What am I missing with WP8?

[homegeek]

Please know that I am not starting this thread to bash WP8 but I really am curious what is the appeal to you. Just to be honest I am coming from Android and IOS phones for the last several years. I got a Lumia yesterday. This is not my first Windows Phone. I did have a Lumia 920 before and gave up on it, I thought to quickly and decided to see if I was wrong about it. I have also used Windows phone 6 and previous versions including CE. I have been keeping up with this forum and WP8 in general and WP7 for a long time. I know my opinions are mostly gathered from the forums and a little personal experience. First off, I really like the UI. I think it is clean and very informational especially over IOS. However there does appear to be a lot of functionality that if you come from another smartphone OS might be missing. I knew that the WP8 app store had a lot less to offer then Android and I expected that since it has not been around as long. But are you worried that the app store will never catch up? A lot of the applications that I have looked over seem to be either point less or not well designed. Now understand I am not trashing the store there are some very good applications as well and I understand that there is a lot of garbage in Android and IOS app store as well. It seem there are a lot of developers big and small that do not seem to think that WP8 is worth developing for but hopefully this does change but how long do you wait? It is a shame that a lot of things people use daily have to have a work around on WP8 such as YouTube or Instagram, and even dropbox as well as others. At least in YouTube that will change soon.

Alright I knew about the app store going in so maybe there are ways to work around the missing content. That is where IE comes in. One of the apps I use a lot on my other phones is the Best Buy App. There used to be a WP version which was horribly outdated and now appears to be gone. If I can not use that then I can go to their website. Wrong! Their website (desktop version) is non-functional on the phone. You can not navigate the site using the necessary tabs at the top of the site. I have noticed this issue with other sites as well. The browser is not capable of navigation through some sites due to the way the site was designed. This was never an issue with Android and I know it is not an issue with the desktop version of IE which tells me that their version on the phone is severely lacking. Microsoft does not appear to allow much competition in browsers on it's device because the app store has very little substitutes. I tried another browser and it is just as bad. This lack of choices makes me wonder what else Microsoft is preventing from being developed for it's OS.

One of the things that struck out at me going through the app store is the comments by developers about the WP8 SDK. It seems that Microsoft has made it very difficult to develop applications in a simple manner. For instance, one of the applications I am finding a hard time with is an audiobook player. There are a few on the market now. But only a couple of the will allow you to use your own audiobooks and for that you still are forced to download them from Skydrive. The comments from some of the developers are saying that can not design it to search on the phone for your audiobooks because of the Microsoft SDK. This to me would seem to be a simple thing yet Microsoft has made in hard. Other things I have noticed that Microsoft has made difficult is music playlists. A simple thing on other smartphones but complicated on WP8. Now one of the things that I have always like on smartphones is the ability to customize my phone. Change the background on the main screen user defined ringtones and other appearance and audio changes. This seems to be very limited in WP8. Now to be fair this is also pretty poorly done on IOS as well.

As I first said coming from mainly Android and IOS this is a different experience for me. Some of it good and some of it bad. What is it about WP8 that make you so happy that you can ignore it's faults. This is not meant to be a bash on WP8 or a discussion on why one OS is better then another. For the people that came from other smartphones, why did you choose WP8 and what makes you stay?

 

[Jazmac]

What do you think you are missing? You really haven't said anything beyond damning the OS with faint praise. Your approach to this phone is largely confrontational and seems to be seeking its weaknesses rather than seeing the beauty of the phone as it is.

Is it perfect? Nope. But is isn't the nightmare scenario you are painting while pretending your motives are pure. This ain't IOS or Android. Its Windows Phone. From that vantage point, you'll appreciate it. Most of us have and do.

 

[explosive0]

What do you think you are missing? You really haven't said anything beyond damning the OS with faint praise. Your approach to this phone is largely confrontational and seems to be seeking its weaknesses rather than seeing the beauty of the phone as it is.

Is it perfect? Nope. But is isn't the nightmare scenario you are painting while pretending your motives are pure. This ain't IOS or Android. Its Windows Phone. From that vantage point, you'll appreciate it. Most of us have and do.

I don't think his approach is confrontational neither do I think he's painting any nightmare scenario. It seems you're jumping to hasty conclusions. Of course this isn't iOS or Android, so allow the OP to ask his questions without insinuating he's pretending.

 

[spaulagain]

The primary reason I like it is the user interface (I'm a UI designer). I'm a huge fan of Metro and applaud Microsoft for A) breaking outside the box and actually innovating and B) unifying their entire product line with a common design language.

I've used iOS (I have an iPhone 4), and while Apple has really polished that OS to the purist shine, I find it boring and sometimes down right frustrating.

Android is horrible, period. I can't stand it. Only recently has the OS actually started to look good, and that's only if the OEM doesn't fvck with it. Even now the OS feels clunky, disorganized, and close to being dated. You can have all the features in the world, but if they are presented poorly, I don't want them.

I also like that WP is people focused, not app focused. I am so sick and tired of people complaining about apps as if they couldn't servive in life without them. To me, a smartphone is still a phone. Therefore being people focused makes far more sense.

