How Windows Mobile 10 almost killed me

[v535]

All that aside, I'm glad 137 is OK. And using outlook to send an email to himself to direct dial shows great thinking under pressure.

If it had happened to me, my body along with my phone will be laid to rest in a coffin, to remind me, you're dead because of the phone.

 

[chancooluk]

Glad you're still with us. As far as I know, at this point in time, Windows 10 Mobile is only installed officially on the 950/XL. all other phones need to use the Insider builds. Is that what you were using? The Insider build?

If you are, you should have read the Insider disclaimer that Insider builds are test builds and not stable. They can crash for no apparent reason because they are test builds. They also recommend not using Insider test builds on your main phone.

Cannot rule out the fact it could be firmware related. But i'd wager it was buggy Insider build.

Its also installed on the Lumia 550 by default. Without updating the software the 550 isn't capable of placing a call, sending an sms or adding a contact. Every app crashes at the most basic level.

Once updated everything works (most of the time at least), but the software shouldnt have needed updating to the latest version just to do a simple phone task.

 

[anon(3463402)]

Sorry, but you can't blame anyone for the problems where you agreed with potential risks.

I wish you a fast recovery.

 

[wgs84]

WOW!!! This is scary, now I wish I don't have Windows 10 Mobile installed on all my phones.. Well, thank goodness you made it to the hospital.

Don't you have at least one phone running the tried-and-true 8.1? I had W10m on my main phone, but I decided to roll back after my phone locked up when I was trying to answer a call, and I had to restart it. W10m is fun to check out, but I wouldn't do it on my primary device again.

 

[Ariel Takom]

First of all, I wish the OP a speedy recovery. Your story was thrilling, and I'm glad it turned out good. That e-mail part was genius and I couldn't imagine myself thinking of something like that if I was in the same situation.

The emergency call feature is present in both WP8.1 and W10M, only if you've set a password to your phone.

But for me, what I did was I saved the contact numbers of all the local hospitals/police stations/fire stations of the area I'll be staying at i.e. the area around my university and the area around my permanent home (two places of different states), and pin them to my start screen.

If I've free time, I'd also place the emergency numbers on speed dial, and change them everytime I move from one area to another i.e. going back home for sem-breaks.

So yeah, some of you might want to do this so I thought I'd share it.

Also, it's amazing how the OP is able to memorize the number of the hospital, and recall it at such a crucial situation, especially since its a unique hospital (100% English-speaking) and I guess the contact number would be different than China's national emergency number, like 911 for the US or 999 for Malaysia.

 

[920Walker]

Glad your ok.

Better call Saul.

 

[Panos Athanasiou]

so this is why they haven't released it yet to older phones and ppl complain... i am gladd you are okay through i am sure MS is too and in your case i would not try using preview on my phone again because with your problem not being able to make a call is rly life danger.. I have to say nice quick thought to do this with the email and have a great rest you just tricked death

 

[EspHack]

lol most people here talk like ms representatives, cmon, if it was a 950 what would be the excuse? I'm pretty sure these aren't marketed as "beta" in anyway, yet they behave the same or worst, I'm positive OP could've had the same outcome were it a 950 or 550

get this fact, w10m IS NOT stable, no matter if its a 520 or 950 XL, if your lucky phone happens to be running perfectly smooth then good for you, your feedback surely is helpful on this matter

 

[Axeelant]

Woow you really got lucky somehow that you still managed to make that call. Most people would panic too much to be able to do anything at all...

This reminds me of the last summer, when my boss had a brain stroke at work where it was just the two of us. In the confusion between dragging him around and trying to make an emergency call, my L930 running insider preview rebooted. I still remember me cursing the damn phone when i needed it the most. So after restart, i didn't think of pressig that emergency button, instead i was putting in the PIN code. So you would think things went smooth from there, but then i somehow got lost between the speed dial, history and dial pad menu (happens to me too often). I just could't see the dial pad option, i couldn't focus..

So after i finally called an ambulance, I didn't even know the adress of that place... The situation could have ended a lot worse than it did.

