I have had 5 Android phones in the past before I switched to iOS then WP, and played with Nexus 4 for two weeks. If you hate glitches and slow down overtime. WP8 or iOS is perfect. They don't slow down over time and are very stable to me. Try a WP8 or an iPhone and you'll see the advantages and disadvantages of each platform.
Should I switch to WP8?
- Thread starter Vectraat
- Start date
1.) Yeah, I know you press and hold the FF or RW buttons, but I like being able to touch directly on a progress bar to skip to that location. Still a minor gripe being that I don't anticipate listening to music on my phone.
2.) I find it odd that you feel that way. I've seen so many blurry/fuzzy photos taken from the 920 before AND after Portico... and my S3 photos are always crisp. In the well lit photo comparisons I saw, it seemed that the S3 had the edge in terms of detail/sharpness. Yeah the Nokia 920 smashes the S3 in low light, but I recon the majority of my photos will be taken in well lit areas. I want a point and shoot camera as opposed to one that requires settings adjustment.
3.) There seems to be some big nagging inconsistencies with this platform ..... The 920 Camera and the reboots. Some people seem to have reboot issues while others I know haven't had one.... Isn't that highly unusual being that everyone is using the same hardware on the same OS? I would hate to pay full price for a phone either in store or online and being stuck with a device that reboots.
4.) Does your 920 get real hot?
5.) Is the battery good or bad?
6.) Yah, I was considering waiting for the next gen of WP8 like The Nokia Catwalk, EOS, or Laser. I guess there might be some announcements in late March/April...
Also curious about the Windows Surface phone... I guess my main concern with WP8 are the reboots. That's just horrible...
Thanks for the replies so far guys. I guess I'm still on the fence about this one.
But yeah another thing I like about WP8 is the design of the 920 and heck even the 8x. I don't mind the thickness/heavy feeling of the 920. I like that I can get more color options too, so that's another thing that brought me to WP8. I think the 920 = good build quality.
After almost four months with the Lumia I pre-ordered an HTC One. My reasons:
WP 8
- lack of a folder system (a problem both for the apps list and the home screen)
- many smaller annoyances such as volume control, transition animations that can't be disabled, color of icons in many apps enforced through the chosen theme without an option to manually set it)
- lack of apps (although nowhere near as abysmal as on the Blackberry Z10, which I also evaluated)
- no VPN support
- no notification system
- lousy task manager
Lumia 920-specific:
- sucky battery life
- call problems on the Swisscom 3G network that have been known to Swisscom and Nokia for months
- camera great for low-light but overall way to slow and with sub-par sharpness in good light
- too heavy (didn't bother me at first, but after a couple of months it started to annoy me at times)
- screen is great but they could have used the screen real-estate considerably better. This is a matter of personal taste, but I think everything's too big on the screen, wasting space. I guess this is a WP8 limitation, though.
Overall, I'd not get the Lumia at this point as the successor should be presented fairly soon and should be in stores in a couple of months. Likely, that one's going to be considerably lighter and will sport the next major release of WP8.
In the meantime, stick with what you have our check out the new android devices by HTC or Sony.
WP 8
- lack of a folder system (a problem both for the apps list and the home screen)
- many smaller annoyances such as volume control, transition animations that can't be disabled, color of icons in many apps enforced through the chosen theme without an option to manually set it)
- lack of apps (although nowhere near as abysmal as on the Blackberry Z10, which I also evaluated)
- no VPN support
- no notification system
- lousy task manager
Lumia 920-specific:
- sucky battery life
- call problems on the Swisscom 3G network that have been known to Swisscom and Nokia for months
- camera great for low-light but overall way to slow and with sub-par sharpness in good light
- too heavy (didn't bother me at first, but after a couple of months it started to annoy me at times)
- screen is great but they could have used the screen real-estate considerably better. This is a matter of personal taste, but I think everything's too big on the screen, wasting space. I guess this is a WP8 limitation, though.
Overall, I'd not get the Lumia at this point as the successor should be presented fairly soon and should be in stores in a couple of months. Likely, that one's going to be considerably lighter and will sport the next major release of WP8.
In the meantime, stick with what you have our check out the new android devices by HTC or Sony.
New Android phones will still have same Android's glitches and random lag. Get iPhone 5 if you can't live without some apps.
I think you'll find loads of different opinons on this most of them very valid.
I switched from iOS to the 920 and initially I loved the freshness of Win 8 and I think it is definitely one for the future. However it is not for the present and I switched back to iOS for the time being. The reasons for this are: -
1) severe lack of quality apps. This is the most crucial point in my view as this is what makes or breaks the usability of the phone.
