Switching platforms? | Thinking of leaving?...comment here!

[Laura Knotek]

LG V20. I'm so utterly disappointed with this phone it's beyond belief. It's not a bad phone, it's just not tickling my particular fancy. The camera is every bit as good as any Lumia. There, I said it. I've always liked LG's special sauce because they're one of the few Androids where you can have a dark theme out of the box and their iteration of double tap-to-wake (and sleep). The speaker is sufficiently loud but not the greatest but then again, outside of the Idol 4S no other phone is that great either.

Yes, all the apps are there and many work better than their Windows counterpart but that's expected. What isn't expected is the core OS apps are so ill-conceived as compared to Windows that it makes you take pause. The dialer, contacts, calendar, email, calculator, clock and settings apps look as they were designed by pre-schoolers. Not the bright ones either, more like the remedial class. Two apps I was impressed with are the file manager and the gallery apps. They both had the option to load OneDrive files/pictures a la Windows which was refreshing to see (Dropbox and Box are supported as well). There's no excuse for having to open multiple apps to achieve the same result. The file manager in particular was very BlackBerry-esque in that it's quite feature-filled.

I shouldn't have to harp on pre-loaded apps so much but it's the new reality. Apps rule the roost and the OS with the best out-of-the-box experience should win right? Wrong. I'm not going to go into a lengthy comparo between Android and Windows, or iOS for that matter, because I want to stay on point and deal with this particular phone's deficiencies. Which brings me around to connectivity. The V20 supports HDMI-out via the USB-C connector so I tried to plug it into my x3's dock. It works and it doesn't work. It charges, connects to the Ethernet cable for network connection and it recognizes the wireless mouse & keyboard. Except it constantly trips between the physical input and onscreen kb. Try to type a URL and you're blind because the onscreen kb takes up half the available viewing area even though the onscreen kb is toggled off. For the Ethernet to work properly you have to pull down the notification shade and toggle data off. If you've read this far you'll see these are all unnecessary steps that you would never have to do on a Continuum-enabled Windows phone. Plug-n-play is unrivaled in the Windows camp. Since you can't do any of this on an iPhone it's not worth mentioning. Please note that after disconnecting everything you won't be able to repeat any of these tasks without a soft reboot. It's just not happening.

Before I go any further I'd like to mention that the battery life is not very good either but keeping it on the dock for extended periods mitigates this shortcoming. I'm trying to keep an open mind because I think most of the sour grapes in this post are Android and not entirely the V20. For example, when I connect my Primo or x3 via a wired connection every Windows 10 compatible printer in the network show up in the print dialogue. As of this writing, Android has yet to offer USB or Bluetooth printer support. Some OEMs have NFC printers but those are still very rare. You're left with Google Cloud and Wi-Fi if you want to print but that gets quickly eliminated if you're on Remote Desktop because Android didn't see fit to include using Local Resources with their apps. Buried in the settings is the ability to use your SD card storage with RDP but you need to know how to activate the special permissions and fewer and fewer phones are coming with expandable storage anyway.

Well that's it in a nutshell. Being a Windows guy I'm going to find workarounds if they're there to be had. But for all the grief us Windows users have to endure about workarounds to get around WM's shortfalls, I find it ironic. So the next person who claims DeX or any other desktop imitation is better than Continuum, point them to this post. I'd be more than happy to tear down their argument point by point.

I'm sorry to hear this. I got a V20 following an MXPE, and the V20 is much better in every way to me, including battery life. I'm also impressed by the audio and camera on the V20. I'm sorry it's such a letdown for you.

 

[camaroz1985]

Got an iPhone 7 about a week ago. Love it.
Then I got to update it to iOS 11, love it even more.

Keeping your SE too?

 

[libra89]

Keeping your SE too?

I totally forgot to ask this, but I am wondering the same...

 

[anon(50597)]

Keeping your SE too?

Yes I am. I haven’t updated it to 11 yet though. Might tonight!

 

[Will Gilliland]

I've had enough. Microsoft doesn't get it.

