So what keeps YOU around?

[aubreyq]

fyi, a contract does not mean you have to stick with that phone. You have options

Exactly. That's why I chose not to use "my contract" as a reply. I realized that I could always by a used phone with a different OS (or not even a smartphone, really) until the contract runs out, so technically a contract doesn't lock you to an OS, it just locks you to the carrier.

 

[aubreyq]

Sent from my RaZr Nexus.

RaZr Nexus???

 

[cgk]

Exactly. That's why I chose not to use "my contract" as a reply. I realized that I could always by a used phone with a different OS (or not even a smartphone, really) until the contract runs out, so technically a contract doesn't lock you to an OS, it just locks you to the carrier.

Back in the days when I was stupid enough to take out long contracts, if the phone I wanted wasn't available, I get the phone company to send out the option that would make the most money on ebay (as in the UK at least, you own the phone outright from day 1) and then buy the phone I wanted.

 

[X0LARIUM]

RaZr Nexus???

Lol! Yea...
I have a RaZr. But running a stock ROM. Like the one on a Galaxy Nexus.

Hence RaZr Nexus.

Sent from my RaZr Nexus.

 

[aubreyq]

Lol! Yea...
I have a RaZr. But running a stock ROM. Like the one on a Galaxy Nexus.

Hence RaZr Nexus.

Sent from my RaZr Nexus.

Ah, OK. Hahaha!

 

[Winterfang]

I know I can buy another phone but I'm changing carriers when my contract is done. And the LG Optimus 7 is worthless, as my carrier was giving them for 100/50 bucks new off contract. And there's like 2 for sale new in the entire country.

 

[jabtano]

I love the OS I like how the tiles give me info that I need at a glance. I hate my device i'm stuck on t-mo family plan with 4 Lumia 710 and my HD7 #4 replacement but nothing to upgrade to but lower end devices. Looking at Samsung galaxy III today almost bought it. but I'll wait another month

 

[Agent-P]

My smartphone OS history has gone from Windows Mobile 6.5 (HTC HD2) > Android 2.3 (Nexus One) > iOS 5 (iPhone 4) > WP7 and Windows Phone has been my favourite (still rocking my Radar as I await WP8). For me the lives tiles are a big feature I enjoy. I hate to sound like an ad, but the glance and go is perfect. Although Android had widgets, it looked ugly to have a bunch of widgets on my home screen since they all didn't follow one design guideline.

Also, the fact that so many features are built in (local scout, bing music, social networks, etc) and don't require an app download makes it easier to access these features as the OS places them very intuitively for easy access.

The fluidity of the WP OS is the third big feature that keeps me sticking in the Microsoft camp. Although iOS is very smooth too, the design is so boring. The live tiles may be a simple design, but it just looks so nice. I have an iPad, so I still get my iOS fix. But for my phone, I definitely plan on upgrading my Radar this fall to a shiny new Apollo handset.

Lastly, it's the little features and the fact that Microsoft paid attention to the little details that I enjoy. It's small things like the lock screen bouncing, or the signal strength dropping down when you open the phone app, or the live tiles flipping away when you launch an app that makes me appreciate the effort Microsoft put into this OS to make it so great.

 

[eshy]

I guess you have to look at the competition and why you prefer windows phone over the other options.

I owned a WM 5, an iphone 3G and an HTC Evo before switching to windows phone.

Here's what I like and why I'll stay with WP.

* Multi-Tasking or the lack of it. I don't believe you really need it on a phone. what you need is some things that can run in the background. Android kept launching apps in the background and there was no way for me to control that.

* App Store Approval - this was an issue with Android. I just couldn't trust apps I was installing. ended up using Amazon's app store instead of Google's because at least they tested apps.

* Live Tiles - I liked the widgets on Android as well, when switching to it from the iphone. The WP implementation is limited (with Android you can do a lot more in a widget). but it performs faster and looks better.

* social network integration - I never really used facebook apps on previous devices, or WP. but floating pictures and udpates from facebook or twitter to the tile is great. I have groups pinned to the start menu with friends or family and I see updates I never would've noticed before.

* device design - this is specific to my current phone, the lumia 800, which I think is the best hardware design for a smartphone so far (the curved glass makes it better than the 900 as well).

* UI in applications. as an app developer I think this is a very big point in favor of WP. apps in WP looks so much better than android and ios. the name Modern certainly fits this design language (even if in a few years it won't). The idea of authentic digital is great. There's no need for additional chrome where it doesn't make sense. Opening an app on android or ios now, they feel like old enterprise software (the kind built with VB...)

I think we'll get a few more reasons with WP8 (voip integration is a big reason to stay with WP).
It really feels like Microsoft saw what others are doing and did it better and voip integration is a great example of that. instead of baking Skype into the OS (like Apple did for their facebook and twitter integrations) they made an API that any developer can use.

 

[power5]

.

