My Opinion: The Death of Windows Phone: As a Windows Fan I Don't Need One

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Arsynic

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I'm a hardcore Windows fan. I make my living supporting Windows networks. I can't stand Android and I tolerate iOS. However, the Lumia 950/950 XL put me in a tough spot. My Verizon Lumia 928 was long in the tooth. On top of that I dropped it twice and cracked the screen. It was time for a new phone. My job pays for my mobile phone and it's a Verizon account so I had to hold my nose and get a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+. At least the phone is beautiful as can be.

After coming to grips with the gaudy-as-hell interface and the 3 copies of apps that all do the same damn thing, I quickly realized something: I can do everything I could do on my Windows Phone and more. And no, I'm not talking about capabilities, I'm talking about using core Microsoft services and apps. Here's what I'm talking about:

  • I can access my One Notes
  • I can access my Office docs on One Drive
  • I can Skype
  • My pictures automatically sync to my One Drive with no extra configuration that I can remember except installing One Drive
  • Apps as far as the eye can see
  • Glance replaced by the Edge interface

I came to a realization that Microsoft is going to be responsible for killing its own product. A former Windows lifer was forced to go with a competitor and is not missing the experience at all. I must admit that I miss the clean, beautiful interface of WP, but with the app gap gone I can get away with things like not having to print insurance cards and I discovered the beauty of Samsung Pay which I can use at any store. The only big thing missing for me, and its on its way, is Cortana. Once I'm able to sync my reminders to my phone again, my experience will be complete. Right now, Android still has the old Bing widget. Once that's replaced by Cortana, I'll delete the Google widget and replace it with Cortana.

So Windows Phone is basically done from an OS level. However, Microsoft should not abandon the hardware. They should still have a platform that can act as a reference platform for their applications and services. They should still release the Surface Phone...but with one caveat.

Surface Phone should run Cyanogen. Microsoft should just purchase Cyanogen and tweak it to serve as a reference platform for its apps and services. If they want to skin it with the Modern UI that would be even better. The app gap will be instantly eliminated and MS can focus its efforts on supporting a platform neutral mobile payments platform. Because it's clear that no one needs Windows 10 Mobile, not even Windows 10 fans.
 
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cracgor

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But it will have terrible lag, be slow, the apps are terrible, your battery will be terrible, live tiles rule, and google will control your life...are all things you can expect to hear.
 

Arsynic

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Re: The Death of Windows Phone: As a Windows Fan I Don't Need One

But it will have terrible lag, be slow, the apps are terrible, your battery will be terrible, live tiles rule, and google will control your life...are all things you can expect to hear.
Yeah, I know. I used to say the same thing. I'm just sick of waiting. My sojourn with Windows Phone has been one of constant waiting and disappointments. I'm sick of MS starting from scratch with each iteration and stripping features. Neutering Quiet Hours in Windows 10 was something that really disappointed me. I loved the ability on Windows Phone 8 to set a calendar event for times when I knew I would be busy. So I NEVER had to remember to put my phone in silent mode when in a meeting. Quiet Hours would do that for me. But it's gone.

Then there was the whole Verizon debacle. I ran the numbers and it would save the company money to just keep my phone on the current plan instead of giving me a $100/month allowance for an AT&T phone. And to add insult to injury, the Android MS apps are actually better than the Windows version!

If you told me now that MS was intentionally killing Windows Phone, I would believe you.
 

PepperdotNet

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Re: The Death of Windows Phone: As a Windows Fan I Don't Need One

So because you, one individual, decided you don't need a Windows phone anymore, that means the platform is dead.

Great job of overgeneralizing.
 

elindalyne

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Re: The Death of Windows Phone: As a Windows Fan I Don't Need One

You don't need an iPhone either. Just like you don't need an Android. A lot comes down to preference.

As for the Edge replacing Glance... How? I was unaware it did anything when the screen was off.
 

Arsynic

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Re: The Death of Windows Phone: As a Windows Fan I Don't Need One

So because you, one individual, decided you don't need a Windows phone anymore, that means the platform is dead.

Great job of overgeneralizing.
Great job of reading comprehension. NOT!

You missed my point. What I was pointing out is that if you only use Microsoft apps and services, there's NOTHING you can do on a Windows Phone that can't be done on iOS and Android. And on top of that, the experience in iOS and Android is much better.

Case in point:

I absolutely hate the G-mail app in Android. It's garbage. I love the Outlook app in Windows 10. For a week I struggled with the G-mail app until I remembered just a few moments ago that, by gawd, there's an Outlook app for Android.

And my mind continues to be absolutely blown by how much better it is than the Windows Phone version. One of my top features missing from Windows Phone 10 in general is to have different alert tones for each e-mail account. I was pleasantly surprised and angry that the Android version of Outlook has this capability but the Windows Phone version does not.

I'm not stating any opinions here. For a fact, the Microsoft experience is much better on other platforms than Windows Phone. For that reason the platform is dead because there's no real reason for even Windows fans to support the platform.

To put it in perspective, what if Microsoft released their first party games to the Playstation platform. And not only that, the games had better graphics and performance and more features. Wouldn't you conclude that there was no reason to purchase an Xbox One or even that Xbox One's days were numbered? Hell, the situation's even worse with Windows Phone.
 

Arsynic

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Re: The Death of Windows Phone: As a Windows Fan I Don't Need One

You don't need an iPhone either. Just like you don't need an Android. A lot comes down to preference.