Personally, the things you brought up, I don't care about. Instagram? Seriously, what a joke. And the apps I do care about like Pandora, Fandango, Flixster, Here Drive, are all VERY good.

Windows Phone has its weaknesses, but it also has the MS portfolio...Windows 8, Xbox, Office, Outlook, SkyDrive, Skype, etc. That right there is a powerful group of products that Microsoft is unifying over time. And if Xbox is anything to learn from, Microsoft will prevail, and kick *** eventually.

 

[BobLobIaw]

What are you missing? Nothing. Everyone has their own preferences. Others' preferences won't (and shouldn't) impact your own. The pros and cons are laid out in this forum in detail--the rest is up to you.

 

[Paul May]

I was am early adopter to the windows phone platform and have seen things a lot worse than they are now. For me its a combination of a few things, I do not like iPhones at all, every aspect of them makes me cringe, from the tiny screen to the UI, the price point and the fact that everyone and their grandmother has one, literally. As for Android, I cannot stand the constant glitches and freezing and bugs, I had to fix a co workers phone when he downloaded and installed an update and it went into a continuous boot loop twice. I have another co worker that has to pull the battery out of his phone several times a day because it has the dialing glitch where it freezes when trying to make a phone call. Please remember these are just my opinions on those phones and operating systems. I guess my point is that WP is everything ios and android is not, it is stable, smooth, well designed, snazzy with my red Lumina 920, and I feel like the phone is still unique in the wild enough that a lot of people ask me what kind of phone I have. The apps I use work very well and I don't feel I am missing pout on anything in that dept. I feel MS is on the right path, they are making great strides in improving these phones and the OS, it may take another year or two to really catch up in the OS and apps dept. But we already have in hardware.

 

[b23h]

Windows Phone has its weaknesses, but it also has the MS portfolio...Windows 8, Xbox, Office, Outlook, SkyDrive, Skype, etc. That right there is a powerful group of products that Microsoft is unifying over time. And if Xbox is anything to learn from, Microsoft will prevail, and kick *** eventually.

I've always liked how stable WP has been in comparison to my experiences with Android. I do miss some of the apps that were available on Android, and one of those was the Best Buy app that would actually allow one to buy things through it. So yes, I do understand your concern.

In the longer term my understanding is that Microsoft will attempt to unify the Stores or Marketplaces across multiple platforms. That is I expect that MS will attempt to create a situation where developers will be able to write a application that will be to some extent easily developed for the different platforms (Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, perhaps Windows RT and maybe even the Xbox One). Given that MS is succesful in creating a situation where developers can "write once, publish everywhere" then that may likely be a very tempting proposition for developers.

So I'm in with WP because of how stable it is, that it is quite fluid. I do like that I can use first party solutions to log into my Windows Home Server and play music or video on my phone. There's a number of things I really do like. There's also things I would like to see improved.

To some extent I also bought in to help MS with market share. However if MS is succesful with unifying the "markets/stores" across their ecosystem then the likelihood is that the app situation will significantly change for the better.

 

[smoheath]

spaulagain nailed it on the head. This is exactly why I love windows phone. Speaking of gripes with android, my dad has a razr m and he wanted me to fix a storage problem he was having. I was getting so frustrated with the hoops I had to go through to move stuff from the phone to his computer. It was awful. I'm no stranger to android, I had an Android ThinkPad tablet that I loved to tinker with, rooting and trying new roms, but then I got a surface pro and realized how slow and buggy my android was. I finally solved the problem for him and explained to him how simple it could have been with a windows phone and SkyDrive. Sorry, I had to vent.

 

[homegeek]

I don't think his approach is confrontational neither do I think he's painting any nightmare scenario. It seems you're jumping to hasty conclusions. Of course this isn't iOS or Android, so allow the OP to ask his questions without insinuating he's pretending.

Thank you. I was not being confrontational at all and very serious in my post. I am sorry people jumped to conclusions.

 

[homegeek]

What are you missing? Nothing. Everyone has their own preferences. Others' preferences won't (and shouldn't) impact your own. The pros and cons are laid out in this forum in detail--the rest is up to you.

I guess what I was seeking is why people switched from another IOS to WP8. I am trying to decide if I am going to keep it but I have concerns about the OS and I was wondering if anyone else has concerns and how they are getting by.

 

[homegeek]

What do you think you are missing? You really haven't said anything beyond damning the OS with faint praise. Your approach to this phone is largely confrontational and seems to be seeking its weaknesses rather than seeing the beauty of the phone as it is.

Is it perfect? Nope. But is isn't the nightmare scenario you are painting while pretending your motives are pure. This ain't IOS or Android. Its Windows Phone. From that vantage point, you'll appreciate it. Most of us have and do.

I am sorry you feel that way but your reply makes me think you did not actually read what I wrote and just jumped to a false conclusion. Since I am not looking to argue with you, your opinion has been noted and you can move on.

