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

[pzswenj]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

Been with Windows phones since the Lumia 900. Currently on a 925. Love the operating system, love the look of the live tiles. Everyone who sees that screen is always interested in it. And I've been a cheerleader for years.

Cracked my screen yesterday. For the last few months, there have been multiple apps that have worked well for years that are no longer being supported, withdrawn, or flat out stop working. Many retailers offer discounts and coupons on platforms that are on iOS or android, but not windows phones. Its finally reaching a breaking point for me, and this fall is too far off to wait to replace my broken phone. It feels like almost everyday the apps I like get bought by google, and then poof, no more support for windows phone.

When I got my 925, it already felt old in the product cycle. Fast forward a year, and I'm looking at virtually the same phones as windows phone replacements. No real changes until this fall. Waaaaay to long of a cycle Microsoft...

 

[gir_wireless]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

This is my response after using windows phone for a few years now.

 

[FiveFngrsOfDef]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

I will be moving on to the IPhone 6+

i am a HUGE Microsoft fan....

Windows Mobile Treo
Compaq Ipaq
Original Xbox
Xbox 360
Xbox One
Original Zune
updated Zune
Surface Pro 1
Surface Pro 4 upon release
Samsung Focus Windows Phone 7
HTC Titan
Lumia 900
Lumia 1520
Microsoft Band

Ii love my 1520, BUT, I can't take it anymore. if I can get all of Microsofts services on the iPhone and apps that I can't get here, why stay? I was one of the early adopters on the original iPhone, left that to go to Android, before I switched to Windows 7 on my focus. The Wallet app is a joke. No pay by phone, etc... I'm sick of hearing we will get it right this time. Heard it on 7, then 8, now 10.

 

[FearL0rd]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

I will be moving on to the IPhone 6+

i am a HUGE Microsoft fan....

Windows Mobile Treo
Compaq Ipaq
Original Xbox
Xbox 360
Xbox One
Original Zune
updated Zune
Surface Pro 1
Surface Pro 4 upon release
Samsung Focus Windows Phone 7
HTC Titan
Lumia 900
Lumia 1520
Microsoft Band

Ii love my 1520, BUT, I can't take it anymore. if I can get all of Microsofts services on the iPhone and apps that I can't get here, why stay? I was one of the early adopters on the original iPhone, left that to go to Android, before I switched to Windows 7 on my focus. The Wallet app is a joke. No pay by phone, etc... I'm sick of hearing we will get it right this time. Heard it on 7, then 8, now 10.

I'm in the same bandwagon

 

[Cartman]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

Me too...

Have had almost every version of WP from the beginning and am considering switching to an iPhone 6 plus due to the app situation. Loving the 1520 (which I just got a few months ago) but don't know how much longer I can hold out.

 

[Nokia_Lumia]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

In the same boat. My devices:

Samsung SCH-i760
UtStarcom XV6800 (HTC Titan)
LG Fathom (still favorite phone to date)
HTC Trophy
Lumia 928

What really bothered me for WinPhone 8:

1) It has been almost 2 years since Here Drive had any significant revision. Here Drive was marketed as signature Lumia experience. If the partnership with Nokia is there, why is there still no way to dynamically route around traffic?? To this date, no WinPhone solution to dynamically reroute around traffic jams. Don't mention Waze, which could be pulled from the store at any moment, and has seen no updates for a year.

2) Bank of America. I could live with paying for a GPS app to route me around traffic (quality one is about $60, +$20 per year for traffic - still don't know if it dynamically reroutes though), but not having access to my accounts is unacceptable. No app? And NO website?? Last year I could even perform mobile operations from my old WinMobile phones...this is truly unacceptable.

I am thinking of leaving now, despite how much I love the OS. I'm tired of being a beta-tester. Loved WinMobile, they axed it and said well get it right with WinPhone 7 in 2010. Then they reboot with WinPhone 8 in 2012. Now its WinPhone 10 for 2015. "NOW we'll get it right". Frustrating to be a WinPhone fan these days...

 

[LTTG]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

I'm leaving WP for good, I had good and bad days with this platform, I wish I could continue with it, but unfortunately Microsoft nor developers are really caring about this platform, so why should I? My Lumia 720 is my first and last WP, I'll be leaving it for an Xperia in a few months, or until it dies.