2) MANY minor niggles in the OS. It's clear this OS is very young and a lot of niggles need ironing out which will take time. In the meantime all the small niggles amount to a serious pain in the a*rse.
3) Updates seem to be trickling in very slowly. I still hadn't got Portico on mine.
4) Win phone 8 depreciate much faster than iPhones so staying on the cutting edge will be costier.
I'll keep following the WP8 scene and hopefully the next Lumia iteration will pull me back in cos I really believe the OS has potential and Nokia make quality phones.
I switched from iOS to the 920 and initially I loved the freshness of Win 8 and I think it is definitely one for the future. However it is not for the present and I switched back to iOS for the time being. The reasons for this are: -
1) severe lack of quality apps. This is the most crucial point in my view as this is what makes or breaks the usability of the phone.
2) MANY minor niggles in the OS. It's clear this OS is very young and a lot of niggles need ironing out which will take time. In the meantime all the small niggles amount to a serious pain in the a*rse.
3) Updates seem to be trickling in very slowly. I still hadn't got Portico on mine.
4) Win phone 8 depreciate much faster than iPhones so staying on the cutting edge will be costier.
I'll keep following the WP8 scene and hopefully the next Lumia iteration will pull me back in cos I really believe the OS has potential and Nokia make quality phones.
b23h
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- Feb 2, 2013
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Yes.
But I do have a couple of caveats. The first is that I have a HTC HD7. So I am not on WP 8, but rather was on 7.5 and then cab updated to 7.8. I expect that WP 8 works about the same as WP 7, even though they are on a different kernel. I do realize that's quite an assumption. Second caveat is that I have never used an Apple product and do not intend to.
However I have used two Android phones and I MUCH PREFER WP OVER ANDROID. My first Android phone, a Samsung from Virgin Mobile drove me crazy with glitches and reboots with strange behavior. My second Android phone, a Motorola also on Virgin, was more stable which was nice. However in comparison I have only once had an issue with my WP 7.5 and I expect that was because I used too much fluid putting on a screen protector. My experience is that WP is much more stable and fluid than Android.
I find that I also enjoy using programs like Lights Out and the MS Server program to wake my server. So given I have sufficient service I can wake my server and stream any album I own via WMA lossless. I do miss a couple of programs that Android has like Redbox and a version of BestBuy that you can actually buy products with.
Overall, even though my hardware is a couple of years old, and I do not have the most recent version of WP, I work my girlfriend's nerve by saying how much I love my phone, verses wanting to chuck my Android phones into a ditch....
That's my experience. I will most certainly be getting a WP8 device at some point.
But I do have a couple of caveats. The first is that I have a HTC HD7. So I am not on WP 8, but rather was on 7.5 and then cab updated to 7.8. I expect that WP 8 works about the same as WP 7, even though they are on a different kernel. I do realize that's quite an assumption. Second caveat is that I have never used an Apple product and do not intend to.
However I have used two Android phones and I MUCH PREFER WP OVER ANDROID. My first Android phone, a Samsung from Virgin Mobile drove me crazy with glitches and reboots with strange behavior. My second Android phone, a Motorola also on Virgin, was more stable which was nice. However in comparison I have only once had an issue with my WP 7.5 and I expect that was because I used too much fluid putting on a screen protector. My experience is that WP is much more stable and fluid than Android.
I find that I also enjoy using programs like Lights Out and the MS Server program to wake my server. So given I have sufficient service I can wake my server and stream any album I own via WMA lossless. I do miss a couple of programs that Android has like Redbox and a version of BestBuy that you can actually buy products with.
Overall, even though my hardware is a couple of years old, and I do not have the most recent version of WP, I work my girlfriend's nerve by saying how much I love my phone, verses wanting to chuck my Android phones into a ditch....
That's my experience. I will most certainly be getting a WP8 device at some point.
vlad0
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- Oct 9, 2012
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OP, wait for newer hardware, and a more stable software built... right now you are going to be compromising on both fronts.
I still think that the Nokia N8 offers a better overall camera package.. but its very close.. Xenon vs. OIS , stereo sound vs. HAAC mics... but the N8 does produce better quality and it has better optics, and.. a bigger sensor.
Also, google maps is better than here/nokia for the USofA ... they have better indexing, I use both on a daily basis.
That is looking like Oct-Nov release..best case scenario. They are saying that it will be better than the 808.. lets hope that they keep the xenon/led combo flash.
The tracks on some albums are meant to blend in together.. the little skip in between ruins the listening experience.
I still think that the Nokia N8 offers a better overall camera package.. but its very close.. Xenon vs. OIS , stereo sound vs. HAAC mics... but the N8 does produce better quality and it has better optics, and.. a bigger sensor.
Also, google maps is better than here/nokia for the USofA ... they have better indexing, I use both on a daily basis.
.. well that is sort of relative, but yes, technically iOS is up to 6.0 and Windows Phone 8 is at 1.0 despite the "8" in the name. The kernel change was way to substantial..
1. I think that's a bit of an unreasonable request on a smartphone. The progress bar on a 4.5" display is TINY, so there would be NO precision.
2. The way I see it, I don't have super-high standards. However, look at it like this: There might be a BIT of fuzziness in normal lighting on the 920. The S III's low-light photos are unusable. I'd rather having 90% photo quality in the daylight than 5% photo quality in low-light conditions.
3. I am guessing specific apps or functions cause the problem (I think Bluetooth was a suspected culprit at one point, but I don't recall for sure).
4. It gets warm, but I don't think it gets any warmer than the HTC Droid Incredible that I had before. The only time it REALLY got hot as opposed to a bit warm) is while using the app MPATool, which is used for attaching artist images to your music library, so the lockscreen can display those images while playing music.
5. It's definitely a step down from a Galaxy S III, but its overall quality is highly-dependent on what you do with the device. I could probably get it to make it 2+ days with my general usage habits (little bit of browsing and gaming, but a decent bit of music in the car and at school), but if you do any heavy usage, it'll be disappointing. For the most part, my battery is rated in the 25-30 hour department, but as I was using it a lot today at a relative's, it dropped to about 18 hours. Realistically, you will make it through a day unless you are gone for a whole day listening to music without a charger or something. For me, today was the first time I made it home with my battery under 74 percent.
6. Probably for the best.
Again, I'm guessing some specific app or feature (or group/combination of apps and features) causes the reboots. In the 4 months I've had my phone, it's rebooted MAYBE 5 times? I think it's only rebooted twice post-Portico, which would be about 2.5-3 months. It's not something incessant or AT ALL frequent, in my opinion. I mean, it was nothing as obnoxious as the bugs I had to deal with in Android 2.2 and 2.3 with my Droid Incredible.
Well, even if you like the N8's camera better (never really seen it and never used it), let's put it this way: The 920 is the best on a modern OS. Symbian is dead and gone, so it's not like you're going to look into buying an N8 now. When speaking of smartphones on a modern operating system, the 920 is where it's at.
As for Google Maps, I'm not really sure. Like I said, StreetView and the overall detail is better, but I'd MUCH rather have the offline maps in HERE Maps over Google Maps, as I don't need the maps much, except when driving far away (which I've done once in the past 2 years or so), and the offline function of HERE Maps wins that feature hands-down. It is something that DEFINITELY depends on your frequency/reason for use of your mapping application.
One thing I didn't know with Google Maps: My brother-in-law said you can only get a DL of about 88 MB on his Galaxy S III. Do you know if that means you can only download one 88MB chunk at a time, or can you download several chunks and have it tie them together?
Angry_Mushroom
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- Jan 18, 2013
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I'm not having any rebooting issues at all. In fact... post Portico it's nearly as fast as Win8 at boot up.
Also not noticing much of an app lack beyond TheChive and Steam. And my 810 only gets warm when playing video games.
Also not noticing much of an app lack beyond TheChive and Steam. And my 810 only gets warm when playing video games.
conanheath
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- Sep 10, 2012
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Do yourself a favor OP and stick with Android. At least for another year, maybe two depending how quickly MS can get their act together. Wp8 and MS services and integration are awesome, on paper. Realistically, its a huge mess with gaps, missing features and a lot of empty promises. Basically they bit off more than they could deliver. And Wp8 is the weak link in what MS has to offer and 920 is a love/hate lottery of issues. You may be one of the lucky ones but more likely to have at least one of the many problems. Save yourself the hassle and hold off until it is a little further along. Hardware will be better and MS will have some issues resolved by then. Give it some time to mature and you won't have to deal with the disappointment many of us are dealing with.
LeLee092
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I own an 8x but my neighbor has a 920 and I?m constantly tinkering with it, most of your question seems to be about WP in general so I?ll give it a go?
First of all you should realize that looking through forums on the internet, you?re bound to find a skewed opinions, the minority with problems tend to be the loudest in forums, someone with a perfectly fine 920 is going to post about how perfectly fine it is.
Anyways:
1. Speed Fluidity, DEFF better than Android! On par with iPhone, no matter what I throw at my phone, it never falters,
2. I completely agree with you with not wanting to spend a lot of time customizing and rooting etc...I actually love how easy customization is on WP8! And when it comes to email, messaging, pictures, etc? it just works which is awesome!
