What can Windows 10 Mobile phones do better than Androids or iPhones?

[anon(10321802)]

Every mobile platform has its strengths and weaknesses.

What are the strengths of Windows 10 Mobile devices? What can they do better than Androids or iPhones?

What can W10M phones do that Androids and iPhones can't do?

I'm seriously considering picking up a W10M device and look forward to your answers.

 

[xandros9]

Well going forward, it'll be better at not getting new features or otherwise changing.

Cortana integration with the PC is better than on other platforms.

It's handsfree incoming text handling by Cortana is proactive and top-notch. (at least it was on 8.1, pretty sure it's still around but I wouldn't be surprised if MS killed it.)

It has arguably the best SD card support.

It has the best OS update system outside of Apple so between that and it's unpopularity that makes for a secure system. Too bad there won't be much in the way of updates to be delivered going forward. (OK fine, you'll get security updates)

If the SMS relay in Skype works, its nifty but not as good as it could've been. iMessage on Macs and iPhones blow it away.

You can change the notification sound of any app. (can't do it on iOS/it's limited, its on an app-by-app basis on Android)

Continuum on capable phones looks pretty cool but it's stood still with no improvements as others like Samsung DeX steam ahead.

Live tiles are still a pretty middle-ground between iOS badges and Android widgets. I like how you can pin documents and stuff on the start screen. You can't do it on iOS but you can on Android. (add an icon to a document, not a live tile)

A dark theme is officially available and sanctioned.

I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel here though, you got a lot of weaknesses to overcome here.

 

[anon(10321802)]

I know that W10M's days are numbered. If Microsoft hadn't committed to security and bug fixes through 2019, I wouldn't even be considering it.

The uniqueness of W10M is, perhaps, its biggest draw for me. I don't like to be one of the majority who own an iPhone or Android if I can help it. I like to go against the grain.

Continuum is, admittedly, another draw for me. I know it's incomplete and and relatively few apps work with it, but the apps that do, like Remote Desktop and TeamViewer, open up some interesting possibilities for me. Using Continuum with Remote Desktop, I could conceivably use a W10M device as my primary work device.

 

[nate0]

One handed use that can't be found in most Androids is universal in W10M..tap and hold the home button. Use the vkb (virtual keyboard) for right or left handed on big screens..iOS has the first of the two not sure about the second being native or not unless its a third party app vkb.

To me the vkb (virtual keyboard) is the best, others will argue against that. It's simple to me, not cluttered, and is fast on almost any device its available on minus a few of the low end models.

Email hands down is better managed on Windows 10 Mobile in my opinion.

Double tap to wake is available on quite a few Windows Phones but not there on iOS. Most Lumias have Glance too. Lacking on iOS but it has raise to wake.

That is all I can mention at the moment...

 

[TechFreak1]

There are two niche advantages with Windows Mobile 10 not mentioned in the tread yet - push email and single login access to work or school domains.

I can freely navigate my college resources without having to login in constantly whereas my class mates have to do so.

That means I can work on a document, have it auto-saved on onedrive and load up the same document via microsoftonline.com and choose to work in the browser or word then save it and continue on my phone.

With push email, I do not have to worry about battery drain caused by constant syncs - I have over a dozen email accounts all push enabled, if they all synced say every few minutes... my battery would not last a few hours.

I can make it through the day with just 20% left, but the last few updates.. battery life hasnot been so optimised. As understandably Microsoft is not really focused on optimising code for older handsets suchas the Lumia 930. However for the specs and what not, it's a bargain at £50.

The camera when it works, is stellar - I say when it works as mentioned previously the recent updates are not that optimised for older handsets. You would be better of picking up a 950 or 950 XL if you are really considering picking up a WM10 handset.

If you want to pick up the elite x3, I would recommend waiting awhile until the price decreases although it is an awesome smartphone and can replace your desktop and laptop - if you just do basic browsing, word processing, movie streaming via netflix and engaging social media etc. Then if you add in VPN + remote desktop, that's a whole new level of computing - but it depends on your mobile data connection and signal.

I couldn't in good conscience recommend anyone spend the current asking price as it has no upgrade path. Whereas with the 950 and 950XL you could upgrade to the Elite X3 later on as it will still get patches and security updates until 2019. Plus the price will decrease for a while until it plateaus.

 

[cmattau90]

Customize the size and transparency of the start screen tiles, dark theme, and Cortana reading your incoming SMS when on bluetooth.

 

[G4Grandad]

Disappoint, frustrate, offend, let down and disgust its loyal supporters. But we still prefer it

 

[Grant Taylor3]

Dark theme for the OS and apps. Live tiles

 

[dov1978]

Very little now tbh. Cortana and reading messages over Bluetooth is about it now. Everything else can be found or bettered elsewhere. One Handed Mode can be found on most iPhone's and Androids, you can even have a better, more customisable Windows homescreen with LiveTiles on Android. Camera's have overtaken Lumia phones, you get dual cameras, A.I, proper dark themes, Glance has been bettered by Always On Display on a lot of phones. Double tap to wake and raise to wake on some Android phones. Believe it or not I still love Windows on phones and sorely miss my Lumia's especially my 950xl but I feel they're just generations behind in features now that they're not even close anymore

 

[Fluffyrock8]

Moving any files you want- music, videos, documents, etc.- between your phone and your laptop/desktop (or Surface if you have one) is much easier and faster than iOS. I used iOS for 2 and a half years, and while I didn't detest it, it was always time-consuming and bloated to get things like camera roll videos onto my PC for posterity and sharing.