 

[iChampion]

Microsoft should support WP first and stop giving away everything to others!

I have made the decision to move away from WP (and yes can still post my reasons why, mostly because of being pissed off)
My list of MS/WP issues:

1. MS supporting Android and iOS with better apps first.
2. WP is 5 years old, really MS? And still no one is confident in its survival.
3. Every time someone at MS makes a statement about timeline and availability of updates and products it never happens.
4. Patition Stiching ( bull**** )
5. After seeing how windows supports and cares about WP (NOT) I would never invest in a WP flagship again! Even with W10.
6. Windows 10 will not change anything why would it? You can get all MS apps on other platforms and any other apps, and WP will still not have major apps if so it would already.
7. Microsoft's arrogance is still alive and killing the WP.
8. The best and top software company in the world can't build a phone OS better then this! After 5 years!
9. Microsoft tying to win in the low entry level phone market with no apps? Better look at Android they have that area covered! Just look at the Blu, Motorola phones and others.
10. I think the whole WP is a garage project for MS but they will never admit it.
Out for good, if you took time to read this thanks for letting me vent my feelings.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[xandros9]

Re: Microsoft should support WP first and stop giving away everything to others!

4. Patition Stiching ( bull**** )

I don't really have an issue with the others, but I do have a big issue with these.

4. Are you more qualified to talk about how software development works than the people who are MAKING THE PRODUCT?
But I don't care for that Partition Stitching explanation, it has been stated that in development they focus on a SINGLE platform to stabilize code without the variability of multiple platforms. (hmm, all those eligible have Snapdragon 400's!)
If you're so bent on "flagship first" then would you prefer NO insider preview at all until a later date from today? (which is what would happen)

but ultimately, see ya around. (edited since I really do appreciate the last sentence.)

 

[Blacklac]

2. WP is 5 years old, really MS? And still no one is confident in its survival.

Im not sure you understand Windows Phone history. Windows Phone, as a "brand" may be 5 years old, however the OS is on its 3rd major rewrite, which includes kernel changes. Its not like we are still running WP7 at the core, with new enhancements and tweaks.

Windows Phone 10 is what Windows Phone 8 should have been.

They wouldn't dedicate that much effort to a "garage project".

 

[hj2132]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

Bye bye windows phone
The reasons I am leaving WP

- Lack of appropriate apps
- no official apps for fb insta o snap chat
- gave outlook Skype and now Cortana to android and ios
- no special thing to stay on WP
- less apps and games compared to android and ios
- mixradio
Time has come loved my Nokia Lumia 720 but now times up folks
BYE BYE WINDOWS PHONE

 

[sam1902]

Should i switch?

After being within the windowsphone camp for almost two years, I'm giving a thought to switch to iOS, already tired from support that developers had given to it to the apps being unpublished on daily basis the future doesn't seem to be bright.
As initially i thought would be support, was always fond of nokia phones but i had realised android and iOS are much better in things that i want on my smartphone its APPS i just the need app to work great and their quality should be really great if I'm investing in an ecosystem as both cases are not being applied to windows i would like to know other peoples viws on this.

 

[Nokia_Lumia]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

Even HERE maps is treating us like dirt. https://www.here.com/app/en/?L=32 tiny mention of windows phone at the very bottom, no logo

Wow. They are listing us at the bottom as "Other Platforms". Their iOS and Android versions just came out recently...

Moreover, in the fall they announced that they are "ramping down Windows Phone development in favor of iOS and Android". After 2 years of NO development. There has been no update to functionality whatsoever. In 2013, Pino Bonetti announced traffic rerouting in the "next" update. Where is that again? You are telling me you could not add/test this for two years straight?

Unbelievable. Its also not clear why Microsoft didnt step in, and provide Bing Maps navigation, as they had back in 2010 for Windows Mobile. It worked absolutely great.

Tough to be a supporter, when Microsoft isn't supporting its own OS.

 

[DieFrische]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

Many, including me, have made the jump. I went from a Samsung Focus (WP7), Lumia 920 to a 1020...as much as i loved the OS UI i couldnt personally deal with the problems, especially the ones that came up after i updated to the official 8.1 release on my 1020 (tons of freezing, lag, crashes, black screens, etc). I left for a Nexus 5 and have potential expectations to return with W10 flagship device. Also, I personally enjoyed WP7/8 much more than 8.1...not a big fan of the changes (other than the notification slider)...so what i originally LOVEd about WP has slowly disappeared.

