Would you honestly buy another Microsoft Mobile?

[fatclue_98]

I've had a couple of Windows Phones, loved my Icon it was a daily driver unfortunately I'm switching to iPhone. Windows Phone doesn't allow me to pay using the phone at popular retailers, my bank no longer has a windows phone app, i like to use reward cards for places like CVS or Walgreens, movies and my local grocery store. All available on Android or iPhone but not Windows Phone. Apps on the other platforms seem to get updated more frequent, look nicer. One example WAZE much better on the other platforms. I think the other platforms have better games like Real Racing and RipTide. Windows Phone always outperformed the others. No lag or hesitation. I like the ecosystem and Windows Phone integrates better with my work environment and Office 365. I will watch closely and if things improve for Windows 10 Mobile then I might be back. Cityman and Talkman look like amazing phones with Iris scanner. Very cool. I use my banking app all the time, I use my reward cards all the time, I like top games, I want apps updated frequently, and I don't want to use third party apps for things like Nest or DropCam they usually don't have all the options. This has been a tough decision because I'm up for a new phone and I really liked Windows Phone.

Awesome first post. Very refreshing. Hate to see you go to another platform but you're always welcome to chime in.

 

[chmun77]

Know what? With the new Force Touch on iPhones, developers will be focusing updating their apps to support that, instead of wasting their efforts and resources on the tiny market of Windows Phones / W10M / whatsoever. Facebook on iOS already supporting Force Touch and that was quick! On the other hand, look at our pathetic Facebook app. Still the old and sluggish UI and performances. Where is the ported version of Facebook app from iOS? I doubt it is even in the works at all.

Tired of this platform. No matter how slick the OS will become, it can never pick up its steam in the mobile market. Sad to say.

 

[daniel cooper2]

Loved 8.1 w10m is just ok. I got to say goodbye to windows phone. Hello android

 

[Musicman247]

Loved 8.1 w10m is just ok. I got to say goodbye to windows phone. Hello android

I think it's amazing that you have a time machine! I mean, how else could you have tried a finished version of W10M? That would be the only the fair way to compare it to WP 8.1, right?

 

[skghosh3]

I just did. Got the dual-SIM Lumia 640 with T-Mobile USA LTE bands from Expansys USA. This is my third Windows Phone, after the Lumia 521 and BLU Win JR. I am loving it so far. Since both my earlier phones had 512MB of RAM, I am noticing the difference the extra 512 MB makes. Everything is just a lot faster and smoother. I have two phone lines with T-Mo and finding a dual-SIM phone with the T-Mo LTE bands and a microSD card slot is a hassle. The choice is really limited. I was debating between BLU Win HD LTE and Lumia 640. Finally I selected the 640 because of the Gorilla Glass, ClearBlack screen and the reportedly better camera, even though the BLU has a faster and newer processor. Now I am waiting for Microsoft's announcement on 10/6. Hopefully they will release Windows 10 mobile in the USA on 10/10

 

[Tumultus]

I think it's amazing that you have a time machine! I mean, how else could you have tried a finished version of W10M? That would be the only the fair way to compare it to WP 8.1, right?

No reason to be jerky about this! Daniel has his opinion and, even though it may not concur with your point of view, he is entitled to it. Honestly, I am sharing his opinion and I've gone so far that I bought me an S6 3 weeks ago and a G4 yesterday. My older Windows Phone devices have been sold and the last two which I have been using up to now will be next.

In my opinion, Microsoft never hangs in there long enough. Right at the moment when people start to get interested, - and here I mean non-Windows enthusiasts - MS always seems to get cold feet and changes directions dramatically. You can see this throughout history. One example: Zune; another: Windows 8 ... For instance, I have upgraded most of my neighbors computers to Windows 8. Some came from Windows XP, some from Vista and 7. They all had a hard time adapting but once I installed Start8 (or an alternative), they began to warm up to it. After I demonstrated the beauty of Windows 8.x on a tablet like my Surface, they fell in love with it and almost everyone got a Windows 8 tablet of some sort. Along came Windows 10 and, all of a sudden, the tablets they bought didn't work as nice anymore as they used to under 8.1. You have to put yourself in my neighbor's shoes: they are no computer geeks and had to learn everything new on 8.x. It took a while and just now, where they start to grasp the concept and figured out how they can swipe through open apps as well as swiping down to close it or getting the charms bar and app related menus; ... just now where they started to love the devices, everything is gone and they're back to a more or less Windows 7-like experience.