3. Keyboard very subjective, I much prefer it to android, never tried iphones, but iphones are known for being pretty ****ty at guessing words?again compared to android I remember being really impressed with their keyboard especially coming from android
4. My neighbor who takes A LOT of notes (school, work life) absolutely loves OneNote, and its synced with skydrive which is really nice
5. Calendar is probably the only core application that Windows is lacking in?im sure there?s an app that can replace it, but I don?t use it a lot and haven?t gotten around to it
6. I?ve My neighbor has had a few reboots (less than 5), I?ve only had 1 and it was either right after or right before Portico
7. 920?s camera is superb, haven?t heard about fuzziness or glitchyness at all, most people have had no problems with their camera, and I?ve seen comparison between iPhone 5, SIII, and 920, all have negligible differences in daylight, nighttime, 920 obviously wins
8. Nokia HERE is honestly the second best thing to Google Maps, each one has there forte but they?ll both get you from point A to point B.
9. VERY good SMS experience, I love being able to facebook chat in SMS style
Oh battery life probable wont be as good as an iPhone, pretty sure SIII isnt either, but it'll last your through the whole day with moderate use
Again, app might be a deal breaker, and if you?re paying full price for the phone, make sure your comfortable with possible not having your favorite apps for a while
First of all you should realize that looking through forums on the internet, you?re bound to find a skewed opinions, the minority with problems tend to be the loudest in forums, someone with a perfectly fine 920 is going to post about how perfectly fine it is.
Anyways:
1. Speed Fluidity, DEFF better than Android! On par with iPhone, no matter what I throw at my phone, it never falters,
2. I completely agree with you with not wanting to spend a lot of time customizing and rooting etc...I actually love how easy customization is on WP8! And when it comes to email, messaging, pictures, etc? it just works which is awesome!
3. Keyboard very subjective, I much prefer it to android, never tried iphones, but iphones are known for being pretty ****ty at guessing words?again compared to android I remember being really impressed with their keyboard especially coming from android
4. My neighbor who takes A LOT of notes (school, work life) absolutely loves OneNote, and its synced with skydrive which is really nice
5. Calendar is probably the only core application that Windows is lacking in?im sure there?s an app that can replace it, but I don?t use it a lot and haven?t gotten around to it
6. I?ve My neighbor has had a few reboots (less than 5), I?ve only had 1 and it was either right after or right before Portico
7. 920?s camera is superb, haven?t heard about fuzziness or glitchyness at all, most people have had no problems with their camera, and I?ve seen comparison between iPhone 5, SIII, and 920, all have negligible differences in daylight, nighttime, 920 obviously wins
8. Nokia HERE is honestly the second best thing to Google Maps, each one has there forte but they?ll both get you from point A to point B.
9. VERY good SMS experience, I love being able to facebook chat in SMS style
Oh battery life probable wont be as good as an iPhone, pretty sure SIII isnt either, but it'll last your through the whole day with moderate use
Again, app might be a deal breaker, and if you?re paying full price for the phone, make sure your comfortable with possible not having your favorite apps for a while
Yah, I guess I will wait at least 'till new flagship WP8 devices are announced and I'll check to see what MS is going to deliver on with regards to software updates. Bugs/Software improvements.
I just REALLY hate my S3. In fact the only things I like about the S3 is the screen, camera, notification center and selection of apps on Android. THAT'S IT. I guess I could say that I like having a removable battery, but not if it sacrifices build quality/aesthetics - which it does.
As much as I disliked iOS limitations, it still provided a better stock experience IMO. I like the keyboard, it comes with a note pad. The calendar is great, I enjoy the browser more. I use stock and Dolphin on my S3. It's just these little things that add up and piss me off. Though I'd prefer not to go back to iOS......How the **** are people not bored of it by now. It's the same **** year after year. So no I don't want that again.
So I was thinking WP8 or Ubuntu. And WP8 seems to deliver on a solid stock experience... Just hopefully they work out some of the bigger bugs, implement the features you guys think are necessary and get some more apps over the next 3-4 months. 'cause I don't see myself sticking with my S3 for anymore than a year tops and I JUST GOT IT.
To everyone else tellin' me to get an Android device. I have a Samsung Galaxy S3. I do not like Android and yes, I'm familiar with all of the flagship Android devices out / coming out.
HTC Butterfly, Sony Xperia Z, HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4, LG Optimus G Pro etc.
1.) I was reading in posts that people are saying newer apps won't work on older Windows Phone OS? Like 7 - 7.5 etc. What's that about?
