Why do you use / love Windows Phone?

[Sam Sabri]

Hey friends. The question is in the title. Working on some Windows Central pieces for the end of the year and wanted to get some community feedback! That's right, your thoughts are going into these.

I'm curious why you *love* and still use Windows Phone. It's easy to get bummed out about things like a 3-4% global market share that never seems to move. Yet you're still here on Windows Phone, and not on Android or iOS. I want to know why.

Windows Phone itself has changed and matured dramatically over the years. We've seen Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 7.x, Windows Phone 8 and now Windows Phone 8.1. Each major update has brought a ton of new features to Windows Phone, Cortana and the Notification Center being the most recent major additions.

Here are a few questions to get the ball rolling and I would love if I could get some answers to them.

- Why do you use Windows Phone?
- What do you like / love most about Windows Phone?
- Do you like the integration with Windows and Xbox?
- Why do you use Windows / Xbox?
- What excites you about the future of Windows / Windows Phone?

Thanks! Can't wait to see why YOU use Windows Phone.

P.S. The more detail the better.
P.S.S. I'm totally going to quote some of the best answers.

 

[Nokia5110]

Use windows Phone because of Nokia, thanks.

 

[CyclingGuyNola]

- Why do you use Windows Phone? : Have always been a Windows user and coming from Windows, Windows Phone just feels more natural than bouncing from OS to OS.
- What do you like / love most about Windows Phone? : Like how easy it is to use. There are those that say it's not easy but to each his own. Even my 4yr old daughter can pick up mine or my wifes phone and do everything she wants to without any fuss.
- Do you like the integration with Windows and Xbox?: Love the integration. Just won an XBox One at the new Microsoft Store today so still playing with it and learning but so far it has been awesome, especially the Smartglass app.
- Why do you use Windows / Xbox? : Ease of use. No other OS is as smooth and easy to understand than the Windows OS
- What excites you about the future of Windows / Windows Phone? : Definitely the OS. Being able to go from device to device and continue where you left off is pretty amazing.

 

[bobsentell]

- Why do you use Windows Phone? Steve Jobs' attitude of "we don't make mistakes" after Antennaegate plus webOS going belly up. I liked Windows Phone from the beginning but was an HP fan first. Leo destroyed that company and so I moved on.
- What do you like / love most about Windows Phone? The UI. Simple and easy to see on a quick glance. A lot easier on my eyes than iOS.
- Do you like the integration with Windows and Xbox? Could be better. Microsoft needs to buy Steam and put it on the Xbox. Make purchases span across machines.
- Why do you use Windows / Xbox? First PC was a Windows 3.1 machine. Sorta stuck in the ecosystem. Macs are not as user friendly as advertised and I have a philosophical objection to all things Google due to the late 90s trend of everything asking if you wanted to install Google Toolbar.
- What excites you about the future of Windows / Windows Phone? The new CEO seems to be opening up the Microsoft ecosystem to more devices. Means more developer attention and better products. Microsoft seems more humble and more willing to take risks.

 

[coffeemike]

It fits my brain.

I came from iOS. I was very used to a grid of application icons, with little badge numbers telling me who had something new to tell me. I had a habitual routine - unlock the phone, check SMS if any, open Twitter, open Facebook, open Mail, and so on, to clear the messages. Even with Notification Center, I still made the same rounds of apps every time I picked up my phone.

I'm not a small man, and I've got fat thumbs. I wanted something with a larger screen, but I didn't want to deal with the fragmentation and device chaos of Android. Plus, aside from battery-hogging widgets (at the time), it was still basically the same as iOS, but harder.

My first Windows phone was the Lumia 900, right around the time of Mango. Tiles were great because I could see the top bits of info from an application without having to open it. The Sharing metaphor turned everything around - instead of launching this app to pull in a photo to edit then launching that app to share it, I could go to the photo itself, edit the photo in this app, and then post it through that app. It sounds like a subtle change, but that's at the heart of Windows Phone workflow - it's about me and my data/pictures, not the apps I use.

From there, I moved up to the L920 after we saw what Windows Phone 7.8 was (a Band-Aid). I've had that phone until three days ago, when I upgraded to the One M8 instead of waiting for another flagship Lumia phone.

