Still worth getting for T-Mobile prepaid?

[Armada]

Hey, prospective user here. I'm tired of Verizon and their crap so I was thinking of moving to T-Mobile's $30 5GB/month prepaid service when my contract is up in three months. Is the Lumia 710 with Windows Phone 7.5 or 7.8 even worth it? I don't know if any apps moving forward will continue to support the old OS. Should I wait for something of similar running Windows Phone 8 cost to show up? It's a bit of a tough decision for me, because it seems only higher end devices are available and I'd have to upgrade and extend my contract to afford one outright. I really do like WP but the Nexus is priced well too, but never in stock.

So, Lumia 710 owners, any problems you have with the current OS I should know of before I make any decisions. All help is appreciated.

 

[HeyCori]

If you're going prepaid, is it safe to assume that you're paying full price for the 710?

There's nothing particularly wrong with the 710 but I think there are better options. I think an unlocked 900 off ebay/craigslist would serve you better than the 710. Better overall specs, better screen and much cooler to look at. You could get the 810 but that requires a new contract.

 

[Armada]

That's a good point. I think I'll go down to the local T-Mobile store and play with the 710 and a WP8 device as well. My budget for a new phone will be about $299 so I guess I have some options. Too bad even the high-end Lumia's won't see WP8, though if 7.8 still gets app support it's more-or-less the same. As long as it functions, I suppose.

 

[mcpayton]

I recently ( about 3 months ago ) bought a 710 off Ebay and moved from Verizon to the $30 5/Gb plan. I paid $120 for the phone plus $10 for the SIM, so not a bad deal considering the 710 I got was almost like new. I knew when I did it that the 710 wouldn't get an upgrade to WP 8, but the way I looked at it this was a cheap way to try out Windows Phone and T-Mobile, and no contract so if I decided I don't like it I'm not out all that much $$$.
Anyway, considering the cost I'm very satisfied. There's a few things about the 710 I wish were better but overall I like it. and there are no current WP8 phones that are all that compelling to me - The 810, 920, etc. look nice, but way too big for me. A mid-range phone is fine, with specs similar to the 810/820/822, but just not that big.

As for the 900 on T-Mobile, I don't think you'll get 4G on it with their current network. Maybe I'm wrong on that and it's no longer an issue, but i thought they were still in the process.

Either way you go ( 710 or 900 ) you can definitely get a decent one off Ebay if you're patient + careful.

 

[darthhen]

Are you currently on Android? The reason why I ask is because some people find it hard to switch to WP due to lack of apps. And in some cases, even if the app is available on WP, not all the functionality is there or there are other issues. So if you are on Android (or iOS), I would suggest you do a search on the apps that's most important to you first, and see if you're willing to give them up.

With regards to WP7.5 on the 710, it's a give and take. Personally, for my use, I am OK with it. But you can read up on a slew of WP7.5 issues that people have At the end of the day, nothing is perfect.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I see a lot of 710 on Craigslist as well. They are going for around $140, give and take. I used to be on a Galaxy S2, then I switched to Lumia 710. And I love it myself. The interface is much easier to use. I like the live tiles. It is helpful. I actually tried to switch back to Galaxy S2 because I was testing something. But I really hated it, couldn't wait to switch back to 710. I like Android OS because there are lot of tweaks that the user can do. But I don't really care for them. I just want to use the phone, use the GPS, listen to music while running.

My suggestion is to give it a try. Go pick up a 710 since they are pretty cheap. Try it. To be honest, for every plus in WP7.5, I'm sure there are plenty of minuses to off set. You just need to see it for yourself.

 

[ynight]

Since you have some fund and three months, maybe check the just announced Lumia 620. It kind remind me of the days with my nokia 3100, good old times..anyway, it would run wp8 and het all the upcoming features from that and from Nokia. Sounds like the right choice for you. I may as well get one since I have small hands and those big phones are force me off one hand use, which I hate.
Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Board Express

 

[Armada]

That's a good point, as long as it'll be on T-Mobile. I'm not exactly too enticed by AT&T's PAYG offerings. I guess I'll dig up the radio bands if I can.

