Who has switched to something Android and is enjoying it?

[fatclue_98]

Android has all of those features.

I did say some. Should've said most. My Priv didn't have a file manager, I had to get ESFile Manager.

Sent from Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows via mTalk

 

[pankaj981]

I can only speak for myself.
Email, text, calendar, browser, tasks, maps, calls, etc.

Sent from mTalk on my SP4

WM/Android/iOS all support it natively.

 

[libra89]

It's crazy that it really comes down to the right Android.
Generally anyway.

The Pixel's version of it is nice for me even though I do wish it had some little things.

 

[anon(50597)]

WM/Android/iOS all support it natively.

I have a W10 laptop, a SP4, and an Idol 4s so all work brilliantly together. I've used Android and, while I enjoyed it, why not have a fluid experience across all devices?

Sent from mTalk on my SP4

 

[fatclue_98]

I think this is one of those things where everyone has to question if the trade off works for them or not. For you, it works well and I get the appeal. For some of us (like me), that isn't possible anyway so it makes the most sense to go with the device that has the smallest trade off.

What do you consider a tradeoff? For me, I want the factory-shipped apps to come with full functionality built-in. Having to download apps to make your phone work properly makes no sense to me. We complain about bloatware but if the stock apps are garbage then the OS itself is bloatware. Am I making any sense here? Is it too much to ask that my $700 iPhone be able to attach anything other than a picture to an email? Maybe I'm sending my insurance company a series of photos of a wrecked car (Zero accidents in 35+ years) and a PDF repair estimate along with a Word letter from my attorney. As Ron White would say "Can't do it. Not with this equipment".


Sent from Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows via mTalk

 

[libra89]

What do you consider a tradeoff? For me, I want the factory-shipped apps to come with full functionality built-in. Having to download apps to make your phone work properly makes no sense to me. We complain about bloatware but if the stock apps are garbage then the OS itself is bloatware. Am I making any sense here? Is it too much to ask that my $700 iPhone be able to attach anything other than a picture to an email? Maybe I'm sending my insurance company a series of photos of a wrecked car (Zero accidents in 35+ years) and a PDF repair estimate along with a Word letter from my attorney. As Ron White would say "Can't do it. Not with this equipment".


Sent from Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows via mTalk

(First, I apologize for deleting my comment, that's totally my fault. Not sure why I did. I think I was distracted.)

To me, that makes a lot of sense. It sounds like that would just be an extra step to download apps for things that should be straight forward and already there. I remember your point about the lack of a file manager on iOS and that's a valid point. For my usage, I don't miss not having one, it's more like "oh I didn't realize this was the case" and it's not even relevant.

As for tradeoffs:
-For Windows 10 Mobile, the only smaller phone I would consider has poor battery life. The 950 still sucks on the battery life end even though the cameras are nice (and it's a little tall and wide).
-For iOS, lack of customization gets to me after a while but the size, battery life (and main camera) are nice.
-For Android (using my Pixel as the reference point), it lacks a silent mode but the size is decently small and cameras are great. Battery life is solid.

I'm indifferent about the software because I generally can do whatever I need to do in whatever one I use. Windows requires more work though with using workarounds in place of apps. At the moment, the Pixel has the smallest tradeoff.

 

[fatclue_98]

(First, I apologize for deleting my comment, that's totally my fault. Not sure why I did. I think I was distracted.)

To me, that makes a lot of sense. It sounds like that would just be an extra step to download apps for things that should be straight forward and already there. I remember your point about the lack of a file manager on iOS and that's a valid point. For my usage, I don't miss not having one, it's more like "oh I didn't realize this was the case" and it's not even relevant.

As for tradeoffs:
-For Windows 10 Mobile, the only smaller phone I would consider has poor battery life. The 950 still sucks on the battery life end even though the cameras are nice (and it's a little tall and wide).
-For iOS, lack of customization gets to me after a while but the size, battery life (and main camera) are nice.
-For Android (using my Pixel as the reference point), it lacks a silent mode but the size is decently small and cameras are great. Battery life is solid.

I'm indifferent about the software because I generally can do whatever I need to do in whatever one I use. Windows requires more work though with using workarounds in place of apps. At the moment, the Pixel has the smallest tradeoff.

There is no question that Android offers the most flexibility in both devices and customization. I would venture to say it offers more bang for the buck than any OS out there. But I don't know that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I would love to recommend this G5 I'm typing on right now. It's a good size, the camera is fantastic and the performance is really good. But unless you have a power supply nearby, you're not going to be happy for long.

 

[libra89]

There is no question that Android offers the most flexibility in both devices and customization. I would venture to say it offers more bang for the buck than any OS out there. But I don't know that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I would love to recommend this G5 I'm typing on right now. It's a good size, the camera is fantastic and the performance is really good. But unless you have a power supply nearby, you're not going to be happy for long.