In that time, we've seen a whole pile of potential in the Windows Phone OS, a decoupling of features from the core OS to enable faster updates, and a LOT of waiting games. We've seen the "Devices & Services" boss leave and the "Mobile 1st, Cloud 1st" boss enter. And we're seeing that shift still today - Microsoft is starting to realize its potential across ALL mobile platforms, based on its cloud services, and not just trying to "go it alone" and build out an entire device ecosystem.

Would I like to get better versions of Office, or Skype, or Skype Qik, or whatever else on Windows Phone first? Absolutely. Do I begrudge Microsoft for turning a focus to iOS/Android and upping its game there? No. That's a smart business move overall.

I'm sticking with Windows Phone for the foreseeable future. There's still a lot of potential left there, particularly if Windows 10 really does bring the unified experience that is being touted. My phone today does everything I want it to, and more. I'm not switching until the platform dies.

Bottom line, the workflow fits the way I think, and I can get in, get done, and get out of the phone faster than anybody I know with other phones.

 

[eddieDOTexe]

I used to use it because it was very fluid, gorgeous animations, beautiful interface.
Now I just sort of stick to it out of hope it'll one day be like that again but with much more robust features. But also because of the consistency across Windows devices. The unified ecosystem is whats keeping me on it. Can't wait for Win10. Hope it feels as solid and polished as WP7.
I miss the Zune. Every time I go back and use my ZuneHD or even a WP7, they automatically make my WP8 device feel sluggishand ugly by comparison.
#NEGATIVITY

 

[remmo]

I use Windows Phone because it has a very good balance of all the good stuff other platforms offer.
Maybe it is not as secure as Blackberry, but is secure enough to make me feel safe.
It doesn't has the amount of hype or third party support that iOS has, but is not a forgotten or failed platform.
It doesn't has the level of powerful devices that Android has, but the current generation of devices (specially Lumias) are powerful enough to get the job well done.
After the announcement of all WP8 Lumias getting W10 upgrade, I know I will stay with Windows for at least 3 or 4 more years.

 

[coffeemike]

Oh, and as for XBox - I'm waiting to see more about how XBox One grows up. I'm writing this on a Surface Pro 3, with my One M8 plugged in next to me, and maybe this counts for some steps on my Band. There's a 360 with a borked hard drive across the room. I want the XBox One to be a part of that system, where I can do Skype calls, browse the web, watch TV, and occasionally play a game or two. (Oh, and screen share.) Until I see more about how it's capable of all that, I'm holding onto my money.

 

[yash patel9]

I love windows phone for its UI which is soo colourful and live(tiles) , that's something new besides android UI which is over- customizable n completely unwanted. My L520 stands out in my hand for its poppy yellow colour . Microsoft's done a pretty good job on windows phone with continues updates n tones of features
love the Xbox integration , but there's no Xbox music or video yet in many countries (India)
what excites me is the windows 10 n cortana integration with apps .

 

[AhmadSorour]

When I was thinking about buying a new mobile, I said why do I have to buy another laggy phone which lags more than I use it? Why don't I try something new for me like Windows Phone, I wasn't really sure of making that deal,but I just wanted to try something new it's like " Don't Judge Me Until You Use Me" Said Windows phone.
So I bought a Lumia 820..didn't want to buy a low end phone so I don't get a bad idea about windows phone because of the hardware, and also didn't want to buy a High End one because it would be risky..so I gave the Lumia 820 a try and from the moment I have bought it...it never disappointed me and I never regret using this great piece of ART!
----
So what I like Windows phone for is :
1- Super Smooth Operating System
2- Always Updates
3- AWESOME CAMERA
4- It's just attracting me to use it!
5- Something Unique isn't everywhere
6- Lovely Design
-------
And for the Xbox integration,I don't have an Xbox...so I don't know.
-------
Windows phone is just AWESOME.
It would alot better after being supported by all developers
-------
Please forgive me about any English mistakes

 

[Sodikin Gross]

Because Three Reasons. One. I was a Windows Mobile user. Two. I was so tired of being an Android user. Three. iPhones are too expensive.
I love the simplicity. I love the smoothness. I love having a true PDA. I love xbox, too.
And I love having every updates in the future. And I use a Windows netbook too. So, after all Iove Windows and Windows Phone and other Microsoft services.

