My trials and experience put into brief for your consideration....
I was a fan of windows mobile for some time (HTC Tilt days). Then Android came out. I jumped right on the google train and progressed through nearly every Galaxy S model on AT&T, to include the Note. I was a big fan of Android and the open access to the UI and core of the OS. Lots of customization and plenty of applications. Samsung was making great phones and google seemed to be there for me.
Then, comes Windows Phone - Mango, on the Lumia 920. I was excited to attempt the transition back to windows from android and see what MS finally had to offer. It seemed like a nice idea since it felt like google was starting to dig a little deeper than I was comfortable with. The lumia 920 was an awesome phone and windows looked great. Unfortunately, I still had to keep my Android around for some apps and utilities that were unavailable on MS Store. I was also disappointed with the lack of compatibility between MS devices and the poor unification. Eventually, I determined WP could not fulfill my current need and I fell back into the grasp of google. I did so with a hope the MS would get their act together and an expectation to try WP again in the future.
So, time went on in my re-accepted assimilation with google. My Samsung GS devices came and went and they just seemed to get more complicated with less and less useful innovation. The carriers started locking down root access and flashing was getting difficult. The Big Google was forcing me to use services and features I had no desire to use. Then some services merged and it became mandatory for me to be a part of multiple google services for general app and email access. I had no interest in Google Now telling me when I should leave for work or how many times to chew my steak. I was spending more time trying to circumvent imposing services than I was using the capabilities of my phone. Low and behold, a behemoth rises in the distance! Nokia is dropping a monster on the market and I like what I see.
I find a sucker on CL who wants to swap a brand new 150 for a Note 3. I talk him into swapping for my S4 and we both walk away smiling.... I have returned to WP re-investigate what MS has been up to since my absence. Surely it has matured...
That it has. A stronger app market and more stable UI has been developing. I can immediately see some features missing, but I am impressed by the responsiveness and effectiveness of the UI. Many of the apps I was once missing are now at my fingertips. My Xbox one, Surface, Desktop Computer, and Phone all share an account with effectiveness. Everything is in sync and the effort was minimal. All the services I want to incorporate are optional, but it doesn't matter because they don't feel dirty and intrusive.
The MS universe still has a way to go and WP still has some growing to do. It is not a perfect environment, but it has some serious potential to be a beautifully unified ecosystem. Regardless of how complete WP currently is, I feel good about switching and getting the google monkey off my back. The only potential direction for google services and android phone is a direction I am not interested in going. We are dropping google as a household. :wink: