Windows Fan Journey Through Operating Systems and Devices

camaroz1985

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This thread is my way of sharing my insights over the next year or so as I try different operating systems and look to the future of my mobile device selection.

History Is No Longer A Mystery

To give a little background, I am a Windows fan. Up to this point I have only had Windows smartphones (except for a two week period, but I will get into that in a bit). My first ?smartphone? was a Samsung Blackjack II running on Windows Mobile 6. I had always been into tech and gadgets, and at the time this was a fun device and allowed me to experiment with the possibilities of mobile computing. I then went back to feature phones for a while because I didn?t really need a smartphone and didn?t want to pay for the extra monthly fees. When my wife and I finally decided to jump into smartphones in 2011 we considered the options, and ultimately decided to go with Windows Phone 7. It seemed to be a great platform with lots of potential, and the device offered was reasonably priced (on contract with Verizon), and of good quality. The operating system was easy to use and interesting to look at. It was at that time that I realized the value of the live tile. Especially back then Android or iOS had nothing like it or even close as far as info at a glance. Over the next 5 years (August 2011-January 2016) our mobile journey took us (mainly me, due to my device ADD) through many phones and carriers including:

Verizon (Both of us)
HTC Trophy
Nokia Lumia 822

T-Mobile (Both of us, Used to break Verizon contract)
Nokia Lumia 521

Verizon (She went back because she needed the network coverage)
Nokia Lumia Icon
Samsung Ativ SE

Cricket (I didn?t need Verizon?s coverage and didn?t want to be locked to a carrier)
Nokia Lumia 1020
Nokia Lumia 1520
Nokia Lumia 830
Microsoft Lumia 640
Microsoft Lumia 640XL

At that point (Jan 2016) my wife?s Verizon contract was up and she decided that she wanted to try the iPhone. She isn?t really ?into? phones and just uses whatever she has. She did like the looks of her friends? phones and how they always could get the latest and ?greatest? apps. So we bought a SIM free iPhone 6S for her and switched to StraightTalk (using a Verizon sim), and she has been happy with that ever since. During her switch and helping her set up the phone I became intrigued by iOS as well. My ADD kicked in and I found a used iPhone 6 on craigslist for cheap so I bought it. It worked well, and there were more apps for sure, but I didn?t really need them, and always found myself using my 640 when I wanted to do something at home (whether listening to music, watching videos, or browsing), probably mostly because it was familiar to me. I loved that my Windows Phone basically allowed me to use it as a small tablet, and I didn?t need to use itunes to sync my music collection or add old pictures.

After about 2 weeks with the iPhone I decided to switch back to Windows Phone/Mobile. I bought a Microsoft Lumia 950 with Continuum dock, and was very very happy with the performance and utility. I even decided to get a Surface Pro 3 and Band 2 to fully immerse myself in the OS that I love (got my wife, aunt and uncle all to give up their iPads for SP3s as well), though most everything I do could be done on the 950 with Continuum. I also tried a Lumia 650 just because, and was very impressed by the build and overall performance for such a cheap device.

Tempted By The Fruit Of Another

Fast forward to September 2016. My device ADD took hold again. With no first party devices on the horizon (I personally think you get the best experience on first party devices), and the growing rumblings of the death of Windows Mobile, and the ?delay? of the rumored Surface Phone I decided to embark on this experiment and see what else was out there. I had never ventured outside of Windows ecosystem (other than those two weeks in January), and thought I owed it to myself to see how the other side lived. I do use Microsoft programs almost exclusively, and now that I can get Microsoft apps, and a similar experience on iOS (sometimes better, so I?ve heard), I decided to make a leap. My intention was to use the iPhone for a year and make my decision on whether to go back to Windows (seeing what devices were available at that time, though looking forward to Wharton Brooks offerings, HP X3, and possible Surface Phone) or stay with iOS. Below are my findings. I will try to update this at least once a month or so, and answer any questions as they come.