I am not saying Windows 10 is bad at all. I like it, I use it on all my devices (except phones) but for my neighbors, the time span was simply too short! The non-geeky user needs longer to learn and understand a system. I am certain that people would have gotten used to Windows 8.x. Granted, there were all the nay-sayers. In fact, the entire bloggosphere seemed to hate on Windows 8.x and they stopped at nothing to let the world know. Unfortunately, those are the same blogs a user may find first when performing a Bing or Google search. With more publicity and marketing, Microsoft could have done wonders to counteract this. Instead, they bowed down and changed directions ...

But I am digressing too much since we're talking about Windows Phone here. Either way, it is the same thing. Do I have to remind everyone of the beauty of WP7? The beautiful hubs and magazine style apps that were jaw-dropping even to iOS and Android users? Most of it was gone with WP8. MS had a good excuse and they explained it with the fact that they wanted to uncouple the core apps, so, that those apps could be updated more easily and more often. After this, there didn't come much other than an occasional version number bump with nothing but bug fixes. Have a look at the Office app on WP8: it is a joke compared to what is available on Android and iOS. I am writing intentionally about WP8 and not W10M because W10 isn't officially released nor finished yet. But since I mentioned it ... :

Windows 10 Mobile, even though not seen that way by many, is yet another reboot of Microsoft's mobile platform. It kept a similar start screen and app menu but from there on, it is a complete different beast. With 3 reboots in just a couple of years, how do you expect an operating system to grow and evolve? And, no! The reboots weren't evolution but "starting overs". Developers lost interest. People never got the chance to grow accustomed to it or felt like the platform didn't go anywhere other than running in a circle.

Since I got my S6, I am more than happy. I still use all my Microsoft services (and many of them work better than on WP/WM); I don't miss a thing. "OK GOOGLE" is just as powerful as Cortana; in many things it even outshines Microsoft's personal assistant. For instance, ask Cortana "How hot is Mars" and she may take you to some search results whereas Google's assistant will cite (speak: read) the answer right off Wikipedia or other sources. Scheduling appointments, sending a text or email ... just as easy!

No longer do I have to sit and wait until Microsoft managed to integrate yet another thing that has been around on other platforms for years. My "coming soon" days are over and as a bonus, I don't even have to worry about apps and I have many flagship phones from which I can choose. And before you drop the "You won't get updates" nonsense: Buy a flagship Android device and, in most cases, you're good. Even the Note 4 will still get Marshmallow. And, in the rare case where you're left in the dust, you'll find alternative ways to get the latest version of Android if you really want to.

Honestly, I am tired of waiting! My life is too short to wait for a giant corporation to get their act together! I sure will keep an eye on the platform as a whole, however, for the time being I am happy to just look over the fence. I am not an impatient person but, as always, it is about choosing the right tools for the job; and until a non-predictable date in the future, W10M just isn't it.

 

[pankil]

I personally love windows mobile OS. I had pre-ordered and used Lumia 900 for 2 years. Now I have Lumia 1520 and love it. I hate that lot of good apps come late to the windows party. The most I dislike is that Here Maps are not as up to date as rivals such as google maps. But from OS and Usability standpoint I love Windows Phones.

 

[Danjp]

I can say I will honestly wait and see what comes out next month, I used the Note5 for 8 days and returned it and now back to my 1020, there are many short comings to android, but Glance, Cortana, live tiles and a designated camera button make it much faster to get the thing done that I need.

I could probably start a whole new thread on why android isn't that great. And the big deal about windows phone having no apps seams really to only apply to some games or messaging apps that I don't use.

 

[jonahtrav]

Could you let me know which 640 you got from Expansys USA ...what is the RM number ? You are using it now it works fine?

 

[Tumultus]

Could you let me know which 640 you got from Expansys USA ...what is the RM number ? You are using it now it works fine?

Probably RM-1113 since, regarding to Wikipedia, T-Mobile requires bands 2, 4 and 12.