With Windows Phones, you just plug it in via USB and the device immediately shows up in File Explorer. You just copy/move the files you want as you would if you were using a normal flash drive and it does it, incredibly quickly.

If you have new music you want to show up in the Groove Music app, you just copy and paste the music files into the Music folder and the phone handles the rest- next time you launch Groove, your music will automatically show up. Works the same way for Videos, Photos, Documents, and Ringtones (any sound/music file can be made into a ringtone for free).

Hope that helps! Feel free to ask any other questions you may have and I'll do my best to answer

 

[Fluffyrock8]

Moving any files you want- music, videos, documents, etc.- between your phone and your laptop/desktop (or Surface if you have one) is much easier and faster than iOS. I used iOS for 2 and a half years, and while I didn't detest it, it was always time-consuming and bloated to get things like camera roll videos onto my PC for posterity and sharing.

With Windows Phones, you just plug it in via USB and the device immediately shows up in File Explorer. You just copy/move the files you want as you would if you were using a normal flash drive and it does it, incredibly quickly.

If you have new music you want to show up in the Groove Music app, you just copy and paste the music files into the Music folder and the phone handles the rest- next time you launch Groove, your music will automatically show up. Works the same way for Videos, Photos, Documents, and Ringtones (any sound/music file can be made into a ringtone for free).

Hope that helps! Feel free to ask any other questions you may have and I'll do my best to answer

 

[Axeelant]

In my opinion, the things that are better or unique with WP are:
- Live tiles
- Better Cortana integration
- Better and easier Onedrive syncing
- There is no way in hell you will ever get a virus on a WP
- Unlike Android, my phone still runs very smoothly, even after 3 years of daily abuse.

Regards

 

[Grant Taylor3]

My 950 runs better on the latest build than it did when new, it has just gotten faster with every new production build.



The apps that I use the most Groove music & Grover Pro Are a pleasure to use.

 

[DOGC_Kyle]

If you use MS services, Office, Skype, Groove (OneDrive and local playback), Remote Desktop, are all significantly better and more reliable on W10M.

The dark theme and overall UX are the biggest thing that keeps me away from Android though. If you think W10M isn't as nicely designed as WP7/8, you're in for a surprise on Android. It's about the same jump down (based on my experiences with stock Android 5). It's just not as smooth and clean.

 

[kaktus1389]

I would say it's UI is clean and simple and it's easy to use and navigate - I find Android way overcomplicated.

I also dare saying that I prefer experience with MS apps on Windows 10 Mobile over Android, especially Groove and Outlook.

Another advantage I see is that the OS runs fine even with 1 GB RAM - I recently had an Android phone with 2 GB of RAM and it ran Android worse than my 640 ran W10M. Of course Facebook is very unreliable on such phones on W10M, but other than that everything was working fine for me, Bluetooth even works better with my 640 than with my 950.

 

[libra89]

@fatclue_98 has switched between Windows 10 Mobile, and the other two continuously. I don't know how to explain why he does so hopefully he'll see this and share that info. If I'm not mistaken, it's Continuum too, and contact management I think.

 

[JeevanP]

Well for me the consistency and performance of UWP apps are next to none. I used a handful of UWP apps. I had 640XL. Even though it was running outdated hardware, the performance of those UWP apps was too awesome. Never regretted buying that phone.

 

[Ryujingt3]

I actually enjoy using it. For Android and iOS I feel, when I use them, that i do so just to fit in with everyone else and that puts me off them both. I don't like being told what phone to have by the masses. I am also more productive on Windows Phone too, probably due to the Skype, OneDrive, MS Teams integration.

For Android and iOS the pages of icons and messy notification system made it hard to keep track of things for me. Live tiles gives me what I need and only that. The customization of Android, a plus point for most, just put me off. I just want a phone that works and most of the themes and such were not the quality I expected. If I have to spend time organizing icons, removing bloatware, tweaking the layout and such then the phone fails for me.

Perhaps because my phone is not my life, as it is for most people these days, since it is replacing laptops and computers as people's main piece of hardware, and I want something that just works, Windows Phone meets my needs.

Windows Phone is not perfect at all, it just suits my purpose better than the alternatives.

 

[e94mli]

Having just switched to Galaxy S8+ from a 950xl the thing I realize W10M does sooo much better is show a lot of information on the start screen in an elegant and efficient way. I also miss the glance screen and its night mode, the dark UI option, Outlook, and Cortana, especially the reading and responding of text messages while driving. All in all the UI on Windows is a lot better and having been on Android for a few days it only makes even more sad to see Windows Mobile go.

 

[ohmibod]

Nothing at all....