What is the best non-lumia Windows Phone?

dlalonde

New member
Apr 16, 2013
1,013
0
0
Visit site
There are not a lot of Windows Phone or Windows Mobile phones in Canada. Other than the 950 which I couldn't buy, the best thing I can get is from Microsoft's online store and it's a Lumia 550 which is a very low spec thing. I'm not too interested. The best bet for me for now from the Lumia brand would be the 650 but I can't get that one unless I pay a fortune to get it from Europe...

There are some non-lumia phones that I could get but after a sucky experience with HTC I'm kind of afrais to get a non-Lumia phone. What are the best non-lumia phones one could get under 400$?
 

RumoredNow

New member
Nov 12, 2012
18,134
0
0
Visit site
BLU Win HD LTE is a pretty pleasant experience for some, and a pass for others.

Why not check out that forum and decide for yourself if you want to go there. I enjoyed my time on BLU (I've had a 1st and 2nd gen HD).

Lumia Firmware is still a value added package, no doubt. Microsoft hasn't really changed that. Mainly I think it's about research and scaling your expectations accordingly.

No 640's floating around in your neck of the woods? Still a great phone.


BLU Win HD LTE - Windows Central Forums
http://forums.windowscentral.com/bl...rs]-my-blu-win-hd-lte-review.html#post3196155
 
Nov 20, 2012
2,997
0
0
Visit site
There are not a lot of Windows Phone or Windows Mobile phones in Canada. Other than the 950 which I couldn't buy, the best thing I can get is from Microsoft's online store and it's a Lumia 550 which is a very low spec thing. I'm not too interested. The best bet for me for now from the Lumia brand would be the 650 but I can't get that one unless I pay a fortune to get it from Europe...

There are some non-lumia phones that I could get but after a sucky experience with HTC I'm kind of afrais to get a non-Lumia phone. What are the best non-lumia phones one could get under 400$?

Have you looked at legacy Lumia devices?
I am not sure which windows phone you use now but via swappa or eBay you can get the 1520, Lumia 930 or icon and even HTC m8 for steals.

Personally I recommend Alcatel one touch fierce xl as the best non Lumia.

Also look on amazon. That Colby smartphone is $300 and it is on amazon.

Also you can get the Lumia 640 xl which is easily the best windows phone from 2015 money can buy unlocked on eBay
 

BryceMD

New member
Jun 23, 2014
166
0
0
Visit site
In Canada the only options are really the Lumia 950(XL)/550/640XL/830/BLU Win HD

The only one with carrier contract support, to my knowledge, is the 830.

Aside from the Lumia 950 and 950XL they are all relatively comparable sporting similar hardware and varying screen sizes.

Other than than you need to go elsewhere... ebay or buying outside of Canada.
 

pankaj981

New member
Jul 10, 2012
6,131
0
0
Visit site
You could always get an AT&T unlocked Lumia 1520 from eBay for a cheaper price. Heck even the ATT unlocked HTC M8 is going for a lot less than the 1520. From what I've read online the camera on the HTC is not something you can brag about. Some have even pointed the quality to be a lot worse than the 640.
 

dlalonde

New member
Apr 16, 2013
1,013
0
0
Visit site
This really isn't a question in need of immediate assistance, so I moved this thread to the Windows 10 Mobile forum.

For more info, see this thread: http://forums.windowscentral.com/ask-question/292973-who-should-post-ask-question-forum.html

Sure thing, thanks.

BLU Win HD LTE is a pretty pleasant experience for some, and a pass for others.

Why not check out that forum and decide for yourself if you want to go there. I enjoyed my time on BLU (I've had a 1st and 2nd gen HD).

Lumia Firmware is still a value added package, no doubt. Microsoft hasn't really changed that. Mainly I think it's about research and scaling your expectations accordingly.

No 640's floating around in your neck of the woods? Still a great phone.


BLU Win HD LTE - Windows Central Forums
http://forums.windowscentral.com/bl...rs]-my-blu-win-hd-lte-review.html#post3196155

Yeah the BLU was actually the one that caught my eye. I'll look into that one. I had a 640 last year but I was sourly disapointed by it. The camera quality and at some point half the screen got filled with green lines without it ever being dropped. Then I bought an OEM screen that had a dead pixel so they sent me another that also had a dead pixel. I don't know if the phone model was to blame but I'm a bit turned off by the 640.

