Jason Ward uses Windows phone (for now) and asks why do you?

[Shoba Annavarjula]

Why do I love my Windows Phone – (I have the Lumia950) - let me count:

1. The live tiles - I can see updated information on all my email accounts, social media, fitness trackers, and even the local time various time zones that I have pinned to my start screen. And the ability to resize them - icing on the cake.

2. The transparency of my live tiles – which I set to full and have my icons float around on my favorite background image

3. Alpha sorting on apps – so easy to find an app, don’t have to scroll past 3, 4, or 5 screens of apps to locate the one I looking for

4. Pin contacts to Start screen – easy access to my favorite contacts

5. The 20MP camera with the Carl Zeiss lens – the best camera on a smartphone

 

[scottgx]

Yes, my Lumia 950XL is working great. No problems with the battery, camera, nor Twitter app. No reason to switch.

 

[Pairadyce]

The Phone, Text Messaging, and Email still work fine, that is why I'm still using it.

Wish there was a place to find apps to sideload. I only used it once when I had to reinstall the LinkedIn desktop app on my x3.

 

[thomasthomaslai]

950xl! messaging and podcasts. some social apps. seems to satisfy most of my needs. most mobile web sites have matured so it's not a problem looking up for stuff.

 

[DJ Raleighwood]

Yep

 

[Jason Ward]

Nice! I like that!

 

[engellion]

I would be, but I am very disappointed with the Lumia 950 camera. Photos look great, until Finishing Touches are auto applied. Finishing Touches always wrecks the colours. Waaayyy toooo saturated. Skin tones are orange. Yuk.

In September last year, my 950 display failed. Digitiser worked but screen was black. I have a suspicion it was right after an update. Anyhow, I tried to get it fixed, but was quoted a price that was almost the price of a replacement phone. Had the camera app been as good as it was under WP 8.1 on my Lumia 930, I would have just picked up another 950 off ebay. But I could not bring myself to spend $300 on a phone that I knew the camera app's finishing touches destroys the photos. So I bit the bullet and bought an S8.

S8 camera photos are brilliant. This is what the Lumia950's photos should/could have been like.

I missed the WP experience terribly. But love the photos on my S8 terribly.

Eventually I repaired the 950 myself with parts off ebay. New screen, new FF Camera, and RF Camera (as both failed), and all is good. But the crazy finishing touches wrecks the Lumia 950 for me as a daily driver. I did try and hack the registry with some edits based on suggestions online to turn off finishing touches. But nothing worked. So alas, my much loved 950 is gathering dust. I still turn it on for the occasional UI experience reminder and to get latest security updates, but wish I could turn off finishing touches on the camera app. Until then, I've reluctantly resigned myself to the S8, a really good phone, but still disjointed compared to WM10.

 

[Toon Werawat]

Not on Windows Phone right now, But I'm exiting to get back to it soon.
it's been about 8 months since I forcefully left my Lumia 950
Because I left it on a rain.
Until then my friend gave me his android phone just in time because teacher also force us to use Rosetta Stone as well. And I don't want to do it on my Laptop so I have to use my friend's phone.
Since then I was on Android (Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe edition)
Until last week, I had enough money to buy a screen replacement for my phone and a battery.
I left the phone and screen replacement to a phone shop today and I expected to get it repaired hopefully sometime after 27th this month.

 

[Rahul cholate]

Everyone who loves windows, their love at first sight would be Dynamic live tiles. It's keyboard and live tiles are keeping me still loving using this device. I am still on my Lumia 535, my first smartphone and I love this device. Can't wait to own Andromeda!!!

 

[MsftMan]

Well I finally switched about three weeks ago. My HP X3 Elite was giving me trouble with SMS not always coming through and the price of the Nokia 6.1 was too good to pass up. I'm happy with the switch, Android, and the Nokia. I did two write ups about my experience just for grins & giggles... https://msftman.wordpress.com/2018/...zations-epiphanies-parting-from-windows-phone

 

[boydtoven]

Still using Alcatel Idol 4S, and will keep going with it until the wheels fall off. I plan to stick with W10M, for many of the reasons stated above, until Andromeda. Or -- failing that -- until the cold, dark, bitter end. (In which case, I'll probably come skulking back, shoulders slumped, to iOS. And everyone from my work and family will snicker that they told me so.)

 

[tmoore71]

Hi Jason. I am still using a Nokia 930 (International Version) as my second phone. Yes, I can only get 3.5G here in the States, but I still think the 930 is one of the best looking phones made. Every time I go into the local AT&T store I get a couple of the sales people coming up to me to see what it is. I love the live tiles, and it does almost everything I need it to do. Granted, I have a non-windows phone as my other phone for banking apps etc that are no longer avail on Windows.

 

[Stephen Kirts]

Why Windows phone? I've always loved the idea of having a PC in my pocket, and the evolution of Windows on phone, from Windows Mobile, to Windows Phone to Windows 10 Mobile has embodied that for me to varying degrees over the years.

Beginning in 2006 with the Cingular 2125 running Windows Mobile 5.0 (my first smartphone), my Windows phone journey has ridden the spectacular crests and frustrating valleys that have defined the platform. In fact, what may surprise many who follow my work is that Iinitially rejected Windows Phone 7 as an oversimplified UI and a backward step to Windows Mobile, the powerful, flexible and open mobile OS I loved.

Windows on phone, with its unique approach, is now a fading shadow of what it could've been. Still, Microsoft's enduring Windows on mobile strategy,via the rumored Andromeda device reflects the inspiring ambition Microsoft's previous mobile efforts (though poorly executed) exhibited. Will, the synergy of Windows 10 on a folding pocketable device be a winner? I don't know. Will the device even launch? Microsoft could scrap it. Still, Microsoft's pursuit of a vision to put real PC power in our pockets, via context conforming hardware and software on a device coupled with telephony is inspiring.