You are so right!

I also Switch to iOS. I really loved Wp 7; 7.5; 7,8 and Windows Phone 8 but after the 8.1 Update Windows Phone lost their Soul

- Not many Apps and some are leaving like Vevo.
- The design disappears, just look at Win10 for Phones how ugly it is

Edit:

And my lovely HTC 8s will remind me at this beautiful time, but everythig changes

 

[mj0]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

I'm done with Windows Phone. I really thought I could switch from my iPhone but after more than six months I'm regretting it. The only thing I can say is definitely noticeably better is cellular reception - in this regard the Lumia 830 kicks ***, it's simply amazing. However, I'm sick of Windows Phone's deficiencies compared to iOS, I'm sick of Microsoft's "we'll get it right next time", I'm sick of having to refocus my brain every time I want to do something on my phone, I'm sick of the bugs and quirks that Windows Phone still confronts me with every single day (Bluetooth is more than shaky, still getting occasional reboots once every few weeks), and most importantly I'm sick of the gap in functionality between the Windows Phone apps and the Android/iOS apps. I'm paying good money for the phone, why should I have to live with things like apps not working as expected (try looking up prices in the Deutsche Bahn app), my music app not being able to remember the last song I was playing four days ago, the browser f*cking things up more often than not (Internet Explorer was a joke on Windows, and Internet Explorer is even a bigger joke on Windows Phone), missing Google services on the one hand and much better Microsoft services on both competing platforms on the other hand, etc.

I'm very aware that this is not all Microsoft's fault but from my perspective as end user I really don't care whose fault it is. I'm the customer and I want to get things done. If I can't I won't be staying for long. it's that simple. Unfortunately, I will be forced to continue using the Lumia 830 until the end of this year (it's a business phone paid for by the company and I'm leaving my current job on 12/31 in order to move to the US, thus I really don't feel like buying yet another phone for myself for the remaining nine months), unless of course an older iPhone 4S, 5, or 5C happens to drop in.

Funnily enought I've finally started to get along with Windows 8.1 on my work laptop, after having failed and reverted back to Windows 7 the last three times I've tried. This time I'm finally getting along and am indeed quite happy with it. But Windows Phone is just so far behind both Android and iOS it'll never catch up, especially at the current rate that Microsoft is slowly but seemingly happily chugging along.

 

[ChanceNC]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

Exactly the thread I needed. I bought my Lumia 928 on January 1, 2014. To say the least, it has been a turbulent relationship. I'm presently not using the 928, but for the umpeenth time in the last three months, I'm thinking of activating it again.

The digitizer went bad in the phone in May 2014 and it took almost two months of back and forth with Nokia to get it corrected, eventually requiring me to contact Stephen Elop (or the person who monitors his email) directly. As a result of that nonsense, I started dabbling with Android devices again and since last summer, interchangeably with the 928, I've used my old Galaxy Nexus (rooted with KitKat), an LG G3, a 2013 Moto X (my present daily driver) and an LG G2 which would probably still be in use were it not for a defect with its screen. Verizon probably thinks I'm insane with the number of device switches I've done via their website.

I do not like Android because it just seems so cobbled together and inelegant. I do not like iOS because their devices are stupidly expensive and the platform seems oversimplified, though I'm no hacking geek. I like stuff that's a little different, and that's what drew me to WP in the first place. The user interface is elegant, the hardware was snappy enough, the camera was excellent...and it was not Android or iOS.

I probably never would have purchased the G2 recently if the app-sucking noise hadn't gotten so loud in the last month. In the past, I've seen the stories of apps going away, apps losing functionality, and I've mostly shrugged them off because they really haven't hit me where I live. But recently, stuff I use has been affected. Bank of America...MLB At Bat...Plex (app still works, but it cannot be updated to the latest version)...Internet Explorer bugs/crashes since the 8.1 update...no app at all for Sling TV, a very nice new online TV service to which I have recently subscribed. It has made me worry that if I do choose to stick with the 928, I'm going to be marooned in due time.

