Would you honestly buy another Microsoft Mobile?

[Bill Harvey1]

After patiently waiting with my Lumia 920, which I loved by the way, for 2 1/2 years, I have been left sadly underwhelmed by the 950's. Actually, I liked the 950XL that I had the chance to try out in the MS store. It's not so much the hardware, as it is that the OS is still , IMO, half-baked and each release seems to bring different bugs while only fixing a few existing bugs. Still not enough OEM apps, with more leaving each day, and I am also afraid that with the recent decline in market share and sales of Win mobile, that MS is just going to throw in the towel, leaving me with a lame duck phone if I do buy one. So, no....no more Windows Phones for me. Ordered an iPhone 6S Plus on Saturday. If, and it's a big IF, down the road something good happens, say the mythical Surface Phone, then I would consider coming back, but for now...I have had enough, and I'm out.

 

[garak0410]

After patiently waiting with my Lumia 920, which I loved by the way, for 2 1/2 years, I have been left sadly underwhelmed by the 950's. Actually, I liked the 950XL that I had the chance to try out in the MS store. It's not so much the hardware, as it is that the OS is still , IMO, half-baked and each release seems to bring different bugs while only fixing a few existing bugs. Still not enough OEM apps, with more leaving each day, and I am also afraid that with the recent decline in market share and sales of Win mobile, that MS is just going to throw in the towel, leaving me with a lame duck phone if I do buy one. So, no....no more Windows Phones for me. Ordered an iPhone 6S Plus on Saturday. If, and it's a big IF, down the road something good happens, say the mythical Surface Phone, then I would consider coming back, but for now...I have had enough, and I'm out.

I have an iPad Mini for work for just supporting our iOS users. Groove is BETTER on iOS for sure. The Android version has no jump lists, no music scrubbing / forward/reverse, Bluetooth is wonky, songs cut out when in bad cells (when cloud based.) The Note 5 seems closer to a Surface Phone, mainly due to stylus support (OneNote works great)...these are confusing and agonizing times for Windows Phone fans...

 

[Penny_1]

Thanks for your activity and responses in this thread garak0410. I'm sure some people are finding your experiences and the comparisons between the platforms helpful in making their decisions.

I get my Note 5 on Wednesday, and look forward to playing around with it. I know there are definitely things I will be missing about WP, but it will be good to experience another platform as my daily driver for a while.

 

[garak0410]

Thanks for your activity and responses in this thread garak0410. I'm sure some people are finding your experiences and the comparisons between the platforms helpful in making their decisions.

I get my Note 5 on Wednesday, and look forward to playing around with it. I know there are definitely things I will be missing about WP, but it will be good to experience another platform as my daily driver for a while.

I am for sure remaining positive on Windows Phone...this has not been an easy transition. Even with the "lack of apps", I think I'd take a 950xl over the Note 5 anytime. But I do have to admit the usefulness of the Note 5 is starting to take me by storm. Even if GROOVE MUSIC has issues.

 

[bmetelsky]

Thanks for your activity and responses in this thread garak0410. I'm sure some people are finding your experiences and the comparisons between the platforms helpful in making their decisions.

I get my Note 5 on Wednesday, and look forward to playing around with it. I know there are definitely things I will be missing about WP, but it will be good to experience another platform as my daily driver for a while.

I too, am looking at a Note. I'm wondering if there is an easy way to sync to outlook calendar and contacts (not enterprise). I know there is no problem syncing to my outlook mail account. Perhaps someone with experience can chime in.

 

[garak0410]

I too, am looking at a Note. I'm wondering if there is an easy way to sync to outlook calendar and contacts (not enterprise). I know there is no problem syncing to my outlook mail account. Perhaps someone with experience can chime in.

I am using the Outlook client. It will sync everything...but contacts are a little wonky. For example, once you set up Outlook on Android, you can see your Outlook contacts in the Outlook App under PEOPLE but no option to ADD to it. And SMS only pulled from GMAIL and was pulling some really old contacts from when I did use GMAIL more often. So, for now, I've resigned and letting google sync contacts. I exported them from Outlook.com and imported them into Google.

