What should I consider about Windows 10 Mobile before switching to the platform?

[JamesM90]

I've never owned a Windows Mobile device. Right now, I'm tempted to buy one. I've used iOS and Android, but never really liked either of them(Both have their pros and cons).
I've read some of the threads, and I see a lot of people complaining about the lack of support from Microsoft, some issues regarding basic tasks in a smartphone like bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, mobile data issues, some issues with apps from Microsoft itself like lower quality compared to iOS and Android versions, and of course lack of apps in the Windows Store.

The devices I have in mind, are Lumia 640xl(dual sim variant) and Lumia 650.
As the device will be my primary phone, I wanted to know if these problems are device specific, or almost everyone has experienced them?
Is the amount of ram in mentioned devices enough for future updates?(I'm a software engineer and don't like being left behind! I've seen it happen to people with WP7 devices when WP 8 came out(the reason might have been different).
What are the things that I should consider before making the switch?
Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[xandros9]

1. The 640 XL and 650 do not appear to have any model specific issues at this time.

2. Windows 10 Mobile is more inconsistent than iOS and Windows Phone 8.x. Plenty of people see it as a reliable daily driver, some see Cortana crash all the time. (and more)

3. Regarding software updates, if Microsoft abandons you there's only so much you can do. The best choice is to go as new and as expensive as you can if updates are paramount. the new Windows 10 update model is perfect but Microsoft abandoned many Lumia's in the transition. Will it be different?

I recommend spending as little as possible in the platform as the parent isnt invested either and that by itself isnt that BAD per se, its just that it shows. a lot.

 

[abhishek singh21]

i would say its not a right time to invest on these low-mid range devices, as recently Facebook has changed its support and minimum requirements to 2gb of ram and both the devices you are about to buy have 1gb each. so you might be in a surprise once you reach store to download Facebook and messenger which will still be downloadable but the specs may surprise you.

next will be the lack of apps, coming from ios and android you should keep in mind the amount of apps you will be leaving behind to stay on windows 10 mobile. though most of the basic apps are available but there still exist many apps which will never be ported to windows 10 like apps from google gmail , yahoo , snapchat etc etc above those you will have to compromise with the app performance as they might seem laggy and slow on comparison with ios or android version.. so if apps are your lifeline you will have to think about it again.

as already mentioned by my good friend xandros9 there are no device specific hardware issues that has been affecting users you will have a great hardware on your hands .

imo if you are eager to explore the platform you should definitely go for these devices and if you feel you like it then you should go ahead with investing into a premium device.

 

[RobbieRobski]

If you want to try. First consider the app gap. Then uninstall all the apps on your android phone that you wont have on windows. See how you feel about using only what you would as if you were on windows. Try that for about a week.

If at that point you still dont miss the app gap, then I'd say what's the harm in trying something new. As much as I like windows myself, I have a hard time recommending because my friends all use snapchat, play boom beach or clash of clans and all that stuff. Me, I just use email calendar sms and tubecast. Actually now that I say that. The BIGGEST selling point on windows is that Google hates windows and isnt developing apps for it. So coincidentally we have the best mobile experience on youtube thanks to 3rd party apps. Preload, watch/listen under lockscreen etc. Heck if you wanna try tubecast before getting windows mobile, just try it on windows 10 pc first.

Personally I like windows. My lumia 1020 died and I've been using an Alcatel Idol 3s for a month now. But prior to that, I had a cheap $100 android that I would use for steam authenticator because steam only just released an app for windows in July.

 

[libra89]

If you want to try. First consider the app gap. Then uninstall all the apps on your android phone that you wont have on windows. See how you feel about using only what you would as if you were on windows. Try that for about a week.

This is a brilliant idea!

 

[xandros9]

This is a brilliant idea!

The issue is that some apps Windows has is inferior so that's a knock against the already meh simulation at best.