I'm also very bothered by the fact that apps are gradually losing their unique Windows Phone look and are becoming no more than ports of existing Android or iOS apps. Spotify, in particular, suffers from this. Likewise, Microsoft keeps allowing the stuff that adds unique value to Windows Phone to be distributed to the masses in the form of Android and iOS versions of the WP core features.

Today though, I've been sitting on my couch, again trying to come up with justification for making the 928 my daily driver. I've covered the cons...here are the pros and/or circumstances I'm weighing against them:

• The camera is still excellent. No camera on any other device I've used since I got the 928 can touch it.
• I can get most of the benefit of Sling TV out of the WatchESPN app, which is unexpectedly good AND got an update just a few days ago. That's encouraging!
• Bank of America became completely inaccessible when the app support stopped because IE won't allow access to my account. So I downloaded Opera Mini beta today and, remarkably, it works. It's not particularly polished, but it works. It's actually a pretty decent browser. All I can do is hope Opera continues development and support.
• When one uses Windows Phone and gets used to the Metro interface, it's so hard to deal with Android. It's so elegant and organized, yet still a personalized experience.
• Rhapsody offers a compelling alternative to Spotify and throughout its existence on Windows Phone, it has retained a look and functionality that lets you know it's a Windows Phone app. Rhapsody on Android sucks...on WP, it does not.

If there is such a thing as Phone OCD, I've got it in spades. I think my primary concern with re-committing to the 928 is the app gap which is threatening to get worse instead of better, which it had been doing up until the last two to three months. I'd love to hang on long enough so that the next time I go shopping for a device, a Win10 phone would be a viable and realistic option.

So much for being different! It's torture...help!

 

[relentlesson3]

I AM DONE. Selling my 1320. Down to swap with android

I am just sick of fighting with app devlopers on twitter, I am tired of waiting on MS to get it together with their developers. I AM JUST DOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNEEEEEE. I am selling my 1320. I am the RM-995 version. I just want to get rid of it.:eck:

 

[Mirakle]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

I really like this thread, it's a pleasure to read all of your comments and I must say that it helps in a certain way to know all the assets of Windows Phone.

However, I've got a heart rate monitor that has advanced capabilities for iOS and Android when paired using bluetooth LE (Wahoo Tickr X). And that's exactly why I haven't switched from my ATIV S to a brand new Lumia 930 (I really like the look of it, I like to have a camera that performs well, etc. and I don't mind the SD800 and the fact that the device is more than one year old).
I might get a cheap used Android to get along the heart rate monitor but I'm looking for a more decent solution. Still haven't found though...

However, the microsoft announcement to provide a test ROM for the Xiaomi Mi4 lets us hope for an hybrid future solution.
It makes sense as Microsoft would keep on selling software as it always had.
I could have been tempted to test the Alcatel solution but cannot be tempted by the Pixi 3 hardware...
I'd like to test some other alternatives too, Ubuntu , Jolla or Firefox OS but this won't fix the issue concerning my heart rate monitor in any way, or the compatibility of existing smartphone peripherals that are exclusive to iOS and Android.

 

[lesd777]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

I never thought I would do this but I switched to Android this weekend and it's a bit refreshing with the amount and quality of apps compared to the Windows Store. Way back when, my first smartphone was a Motorola backflip and it was ok but so laggy. After months of using that, I got a brand new Samsung focus for free, and I fell in love with the WP device. I was blown away by how fast and smooth WP 7 was, I knew Windows was for me. Then when the HTC Titan released, the mic was sounded like I was in a tunnel, and on the 30th day of having the phone, AT&T said I could replace it for the exact same or get a different device but that would be it. Knowing it was a wide spread issue, I went for the Galaxy S2 Skyrocket. I really liked the phone, it was plenty fast, and the rooting and custom roms were great, but I knew something just wasn't right. I missed the Windows Tiles and the overall Windows OS. After a year of having the Skyrocket, I jumped on the Lumia 920 on its release and couldn't have been more happy. I liked everything about it. I then jumped on the Lumia 1020 on release , then to the 1520 and those phones were solid phones (with the exception of my 1520 available wifi disappearing), but then came the time when I actually was itching for a new flagship, but McLaren failed to exist, and I couldn't wait any longer. I will say the google play store is ad driven in comparison to windows, but the few apps I use that are on both platforms, just seems to be faster and smoother on Android. I'm still not on contract as I'm waiting this fall to see if apps improve in quantity and quality for windows, so I'm keeping my options open this fall to see where Windows 10 is at and if its' worth the switch. I hope Microsoft pulls it off as id love a 5.5" flagship with a 40MP pureview. I hope we see the day when official apps and 3rd party apps are consistently being launched for Windows as they are for IOS and Android.