 

[psoham777]

Flawless UI, nice looking compared to other OSes, less issues compared to Android, practically no chance of getting a virus, hardly any security breaches, lag free unlike lag droid.


Faster, more customizable lock screen, tiles etc. Not expensive like iPhones(which have the same specs from years), good camera, Bing & other Microsoft services, excellent build quality of Nokia & new/different design of Lumias. Also the updates from Microsoft, they are awesome & work flawlessly even on low end phones.


Sent from my dark knight 1320

 

[FF1978]

First I was user of Blackberry and it was great, but it became so out of date, so I went to iPhone, wich was smooth, well functioning, but it was so boring, those icons were so boring. Than i went to Android, which didn't have any personality at all. Than I saw Nokia Lumia 920 with WP8 and I knew it that this was my phone. Beside the great design of the device itself, I relly liked the design of windows phone and functionality is enough for me. And it still works like 2 years ago, that's unbeleivable. Now I'm waiting for the top device with Windows 10. Cheers

 

[jgkagaoan2014]

I own a Nokia Lumia 625 on a two-year contract with FIDO and I consider it to be the greatest smartphone that I've had so far for the following reasons:

1. Excellent battery live. My wife has an iPhone 5 while my son uses an iPhone 4 and I'm amused at how they have to charge their phones by early evening (e.g. 5pm) while my Lumia still has at least 90% of charge remaining with moderate data/voice/talk usage.

2. Native Internet Explorer browser support. This is a critical requirement of mine since there are quite a number of websites that don't render properly with other browsers, or worse, they don't allow transactions to be performed using a non-IE browser such as paying your bills on-line using your bank account or filing a medical claim with your extended health care provider.

3. Native Microsoft Office support. This may no longer be an advantage for WP given that Microsoft has given free use of its Office apps to iOS and eventually to Android users but I feel that the native Office support to WP is still superior to that of iOS/Android implementation.

4. MicroSD card support. The MicroSD is the new floppy disk and it's really cool to have the ability to "sneakernet" files to and from my Lumia 625 and my Surface RT tablet. Of course, microSD card support is available on most (but not all) Android phones but totally lacking on iOS phones.

5. Cheaper to unlock. I can unlock my Lumia 625 for less than $10 using a 3rd-party provider while getting Fido to unlock my family's iPhone will set me back by $35 per phone with the added condition that the iPhones should have been in use for at least three months into a Fido contract.

6. WP devices are priced way cheaper compared to it's Apple counterparts and even to some better known Android phones.

7. WP devices don't bend. (Take that Apple!)

 

[untitled007]

1. I want to be different from the crowd, so i dony care if wp os community is small
2 . Im not trying to be good, but since its a microsoft company, and mr gates own a share, im thinking buying anything from them like windows, is like me helping his foundation.

 

[rjmlive]

Short version, I wanted to be in one ecosystem and not spread across many with my digital identities.

I also saw the future with MS for every element of computing and entertainment with the Work, Home PC, Laptop, Xbox, Phone and I learned of their vision to have every room and every screen. I really, really liked Android, but they didn't and still don't have an Xbox, Work, Real Laptop or PC experience. Between a phone and PC sure I'd still have to have a Google account and a MS account to embody my full digital identity. I liked Apple, but it felt way to cliquey and boring to get into that too. Everyone wanted an iPhone and I just didn't want to drink that kool-aid. I go through stages where I still roll my eyes at Apple products, but I can't deny for a moment they have figured out the consumer, with a ridiculous market cap valuation to prove it based on having essentially one trick. I can see the appeal there, but somehow it seems empty to me.. hard to describe.

What I didn't anticipate is the incredibly slow evolution of Windows Phone and the really poor response from the market and thus developers.

Right now, even moreso than when I got my Lumia 900, I really like Microsoft. I liked it under Balmer and I really like it as some of the new directions he envisioned are coming into play and how Nadella is really helping change Microsoft overall.

The that's why I use Windows Phone.

I love Windows Phone because I feel like it's mine. I've defended it's weaknesses every time it comes up, and as it's evolved, I can say the OS is basically FINALLY here. We truly just don't get respect for the apps. But I love Windows Phone for what it does really nicely.