Lastly, it's the little features and the fact that Microsoft paid attention to the little details that I enjoy. It's small things like the lock screen bouncing, or the signal strength dropping down when you open the phone app, or the live tiles flipping away when you launch an app that makes me appreciate the effort Microsoft put into this OS to make it so great.

I like the little things too but they missed some little things.
I want to be able to pull down the signal strengt at any time. Most apps do not allow that.. So do not even know the time. My phone is my watch. Also WiFi strength does not show up, just if you are connected. Would like Batt% a well.

 

[anodynamic]

I like the little things too but they missed some little things.
I want to be able to pull down the signal strengt at any time. Most apps do not allow that.. So do not even know the time. My phone is my watch. Also WiFi strength does not show up, just if you are connected. Would like Batt% a well.

You can see WiFi strength in the wireless settings... but that's awkward so, yes, there's a lot of small details like that where a little more work would have been needed.

Volume control is one that I share with many. Ring volume and media volume should be separate. Headset volume should of course also be separate. On the bus, for example, I have to take the headset volume near max for music because my headphones require it, but with the single volume setting that also means that when I get a call while listening to music the very powerful external speaker on my phone rings loud enough that it probably can make someone in a car behind the bus reach for their phone...

 

[Agent-P]

I like the little things too but they missed some little things.
I want to be able to pull down the signal strengt at any time. Most apps do not allow that.. So do not even know the time. My phone is my watch. Also WiFi strength does not show up, just if you are connected. Would like Batt% a well.

I thought that was dependent on the app and whether the developer accounted for leaving that or not? I might be wrong about that. I'm just basing my guess off of the fact some of my apps still show the status area and some don't.

Volume control is one that I share with many. Ring volume and media volume should be separate. Headset volume should of course also be separate. On the bus, for example, I have to take the headset volume near max for music because my headphones require it, but with the single volume setting that also means that when I get a call while listening to music the very powerful external speaker on my phone rings loud enough that it probably can make someone in a car behind the bus reach for their phone...

That's one of those things I also wish they would address. It's so annoying to have to reset my ring volume after listening to music. I thought it was supposed to be fixed in Mango, but apparently not.

 

[corn13read]

I like that it's uniform like ios but not utter crap and that it's clean.

I'd still rather go webos but it's so dead and a man's gotta have a phone...

 

[rdubmu]

For me it is easy. I have a Titan 2, and my phone before was a HD7. I really like the additions that HTC has added to its devices over Nokia and Samsung. #1 Attentive Phone should be standard on every Windows Phone. #2. The camera is just great.

What keeps me in the ecosystem is mostly Bing. I can't tell you how much I use Bing it isn't even funny. On my desktop I use both Google and Bing, but the built in Bing Search is 2nd to none. I won't even consider Android but it probably works the same. I love how I can search for a restaurant and get directions using Bing Local faster than anybody who has iphone or even android.

The other reasons why I have stayed besides the OS, is how many choices you have over what you want in a phone. Honestly if Apple ever makes an iphone that is 4.3 inches. I might switch back. 4 inches is way too small still for me.

The UI in the OS is great. I don't feel like my phone is boring anymore. I am concerned that I won't like 7.8 - wp8 start screen. I really liked the black space to the right of the phone. It makes Windows Phone look unique. The new start screen has the potential to really look cluttered.

 

[Agent-P]

I am concerned that I won't like 7.8 - wp8 start screen. I really liked the black space to the right of the phone. It makes Windows Phone look unique. The new start screen has the potential to really look cluttered.

You can arrange your live tiles so that you still have space on the side just like it is now. I'm not sure how well it would look, but I imagine it would look alright.

 

[suvastallions]

WP is easy to use, less clutter, good intergration of apps, etc. Also sets you apart from the crowd.

 

[anodynamic]

You can arrange your live tiles so that you still have space on the side just like it is now. I'm not sure how well it would look, but I imagine it would look alright.

That only works with the regular and quarter size tiles. The double wide ones would still go to the edge, unless I'm half-blind and geometrically impaired.

And I will also miss the space. It gave the screen a nice balance, and from a design perspective it was necessary since if the tiles had filled the whole width there would have been space for only three rows and a few pixels of a fourth, and that wouldn't have worked well with without the extra small tiles.

 

[Agent-P]

That only works with the regular and quarter size tiles. The double wide ones would still go to the edge, unless I'm half-blind and geometrically impaired.

Whoops, I completely forgot about the double wide tiles. Those will go end to end.

 

[anodynamic]

Whoops, I completely forgot about the double wide tiles. Those will go end to end.

Maybe we should get 2/3 wide tiles next time around? Putting two of the tiny ones next to one that size would look great in my opinion.

 

[Alex_Hong]

For me, i'm waiting to see what BB10 has to offer. Though i still like the current BlackBerry devices, they have been giving me some problems, so decided to use my Lumia 800 as my daily driver these days. Not a fan of Android and iOS, they're just not suited for me. So WP7.5 is the next best thing out there.