Judging from your posts I'd say you would like WP8 and the Lumia 920. You're sort of in the same situation as I was, switching from iOS to Android hoping I could make it everything I'd want it to be but just finding that I missed the fluidity and smoothness of iOS. I didn't want to go back to iOS as I find the UI boring now so WP8 is a great alternative. It's smooth and fluid just like iOS but is so much nicer to use, apps are mostly all consistent with each other and the overall experience is really nice. The keyboard is great, Nokia Maps is very nice, the browser is fast, sms messaging gets the job done and the camera is the best overall you can get. It sounds like WP8 would suit you if you can get past the lack of apps.
i switched from Android to WP8 (lumia 920)...so i know android and my sister has an Iphone....no regrets really and i prefer it to those 2.
i love it, it's smooth, beautiful and efficient and all the apps i need are there.
i love it, it's smooth, beautiful and efficient and all the apps i need are there.
Vectraat,
Reading your list, I must say I think you would like WP. You don't seem to expect that much and most of what you want is there.
The 920 still gets very hot running certain apps, like navigation, some games....
Reboot issue is a defect and should result in a replaced phone as I dont think many have that problem.
Personally I think the battery life is bad, especially if you actually use your phone regularly.
You may like the keyboard. Personally, I dont and simply wish MS would allow us a choice and not have it locked from devs creating new ones.
Most will agree that the calendar app is pretty weak.
As far as file explorer, you are ok if your main concern is pics/videos.
Camera on 920 is very good. Especially with the Proshot app.
So I say give it a shot. I think you'll like it as your needs would be fit by WP. Though perhaps wait until the next update which I guess will be in late spring or early summer. Just to see what MS pushes out AND you can get a look at the new Gen of WP8 phones.
Reading your list, I must say I think you would like WP. You don't seem to expect that much and most of what you want is there.
The 920 still gets very hot running certain apps, like navigation, some games....
Reboot issue is a defect and should result in a replaced phone as I dont think many have that problem.
Personally I think the battery life is bad, especially if you actually use your phone regularly.
You may like the keyboard. Personally, I dont and simply wish MS would allow us a choice and not have it locked from devs creating new ones.
Most will agree that the calendar app is pretty weak.
As far as file explorer, you are ok if your main concern is pics/videos.
Camera on 920 is very good. Especially with the Proshot app.
So I say give it a shot. I think you'll like it as your needs would be fit by WP. Though perhaps wait until the next update which I guess will be in late spring or early summer. Just to see what MS pushes out AND you can get a look at the new Gen of WP8 phones.
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I agree.
Background/Disclaimer: I had an iPhone 3g (actually still have it in my desk drawer, come to think of it) and currently have a Note 2 (personal) , Lumia 920 (work) and Z10 (work). I had other Android and Symbian phones in between as well. I'm not a causal user (hence my having three phones right now, lol). I get very much into each device, it's customization, etc. I know about how powerful launchers and widgets are on Android, and I jailbroke my iPhone in order to enable some extra functionality.
The Windows Phone experience on the Lumia 920 is beautiful. I had read, before, a user opinion that Windows Phone was the most beautiful OS available. From videos I couldn't see it. I really wanted to try it out, though, and the Lumia reviews (nevermind the forum complaints!) were very positive so I went ahead and purchased one. It's quite possibly the best phone I have ever used from an overall experience perspective.
There are weaknesses, obviously (some tasks require more steps than on other platforms, and a couple of apps that I use for my work aren't available for WP8), but the strengths outweigh them. The phone is phenomenal. Of all of the phones that I have owned, and of the three that I currently own, this is the only one that feels like a true premium device (except when it vibrates/rattles...yikes...had to turn it off). The hardware is absolutely gorgeous, the OS is smooth, and it interacts perfectly with my other devices (bluetooth headset, car stereo (even sends song info to be displayed on the car stereo system)).
Nokia and Microsoft hit a home run with this combination, and it's an absolute shame that it's not better-recognized/doesn't get more media time.
conanheath
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- Sep 10, 2012
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I committed to the whole 8. A 920, RT and W8. I was all gung-ho and got everything on launch. 920 has been the only disappointment from day one with battery and random resets. OS doesn't do anything spectacular and doesn't do so many things I need it to. Simple, basic options a phone needs just aren't there. I haven't sworn off wp8, but in May, I'm picking up Android. I'll give MS a couple of years to catch up and give it a go again. Its an unfinished product that was rushed to market and MS needs time, which they don't have, to make it a good third option. Unless MS abandon 8 like they did 7, I have no doubt it will become a good OS. Its just not worth the frustration right now when there are better options.
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