You're absolutely right. It is really individual to how Android works or might not work for someone.

I no longer have patience or the desire to always have a charger on hand. With having the Pixel, I realized that the length and width of a phone both matter to me since I prefer to use my phones one handed. One handed is the only way I really use my phones. Idealistically, I'm all about the simplicity of the Windows OS but the lack of phones that are small and have good battery life is not worth it for me to use as a main phone.

 

[meattray]

I feel like mobile devices have maybe been caught in the arms race of the sharpest screens and fastest processors that battery life has never really improved. I would personally take a bit of a hit on the screen (I'm not going to really notice it that much anyways) to have a battery that easily lasts a couple of days.

 

[libra89]

I feel like mobile devices have maybe been caught in the arms race of the sharpest screens and fastest processors that battery life has never really improved. I would personally take a bit of a hit on the screen (I'm not going to really notice it that much anyways) to have a battery that easily lasts a couple of days.

Agreed! If there was a way to scale down the resolution on the 950, that would make a big improvement on battery life there.

 

[meattray]

Agreed! If there was a way to scale down the resolution on the 950, that would make a big improvement on battery life there.

I may not have the same usage as a lot of people but I just don't need that high of a resolution for my day to day use on a phone. Maybe people playing games and watching a tonnnn of videos would want otherwise but id rather have the battery life.

 

[pankaj981]

I have a W10 laptop, a SP4, and an Idol 4s so all work brilliantly together. I've used Android and, while I enjoyed it, why not have a fluid experience across all devices?

I start a Word doc on my phone and I can pick up where I left off on my PC.

You do realize Microsoft wants you to buy their latest Office Suite (a paid suite of apps) in order to achieve this.

Besides PIM, I expect full email capability, fully-featured document handling, full cloud integration, a robust file management system, user-defined imaging, mapping with offline maps and self-contained music management without the need for a PC.

Windows 10 Mobile checks every one of those boxes, some high end Androids do too. Apple misses on 6 of the 8.

Since this is all about apps lets check..

• PIM (iOS - 1/1, Android - 1/1, WM/WP - 1/1 & 1/1)
  • iOS - Yes
  • Android - Yes
  • WM/WP - Yes
• Email (iOS - 2/2, Android - 2/2, WM/WP - 2/2 & 1/2)
  • iOS - Yes
  • Android - Yes
  • WM/WP - Yes/No (did not support saving attachments to file system)
• Document management (iOS - 2/3, Android - 3/3, WM/WP - 2/3 & 2/3)
  • iOS - No but can be done through MS Word
  • Android - Yes
  • WM/WP - No, MS Word has to be downloaded/Yes
• Cloud integration (iOS - 3/4, Android - 4/4, WM/WP - 3/4 & 3/4)
  • iOS - Yes
  • Android - Yes
  • WM/WP - Yes/Yes
• User defined imaging (iOS - 4/5, Android - 5/5, WM/WP - 4/5 & 4/5)
  • iOS - Yes
  • Android - Yes
  • WM/WP - Yes/Yes
• Mapping (iOS - 5/6, Android - 6/6, WM/WP - 5/6 & 5/6)
  • iOS - Yes
  • Android - Yes
  • WM/WP - Yes/Yes
• Music Management (iOS - 6/7, Android - 7/7, WM/WP - 6/7 & 6/7)
  • iOS - Yes
  • Android - Yes
  • WM/WP - Yes/Yes

So in the end, on paper iOS and WM/WP look identical. From the above list, iOS ticks 6/7 on your basic smartphone requirements. The lacking features can be achieved using an App, same goes for WM/WP.

Did I miss anything from your basic list of features a smartphone should have? Probably not.

 

[fatclue_98]

You do realize Microsoft wants you to buy their latest Office Suite (a paid suite of apps) in order to achieve this.


Since this is all about apps lets check..

• PIM (iOS - 1/1, Android - 1/1, WM/WP - 1/1 & 1/1)
  • iOS - Yes
  • Android - Yes
  • WM/WP - Yes
• Email (iOS - 2/2, Android - 2/2, WM/WP - 2/2 & 1/2)
  • iOS - Yes
  • Android - Yes
  • WM/WP - Yes/No (did not support saving attachments to file system)
• Document management (iOS - 2/3, Android - 3/3, WM/WP - 2/3 & 2/3)
  • iOS - No but can be done through MS Word
  • Android - Yes
  • WM/WP - No, MS Word has to be downloaded/Yes
• Cloud integration (iOS - 3/4, Android - 4/4, WM/WP - 3/4 & 3/4)
  • iOS - Yes
  • Android - Yes
  • WM/WP - Yes/Yes
• User defined imaging (iOS - 4/5, Android - 5/5, WM/WP - 4/5 & 4/5)
  • iOS - Yes
  • Android - Yes
  • WM/WP - Yes/Yes
• Mapping (iOS - 5/6, Android - 6/6, WM/WP - 5/6 & 5/6)
  • iOS - Yes
  • Android - Yes
  • WM/WP - Yes/Yes
• Music Management (iOS - 6/7, Android - 7/7, WM/WP - 6/7 & 6/7)
  • iOS - Yes
  • Android - Yes
  • WM/WP - Yes/Yes