Anyways, I wish you a fast recovery.

 

[WildKarrde]

I've never been one to run beta software on my phones, or my Surfaces (as the Surface Pro is my primary production device), but this even definitely confirms to me that running beta software on a device you need to rely on as heavily as a phone is a bad idea. Glad you made it to the hospital though! This is certainly the kind of event that you would never think would happen to you... until it does.

 

[137]

Thanks everyone for the nice words, I am on a speedy recovery just like two years ago.

Anyway let me point out my intention here was just to share a story on what sometimes a simple software bug can mean in a world where we rely on the underlying hardware so much.

About using the emergency call: not working, here in China
About the number: I just have it on the hospital's patient card
About staying with 8.1: well.... guess what, I moved to the Mobile 10 preview out of desperation, as 8.1 had me have to reset my phone every month or so. I think the problem here is the Lumia Icon - a beautiful child with three parents none of whom ever cared about it

 

[TLRtheory]

Oh man, a person almost dies because of his phone crashing during an emergency and the first reaction for everyone here is to point out the fine print for the Insider Build.

Well, there are adults here... metaphorically speaking, we still hurt for our children when they get hurt riding bikes without protective gear, but we also want them to understand that there's an aspect of personal responsibility that's diminishing in today's society in favor of this "blame someone else for what I did" mentality.

I threw the technical preview in it's early stages onto my Lumia 1020, and ended up taking the bulk of my day phoneless because it slaughtered my battery in under 4 hours. Being unable to get important information to my wife, check on my kids, and call my trainees when I was offsite sucked majorly, but that's what I get using the technical preview beta version of W10M on a phone I'd have to depend on... and around the time before the Chinese proxy key hack got nixxed, I had a YEZZ Billy 4.7 that was stuck in an usuable state for months with crashing apps, update failures, extraordinarily sluggish performance and a completely non-responsive camera... and since that particular phone had no public recovery image, I was just stuck with it... but how ridiculous would it be for me to blame someone else for a decision I made?

Of course neither of those come close to someone who's life was at stake. I just lost a very close family member to a heart attack not long ago... and it wouldn't be ridiculous to assume most people here have lost loved ones to heart attacks too. I don't think anyone here's enough of a monster to not feel for TC or be glad he was crafty enough to assure he saw another day... but the first response making the PSA it did is a rational response.

My Windows Mobile 10 Technical Preview experience was marred with issues too... but the non-TP Windows 10 that came on my Lumia 950 had none of the app crashes, sluggish performance or fourth-of-a-day battery life I got when messing with beta software.

 

[pericle]

but the first response making the PSA it did is a rational response.

If this is a person's first response, either something is really wrong with that person or they are a Microsoft ****** out to protect Microsoft no matter what the situation. Judging by your first response I can guess where you stand in that regard.

 

[midnightfrolic]

Thanks everyone for the nice words, I am on a speedy recovery just like two years ago.

Anyway let me point out my intention here was just to share a story on what sometimes a simple software bug can mean in a world where we rely on the underlying hardware so much.

About using the emergency call: not working, here in China
About the number: I just have it on the hospital's patient card
About staying with 8.1: well.... guess what, I moved to the Mobile 10 preview out of desperation, as 8.1 had me have to reset my phone every month or so. I think the problem here is the Lumia Icon - a beautiful child with three parents none of whom ever cared about it

If you have a history of heart attacks, maybe get an emergency response necklace and band. Just in case. Always have backup options. You never know

 

[jdballard]

If this is a person's first response, either something is really wrong with that person or they are a Microsoft ****** out to protect Microsoft no matter what the situation. Judging by your first response I can guess where you stand in that regard.

One can have both thoughts, one right after the other, and yet still recognize that the most important thing is that the person is OK. I know my first thought was "I'm glad they're OK", followed shortly by "That is a risk of preview software."

It's a good story to share simply because there is a warning there: running preview software has risks even if one thinks "that can't happen to me." It's easy to assume that the phone will function because "it's a smartphone", but the reality is it's a mini-computer that can also make phone calls and computers don't always work exactly like we expect.