Have you looked at legacy Lumia devices?
I am not sure which windows phone you use now but via swappa or eBay you can get the 1520, Lumia 930 or icon and even HTC m8 for steals.

Personally I recommend Alcatel one touch fierce xl as the best non Lumia.

Also look on amazon. That Colby smartphone is $300 and it is on amazon.

Also you can get the Lumia 640 xl which is easily the best windows phone from 2015 money can buy unlocked on eBay

Well the thing with legacy devices is I'm afraid of them being abandonned and incompatible as some were with Windows 10 Mobile. If I'm to buy a phone I want it to last me a while.

In Canada the only options are really the Lumia 950(XL)/550/640XL/830/BLU Win HD

The only one with carrier contract support, to my knowledge, is the 830.

Aside from the Lumia 950 and 950XL they are all relatively comparable sporting similar hardware and varying screen sizes.

Other than than you need to go elsewhere... ebay or buying outside of Canada.

Yeah a lot of them dropped the 830. The 950 and 950XL are just too expensive. Maybe I'll just have to wait for a carrier to come around.


I love HTC phones. The experience I had with HTC was probably bad because it was an 8s (budget phone).

You could always get an AT&T unlocked Lumia 1520 from eBay for a cheaper price. Heck even the ATT unlocked HTC M8 is going for a lot less than the 1520. From what I've read online the camera on the HTC is not something you can brag about. Some have even pointed the quality to be a lot worse than the 640.

Yeah like I said I'd want to stay away from legacy devices just so I can be sure to get upgrades. If we weren't at a turning point with Windows 10 Mobile it would be different.

Thank you all! :)
 

Br1t

New member
Jun 9, 2013
242
0
0
Visit site
I've had the M8 a year and a half, I would recommend it. Until the 950's came out it was the most powerful windows phone available. The only negative is the camera, but it's not as straightforward as people would make you believe. It's a good camera, it just lacks high resolution for macro or blown up shots. Samsung just took the same approach with the S7, lowering the MP count and increasing the pixel size, there are advantages.

I say just don't rule it out unless you have specific camera needs. WP10 runs great on it so if it's available at a cheap price it's worth considering.
 
Nov 20, 2012
2,997
0
0
Visit site
I've had the M8 a year and a half, I would recommend it. Until the 950's came out it was the most powerful windows phone available. The only negative is the camera, but it's not as straightforward as people would make you believe. It's a good camera, it just lacks high resolution for macro or blown up shots. Samsung just took the same approach with the S7, lowering the MP count and increasing the pixel size, there are advantages.

I say just don't rule it out unless you have specific camera needs. WP10 runs great on it so if it's available at a cheap price it's worth considering.

The camera on the m8 is pretty straightforwardly subpar. Both on android and windows.

It also wasn't the most powerful considering aside from an 801 processor, it didn't do anything better or worse than the 1520 or icon. It was comparable.
 

Tien-Lin Chang

New member
Feb 9, 2015
207
0
0
Visit site
There are not a lot of Windows Phone or Windows Mobile phones in Canada. Other than the 950 which I couldn't buy, the best thing I can get is from Microsoft's online store and it's a Lumia 550 which is a very low spec thing. I'm not too interested. The best bet for me for now from the Lumia brand would be the 650 but I can't get that one unless I pay a fortune to get it from Europe...

There are some non-lumia phones that I could get but after a sucky experience with HTC I'm kind of afrais to get a non-Lumia phone. What are the best non-lumia phones one could get under 400$?
If you care about the SPEC then HTC W8 is the way to go, it got better spec than 1520, sure packing the power for future w10m era.

The BLU/alcatel are not much better SPEC than Lumia 550/650, both have just 8mp camera - providing just 40% much pixels in each axis compared to the W8.

Sure the 4mp ultrapixel camera from HTC not sounds very excited but check the sample photos over the internet it's ok for everyday use and packs a punch in low-light/in door situation.

The only down side due to it's low pixel numbers will be photoing documents - apps like office lens will suffer from there. But I also got pretty bad office lens image from some 13mp camera of other brand's phone so I suggest you give a try at store and actually see if you like it.
 
Nov 20, 2012
2,997
0
0
Visit site
If you care about the SPEC then HTC W8 is the way to go, it got better spec than 1520, sure packing the power for future w10m era.

The BLU/alcatel are not much better SPEC than Lumia 550/650, both have just 8mp camera - providing just 40% much pixels in each axis compared to the W8.