So in the end, on paper iOS and WM/WP look identical. From the above list, iOS ticks 6/7 on your basic smartphone requirements. The lacking features can be achieved using an App, same goes for WM/WP.

Did I miss anything from your basic list of features a smartphone should have? Probably not.

Reading comprehension is not at work here. Yes, Apple has a mail client. But it's no better than that of a feature phone from 2004. Only 1 picture at a time can be attached, might as well use MMS. At present there are NO apps available to open mime attachments (email). None, zero, zip, nada. I mentioned offline map capability, you conveniently left that out. I mentioned access to music without the need for a PC, you left that out. I mentioned file management, you introduced an app. It's natively not possible without an additional app. User-defined imaging? No way to set white balance, shutter speed, etc. Shall I go on? Your deflection skills are quite sharp as you introduced Windows Phone. Why didn't you include WinMo which smokes all 3 with even more features baked in such as native Drive Mapping, network file sharing, Remote Desktop, offline Office apps and a real Outlook experience?




Sent from Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows via mTalk

 

[pankaj981]

I feel like mobile devices have maybe been caught in the arms race of the sharpest screens and fastest processors that battery life has never really improved. I would personally take a bit of a hit on the screen (I'm not going to really notice it that much anyways) to have a battery that easily lasts a couple of days.

This is where some devices actually set that balance pretty well. Example the OP3T and the Moto Z series.

 

[meattray]

This is where some devices actually set that balance pretty well. Example the OP3T and the Moto Z series.

Yeah I agree some are doing alright with this but I'd love to go back to having a device I can use heavily and not have to charge every day. Making it through the day shouldn't be the standard, it should be the bare minimum in your low end devices.

 

[pankaj981]

Reading comprehension is not at work here. Yes, Apple has a mail client. But it's no better than that of a feature phone from 2004. Only 1 picture at a time can be attached, might as well use MMS. At present there are NO apps available to open mime attachments (email). None, zero, zip, nada. I mentioned offline map capability, you conveniently left that out. I mentioned access to music without the need for a PC, you left that out. I mentioned file management, you introduced an app. It's natively not possible without an additional app. User-defined imaging? No way to set white balance, shutter speed, etc. Shall I go on? Your deflection skills are quite sharp as you introduced Windows Phone. Why didn't you include WinMo which smokes all 3 with even more features baked in such as native Drive Mapping, network file sharing, Remote Desktop, offline Office apps and a real Outlook experience?

I skipped your features because I don't consider having offline maps capability or having ability to control photography parameters as absolute required features. WM features do not set the baseline for any basic features a smartphone should have but looks like your comments are trying to set that tone.

Trying to avoid turning this into an OS bashing thread.

 

[fatclue_98]

I feel like mobile devices have maybe been caught in the arms race of the sharpest screens and fastest processors that battery life has never really improved. I would personally take a bit of a hit on the screen (I'm not going to really notice it that much anyways) to have a battery that easily lasts a couple of days.

We can have all the sharp displays we want till the cows come home. We shouldn't have to skimp on quality but the problem is that people lust after the thin sexy phones as if they were supermodels. Personally, I like seeing some meat to go with the bone (I'm Cuban, can't help it) so I wouldn't mind battery storage commensurate with its performance if it means "bigger hips".

 

[pankaj981]

Agreed! If there was a way to scale down the resolution on the 950, that would make a big improvement on battery life there.

I don't blame Microsoft for bad battery life on the 950 and the 950XL. The 808 and 810 were the culprit, period. If Microsoft had the 820 at that time, things would have been a lot better in terms of battery life and maintaining cooler temperatures while using that HDR feature or 4K recording.

 

[fatclue_98]

I skipped your features because I don't consider having offline maps capability or having ability to control photography parameters as absolute required features. WM features do not set the baseline for any basic features a smartphone should have but looks like your comments are trying to set that tone.

Trying to avoid turning this into an OS bashing thread.

"Okay so what do you think a smartphone should at least let you do natively minus any apps?"

You asked the question.

 

[Witness]

I switched for a little while to an entry level HTC. Aside from performance, I just didn't like the UI. The iPhone UI sucks too, but at least their apps are generally better.