Re: To the table
Can someone tell me what windows phones bring To the table that android doesn't I'm trying my best to like this 950xl but tbh its pants really compared to my S7 I had
Well I'm going to try to keep it to the good stuff. Here goes...
1. Start screen.
While it looks like little more than a bunch of square icons, the start screen is more powerful than it seems in that you can "pin" documents, webpages and other stuff to it, not just applications.
"Live tiles" can offer information at-a-glance in a visually consistent manner. iOS can't match it with information displayed. On Android, all the widgets look different graphically.
2. Part of the Windows big-picture.
MS has been pushing Universal Apps. These are applications that are becoming more common and the draw is that you can buy them and use them on tablet, PC, phone, etc. Often it's the same app, just adjusting itself to different screen sizes.
If you use Edge, it syncs with Edge on phone.
Cortana is now in more places than just the phone. Getting Cortana on your PC, phone, etc. can be a plus. I enjoy Siri on my iPhone but it feels a bit isolated.
3. Continuum
Albeit it's not usually a feature you will be able to use, it's a cool one when you can. It's got a lot of potential.
4. Phone-specific features
Not inherent to Windows Phone, but Lumia's often have their own perks.
- Glance
Being from Android, you can probably think of it as a parallel to Ambient or Active Display. It's simple, being just a clock with some information but it's become an indispensable feature for many people. Many passed on the 930/Icon actually because it did not have this feature.
- Camera Hardware
The 950 and 950 XL have arguably class leading cameras on the back. Downsides here is that especially compared to Samsung's kitchen-sink strategy, camera features are often lacking. You also have a dedicated camera key, which is pretty nice.
5. Camera
The Microsoft Camera app (previously Lumia specific) is perhaps the best Camera app with manual controls I've used.
Also Rich HDR (previously Rich Capture) lets you take a photo with HDR or flash and adjust the lighting later from PC or phone. It's a terrific feature when it works.
6. SD support
Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10 Mobile has some of the best SD support in a mobile OS. You can stick apps, maps, etc. on it and it'll default to the card. It doesn't have "adoptable storage" but you can argue it doesn't need it.
7. Security & Personalization
Something of a middle-ground between the strictness of iOS and freedom of Android and desktop Windows, it is quite secure both by design (a la iOS) and because nobody bothers with malware for it.
While iOS lets you change wallpaper, icon layout and maybe some accessibility options, Windows Phone lets you change UI colors, wallpapers, live tile layout and size, etc.
It's not as expansive as Android though. Which may be a plus depending on your point of view.
8. Updates
Apple's OS update model is the gold standard. They're released when Apple wants them released and Apple is quite good about updates. (cough 4s cough)
After some update fiascos (coughWP7 and launching 10cough), Microsoft has finally got itself a good deal. OS updates are now released when Microsoft wants them with little carrier interference, like on PCs. Firmwares are still subject to carrier approval but it seems to be working well so far. (ATT 950 firmwares seem to only be delayed by days or weeks, not months or indefinitely like with WP8.0-era devices.)
How long phones get updates are unclear with this new model though. WP7 and WP8 phones were prematurely axed which does not bode well for the future.
Contrast with Android updates which are very hit and miss. Google releases an update. The manufacturer MAY decide to release it for a phone. Then if the phone is carrier branded, the carrier will have to approve it, which may add months of delay IF it is approved.
Even Google's Nexus devices, which are supposed to be the gold standard in Android-land are only promised two years of feature updates and three of security updates. After that it's on basically a "if we feel like it" basis. Not good. Luckily you do have numerous custom ROM options like CyanogenMod though going forward.
Don't ask me about the bads.