 

[cracgor]

One can have both thoughts, one right after the other, and yet still recognize that the most important thing is that the person is OK. I know my first thought was "I'm glad they're OK", followed shortly by "That is a risk of preview software."

It's a good story to share simply because there is a warning there: running preview software has risks even if one thinks "that can't happen to me." It's easy to assume that the phone will function because "it's a smartphone", but the reality is it's a mini-computer that can also make phone calls and computers don't always work exactly like we expect.

Is this the case with the Lumia 950/XL then? The truth is Microsoft explicitly says in the fine print that Windows Mobile 10 is a preview build when you install insider. One problem is, sites like this, leave you with the impression that Windows Insider is a way to bypass the carriers to get the latest builds. I haven't used Windows Mobile in awhile, but the buggy OS caused me to leave because I wanted a flagship phone and couldn't wait with a phone that would just stop working when I'm oncall for emergencies all the time.

 

[halflifecrysis]

As a quick PSA, the Insider preview page specifically says that you might not be able to make calls, not even emergency calls. I'd suggest just staying on 8.1 until the Icon gets its official W10 release.

So true

 

[jdballard]

Is this the case with the Lumia 950/XL then?

This image was taken by my 950XL of my old Lumia 640 when I added it to the insider yesterday (for some reason taking a screenshot directly on the 640 was failing). I'm assuming it's the same on the 950/XL. "In some circumstances, you may not be able to place calls (including calls for emergency services)."

The truth is Microsoft explicitly says in the fine print that Windows Mobile 10 is a preview build when you install insider. One problem is, sites like this, leave you with the impression that Windows Insider is a way to bypass the carriers to get the latest builds.

And you're right, people read things here, or hear it elsewhere (I believe I've even heard Paul Thurrott say people should be on the insider program to get the latest builds) and join to install preview builds. Unless you pay attention to/know what you're doing, you really don't know what is or isn't a preview release.

I would say you should install preview builds if a) you're willing to accept the risks, or b) MS has released a build to the carriers or is pushing it out to unlocked phones. I think once a build goes to the carriers or is being pushed to unlocked devices, it's not beta. But then again, you could argue that if MS pushes a new build out to the unlocked 950XL, but it's not being pushed to the 640, then it's still preview for the 640 and not suitable for a 640, 950, etc. All this to say: it really is caveat emptor. If someone isn't sure precisely what it means and what the risks are, they probably should wait until their phone tells them there's an update.

 

[anon(5383410)]

Yeah it was the phone's fault, not you living in a country without learning the native tongue nor running unfinished software on your phone...not to mention not taking care of yourself. Damn you Microsoft!

 

[cracgor]

This image was taken by my 950XL of my old Lumia 640 when I added it to the insider yesterday (for some reason taking a screenshot directly on the 640 was failing). I'm assuming it's the same on the 950/XL. "In some circumstances, you may not be able to place calls (including calls for emergency services)."

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And you're right, people read things here, or hear it elsewhere (I believe I've even heard Paul Thurrott say people should be on the insider program to get the latest builds) and join to install preview builds. Unless you pay attention to/know what you're doing, you really don't know what is or isn't a preview release.

I would say you should install preview builds if a) you're willing to accept the risks, or b) MS has released a build to the carriers or is pushing it out to unlocked phones. I think once a build goes to the carriers or is being pushed to unlocked devices, it's not beta. But then again, you could argue that if MS pushes a new build out to the unlocked 950XL, but it's not being pushed to the 640, then it's still preview for the 640 and not suitable for a 640, 950, etc. All this to say: it really is caveat emptor. If someone isn't sure precisely what it means and what the risks are, they probably should wait until their phone tells them there's an update.

I guess what I mean is when I bought the 950xl, it did not come with a warning that it was experimental software. It was too unstable to use since I have to be oncall with it. I'm not sure what the current status of the OS is, but if it has not greatly improved from my experience--it is unreliable even outside of the insider program on official "final" builds of Windows 10.