This week was rough. I went through a divorce. Wifey and I are fine. W10M and I are not. I love the W10M GUI and my Lumia 950XL. After giving up on Symbian, I went through all the iterations of Windows Mobile with HTC Mogul, HTC Touch... then I flirted with Android phones for a few years.
Windows Mobile 8 caught my attention but I already had been an Android user for years. When i found a Lumia 520 for $25 I started "playing" with it on the side. It was sluggish, but the GUI had promise and I started falling for Windows Mobile again. I picked up a Lumia 640 for $50 and soldered wireless charging onto it and made it my one and only phone.
After a year of use and the release of W10M, I was all-in. Microsoft, PUT MY LIFE IN SYNC!!! My company offered me a free Galaxy S6, but instead I paid out of pocket to buy a Lumia 950XL at the Microsoft Store. I was in love and cheered on the promise of unifying Windows 10 across all my devices, Desktop, Surface Pro 3, Lumia 950XL and XBox One. Ok, so my Band and Band 2 weren't Windows 10.. but it worked well (until it didn't).
I was more than a Microsoft advocate.... I was their APOSTLE! OneDrive had matured. Groove music was getting pretty dang good. Maps was actually good. My life was unified and Cortana was orchestrating it all.

Then as I was leading my own personal charge, the Microsoft troops weren't following me.

Microsoft cancelled the Band 3. Bummer. Microsoft halts HoloLens. Hmmm. Development of Win10M wasn't keeping pace. It seemed like it was being developed by a skeleton crew while the rest of their programmers worked on apps for iOS and Android. What? As far as I could tell, there was zero spent on advertising Band, HoloLens or any Windows Phone. Did you blow the budget supplying the NFL with Surfaces? And where is that Surface Phone?

Then I raise an eyebrow to "retrenchment". It sounded too much like retreat... and retreat without a plan at that. Somehow, Microsoft had the vision they could leverage Windows 10 computers to open the gateway to the mobile world. I hope the person that dreamed that up is being paid commission-only on Windows phone sales.

Well screw you, Microsoft. I'll believe more in you than YOU DO YOURSELF. I was determined to stay with my 950XL. No app, no problem. I'll use the mobile web version. If that didn't work, I convinced myself I didn't need that service anyway. Mobile banking? No thanks (I guess). Paperless airline tickets? For sissies. No fitness apps that work properly with trackers? I'll just pump iron and grunt.

Then my company offered a free Galaxy S8+. I'd been traveling, weary, low on sleep and weak. I said yes, I'll take one.

I'll be just like the Microsoft Store. I'll take an S8 and install all the MS apps on it and all will be fine. Ummm nope! I downloaded an app that gags Bixby and I inserted Cortana in his place. Cortana, don't be mad at me.. it's not you, it's me. Please stay with me on my Android journey. "Hey Cortana, Set timer for one hour". Cortana, "Ok, here is what I found". No, Cortana. Not a web search on time of an hour. She must resent me.

Outlook on Android looked familiar, but it was separate. It didn't mesh with everything, like that one guy in the office that works well alone but doesn't play well with others. But all wasn't bad. Skype, Skype for Business, OneNote, OneDrive, Teams, MSN Money, Office Lens all worked and worked even better than they did on Microsoft's phones!!

It became abundantly clear. Microsoft doesn't get it. People buy from ecosystems that are PERSONAL to them. We eat-with, work-with and sleep next to our digital buddies. If MS apps don't work well with our phone's ecosystem and we have perfectly good alternatives, why would we use Microsoft's versions. Does MS really think Apple and Google with every tightly integrate their apps or even allow them to?

Don't tell Cortana, but she's on the way out. I may ditch Outlook, too. Skype? Teams? Why? I could use Slack. Once my mobile world is in sync, why not mesh my other devices? ChromeOS is maturing. Google's GSuite is better integrated with Android than MS Office. Google and Apple are getting good living room devices that can replace the apps I use on my XBox.

Microsoft, you are in danger far beyond the mobile market and you don't even know it.

 

[libra89]

So I'm having mixed Pixel feelings. It's been about 4 days and I felt these feelings the day it arrived but I was encouraged to use it for a month. At this point, it's hard for me to see myself doing that. The Pixel doesn't feel big or anything but I don't know if I just miss iOS or what.

Weirdly enough, I have missed my A3 for song identification more than anything else. I love having the voice search option for that.
On the Pixel, you don't get it without GA, which I don't want to use. I'm not sure. I love the Pixel camera but I don't know if this was worth it for me. Also I find myself using time and money trying to endlessly customize the Pixel because I'm still not content with how the home screens look. "Stock" has its pros and cons. I'm missing the mute mode and battery life of my A3. I think I can get @fatclue_98 's earlier comment about the V20 not totally hitting the spot for him.

Edit: I'm going to make a pro and con list to see if that helps me decide what to use.

Edit 2: Considering switching back to my A3. I have general core things that are must haves and while the Pixel meets/exceeds some of it, I don't know if that's enough for me. Great radios and cameras but not having song ID has been difficult for me, along with the lack of a mute switch.

 

[Elky64]

Re: I've had enough. Microsoft doesn't get it.

Good read thanks for sharing. Will say I'm less impressed w/Microsoft these days than I ever was in the past 30 years. Oh, and sorry to hear about your divorce. :winktongue:

 

[LumPhile]

Re: I've had enough. Microsoft doesn't get it.

I think the shrinks need to introduce a new classification, which can describe and provide appropriate treatment for those persons insanely incensed with MS products; who write reams about how they have abandoned the platform; who froth and rave about the uselessness of MS products; who ad nauseam ad infinitum predict the imminent demise of said products; but who, seemingly hopelessly addicted, relentlessly troll those sites dedicated to all things MS.

 

[Elky64]

Re: I've had enough. Microsoft doesn't get it.

 

[PerfectReign]

Re: I've had enough. Microsoft doesn't get it.

Microsoft, you are in danger far beyond the mobile market and you don't even know it.[/B]

well stated and a valid point.


Sent from mTalk on my 950xl

 

[anon(50597)]

I’m glad I’m over the drama, but I do enjoy this site and many of the people who come here. Good people who are going through what I went through. I hope you all find your answer.

 

[libra89]

Considering switching back to my A3. I have general core things that are must haves and while the Pixel meets/exceeds some of it, I don't know if that's enough for me. Great radios and cameras but not having song ID has been difficult for me, along with the lack of a mute switch.

So I switched back to the A3 and it feels good again. I think I can finally understand @Nate W . He's still one of a kind lol but I get it. Switching from a Pixel to the A3 is seen as crazy. I wish that I could have known that this would happen before dropping a few hundreds on a Pixel.
Everyone is trying to sell their Pixel now. I'm debating doing a trade-in...

 

[fatclue_98]

Yes I am. I haven’t updated it to 11 yet though. Might tonight!

Do it, you won’t be disappointed.

 

[anon(50597)]

Do it, you won’t be disappointed.

I did. Went well. Just haven’t used it much yet.

 

[nate0]

Google is giving away Pixel XLs for those with bum Nexus 6p phones. Kind of a sweet deal if you have a Google purchased Nexus 6p and it has hardware/sw boot issues.
Google is offering Nexus 6P owners a Pixel XL as a warranty replacement

 

[HeyCori]

Played with Essential phone at Best Buy today. It's actually kind of stunning. Shame about the camera since, according to reviews, it's pretty unreliable. Also played with the KeyOne. It is nice, and the keyboard is great, but it's too small and cramped for my fingers.

 

[libra89]

Played with Essential phone at Best Buy today. It's actually kind of stunning. Shame about the camera since, according to reviews, it's pretty unreliable. Also played with the KeyOne. It is nice, and the keyboard is great, but it's too small and cramped for my fingers.

Yeah, it's sad for a stunning phone to be that much and have a lame camera.

Aw I would have thought that the KeyOne would be up your alley.

 

[HeyCori]

I liked everything about the phone except the width. :evil:

 

[Laura Knotek]

Played with Essential phone at Best Buy today. It's actually kind of stunning. Shame about the camera since, according to reviews, it's pretty unreliable. Also played with the KeyOne. It is nice, and the keyboard is great, but it's too small and cramped for my fingers.

I'll have to check out the Best Buy in my neighborhood. I'm not looking to buy anything new, since I got a new LG V20 a month ago, but I always love trying new toys. I want to play with the Essential phone and the KeyOne.

 

[fatclue_98]

I liked everything about the phone except the width. :evil:

That’s pretty much the reason I haven’t bought a Keyone. Narrow vkb is a lot more forgiving than a physical one.