I know Android is highly customizable, so there may be a way around this and would love to know. Oh and remember, Cortana isn't half bad on Android. Needs some maturing but it isn't bad.

 

[tgp]

I am using the Outlook client. It will sync everything...but contacts are a little wonky. For example, once you set up Outlook on Android, you can see your Outlook contacts in the Outlook App under PEOPLE but no option to ADD to it. And SMS only pulled from GMAIL and was pulling some really old contacts from when I did use GMAIL more often. So, for now, I've resigned and letting google sync contacts. I exported them from Outlook.com and imported them into Google.

The best option in this case might be to use the Gmail app instead of Outlook. I know; for a Microsoft fan it can be a nauseating thought... :eck: But the Gmail app natively supports Exchange, and from what I can tell it's quite feature complete. I'm not an Exchange power user however, so someone who uses it deeper than I do might find some things missing.

 

[hotphil]

Go "all in" with any platform - if you use Windows then use OneDrive, Outlook.com etc. If you go Android, use Google's services.
Any attempt to mix and match just ends in a compromise somewhere.
Migrating from one to the other is straightforward.

 

[antiochian2010]

Yes I would - and probably will get the 950. I love the Interface. And hey - iOS and Android were already WAY ahead of Windows Phone when I picked up my Lumia 800 running WP7.5. If Msft pulls the plug altogether, I would try to look at a decent phone with a kickass camera - maybe the LG flagship - but I would sorely miss WP.
A while ago though I had an 808 Pureview. Though I missed WP - especially how it handles people and email - I found myself really enjoying Symbian. Too bad though - by that time even Belle was sadly out of date - but had Nokia stuck with it - maybe made a Meego that could run Android apps and deliver a RAW shooting successor to the 808 with decent browser and up to date OS, I might still be there and may have never come back to WP.
I'm hoping this is just a transition to a great piece of hardware down the line, but I have to admit that Msft treatment of their own phone has been beyond shabby. I don't think they even give two rips for those of us who genuinely love the product...

 

[jeffoffline]

Go "all in" with any platform - if you use Windows then use OneDrive, Outlook.com etc. If you go Android, use Google's services.
Any attempt to mix and match just ends in a compromise somewhere.
Migrating from one to the other is straightforward.

couldn't disagree more... I'm not a fan of googles services and gradually switched to Microsoft services while on Android. I personally felt Microsoft services on Android offered me a superior experience to Google's. Everything is Beta with Google and I always felt they're more interested in having a minimal interface vs one that is functional. Obviously that's something that will vary from person to person but if someone is switching to Android I'd highly recommend giving MS on Android a try first.

 

[hotphil]

I just found that things like Google Cards not showing Outlook appointments, Contacts not having pictures (Outlook.com still doesn't support that) and various other limitations of trying MS services on another platform were annoying.

 

[jeffoffline]

Ahh... well obviously we have different use situations... I can see why you made the switch. But i still think Windows users moving to Google should at least give MS services a try first. Certainly can't hurt to give it a whirl for a few days.

 

[ads13]

I'll choose Android or iPhone

 

[sheldon cohn]

I have 3 Windows phones now, but compared to Iphone and Android there are well below the
capabilities of the other phones. I almost feel I would have to carry 2 phones, since the Windows
phones can't do what other phones do. I been commenting the Windows phones have to be
able to support the same apps as the other phones. If they can't do those apps they should
cost a lot less. The people can talk, text , check email, and browse the web with Windows phones,
but can't get TV apps, security apps, some bank apps, and grocery store apps..

 

[garak0410]

The best option in this case might be to use the Gmail app instead of Outlook. I know; for a Microsoft fan it can be a nauseating thought... :eck: But the Gmail app natively supports Exchange, and from what I can tell it's quite feature complete. I'm not an Exchange power user however, so someone who uses it deeper than I do might find some things missing.

SO, you are suggesting I uninstall Outlook and use the gmail app with my Outlook.com and Exchange accounts? Will it then sync my Outlook contacts without the need to export Outlook into Gmail and then use Gmail?

