Transitioning

[cmurf1280]

Don't want to try and prove myself a windows diehard fan, but for the sake of the discussion can we all just believe that I am?

I think I am done with Microsoft phones. I mean if the Surface Phone ever comes out, I am on it, but lets say its not until 2018. I don't want to spend another year on my Dual Sim Lumia 650. I've never not had a windows smartphone and I don't want another OS but if it's between iOS and Android, I think I have finally decided I would align myself with Android. Thinking about a OnePlus 3. I however, don't have, nor do I want, a gmail account and as such don't have any other google services.

Is it possible? Is it possible to switch to Android? How Microsoft'd out could I make my Android? Is cortana still an option, Bing, outlook, onedrive, xbox are they annoying and cumbersome to use over there?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ubizmo]

I however, don't have, nor do I want, a gmail account and as such don't have any other google services.

Is it possible? Is it possible to switch to Android? How Microsoft'd out could I make my Android? Is cortana still an option, Bing, outlook, onedrive, xbox are they annoying and cumbersome to use over there?

I have a OnePlus One. I have a gmail account that I only use for logging into YouTube. My actual email, contacts, and calendar are all outlook.com. I have a OneDrive subscription as well, and I use OneNote for notes.

It's not a problem to do this in Android, with one small exception, which I'll get to. You can use the stock gmail app to access your outlook.com email, but you don't have to use it. I don't. There are other email apps. As a former BlackBerry user, I use the BlackBerry "Hub+" app suite for this purpose. There's a free version or you can pay $1 a month for the ad-free one, which is what I do. It works very well with my email, calendar, and contacts. There are other email options out there too, such as Nine and Mailwise that you might want to consider. And of course there's an Outlook app for Android that you should consider.

The one problem I hinted at is this: If you try to use "OK Google" to add an event to your calendar, it's going to put it in a Google calendar, not your outlook.com calendar. And of course "OK Google" is going to use Google search for everything. Since Google Search is at the heart of Google's business model, it's not surprising that Android makes it very easy for you to access it, with Google search bars. On my OPO these can be taken off the home screens via settings. I'm not sure about stock Android.

But yes, you can install Cortana and use it instead of "Ok Google" to do your spoken calendar entries and other searches. And you can install Bing on your Android phone and use it instead of Google for regular searches.

There's a OneDrive app that works fine and supports auto-sync of photos, videos, and other folders. It works fine. I don't use xBox so I can't speak to that. If you don't want to use Google Maps there are alternatives, such as MapQuest and TomTom. But I think Google Maps works best.

 

[cmurf1280]

That is hugely helpful! Thanks so much! I didn't even think about Maps, that's a good catch. Thanks!

 

[libra89]

Great post by @ubizmo !

I agree with his words. I have a little bit to add though.

-You have to make a Google account, but you don't have to create a Google email just for that. I used my Microsoft account for this.

-In order to have your Outlook contacts sync, you have to set up your email manually and as an Exchange Account. You can just follow this: Android for the Windows Guy: Use Your Microsoft Accounts

-In order for your calendar to sync, you have to give the Gmail app all permissions in settings. Not your individual account(s), just the Gmail app itself. That's something that I wish someone told me from the start. This way, when you create a new event on your phone, it will be reflected in your Outlook calendar, rather then just the calendar on your phone.

Aside from that, I would actually recommend the whole "Android for the Windows Guy" series on Thurrott, it helped me a lot personally. You don't have to follow all of it, just take the parts you want to follow.

The OnePlus 3 is a great phone, I hope you'll like it.

 

[ubizmo]

-You have to make a Google account, but you don't have to create a Google email just for that. I used my Microsoft account for this.

Good point. I didn't do that because I already had a gmail account anyway.

Another small detail: If you install Cortana you can have it stalk you and remind you of things like your commute time, just as Google Now would do. It works if you turn that on in its settings. And of course Cortana remembers your profile from Windows, so it's ready to go after you install it.

 

[cmurf1280]

Wow, Good to know and thanks so much for the link! Making a decision like this was never going to happen so I am clueless as to what other tried and communities are out there so thanks for that!