wanted to create a thread for the positive news about Windows 10 mobile as hearing so much negative is becoming depressing!
It's going to be difficult convincing people that there exists any kind of positive news, still, I'd like to share a bit of my experience and thoughts. Please read if you guys like a good rant!
Recently I ended up nearly killing my Lumia 950XL DS, that too for the second time within a year. Both instances had my phone get water damage. The first time I was really restless, when my display had gone green (but phone booted properly). I didn't have money to get it fixed nor buy another one, and my spare Lumia 830 took over. After a while started using the 950XL via continuum, still getting app and OS updates. It made my TV into a Windows TV, pretty useful for light web browsing, using apps, listening to music and even going through emails. Best part was and is the ability to watch youtube videos in 1080p on myTube! via continuum, and even binge watching on amazon prime.
With my regular continuum usage, the phone heated up a lot, and the display fixed itself! Pretty crazy. I was so, so happy... and then about a month ago I happened to have another similar accident, and this time I was sure I'd lost my favourite phone. The service centres, local repair shops no one seemed to be able to figure out why my phone got stuck in a boot loop after water damage. I went through quite a bit of articles and forums online... and then I decided to just do the repair myself. There was a lot of guesswork involved, but it's safe to say, I got my phone back! It's a bit handicapped, but it WORKS. Love the engineering, it is one of the easier phones to repair! (for details check out the forums for an article about a water damaged lumia 950XL)
I mentioned this story because I wanted to convey why I went through so much effort, and stuck with this phone. First off, because it is originally a Nokia device, the camera is just brilliant. Then, there is the 2k display. The iris scanner, while not as fast as a fingerprint scanner, has come to grow on me. A gesture that I just like doing, and comes to me naturally now. Then there is USB-C. Now, I am in no ways implying that such hardware quality does not exist elsewhere. It does, and in many cases it’s even better out there.
What I am saying though, is that this phone, among other things it is, is a windows phone that just works (after latest updates anyways).
It's this experience, since my first Windows Phone, a Lumia 820, that there is something about the hardware and equally importantly about the OS design that I just love Windows Mobile. The start screen and apps list, searchable settings, NFC sharing, very good email, and so many other things, that as an OS, Windows for me just works. And after being so emotionally invested into this, I did not want to lose my 950 XL. This is just it. For better or worse, I really like windows on a mobile phone, and whenever the next iteration comes, if its full windows on ARM, windows laptops and tablets with telephony, or whatever, I am going to be there.
The news regarding the end of the OS and what not, yes it did bring me down a little, but I am invested into the platform – I have apps purchased, services like OneDrive, office, OneNote, Outlook.com among others that I depend on to get work done on a daily basis. And the thing is, I need these on my laptop, which is my most used device. Having a phone with Windows not only lets me share the licenses across devices, but my settings, data, messages etc – with a consistent UI. With this consistency, there is one less thing to think about.
For example, I would always be aware of the disparity between Windows and iOS or android if I used either. But I don’t on a daily basis, and as long as my work gets done it’s okay really. I am here because I want to be, not because I need to or have to.
Summing up my thoughts and feelings – whatever the evolution of windows will be in the near future, my data, settings, apps and licenses will likely be present there, and so, I need not worry about setting anything up additionally, so to speak. So, if a really great Windows Arm tablet / phone comes out, which is more likely than not, it will be for me. I will mourn the death of Windows Mobile, but at some point it will become irrelevant. And it’s not like Microsoft abandoned users with an unusable phone. Whatever phone/OS supports have been dropped till date, the phones have continued to function really well for a long time. And I did lose my cool over the Lumia 830 support being dropped – but it’s a 2 year old phone, and I’m guessing it’s support/update cycle was at an end. Hey, at least I got the creator’s update to finish things, which is nice.
So, for those of you who love windows and windows mobile, I would simply say, if devices become cheaper, get something you’ll like, ride it out – for we will not be left out totally until the end of this year or so. For the rest, I share your pain, but I must also give a reality check that windows 10 mobile support will be dropped in the FUTURE. It works right now. Enjoy it while it lasts. I nearly jumped ship when I thought my Lumia 950 XL could not be fixed, but that was a very jarring thought, because it felt like all my life I drove a left hand drive car, and suddenly was being asked to shift to a right hand one. Not terribly difficult, but it’s just not the same.
and its running so smooth and fast, And I recommend it if you have a lumia with 2G of ram or higher.
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