9/16/16

I bought a new iPhone 6S, 128GB. It was the same day orders went live for the iPhone 7, but I decided to save some money and go with something I knew. I toyed with the idea of an iPhone 6, or an SE, but ruled those out. I thought to get the most out of the ecosystem I should try a flagship device, and the iPhone 6S would get me that at a little bit of a savings, and not missing out on the ?new? features of the 7. Sure it isn?t waterproof, and doesn?t have the latest camera, but it does have 3D touch (neither the 6 or SE had this), and has the improved 12MP camera (the 6 doesn?t have this). First impressions are I love the hardware. It is solidly built, and feels good in the hand (though I did put it in a case, and put a glass screen protector on it the minute it came out of the box, as I do with all of my devices). Setting it up was relatively pain free. All my contacts and calendars synced from my Outlook account (with on minor glitch, more on that later), and I was able to find an offset or direct replacement for all the apps that I had on my 950. It is nice to have first party apps for everything, and in general most are the same or better (smoother, nicer looking) on the iPhone. It would be nice if all apps gave you the same experience on all platforms. I will say I miss myTube, and find the standard iOS YouTube app boring, but haven?t tried to find a replacement. Also I miss 6tag and the ability to save pictures from Instagram, but I use it much less now that they have adopted the goofy non-timeline format, so that isn?t a real problem. The OS is very smooth and responsive. The home screen UI is very sterile and simple, to the point of being a little boring. Camera is faster but doesn?t give the same quality picture, especially in low light, as the 950. iMessage is nice, and gives a great experience when messaging with other iOS users, but not head and shoulders above what you get on Windows Mobile.

One issue I had is trying to use a shared calendar from Outlook.com that my wife and I had used for years. She started the calendar and shared it with me, which worked fine on my Windows phone, but now that we were both on iOS I was informed by Outlook support that shared calendars were not supported. They show up in both the native Calendar as well as Outlook app, but they are read only for me. We worked around that issue by making a new email that is only used for the calendar, which we both add to our phones (again on outlook.com, I refuse to do gmail or icloud), and that works fine for us.

10/27/16

A little more than a month in and I still miss my W10M. The newness of the iPhone has begun to wear off. I still like the hardware and the fluid smoothness of iOS, and I have no reason to think that it will not continue to impress in that way. I also found a way around my dislike of iTunes, and added all the music in my collection to OneDrive, and now both my wife and I sign into Groove Music and can listen to all of that music. We mostly listen where wifi is available, so using data is not an issue. Due to this revelation (I know we are a little late to the party) I really didn?t need the 128GB device and could have saved a little money and gotten by with 32 or 64GB, though over time I?m sure I will fill up more space with pictures. (Not sure how well OneDrive integrates with iOS picture albums. I know you can sync them as you take them, but don?t know about how seamlessly it integrates for viewing after they have been deleted from the phone. I will have to investigate further in the coming months. That is all I use iTunes for at the moment).

Easily the biggest thing I miss is live tiles. I know iOS has widgets and I use them, but they aren?t right there every time you look at the phone. The start screen is boring and in an attempt to keep things organized I have most things in folders. I probably could make it look a little nicer, but it isn?t the same engaging and interesting experience you get from the start screen on W10M. I wish you could only show the apps you want on the home screen and have the rest in a list like W10M. I know you could just have them on another page of the home screen but that seems silly and not easy to get to. I still haven?t found any apps that I need that are only available on iOS. I think the only thing I have that isn?t on W10M is Snapchat, but I don?t need it, and have never actually sent a ?snap?. We have 1 year old twins who find great delight in seeing themselves as puppies or teddy bears, and for that it is fun and useful.

I also find that Siri, while better than I had seen in the past is still not as good as Cortana, in my opinion. The voice dictation for text messages and anywhere else seems to be better than W10M in that you can talk at your own pace and even stop to think for a while without it cutting you off, but that is only the case if you press the little microphone on the keyboard. If you try to use Siri for the same things you have to blurt out everything all at once, and chances are it will be wrong. There is not the option to add more or fix the last segment of what you said like Cortana has, and that makes it all but useless when I need it most, and that is in the car. I know it is not as safe but I usually will open a text and use the voice dictation from the keyboard. Then and only then I can have an actual ?hands free? approach. Side note I had a loaner car while mine was at the dealer and got to try CarPlay. That is actually really nice, and something that Windows is missing out on. It can turn the cheapest econobox?s ?infotainment? system and bring it up to par with the higher end as far as user experience. It is being widely adopted (with Android Auto) and will be very hard to get adoption of anything Microsoft comes up with, but that is nothing new.

