Gosh, I pressed the reply button too early. Meant to have this reply in one single post as the above, but oh well. Also, prepare yourself for a wall of text
Anyway, my first ever smartphone was the Nokia Lumia 620. I decided to get this one right before I started my A-levels back in 2013. Thinking back, I could've gotten myself a better phone, but at that time I was never the one to prioritize my budget on a smartphone (rather spend it on a computer/laptop), and hence wanted to find a budget-friendly, WiFi capable device (not to mention that my parents are the ones paying for it). Another reason for getting the 620 was because it had the Nokia branding. My previous 'basic' phones, as they call it these days, were mostly Nokia, so I got stuck with the brand, and got introduced into the world of WP. Used it throughout my 2 years of A-levels, and during that time, many people questioned my decision of using a WP device. Apps were basically it, but tbh I didn't mind at all. The phone served my very basic needs at that time, and it served me well.
My 620 was a tank. Dropped it literally from my chest height onto a tiled-floor once to show my friends what a tank this little monster is, as well as randomly dropping it due to clumsiness and it survived numerous times until one not-so-fine day, I dropped my phone on a sharp edge of my bed, and the edge literally hit the center of the 620's power button, rendering it useless. Of course, I could still double-tap to wake the phone, but it was a hit and miss (I blame it on the numerous drops it experienced). Not to mention the battery got worse, where I'd have to charge my phone 3 times a day if I connected it to WiFi. After A-levels, discussed with my parents that I needed a better phone because, well, my phone was pretty broken now, and they agreed. I could've jumped ship at this time, but I chose not to. I went with the Lumia 830 instead. Also, I could've gotten myself the 930, but the lack of expandable memory pushed me away, although the camera was very nice and the SoC was better. About a year later, I found myself regretting this decision, but not really.
The 830 was beautiful, and I loved it very much. Although the performance of the 830 was indeed better than the previous 620, it wasn't really that obvious. I guess that WP8.1 was really a smooth and optimized OS compared to the initial state of W10M. I emphasize initial state because currently, I find W10M's performance on my 830 about the same as, if not better, than WP8.1. Also, the 830's camera was really phenomenal. Took so many great shots with it that it ignited my not-so-hardcore passion for photography. I had my qualms about the 830's size as moving from a 3" device to a 5" felt like a huge leap, but thanks to the lightweight design of the phone, I got used to the 830's size in no time.
I was still happily using my 830, got it around mid-2015, and was a year into using it where I started feeling like it'd be a good idea to get a 2nd budget Android phone for the apps, or maybe jump ship altogether, because entering university, my smartphone became a very important device for me to receive my e-mails and connect with my peers for project discussions and whatnot. My 830 does serve my needs well, but with the start of my heavy usage of the phone, I find the battery life lacking. It was then that Windows Central made another giveaway for a brand new 950/XL phone, and I won it.
Introducing my current lover, the 950. Dual-sim variant, shipped all the way from the USA to Malaysia. Put a Mozo casing on it because it deserves to be pampered, and I love every moment I spent with it. At the time I received the phone, W10M was already on its way to the much better Anniversary Update, and MS had released all the important firmware for the phone, so I did not have to go through the messed up state of the 950 during it's initial launch. Simply put, the 950 with a black leather Mozo case with aluminium framing is just like a much better, much improved version of my 830. The screen, the camera, the battery life, the performance, the storage, everything was simply better.
Up to this day, I still sometimes question my decision to delve into the ever-despairing world of Windows Phones, as well as thinking about what if I chose the 950XL over my current 950 due to the XL's better SoC for future-proofing and it's longer battery life? Would I have been better off with the 950XL? Would I be happily using all the apps offered in the competitor's platform had I not delve into WP?
Well, at the end of the day, I find myself content with WP, or W10M, and I choose to stick with it. Also, a huge shoutout to Windows Central for this amazing site, for allowing me to connect with this amazing community that allows me to know that I'm not alone in this platform, and also for giving me this amazing phone. Thank you for everything.
To W10M; what is dead may never die.
tl;dr: Nokia Lumia 620 -> Nokia Lumia 830 -> Microsoft Lumia 950
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