So as I contemplate my next move, Microsoft's Andromeda device which will likely be too expensive, or an Android phone, I'm enjoying what inspired me years ago, the Live Tile life, on my Lumia's 950 XL(personal) and 1020 (business)!

So what inspired you to embrace Windows phone and why are you still holding on?

I have always been intrigued by Windows Phone. I dropped my first 950 XL one too many times, and am now using an eBay used replacement. I'm hoping it holds on until Andromeda is released!

 

[GraniteStateColin]

My wife and I still both use our Lumia Icons. If not for the terrible camera on the Elite X3, I would've moved to that when it came out on Verizon. But I must say, no real complaints or problems with the Icon, even today. Works great and does everything I need. I've cracked mine open to replace the battery when it failed (surprisingly easy for a phone "without" a replaceable battery). I hope to hold out for Andromeda, but I'm emotionally prepared to make the move to Android if necessary.

In my case, I think I'd be fine with Android from a tech and UI perspective, I just don't want to support Google's "the user is the product we sell to our customers" business model. I'm ethically opposed to giving Google any more business than absolutely necessary (e.g., YouTube videos don't have a substitute).

 

[Barta Szabolcs]

I'm frustrated that when Microsoft finally got on the tracks with the OS they killed it. Yet Windows 10 Mobile still has features that Android and iOS lacks.
Some important stuff to mention
-Glance screen with the next event coming up
-Quit Hours with special configurations
-UWP
-Live tiles
-Cortana/Microsoft ecosystem integration
-Special settings


I have a Samsung Note Edge, Samsung S8 and of course I had a One Plus 5 which I sold recently. Everytime I swapped my sim-card I found myself coming back after 5-6 days. I tried to use them with stock launchers, Microsoft Launcher, Launcher10 but the result was the same.


I think W10M is perfectly aligned now for enterprise users (except M-Teams app) and second/third generation rather then mainstream people. In my opinion Microsoft made a mistake by killing the platform since the operating system started to get mature, more stable, less bugs, UWP and PWA's were still on the way. I think a new generation of Lumia's could have got a better chance since people started to get bored by Android and iOS.
Just think about it, Instagram updated their app, WhatsApp supporting their app, even Facebook got a new web-face, Twitter and Uber changed their app into PWA, Maps got a big update and all this happened in 2018. Microsoft abandoned the platform in November 2017.

We needed one more thing from Microsoft:
-Full support for PWA (Service workers + notification support) this thing would take the teams a couple of days....

 

[Johnlgordon]

Although I follow the tech news on Windows Central with interest , sadly, I just keep using my Lumia 950 XL because it does everything I need it to. AND painlessly. I think it was a good product and good OS.
But what do I know.
John.

 

[Kevin Rush]

There is a Microsoft Authenticator app for Android.

I think it's weird that someone says they like Windows Phone because of Microsoft Authenticator App and then people pile on "Oh, Oh, Oh, there is a Microsoft Authenticator App on android!" It almost seems like people are trying to get people to quit Windows Phone. Something I've noticed for a couple of years.

 

[Sonnymiami]

Why Windows phone? I've always loved the idea of having a PC in my pocket, and the evolution of Windows on phone, from Windows Mobile, to Windows Phone to Windows 10 Mobile has embodied that for me to varying degrees over the years.

Beginning in 2006 with the Cingular 2125 running Windows Mobile 5.0 (my first smartphone), my Windows phone journey has ridden the spectacular crests and frustrating valleys that have defined the platform. In fact, what may surprise many who follow my work is that Iinitially rejected Windows Phone 7 as an oversimplified UI and a backward step to Windows Mobile, the powerful, flexible and open mobile OS I loved.

Windows on phone, with its unique approach, is now a fading shadow of what it could've been. Still, Microsoft's enduring Windows on mobile strategy,via the rumored Andromeda device reflects the inspiring ambition Microsoft's previous mobile efforts (though poorly executed) exhibited. Will, the synergy of Windows 10 on a folding pocketable device be a winner? I don't know. Will the device even launch? Microsoft could scrap it. Still, Microsoft's pursuit of a vision to put real PC power in our pockets, via context conforming hardware and software on a device coupled with telephony is inspiring.

So as I contemplate my next move, Microsoft's Andromeda device which will likely be too expensive, or an Android phone, I'm enjoying what inspired me years ago, the Live Tile life, on my Lumia's 950 XL(personal) and 1020 (business)!

So what inspired you to embrace Windows phone and why are you still holding on?

I liked the idea of a Windows phone because I could have my PC with me all the time. I use Android now but I can't seem a let go of my 640xl. I still use it as a small tablet from time to time on WiFi. And it has an excellent camera. My everyday driver though is an LG G6 with Android 8.0.

 

[Kevin Rush]

Still using... and still writing apps for them. Check out Sense Clock and Sense Desktop; giving some of that old HTC animated weather flip clock to Windows.

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Looks great. Thank you for supporting Windows Phone. I'll purchase your apps to help support development.

 

[jlwaters11]

I went from the Alcatel windows Phone to the LG V6. I can tell you right now, all those who say Android is more stable and less buggy than W10 Mobile, they have no idea what they are talking about. My LG is having App's crash on a daily basis.
I sorely miss the flawless Cortana integration on my Windows phone. Google assistant is a joke in comparison. While I like having "APPs" the fact is there aren't alot that I didn't already have on Windows.

Windows Phone is still my favorite OS, though I haven't given Apple a chance.. I think I'd get bored and also I think I'd be annoyed with all the limitations Apple has with default and App settings.