 

[Cleavitt76]

Re: Let's talk about the outlook here.

So a few days ago I purchased a lumia 635 as a media/gym device. My iPhone 6 plus is too big for that stuff and I thought for 50 bucks I couldn't go wrong. And honestly, I really, really like it. I kinda love this OS. It's different. And I'd love to make it my daily driver one day. But I fear that's not going to happen. I just am not sure where this OS is headed and how much longer it has on this earth.

For the sake of argument, lets say Windows Phone gets killed off in 2 years. Why does this stop you from using it now if you really like it? Would you be banned from ever having a smart phone again because you chose an OS that got discontinued? Would it be the end of the world, or would you just transfer your stuff back to iCloud and buy the new iPhone 9++? It's just as easy to transition off of Windows Phone as it is to transition to Windows Phone.

I know that's hard for many here to think, but it's something we may need to keep I. The back of our minds. And it sucks, this is a awesome OS. But I just can't plop down 400-600 dollars on a device who's OS I'm not confident will be around in a few years.

The next version of the Windows Phone OS, Windows 10, is still months away from being released. Even if it were to end up being the last version of Windows for phones, it won't affect your $400 - 600 phone purchase now. Any phone you purchase today, including your iPhone 6+, will be considered junk in another 2 to 3 years. Therefore, even if the OS gets discontinued it will affect your *next* phone purchase, but not the current one. Actually, when you think about it a lot of phone hardware becomes useless (or unusable) because the OS *did* get updated. Ask anyone with an iPhone 4s, Windows Phone 7, or just about every Android phone more than 2 years old how well their phones are working with those OS updates. Most will tell you they hate their phone now because it runs like garbage or that they aren't getting updates anymore.

Really though, as someone with the latest and greatest iPhone, do you honestly think in two years you aren't going to be itching to rock another latest and greatest phone?

The apps just aren't coming and unless windows 10 does some miracle, this thing is done.

IMHO, Windows 10 + Universal apps + Xbox One + Surface/Hybrids really is a game changer. Not so much because it's a new strategy, but because the strategy is really starting to come together recently. I'm sure people will disagree, but I think it's going to pull Windows Phone out of the hole it's in. Not because developers are going to suddenly target Windows phones, but because they will already be targeting all of the other Windows 10 based devices and adding Windows phone support will take very little extra effort. Also, for the first time in years I am seeing people get excited about what MS is doing with this strategy. People are *starting* to talk about MS like they were talking about Apple 3 to 5 years ago. Not so much average consumers, but the geeks that tend to spot and be early adopters of the next technology trends.

How much longer can MS lose money on this and still not gain any market share. It's literaly throwing money in a pit. Devs dont seem to care, neither do carriers. And it breaks my heart a bit. And regardless of what some may think, yes, it needs apps and to fix that problem. It's extremenly important.

MS can pretty much dump money into Windows phones forever. They have a crazy amount of income and cash in reserve. More importantly, not everything done in business is about making a profit. Well, it is, but on an overall level rather than individual products. Xbox is still going strong after years of losing money or breaking even. Google has all kinds of free services and software. Apple basically gives their OS away for free now. All of these things lead to profit in other areas. In the case of MS, they need Windows phones to complete their integrated ecosystem. It doesn't have to make money as an individual product as long as the overall ecosystem strategy is making money.

The thing that makes me mad the most is that there is t really anything MS can do. All these issues are out of there control. And that's frustrating.

Agreed.

Where do you see the platform in three to five years? Even 2 years? Again, I'd love to make a lumia my daily phone, but I just can't.

I'm sure there will be some ups and downs along the way, but overall I think the platform is going to be in much better shape in another 2+ years. See my response on the MS strategy above for details on how I think it will happen.