That is one thing that I like about iOS and W10M. No matter which device you are using you get the same general user experience. Obviously with iOS it is only one device (large or small, this year?s or a previous year?s are basically your only choices), but on W10M it is consistent no matter what device you are using. I think that makes it easy to use, and easy to find help if you cannot figure something out, because features and procedures are not manufacture specific.

Phone Love Triangle

That gives me a nice segway to this next item. As I mentioned, when I started my intention was to use the iPhone for a year. Shortly after I made the switch to iPhone the Pixel came out and device ADD caught hold again. I have been following the Google Pixel closely and am very intrigued. I never really liked how fragmented Android seemed to be, and there was no real first party support (I didn?t like the Nexus phones. Samsung seemed to be closer to a first party manufacturer from a support and reception perspective). I still don?t like how your Android experience is different depending on the device you are using, a Samsung, HTC, or one of the countless other brands. I?m hoping with the reception the Pixel and Pixel XL have gotten, and the ?pure? Android experience they are claiming to offer, that maybe just maybe others will follow suit. I decided instead of one year with the iPhone, I may split it up into iOS and Android. I don?t plan to make the daily driver switch to Android until the spring. I?m hoping maybe when the Galaxy S8 comes out I could pick up a used Pixel.

To see if the Pixel is worth my investment in the spring, I bought an Amazon Prime exclusive offer of the Moto G4. I will mess with it in my spare time. I have only loaded it with apps like my 640, and iPhone 6S. Lenovo too claims to have a ?pure? Android experience, yet it is different from Google?s ?pure? Android experience, so it isn?t a great start, but the device is relatively nice for a low/mid range device. This thread will continue to focus on the iPhone experience, at least for the next few months, but I will keep this in my drawer along with the 640.

Cliff Notes

Longtime Windows phone user has decided to experiment with a switch to iOS (and possibly Android as well). First month has been good, but I do miss features of the Windows OS/UI, and haven?t found anything that iPhone can do that my Windows phones couldn?t do either. The hardware of the iPhone 6S is very nice. That is the largest benefit I have found so far, that and the quality of some app experiences.

Phones Currently in My Possession
iPhone 6S - Daily driver
Lumia 640 - Longtime workhorse. Still use for media consumption, and for comparison to iPhone.
Lumia 950 - Have it for the time being, but that is for sale. If it doesn?t sell, I will keep it and use it for a more apples to apples comparison with the iPhone/Pixel (potentially).
Moto G4 - Will evaluate Android to see if it is worth a longer trial, and purchase of a Pixel.

If you are still reading, what is wrong with you? Seriously though, thank you for reading and allowing me to try to form my jumbled thoughts and observations into something I hope can help others, or just start some interesting conversation.
 

libra89

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Yes, this is a very interesting thread, please continue to share.

I must ask, are you using iOS 10 on your iPhone or are you on iOS 9?

I can understand your feelings, it's hard. Unlike Android, you can't pick from OneDrive to see the other images on OneDrive. You have to open the app for that.
 

cnashx

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Although I haven't used it we have bought the MotoX Pure for field employees at our company. This is a "pure" android experience from Lenovo.
Good luck on your journey and I am eager to see your findings.
I switched to Windows Mobile last year with the Lumia 950xl from using every iPhone since the original one (except the 3G & 3GS) with a couple androids and blackberries in between and I couldn't be happier at this time. Looking forward to Windows future and hope for continued growth.
 

Laura Knotek

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Although I haven't used it we have bought the MotoX Pure for field employees at our company. This is a "pure" android experience from Lenovo.
Good luck on your journey and I am eager to see your findings.
I switched to Windows Mobile last year with the Lumia 950xl from using every iPhone since the original one (except the 3G & 3GS) with a couple androids and blackberries in between and I couldn't be happier at this time. Looking forward to Windows future and hope for continued growth.
I've had a Moto X Pure for over a year now, and I'm happy with it.
 

camaroz1985

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Yes, this is a very interesting thread, please continue to share.

I must ask, are you using iOS 10 on your iPhone or are you on iOS 9?

I can understand your feelings, it's hard. Unlike Android, you can't pick from OneDrive to see the other images on OneDrive. You have to open the app for that.

I am running iOS 10. I never had too much experience with anything else so I am fine with it. My wife says I am the only one she knows who doesn't hate it, but I guess that is because I haven't known anything else. She refuses to update.

I figured that was the case with pictures on Onedrive. Guess I will just keep the local copies and see how my storage space goes. I won't have to worry about it for this phone (128GB, only 23GB used), but for my future purchases it would be nice to see if I could get by with 32 or 64GB.

Although I haven't used it we have bought the MotoX Pure for field employees at our company. This is a "pure" android experience from Lenovo.
Good luck on your journey and I am eager to see your findings.
I switched to Windows Mobile last year with the Lumia 950xl from using every iPhone since the original one (except the 3G & 3GS) with a couple androids and blackberries in between and I couldn't be happier at this time. Looking forward to Windows future and hope for continued growth.

Yeah the Moto G4 has the same "pure" Android. I think my issue is that you can have pure Android, but still have different launchers and everything looks different. I guess that is a plus for most, but I can also it being a negative. It makes it harder to just hop on a device and get it set up like your previous device unless it is the same brand or you always use the same launcher. I actually installed a couple different ones on my G4, and am using the Microsoft Arrow launcher now. It seems to be a nice combination of the sterile ios home screen, but you can mix in widgets as needed. My problem is I like to have only one page of apps/folders, and most widgets take up a lot of space. I also tried the Pixel launcher, and hate that I can't get rid of the date or google bar at the top of the screen (or at least I haven't figured out how to do that), and that takes up a lot of space.

I really think that Android could be a good mix between W10M (customization/personalization, but even more so), and iOS (app availability). There are a couple things that still give me reservation.

1) Fragmentation between OEMs. There is no real "Android experience" like there is on iOS or W10M
2) The dreaded bogging down that I have heard about after months or years of use (maybe that is a benefit to my ADD :p)
3) No really compelling first party hardware, but I think that may be changing with the Pixel.

I will wait until the spring and check to see how the review units are holding up. The speed and smoothness seem to be great out of the box, and if that still holds true down the road, I will pick up a Pixel (probably not an XL) and try it for 6-9 months.

I have also noticed how boring the imore site is. It is all just how to do this or that on you iphone or mac. No real app or hardware news, guess that is what happens with only one new device a year. I find things much more interesting here on Windows Central (and to a lesser extent, Android Central).
 

Laura Knotek

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Yeah the Moto G4 has the same "pure" Android. I think my issue is that you can have pure Android, but still have different launchers and everything looks different. I guess that is a plus for most, but I can also it being a negative. It makes it harder to just hop on a device and get it set up like your previous device unless it is the same brand or you always use the same launcher. I actually installed a couple different ones on my G4, and am using the Microsoft Arrow launcher now. It seems to be a nice combination of the sterile ios home screen, but you can mix in widgets as needed. My problem is I like to have only one page of apps/folders, and most widgets take up a lot of space. I also tried the Pixel launcher, and hate that I can't get rid of the date or google bar at the top of the screen (or at least I haven't figured out how to do that), and that takes up a lot of space.

I really think that Android could be a good mix between W10M (customization/personalization, but even more so), and iOS (app availability). There are a couple things that still give me reservation.

1) Fragmentation between OEMs. There is no real "Android experience" like there is on iOS or W10M
2) The dreaded bogging down that I have heard about after months or years of use (maybe that is a benefit to my ADD )
3) No really compelling first party hardware, but I think that may be changing with the Pixel.

I will wait until the spring and check to see how the review units are holding up. The speed and smoothness seem to be great out of the box, and if that still holds true down the road, I will pick up a Pixel (probably not an XL) and try it for 6-9 months.

I have also noticed how boring the imore site is. It is all just how to do this or that on you iphone or mac. No real app or hardware news, guess that is what happens with only one new device a year. I find things much more interesting here on Windows Central (and to a lesser extent, Android Central).
Have you tried Nova Launcher? I use it with pure Android. This is a Nexus 7 I'm using now. I don't have a persistent Google Search box. I'll see it only when I swipe up with one finger. Nova Launcher offers gestures for various actions.

5bad338feb865dc6679c4a318f3871ab.jpg


I'm also using custom icons (Lines). The widget is Google Play Music.
 

camaroz1985

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The Arrow launcher doesn't either. It is just annoying that it is there on the default launchers, though I have seen some screenshots of Pixel homescreens that do not have it, so maybe on the actual Pixel it is removable. I will have to check out the Nova Launcher as well though. I only mess with Android about 15-30 minutes a day right now, so it is taking me a while to get up to speed.
 

libra89

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I am running iOS 10. I never had too much experience with anything else so I am fine with it. My wife says I am the only one she knows who doesn't hate it, but I guess that is because I haven't known anything else. She refuses to update.

I figured that was the case with pictures on Onedrive. Guess I will just keep the local copies and see how my storage space goes. I won't have to worry about it for this phone (128GB, only 23GB used), but for my future purchases it would be nice to see if I could get by with 32 or 64GB.

I really think that Android could be a good mix between W10M (customization/personalization, but even more so), and iOS (app availability). There are a couple things that still give me reservation.

I have also noticed how boring the imore site is. It is all just how to do this or that on you iphone or mac. No real app or hardware news, guess that is what happens with only one new device a year. I find things much more interesting here on Windows Central (and to a lesser extent, Android Central).
(Sorry that I cut up your response, just wanted to reply to certain statements)

Ohh okay, I see. I'm with your wife on that. iOS 10 has changes but I don't like some of the additions and removals, like how white backgrounds are now gray.

Yep just see how that goes for you first. :)

It honestly is a great middle, if you can find the right phone! I really like my SE but not having customization after a little while gets to me.

Yes, it recently changed direction. News and opinions are sprinkled in there but here and there. I feel like the community there is most active when a new phone, iPad, and now the Mackbooks are released/announced. Aside from the fun threads, I don't see as much activity there. I feel like there's more on Windows Central and Android Central.
 

camaroz1985

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I couldn't do it. I gave into temptation.

After playing around with the Moto G4 for a while, I traded my iPhone 6S 128GB for a Google Pixel 128GB yesterday. Found a guy on craigslist that wanted to trade and was too tempted to turn it down. He preordered, so I am even getting the Daydream VR headset when it comes. I have only used it a bit, but so far it is great. It is another change that is for sure, but it is very smooth and fast, and the camera is easily the fastest I have ever used. Again apps is not an issue, I can get anything I need or want, and the OS is a little easier to personalize. I am sticking with the stock launcher for now, but I am sticking with Outlook for email/calendar. I am having one issue, and that is that I can't seem to save new contacts to my outlook.com account through the native contacts app. They show up for a while, but then they disappear. I will have to try to figure out what is happening there.

So after 2 months on iOS I have moved to Android full time (for now). The saga continues...
 

camaroz1985

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Three weeks in with the Pixel and I am impressed. Never had a hiccup or slow down with anything I have tried. It takes great pictures with no fiddling needed, and super fast performance from the camera. I have the regular Pixel which is 1080P, not 1440P like the 950 is (or the Pixel XL), but I have never found myself wanting higher resolution. Battery performance easily lasts me all day. I usually end up with 40-50% left at the end of a work day, and can almost fully charge on my way home. Even if I don't I can make it to bedtime just fine.

As I suspected Android seems to be a good mix of Windows and iOS. I still find myself going back to my 640, just because, but I could get used to Android. I don't use many widgets so the live tiles are still a much better choice for me, and that is probably what I miss the most. The widgets take up too much space for me. I like to have everything on one screen.

Hopefully the Pixel can avoid the dreaded slowdown that Android devices are known for after extended times, but as of now it is flawless for me, and there is an upcoming update to add some features to make it even better (raise to wake, and double tap to wake).
 

Kacchan

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Three weeks in with the Pixel and I am impressed. Never had a hiccup or slow down with anything I have tried. It takes great pictures with no fiddling needed, and super fast performance from the camera. I have the regular Pixel which is 1080P, not 1440P like the 950 is (or the Pixel XL), but I have never found myself wanting higher resolution. Battery performance easily lasts me all day. I usually end up with 40-50% left at the end of a work day, and can almost fully charge on my way home. Even if I don't I can make it to bedtime just fine.

As I suspected Android seems to be a good mix of Windows and iOS. I still find myself going back to my 640, just because, but I could get used to Android. I don't use many widgets so the live tiles are still a much better choice for me, and that is probably what I miss the most. The widgets take up too much space for me. I like to have everything on one screen.

Hopefully the Pixel can avoid the dreaded slowdown that Android devices are known for after extended times, but as of now it is flawless for me, and there is an upcoming update to add some features to make it even better (raise to wake, and double tap to wake).
Sad to hear you aren't using windows or iOS as s daily driver but android but glad your experience is going well. Hope you come back to the window team soon though!*cough* the right team* 😉

Sent from mTalk
 

camaroz1985

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I'm not gone. Still using my 640, and SP3 (wife has one as well). Hoping to see Microsoft get their act together on the OS and for some truly compelling, competitive, and innovative devices to come out. Windows 10 is my favorite OS, just need to get some of the pieces in place and support from device manufacturers (or from within, a la Surface Phone). I will keep this for the year (at least that is my plan) and see what is available next fall. Based on my trials so far, I would say that iOS is out, it is now just between Android and Windows for me.
 

camaroz1985

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Two months in with the Pixel. Still running smoothly, and quickly. Camera takes great pictures and is FAST. I think I would miss that the most now if I went back to a 950. I still miss the live tiles and every time I pick up my 640 I am reminded how well they work. I have only had one issue so far, and that seems to be with a recent update to the stock keyboard. Three times now I have had the keyboard (stock Google "Gboard") stop showing keystrokes, and changing to the punctuation screen doesn't switch visually, but switches in the background because you can still hit the keys if you know where to press. This can all be fixed by either going into settings and resetting the keyboard "app" or restarting the phone. I wouldn't say this is a mark against the phone as it is clearly the keyboard app, but since it is all from Google, and I am not switching to a 3rd party application I would hope they would have it running smoothly.

In summary, this small issue aside, still really enjoying the phone, and think it is a great device. Still anxiously awaiting what may be in store for us with the Surface "phone", and always find myself tempted by my first love (Windows phone).
 

camaroz1985

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Almost 4 months in now, and I am still very happy with this phone, with only one issue that I am seeing, and hoping it isn't just the beginning of the dreaded "Android bog down". It seems lately that my camera speed is degrading. It no longer takes lightning fast pictures (still really fast, but more in line with the speed of my wife's iPhone 6S), and processing time seems to be longer. Also several times I have had pictures that don't load when you try to look at them in the photos app for hours after they are taken, and it seems to destroy the battery when that happens, only stopping the drain by restarting. This started happening when I took about 250 HDR pictures for work. I have transferred the pictures off of my phone, but it still seems like something isn't right. Might have to try the built in 24/7 Google Support feature.

I also purchased a Samsung Gear S2 watch, and that has been working great with the Pixel. I am keeping an eye on the new Android Wear 2.0 watches that are coming out and hoping one will be similar in features and size to the S2, as it is pretty much perfect for me, but uses Samsung's software (remember I was trying for the "pure" Android experience). The LG Watch Style seems right, but lacks HR sensor and NFC for payments (don't know if I would ever use it honestly, but still would like to have it). I am waiting on the price to come down or a few used watches to get on the market before I take the plunge. Got a smoking deal on a used S2, so I figured I would give it a shot.

I have also started shopping 950/950 XLs on ebay. If I can get one for the right price I will pick one up again. It was just a great phone to have around. I still use my 640 a few times a week, but I miss the speed of the 950 and Continuum.
 

camaroz1985

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Update on the Pixel...

Spent 2.5 hours using the Support Chat. The issue is definitely an issue with the "Photos" app. If I remove my google account from the app it works fine showing the pictures and videos that are on the phone. As soon as I relink it they can't be opened. I did the factory reset (which was "for sure going to solve your problem"), and still have the issue. Right now I just don't have my account linked to photos, and it is working ok. Not what you want to have to deal with from your $750 phone...

This is the first real issue I had with the phone, but it does take some of the luster off the otherwise great Pixel. I'm hoping that I don't continue in a downward spiral with Android issues.

Also, got another 950, and man did I miss that phone. I'm going to keep using my Pixel as my daily driver, but the 950 will be there to keep it honest. If I could have Pixel camera speed on the 950, I think it would be a perfect device. Taking pictues of my kids (17 month twin boys) really requires speed, and that is mostly what I use my camera for. I think that could be the thing that keeps me with the Pixel longer than anything else. The 950 takes GREAT pictures, but the speed just isn't there.
 

camaroz1985

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I gave in and am now back on the 950 full time. Everything just feels right back on Windows 10. I do notice the lag in some of the apps, but it isn't unbearable, and I just like the UI so much more. I think the biggest difference will be the camera as I noted before. The picture quality is still top notch for a shot that can be setup, but it does lack some speed compared to the Pixel. Need to find a Mozo cover again, I'm keeping an eye out for a deal on the Cognac one again.