 

[homegeek]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I am trying to decide whether to take the leap to WP8 or stick with Android. I am really loving the UI on this Lumia and I think the hardware is great. I do think the browser on this phone needs improvement and would love for them to fix it.

 

[jlp34876]

That is where IE comes in. One of the apps I use a lot on my other phones is the Best Buy App. There used to be a WP version which was horribly outdated and now appears to be gone. If I can not use that then I can go to their website. Wrong! Their website (desktop version) is non-functional on the phone. You can not navigate the site using the necessary tabs at the top of the site. I have noticed this issue with other sites as well. The browser is not capable of navigation through some sites due to the way the site was designed. This was never an issue with Android and I know it is not an issue with the desktop version of IE which tells me that their version on the phone is severely lacking.

I experience this when i tried to log in, on my online bank when i tried to tap "Online Banking" it will just show the pop up icon then when I release it will close again. IE on wp8 is very stable never crash on my experience but the lack of support features and UI is disappointing right now.

I am trying to decide whether to take the leap to WP8 or stick with Android.

I know what you feel about wp8 since you came from android, My lumia 920 is my main phone and i use it as my navi when i travel, the smoothness of WP8, and the beautiful hardware of my 920 I just cant let go of this things. Anyway I still have my nexus 7 when I really get bored playing temple run 2, subway surfer, real racing 3 etc.

 

[homegeek]

I experience this when i tried to log in, on my online bank when i tried to tap "Online Banking" it will just show the pop up icon then when I release it will close again. IE on wp8 is very stable never crash on my experience but the lack of support features and UI is disappointing right now.


I know what you feel about wp8 since you came from android, My lumia 920 is my main phone and i use it as my navi when i travel, the smoothness of WP8, and the beautiful hardware of my 920 I just cant let go of this things. Anyway I still have my nexus 7 when I really get bored playing temple run 2, subway surfer, real racing 3 etc.

Thanks for the understanding. I can live without most of the apps but they have got to do something about the browser.

 

[johninsj]

I guess what I was seeking is why people switched from another IOS to WP8. I am trying to decide if I am going to keep it but I have concerns about the OS and I was wondering if anyone else has concerns and how they are getting by.

I actually use all three OSes fairly regularly, but use WP8 as my daily phone. If you live/work in a Microsoft ecosystem it far outperforms the other two OSes.

 

[Blocks9]

I guess what I was seeking is why people switched from another IOS to WP8. I am trying to decide if I am going to keep it but I have concerns about the OS and I was wondering if anyone else has concerns and how they are getting by.

Asking others for their opinion on the OS is fine, and sensible if you have certain specific questions. But its as though you're asking peoples opinions, to try and justify whether you should stick with WP. That has to be your decision. Just because the OS works for someone else, doesn't mean it will necessarily work for you.

WP works for me, as i do not crave the instagram, or related social media apps that a lot of people enjoy. I use my phone mostly for email, making calls and the occasional game.

But whether you stick with WP should depend on whether you can get stuff done (i would have thought)

 

[gapost]

I actually use all three OSes fairly regularly, but use WP8 as my daily phone. If you live/work in a Microsoft ecosystem it far outperforms the other two OSes.

I gave a Blackberry user a new Windows phone at work. He logged in to his Office365 account and immediately had his contacts, calendar, etc. I told him about SkyDrive and how he could keep his documents there. He is very impressed.

As far as the OP's comments, I only read part of the first paragraph. But WP is unique, smooth, quicker to do most tasks than iphone, and Android just a mess with all the different versions, menus, and screens.

 

[amgz]

The things I miss are:
- office PDF Integration (the way it is now if you wanna send it as an email attachment is to first put it on SkyDrive then go to office and send it)
- a more powerful email client (pop3 leave messages on server, to be able to attach documents, pdfs, mp3s etc)
- for ie10 to be able to download all kinds of files (rar for example - and no I don't wanna go ucbrowser etc)
- open up a global storage on the phone that all apps can use (same as SkyDrive but local - if you can already do it through SkyDrive why not do it locally)

If the above get ameliorated then I'll be a very happy camper

Any way even without these things wp8/lumia920 is the best for me but it could be so much better with a bit of polish.

 

[mrnavkhan]

I'm missing one of basic features such as
video edit tool,
download all file and transfer in to pc ,
Full attached of files,songs, etc

 

[homegeek]

Asking others for their opinion on the OS is fine, and sensible if you have certain specific questions. But its as though you're asking peoples opinions, to try and justify whether you should stick with WP. That has to be your decision. Just because the OS works for someone else, doesn't mean it will necessarily work for you.

WP works for me, as i do not crave the instagram, or related social media apps that a lot of people enjoy. I use my phone mostly for email, making calls and the occasional game.

But whether you stick with WP should depend on whether you can get stuff done (i would have thought)

I don't know if justify is the right word. I was just wondering if I was not seeing something that others were. In the end I will base my decision will be based on whether what I want can be done on WP8 but I am not a big user of Microsoft's OS since version 6 and I was curious as to other people in my shoes were doing.