As for the Edge replacing Glance... How? I was unaware it did anything when the screen was off.
If you need a Smartphone you'll need either an Android or iOS. But there's no reason to buy a Windows Phone unless you absolutely love the hardware (a valid reason) or you're in love with the interface.

The Edge screen can be configured to turn on at a certain time.
 

elindalyne

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Re: The Death of Windows Phone: As a Windows Fan I Don't Need One

If you need a Smartphone you'll need either an Android or iOS. But there's no reason to buy a Windows Phone unless you absolutely love the hardware (a valid reason) or you're in love with the interface.

The Edge screen can be configured to turn on at a certain time.

I was unaware WP/W10M devices lacked a GPS, browser,apps, camera, touchscreen... you know, the things that make it a smart phone.

Turning on the edge screen on at a specified time is nowhere near glance. Getting a clock, calendar, notifications and weather while the screen is turned off is what Glance is.
 

tangledW

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No.

Microsoft should, and will, stick with the Windows OS on phones... or just get out of the phone hardware business completely.

Why produce hardware that doesn't run Windows when they could, and are, achieving the same results on iOS & Android devices with Microsoft apps? It makes zero sense.
 

tuxedo323

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Re: The Death of Windows Phone: As a Windows Fan I Don't Need One

I have to give it to all you Dooms-day Dans, you guys are coming up with irresistibility 'clicky' titles!
 

Mad Cabbie

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Re: The Death of Windows Phone: As a Windows Fan I Don't Need One

I have to give it to all you Dooms-day Dans, you guys are coming up with irresistibility 'clicky' titles!

Agree. Maybe they should start using titles like, blah, blah, blah, or I've just thrown my toys out of my pram, maybe beware low flying teddy bears.

Every damned thread is the same old thing. I have never know a forum where 'haters' outnumber those who are generally interested. Jeez. And to top it off, WC do seem to post news snippets that are very ambiguous.
 

john24ssj

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Re: The Death of Windows Phone: As a Windows Fan I Don't Need One

I sort of see your point. Google has provided nothing on the WP platform if you want any of their services you are forced to use android. While MS just launched everything their got on every possible platform there isn't a great intensive for buy WP for MS services as you can get them elsewhere.

But then again everyone is in it for a different reason, for me it's the fact that my mothers 520 is still as fast and responsive as the day she got it :D Can't same the same thing about my dead/laggy android phones.
 

Muessig

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I'm really interested in your experiences so please do keep using us. I'm curious if project islandwood is finalised and you are ios apps like Ms apps etc getting ported over or becoming uwp apps if you would still feel the same way.
 

Kodiak12

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Agree completely with the OP. If Win10 doesn't die it's development will continue to proceed at a "crawl" with relation to Android and iOS. Always behind... everything coming "soon".

I'm waiting to see if the rumored 4" 6C from Apple gets legs next year. Until then I'll live with my lowly, practically disposable 635. There's no way I'll plunk down $550+ on a future door stop.
 

dalydose

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These "I've seen the light and smarter than all you losers I'm leaving behind" posts are getting boring. No reason...except the reasons he listed as if to discredit all valid reasons.

I tend to think that I have the best in class camera with my 950 and wonderful editing apps in Fhotoroom and Fantasia apps. There's some "app gap" on Android. I have a GS5, so don't tell me that SnapSeed is just as good. It's not. The dynamic flash feature in the OS software is changing how I do phonetography. Those are reasons for me.

I have the social media apps that I need. I'm hoping Facebook gets improved, but it crashes less than it does on my GS5, so there's a trade-off. Cortana will NOT be the same experience on Android. Have you used the beta? The "app" is less powerful and less integrated and...just less. I love how it interacts with the computer now. I'm sending text messages and all I had to install was...NOTHING. I see my missed calls.

I'd counter with the fact that there's "no reason" to go to Android unless you want to SnapChat.
 

etphoto

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You can always tell how the thread will start out when the OP posts something to the effect of "I've been a Windows fan for years, but . . ." lol
 

cracgor

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I'd counter with the fact that there's "no reason" to go to Android unless you want to SnapChat.

Yes. Finally. Only reason I even consider android is snap chat, Kroger, publix, Starbucks, American airlines, amazon music, amazon video, yik yak, Lowe's, xfinity/home security, AMC, fxnow, dragon dictation software, medscape, lexicomp, and epic haiku. And basically I can do almost none of what these apps allows on my windows phone and have never been able to, so I'm never really missing anything. Plus I have excel.
 

boltman2013

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Yes. Finally. Only reason I even consider android is snap chat, Kroger, publix, Starbucks, American airlines, amazon music, amazon video, yik yak, Lowe's, xfinity/home security, AMC, fxnow, dragon dictation software, medscape, lexicomp, and epic haiku. And basically I can do almost none of what these apps allows on my windows phone and have never been able to, so I'm never really missing anything. Plus I have excel.

Mediscape was a MyAppFree yesterday Universal App

I just downloaded Star Chart freakin awesome. I'm amazed at the apps.
 

cracgor

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Medscape is different than mediscape. Mediscape only shows up in my store on PC. Unless I'm typing the words wrong.

In fairness medscape is on windows phone since 6/2014 with no updates as a worse version of the website.

Really the only pharmacy reference is MPR, and it is not the easiest to use. In fact if I have time I will login to a computer to avoid it.

Star chat is a neat app. I use it when I camp.
 
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