I still have the Pixel for now, but don't anticipate going back to it. I'm not quite ready to get rid of it just yet. It is a great phone, and if I didn't know W10M existed, I would have been content using it for a long time (or at least until the next version came out). The new LG G6 and Samsung S8s look like great phones but they didn't entice me to switch from the Pixel. The only thing that did was my old mistress, W10M. The only thing that will get me to switch back to the Pixel now would be a catastrophic issue with my 950.

I think it is safe to say that W10M is my OS of choice, and I will keep using it until it is not reasonable to do so anymore. There are not any apps that I need that aren't available (I knew that already, but my 18 month old twins do like to make faces on Snapchat, guess they will just have to use mom's iPhone for that now), and I love the UI. The hardware, while not cutting edge any longer, is still great, and I am hopeful for some upgrades in the future (and hopefully something similarly sized to the 950, not huge like the HP Elite X3). This journey has taught me that iOS doesn't interest me and if the time ever comes where I can't use W10M any longer I will be switching to Android, but until then I'm a Windows man through and through.
 

libra89

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Feb 6, 2015
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I gave in and am now back on the 950 full time. Everything just feels right back on Windows 10. I do notice the lag in some of the apps, but it isn't unbearable, and I just like the UI so much more. I think the biggest difference will be the camera as I noted before. The picture quality is still top notch for a shot that can be setup, but it does lack some speed compared to the Pixel. Need to find a Mozo cover again, I'm keeping an eye out for a deal on the Cognac one again.

I still have the Pixel for now, but don't anticipate going back to it. I'm not quite ready to get rid of it just yet. It is a great phone, and if I didn't know W10M existed, I would have been content using it for a long time (or at least until the next version came out). The new LG G6 and Samsung S8s look like great phones but they didn't entice me to switch from the Pixel. The only thing that did was my old mistress, W10M. The only thing that will get me to switch back to the Pixel now would be a catastrophic issue with my 950.

I think it is safe to say that W10M is my OS of choice, and I will keep using it until it is not reasonable to do so anymore. There are not any apps that I need that aren't available (I knew that already, but my 18 month old twins do like to make faces on Snapchat, guess they will just have to use mom's iPhone for that now), and I love the UI. The hardware, while not cutting edge any longer, is still great, and I am hopeful for some upgrades in the future (and hopefully something similarly sized to the 950, not huge like the HP Elite X3). This journey has taught me that iOS doesn't interest me and if the time ever comes where I can't use W10M any longer I will be switching to Android, but until then I'm a Windows man through and through.

Wow, I didn't expect this. Thanks for the update!

I'm glad that you gave the other two OSes a fair shake. Sometimes it takes trying the other side to verify which one you want to use and the one that fits you best.
 

camaroz1985

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I always kind of thought I would come back to W10M, but I thought it would take a new device to make me come back.

I think while the Pixel was working flawlessly I was happy with it, but when I started having issues that were native app related and Google had no explanation or solution for the issue other than a hard reset (which did fix the issue to be fair), that kind of took the bloom off the rose, and I began to miss the things that I loved about W10M, the UI, and live tiles. Then I saw the low prices that a 950 could be had for and I bought one kind of on a whim. With the extra processor power and RAM compared to the 640, it felt refreshing and new all over again.

Like I said I still have the Pixel, and if for some reason there is something that I miss too much (though now the only thing is a little camera speed), I will switch back. If a month or more passes, I will probably just sell it, and put some money back in my pocket as I wait for the next W10M flagship.
 

libra89

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Feb 6, 2015
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I always kind of thought I would come back to W10M, but I thought it would take a new device to make me come back.

I think while the Pixel was working flawlessly I was happy with it, but when I started having issues that were native app related and Google had no explanation or solution for the issue other than a hard reset (which did fix the issue to be fair), that kind of took the bloom off the rose, and I began to miss the things that I loved about W10M, the UI, and live tiles. Then I saw the low prices that a 950 could be had for and I bought one kind of on a whim. With the extra processor power and RAM compared to the 640, it felt refreshing and new all over again.

Like I said I still have the Pixel, and if for some reason there is something that I miss too much (though now the only thing is a little camera speed), I will switch back. If a month or more passes, I will probably just sell it, and put some money back in my pocket as I wait for the next W10M flagship.

Yeah I think you have the best approach. Wait and see is a good way to do things.
 

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