 

[Alex Krivenets]

Absolutely yes

 

[Aanze]

Well, as a recent switcher (from WP to Android) I was tempted to say NO, but the reality is different.
Even though I'm enjoying a custom rom equipped Nexus 6 that is:
- blazing fast
- offers me real multitasking
- offers me a real hangouts client (that do NOT need to be run every 5 days in order to re-arm the push notification system, and can actually know when the message have been read on another device etc..)
- a descent mapping service when traveling in some countries like JAPAN (no covered AT ALL by Here service)
- endless possibilities of interface customization
- the infinite list of great games, and by great games I don't mean gameloft freemium crap, I'm talking about - for example - Baldur's Gate 2 incredible port, Braveland, Crowntakers, all the Kairosoft games...etc

STILL

I miss the Lumia camera SO MUCH it almost hurts... For real, every time I take a picture I want to cry.
I mean, coming from a 930, I'm just so disapointed at how crappy the HDR+ function of the google camera is rendering.. Even on a GS6 it looks.. fake, you've got no control over the hdr exposure, you've got a heavy interface that will lag at the moment you need instantaneity, you've got a strange photo album organization, kind of messy...

Well, ok I'm just focusing on the camera/picture features here but hey.. it's almost enough to make me buy a cityman/talkman very soon.

And hey... when you're out of memory on your internal sd, you think you can just switch everything on your android external ? Yeah they like make you think you can, it even looks like you did it. But you did not. You just move the apk executable package file on the external, but all the app data (for example maps in a gps applications, environnement in a 3d games) will REMAIN on the internal memory. Forever. A real nightmare.

So now I don't even remember the initial Yes/No question.. Had to scroll up a bit.
Okay, would I buy another Microsoft Mobile ? Yep, I would. And I'm pretty sure I would rage for a few day at the missing apps from android, but I'm also sure I would feel relaxed to know that I have a clean, regularly updated, smooth, harmonized system with a DAMN DECENT CAMERA APP ON IT.

 

[Rasahi]

Yes, I will rather wait but I need another new 6" flagship to replace my 1520.

 

[Sam_93]

trying to love and support windows mobile is like an one sided love. Its like hugging a cactus the more tighter you hug more it hurts . :winktongue:

 

[Fyka]

Had a windows phone since W7 - started with the Samsung Omnia 7, had the 920 and now have the 830. Like the personalization, live titles, yes there are some apps lacking from big companies but there's usually an alternative and at least there isn't a plethora of useless, random apps. TBH i have all the apps i need.
Have an Android work phone, phones good but find it annoying at times but if i was ever to jump ship i'd go to Android not a iphone fan.

 

[KipperKahn]

Give me the 1020 successor and sure i'll buy one, but at this point my Icon will be my last WP.

 

[mark p1]

To be honest yes I would. And I will. I currently have Lumia 640. And will upgrade next month. To the Lumia 950. Because the whole Windows 10 ecosystem will be on par with Android & IOS. The ability to run these apps and Winmo10 ones as well. The new phones will be amazing. The other exciting gadgets will blow our socks off.

 

[Jakoh]

Well, what other choice do i have?
IOS - I dont like apple because, phone costs too much money, battery life is meh, IOS is pretty boring.
Android - I don't like Android because i cant control what runs in the background, thus battery life sucks.
Jolla - One Phone, 3 years old, need i say more.
BB - even they are starting to switch to Android.
SO if battery life is good, i ll buy it.

 

[Bataar]

I'm actually thinking about getting a Galaxy Note 5 this weekend. When I was playing with one at the AT&T shop I got to see all the apps/services I want but are not available on Windows. I also got to see how much better most of the apps I use are on Android. It made me very sad.

 

[Jakoh]

Actually, the arguments YOU are making are the shallow ones. Having access to apps and services on the go is the ENTIRE ******* POINT of having a smartphone. If it doesn't support these things and do it well, it's useless. And while yes, you can access Chase and a few other banking sites via the website, the experience is far from optimal, often being characterized by bad loading times, unresponsive links, etc. To boot, you get no notifications, no easy access to quickly send or transfer money with others, etc.

It looks like the only apps always missing are Banking apps, how much you guys fin bank? use paypal to send people money. OR get some Fin cash from the ATM lazy...and stop making visa and mastercard investors rich.
Can no one tell me the ebay app on android/ios can do everything ebay.com can do?