Live Tiles are hard to live without
Metro design is clean and very nice
There is no grid of icons which is terribly boring
The dedicated camera button is essential for me now
The smooth operation is very pleasant
I so miss the Hub tho, it's too bad that had to go away
I love MS UI consistency (PC, Xbox, Phone)
I really like the sign in once and everything is sync'd. I really enjoy my single personal digital identity.
I like the action center a lot
Cortana.. well, it has potential

Those are just the things I can think of right now that aren't really app specific or directly comparing other OS's.

I've stuck with it this far, I'm used to it, and I like it. I am hopeful for what Microsoft can do with it in the future.

 

[Laura Knotek]

-Why do you use Windows Phone?
I decided to switch from BlackBerry to Windows Phone after waiting too long for BB10 devices (which still weren't released in April 2012, when I got my first Windows Phone, Nokia Lumia 900). I chose the 900 after seeing articles about it during CES 2012. I knew nothing about Windows Phone at the time and got it because: it was a Nokia (which I used, albeit Symbian, prior to BlackBerry), and it wasn't iOS/Android.

I liked Windows Phone 7.x enough that I switched to a Nokia Lumia 920 and now think it's even better with all the new features in WP8.1 (especially with Developer Preview). Now I'm just waiting for a real flagship that isn't a phablet for AT&T to upgrade to as my next Windows Phone.



- What do you like / love most about Windows Phone?
Live Tiles, Action Center, Lumia apps (especially photography and mapping apps), Glance, Qi charging



- Do you like the integration with Windows and Xbox?
I don't have an Xbox and won't ever get one. I'm a Steam PC gamer. I don't use any game consoles,don't use any Metro Windows Store games, nor do I care about mobile gaming.

I do like universal apps for Windows 8.1/Windows Phone and use several of them (Tweetium Pro, Nextgen Reader, Weave, MixRadio+, Xbox Music, plus several other apps), but none of the universal apps I use are games.



- Why do you use Windows / Xbox?
I use Windows, since it is the OS that works best for all-around purposes. Whether one is interested in productivity, entertainment, gaming, specialized software for specific industries, etc., Windows will work. There is a lot of software that is not available for Mac OS X/Linux (or the alternatives available for those OSes aren't as robust/fully-featured/easy to use as the Windows software).

I don't use Xbox (or any other game consoles).



- What excites you about the future of Windows / Windows Phone?
I think we will get high-end, flagship devices once Windows 10 is available. I also believe that more apps will be available once Windows 10 is released, since Microsoft is making it easier for developers to create an app once and have it run on both desktops/smartphones. Market share should increase as well, since enterprises seem to actually like Windows 10, unlike Windows 8/8.1.

 

[JamesPTao]

I use Windows Phone because it has a very good balance of all the good stuff other platforms offer.
Maybe it is not as secure as Blackberry, but is secure enough to make me feel safe.
It doesn't has the amount of hype or third party support that iOS has, but is not a forgotten or failed platform.
It doesn't has the level of powerful devices that Android has, but the current generation of devices (specially Lumias) are powerful enough to get the job well done.
After the announcement of all WP8 Lumias getting W10 upgrade, I know I will stay with Windows for at least 3 or 4 more years.

Amen!

 

[JamesPTao]

I liked wp7 with my Samsung focus but wasn't sold until I saw the Lumia 920 running wp8. I was for between the logical concern being deeply invested in google and that being helpful as a student (calenders, gdocs, ECT) but android didn't excite me I the least. I loved the look and feel of WP, was a fan of Nokia (hated the Samsung as ut felt like a cheap toy and wasn't built well), loved the 920 (great size, had enough weight/felt like a real phone not a toy, and it was built like a brick). The 920 definemtly hit my geek factor so I took the plunge and have never looked back or regretted it since. Will stick with WP for the foreseeable future and am a strong advocate of their platform.

 

[CapoFantasma97]

I use Windows Phone because it's simple, comfortable, really fast and has a cool look in minimal style.

What I love about it most is the Metro GUI, really beautiful, fast and easy to use. It isn't heavy for the eyes like most other GUIs.

I don't own XBox, however features like saved progress, friends invites to the game and other little things are always welcome.

The most cool thing will happen in the future is that Windows Phone and Windows/Windows RT will become a unique OS. So all your world everywhere you go.