Sure the 4mp ultrapixel camera from HTC not sounds very excited but check the sample photos over the internet it's ok for everyday use and packs a punch in low-light/in door situation.

The only down side due to it's low pixel numbers will be photoing documents - apps like office lens will suffer from there. But I also got pretty bad office lens image from some 13mp camera of other brand's phone so I suggest you give a try at store and actually see if you like it.

The only improvement the m8 had was an 801 processor which is largely irrelevant as it more or less performed sometimes better and sometimes worse or sometimes just as good as the Lumia 1520/icon/930.

We really should stop this myth that the m8 was a top specced phone when it wasn't much different from a Lumia.

Also on the picture quality if we have to say things like "the camera is okay for everyday use or for social network as long as you don't crop or zoom" then that is not a good camera. I know HTC has its fans but we really need to stop downplaying it's shortcomings and overhyping its pros.
 

Mad Cabbie

Retired Ambassador
Jun 9, 2015
992
0
0
Visit site
I love the Blu win hd! My autistic son has one and they are virtually indestructible! ?50 on amazon and come with a case and screen protector.

Not the most desirable phone admittedly, but if your life is rough and tumble, I recommend them. I also agree with a post above. The 640 and 640xl are the MOST unsung phones, I have EVER come across, and I've had a few!! They are brilliant for the money, and can give more expensive devices a run for their money. They are Fab!! And that's from a guy with 2 950's and 2 950xl!!!
 

Ariel Takom

New member
Aug 9, 2015
386
0
0
Visit site
At present, I could not think of other phones besides those already mentioned by other forum members before me.

But what I'd suggest you to look up for, at least until it arrives that is, is the NuAns Neo from Japan. It's one of the best upcoming top-tier mid-range phone IMO, with good battery, good camera, great physical customizability, great SoC, and supports Continuum. Of course, all of these has yet to be tested fully by certified English reviewers (unless you can read Japanese), and is only based on written specs. Rumour has it that NuAns is looking to make this phone available in the USA, so I guess you could get it from there if it ever comes?

But if you ever have the money and patience to wait, then maybe you could save up for the HP Elite X3. A beast of a phone is what it is.
 

Kevin Hill2

New member
Jul 16, 2014
170
0
0
Visit site
We get it, Micah, you do not like the M8, Some of us really do. The camera is the only downside and if you don't Zoom or use the Micro you will be more than happy with it, it is by far the best looking Windows phone, has great stereo speakers, fast processor, took to Windows 10 like a duck to water. If you want a top of the line Windows phone and not pay an arm and a leg the M8 is the way to go.
 

dlalonde

New member
Apr 16, 2013
1,013
0
0
Visit site
It's not a WP. Besides you'll need to check your network bands for compatibility.

That would explain it ha ha! :p

I love the Blu win hd! My autistic son has one and they are virtually indestructible! ?50 on amazon and come with a case and screen protector.

Not the most desirable phone admittedly, but if your life is rough and tumble, I recommend them. I also agree with a post above. The 640 and 640xl are the MOST unsung phones, I have EVER come across, and I've had a few!! They are brilliant for the money, and can give more expensive devices a run for their money. They are Fab!! And that's from a guy with 2 950's and 2 950xl!!!

The BLU Win HD seems to stick out here. Plus it looks like HTC which look great. That's the one I'm looking at right now.

At present, I could not think of other phones besides those already mentioned by other forum members before me.

But what I'd suggest you to look up for, at least until it arrives that is, is the NuAns Neo from Japan. It's one of the best upcoming top-tier mid-range phone IMO, with good battery, good camera, great physical customizability, great SoC, and supports Continuum. Of course, all of these has yet to be tested fully by certified English reviewers (unless you can read Japanese), and is only based on written specs. Rumour has it that NuAns is looking to make this phone available in the USA, so I guess you could get it from there if it ever comes?

But if you ever have the money and patience to wait, then maybe you could save up for the HP Elite X3. A beast of a phone is what it is.

Yeah I'm not about to buy it anyway, not before Microsoft adds the ability to write and reply with another email than our outlook.com email on their mail client. I put all my personnal and pro emails in my email service (currently Gmail) and if I'm to move to MS I want to have that functionnality so I can answer clients from my phone. I'll see what's coming in the next few months but the BLU Win HD is pretty interesting.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
322,910
Messages
2,242,883
Members
428,005
Latest member
COME ON WIN ANDROID (ADI)