 

[Compiux]

In all honesty... I still don't know.
I like the OS. I really enjoy the UI and the navigation! Do not mistake my statement, I feel iOS and Android are fine and I would adapt to any of them... but I am used to windows UI and is not that I am used... I really really like it.
So, having said that... what I don;t like (on my Lumia 1020) is how some apps are sluggish. It infuriates me because my mom's android has a lower predecessor and 1/3 of my phone's RAM and it runs every app quite nicely.
The "Loading..." screen is the major culprit. If they manage to optimize the performance of the OS and the developers clean their code... then yes, I will stay. Otherwise I will (with a heavy heart) say goodbye and move to Android... iPhone is overpriced and does not have midrange phones and while I dislike google with the strength of a thousand suns, at least I have a choice of devices.

I hope things turn for the best.

 

[tgp]

SO, you are suggesting I uninstall Outlook and use the gmail app with my Outlook.com and Exchange accounts? Will it then sync my Outlook contacts without the need to export Outlook into Gmail and then use Gmail?

Yes to all your questions. The only downside to this is that you are using Google's app instead of Microsoft's, but then this only matters if you are a Microsoft purist! I believe that if you ignore this fact, you will not see any downsides. Try it. It will take you about 30 seconds to set it up and see if it works.

 

[Penny_1]

SO, you are suggesting I uninstall Outlook and use the gmail app with my Outlook.com and Exchange accounts? Will it then sync my Outlook contacts without the need to export Outlook into Gmail and then use Gmail?

So if you want to still continue using Outlook AND sync your contacts, what I've found is that you need to sync your email accounts though the default "email" application first. Doing that will allow you to sync your contacts, calendar, everything with the phone. Then you can set up Outlook as well with the accounts you want. After you do this, you will obviously have like 2-3 different email apps setup to handle your email, which is rather inefficient. If you open up the built-in email app now, go to Settings, and click on your Outlook account, you should have the option to choose what to sync (email, calendar, tasks, and contacts). I believe this is where the setting was btw, it could have actually been in the main system settings under Accounts. Uncheck email from there because you don't care to sync that with the default email application.

Just got my Note 5 yesterday and was setting all this up. I really like the customizability (already have new default messaging, keyboard, and email applications as well as a custom theme), but the setup was nowhere near as easy as WP or iOS. Plus I hate how much bloatware is on this, and the fact that you have so many different apps serving the same purpose and vying for your data. And Android keeps warning you at every step just how much access everything has to your info. Kind of disconcerting, maybe I would rather have that happen in the background and trust Google to only hand out as much data as necessary.

 

[garak0410]

So if you want to still continue using Outlook AND sync your contacts, what I've found is that you need to sync your email accounts though the default "email" application first. Doing that will allow you to sync your contacts, calendar, everything with the phone. Then you can set up Outlook as well with the accounts you want. After you do this, you will obviously have like 2-3 different email apps setup to handle your email, which is rather inefficient. If you open up the built-in email app now, go to Settings, and click on your Outlook account, you should have the option to choose what to sync (email, calendar, tasks, and contacts). I believe this is where the setting was btw, it could have actually been in the main system settings under Accounts. Uncheck email from there because you don't care to sync that with the default email application.

Just got my Note 5 yesterday and was setting all this up. I really like the customizability (already have new default messaging, keyboard, and email applications as well as a custom theme), but the setup was nowhere near as easy as WP or iOS. Plus I hate how much bloatware is on this, and the fact that you have so many different apps serving the same purpose and vying for your data. And Android keeps warning you at every step just how much access everything has to your info. Kind of disconcerting, maybe I would rather have that happen in the background and trust Google to only hand out as much data as necessary.

Glad you got your NOTE 5...will PM you with your thoughts.

Right now, I have Outlook as my mail, calendar and contacts client. It syncs email and calendar very well. Contacts...if I enter a contact on Outlook.com website, I will see it on my phone and can see it for SMS. If I enter a contact on my phone, it only saves to GOOGLE/GMAIL. Under the outlook tab, it is is greyed out. Now, mind you, I do not sync in the MAIL APP. Side note, I also do not sync GMAIL in the GMAIL app as I forward it to my Outlook.com account anyway.

 

[bmetelsky]

Ordered my Note 5 from AT&T today. It looks like I'll be spending some significant time over at Android Central this weekend, trying to get a head start on learning what I can about the new device. :wink: