Switched from android to windows phone...Any regrets?

[Windows Central Question]

If you switched from android to windows phone I have a few ?s....

1. Why did you switch?
2. Any regrets? If so, will you go back to android?

I currently have a lumia 900, wp 7.8 and although I like windows, I kind of want to try something different. I've used a friends android, kit kat version, and noticed a lot of similarities bt android and wp but also noticed I could do a little more with android (i.e. Active widgets).

However, the msft band is making me want to stay with windows phone and I'm liking what I see with wp 8.1.1 and the 1520 as we'll. I just feel that what I can do on windows phone I can do on android, plus more.

Thanks in advance everyone.

 

[Nicholas Maguire]

I switched to Windows Phone from Android about a year ago.

1. I actually can't remember why I switched. I think I just really loved the UI. Mainly though, I think it might have been the Microsoft experience.
2. No regrets, none, zip. There might be some apps I miss, but really, apps aren't a big deal to me. I love Windows Phone. I'm a Windows Phone fan for good, the experience makes everything worth it.

 

[RumoredNow]

Android was really just a stop gap between webOS and Windows Phone for me. I tried WP and really liked it. I realized I enjoyed all the hacking WAY more than the actual Android OS and decided I'd spend my time better than just constantly fiddling with my device. There was a lot of fiddling on webOS as well, to be sure, but I also really enjoyed the UI/UX on webOS. Android UI/UX leaves me cold in the long term...

I'll not be going back in phone form. IF I did pick up another Android it would be as a media consumption tablet, but I even jilted my Nexus 7 for a Dell Venue 8 Pro desktop Windows OS tablet.

 

[wprph]

RumoredNow: I actually came from webos as well, man, I really miss it. Do you find a big difference bt widgets vs. Live tiles? I really like that I can work within a widget....with live tiles, you have to tap them to use them.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Tapatalk

 

[wprph]

Also, is there really a lot of lags and crashes with android?

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Tapatalk

 

[anon(6098928)]

I totally agree. I used to be on Android. I too spent too much time faffing/fiddling/tweaking with Android. Windows Phone just works. It crisp/clear and easy to use.

My only gripe is that there are one of two apps that have not been updated on WindowsPhone for quite sometime now, and lack features compared to their Android equivalent. Specifically: Fotor; TripAdvisor; IMDB to name but a few.

 

[RumoredNow]

IDK that Live Tiles are much different from Widgets for me. They both are right on the surface and bring you current information. I know I've tapped on Widgets to get more out of them - same as Live Tiles. I'm not sure what you are trying to differentiate here. A Live Tile updates itself without any interaction - there is a 30 minute minimum time limit on autorefresh to keep developers from prioritizing their app into hogging your resources (something Android clearly lacks, IMHO).

My weather Liver Tile, for instance, shows me the current conditions (forecast icon, current temp + "real feel" temp, high and low temp for the day, wind speed and direction + last refresh time) on one side and a symbol lights up if I have any local weather alerts; . The other side shows me a 5 day projection with a general forecast icon (Sun, cloudy, rainy, etc.) and the high and low temp for each of those days. I have to tap the tile if I want radar or extended text on alerts or forecasts, but a widget would require that as well. The are also push notifications. I don't tap a Live Tile any more often than I would a Widget.

As for lag and crashes on Android... It really wasn't a problem for me as I was using Nexus phones. I wouldn't go with a skinned product.

I think WP is just more efficient on the same level of hardware than Android is. I also think the UI keeps my info and required apps closer to the surface, more useful and more informative than Android ever did. I "poked at" my phone waaaay more with Android and iOS was so slow and cumbersome to navigate, with such a boring interface that is was totally a non-starter for me.

Now... If you want a more webOS UX, look into Jolla Sailfish. Those Live Covers let apps continue working in teh background and you can interact with them while they are minimized... It's got some cool features, but is definitely just a small niche right now. Jolla phone availability and radio compatibility is limited at the moment or I probably would have one in my stable by now.

That was the one thing I loved about Android, the fact that I could flash. However, I never tried alternate Android ROMs beyond Cyanogen Mod (which I found to be pretty lame - its popularity is that it brings updated versions to all those phones abandoned by their OEMs). I did flash Open webOS, Firefox, Ubuntu Touch and Jolla sailfish onto my Nexi. That part was cool. - Like I said, the actual Android part was never really holding my interest.

 

[grdguez01]

I switched because I'm a techie and I loved the OS the first time I saw it. No regrets, I may miss some apps but that's not a big deal to me. I love Windows Phone. I'm a Windows Phone fan and I've already switched 5 people to Windows phone in less than a year.

 

[FAHMI BASSEM]

Thanks to create this thread, we may use this to get more WP fans

 

[Funky Cricket]

I was plam/winmobile until webOS. I loved webOS, I miss webOS, it was the best mobile/tablet OS still to this day. I enjoyed playing with and it did everything I could want. I moved to Android as it was the best when my OG Pre was EOL. I liked it well enough, but I was excited by Windows Phone 8, and I have no regrets since the switch. There are a few things I miss, WiFi scanning and such, but mostly it's been rock solid, great pictures, and OneNote, OneDrive, and XBOX integrations are great.

 

[kjellf]

If you switched from android to windows phone I have a few ?s....

1. Why did you switch?
2. Any regrets? If so, will you go back to android?

I currently have a lumia 900, wp 7.8 and although I like windows, I kind of want to try something different. I've used a friends android, kit kat version, and noticed a lot of similarities bt android and wp but also noticed I could do a little more with android (i.e. Active widgets).

However, the msft band is making me want to stay with windows phone and I'm liking what I see with wp 8.1.1 and the 1520 as we'll. I just feel that what I can do on windows phone I can do on android, plus more.

Thanks in advance everyone.

WHY - It's more to the point. Technically efficient, fast, capacity
REGRET - NO. Apps I use most are rhere. My Nexus 7 gives me some Android AddOns I need.

Kjell (1520, 820 and Surface3)

 

[greyskytheory]

I left android after owning 3 of their phones (OG Droid, Thunderbolt and Note 2) over a 4yr period. Their phones will eventually begin to lag and I think this is quite common. All of the bloatware is also quite annoying and not necessary. The customization is fun but after a while I just got bored with all of the options, features, customization etc and just wanted a phone that worked without issue. After buying a Dell Venue Pro I realized the Microsoft OS was very functional and very smooth. Went over to Windows Phone (currently using an Icon) and have no regrets. I like the apps windows has and the phone is quick, snappy and gives me no problems. Any time I show it off people get interested in it, want to look at it and toy around with it. If I had better marketing and advertising it would be a better hit.

 

[Didier3001]

I switched to WP for the following :
10% of my android apps were installed to troubleshoot my phone and optimise it.

I wanted a real camera

Things I regret: Almost none.
Few apps such as my bank but they now have a very good mobile websites. Today I'm only missing one App and I have around 300 installed.

Positive: No need to troubleshoot my phone. Very nice UI. All Microsoft / Nokia Apps are brilliant. Very good integration with Windows 8.1. Cortana. Camera.

 

[Senrir]

Hardware and OS wise, I think WP beats android hands down.

I do miss a lot of official apps though like snapchat, bus apps which I am sure will change with windows 10.

The only con I could think off excluding the app situation is the US centric OS support, eg. Cortana, Microsoft garage

 

[dameon_03]

i came from android 2 yrs ago. i got bored with it and wanted a change. checked out wp during time and really liked the UI and thought i would give it a shot. i have had no regrets and the apps didnt bother me much and still do not.

 

[Janne Trpinov]

Only thing I miss is appintegration. When clicking links etc I want them to take me to the actual app im using and not internet explorer etc. Mainly YouTube,facebook etc. In android I could chose what app to start etc. Other than that WP is the best os for me. Currently using a Lumia 930.

Edit: Notifications from some apps doesn't work 100%...

Is there options for this that I have missed ??

 

[CliveSinclair]

No regrets. Only one game I miss Real Racing 3. Bit would would not go back. Integration with Office, OneNote, OneDrive, Outlook.com was worth it.

What really made my mind up... bloatware and Forceware that comes with many Android devices.

With WP you can uninstall any apps with no need to root.

 

[her3814]

I used two Sony's an Xperia X8 and then the Wt19 Aka:"Live with walkman".. the first one was a really entry level phone had Android 2.1 and NEVER received an update, always had to change ROM's and never had a good experience... Then switched to the WT19 was a very nice phone, had ffc and a 5mpx rear camera with flash i can't deny that it took GREAT photos.. but then received the ICE CREAM SANDWICH update and that was a DISSAPOINTMENT really... never worked good and again i had to go with rom's and well.. after year and a half died in my floor... jajajaja last year my bro got a L620 for his birthday and i was like "WOOOAAAAUUU" worked excellent so i came to Windows Phone ... now i have a LUMIA 630 ... lacks some things from the Sony's but Works excellent has great battery life and lag is gone from my mind... nothing else to say that in Argentina everyone uses Android (here Samsung has a lot of market share) and when i first had my 630 some of my partners and Friends were like... OMFG why did you buy that phone? It's a Windows System it'll be slow and is not like Android.. but after a time o could say... well.. maybe there isn't as much apps as in Android... but at least don't need to change roms weekly 'cause the systems lags constantly... soooo i'm happy and i hope the system grows and gets better support from devs...

 

[prasath1234]

I came from android xperia c I love wp more than android.i use android for apps that I need but my main phone is wp.Yes I have become wp fan despite having poor battery life phone like Lumia 820.Fact I loved about wp is update even for 2year phone nd how the device performs even after 2 year my xperia C lags even after resets.This polish experience will make me stay in wp till its death.
From Windows phone

 

[k0de]

From IOS to Android and from Android to Windows Phone. On the hardware or the OS no regrets. But yes I do miss the apps.

But before anyone jumps to speculation that I only miss Google apps and games. This is not true. Here are few examples.

Daikin eQuip, HVAC VFD, Coding Reference, Think and Grow Rich, Assembler Programming Language, Lumosity,, Dunkin Donuts, NY Lottery, TD Bank, Mensa Academy, Entrepreneur Daily, Brain School, Exoplanet, Phyton Programming, C# Programming, JVM Programming,
C++ Programming, JetBlue, WebMD,. exakTime.

And the list goes on and almost endless. But I still use IOS at work and make up for these with an iPhone.

My only regret is the apps availability. Perhaps more dev's will develop for the platform in the future.

But regardless of the lack of apps im sold. Windows Phone fan fo life.