 

[Armada]

Are you currently on Android? The reason why I ask is because some people find it hard to switch to WP due to lack of apps. And in some cases, even if the app is available on WP, not all the functionality is there or there are other issues. So if you are on Android (or iOS), I would suggest you do a search on the apps that's most important to you first, and see if you're willing to give them up.

With regards to WP7.5 on the 710, it's a give and take. Personally, for my use, I am OK with it. But you can read up on a slew of WP7.5 issues that people have At the end of the day, nothing is perfect.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I see a lot of 710 on Craigslist as well. They are going for around $140, give and take. I used to be on a Galaxy S2, then I switched to Lumia 710. And I love it myself. The interface is much easier to use. I like the live tiles. It is helpful. I actually tried to switch back to Galaxy S2 because I was testing something. But I really hated it, couldn't wait to switch back to 710. I like Android OS because there are lot of tweaks that the user can do. But I don't really care for them. I just want to use the phone, use the GPS, listen to music while running.

My suggestion is to give it a try. Go pick up a 710 since they are pretty cheap. Try it. To be honest, for every plus in WP7.5, I'm sure there are plenty of minuses to off set. You just need to see it for yourself.

Wow how'd I miss this post? Anyway, yes I'm currently armed with a Galaxy Nexus. I just want my phone to be stable, to be fluid 95% of the time, have battery life that doesn't drain to 50% in 45 minutes of screen on, and of course: function as a phone. :evil: I love my Nexus and Android dearly, but Verizon screwing up updates (never saw the 4.1.2 update and still waiting on 4.2), my browser crashing near constantly lately, and the subpar battery life makes me think it's time to try something new. The website that let's you check if WP has an equivalent app from Android says I have every app I currently use besides a PNC Bank app so I think I can switch. Even if I don't like WP I still have a device to go back to, and $150 isn't a big risk. Though if I really do go the T-Mobile route it sounds like the 620 is the best choice for prepaid if it's compatible. WP8 sounds like it dealt with many issues WP7.x had; the biggest for me being Skype not really working like Skype. I can't use Skype on my Nexus because, well, the battery life is bad enough as it is.

Thanks for the insight.

 

[mcpayton]

The 620 hasn't even been released yet. It was only announced yesterday, isn't shipping until 2013, and then will be asia first. No word on if/when a US release is planned or if T-Mobile will carry it or a similar model.
Since Skype is important you should know that the 710 has no front facing camera ( one of the things I don't like about it ) but otherwise may suit you. That leaves a unlocked 900 in your price range as far as what's available now and will work with T-Mobile. As I mentioned above, I don't know if you get 4G with a 900 on T-Mobile, or if you are stuck with 3G or even Edge. If I'm wrong and it will have 4G on T-Mobile it sounds like it could be the best match for you. Or spend a little more and go with the 810.
It looks like there are compromises regardless what you choose.

 

[Armada]

It doesn't look like the 900 is 3G/4G compatible with T-Mobile at the moment. At least not until they finish their refarm (I don't know when that will be). It may be wise for me to wait out my contract until then. Wish I knew someone with a Trophy they're not using to try out the experience.

 

[darthhen]

Regarding your Nexus battery issues, there are plenty of CPU monitors on Android that let's you check to see what's running. Have you tried those to see what's going on?

Also, have you done a factory reset and re-format the phone to erase all data? This is an extreme course of action but I guess you don't have much to lose since your phone is kinda unusable.

Just my $0.02....

 

[Armada]

It's not apps. It's the screen. Everyone who owns the Galaxy Nexus knows it and that won't change. That 720p SAMOLED display just guzzles juice. Though, the good battery life Windows Phone claims to have is one of the reasons I want to switch, there's plenty of others. (EDIT: And the VZW Nexus is also hampered power-wise with the separate LTE chip there to tap power too.)

 

[Alex Rodriguez]

620 is not going to come to the States, that phone is not made to compete here. It won't sell .Specially when you have a lumia 820 ans variants in different carriers (810-Tmobile, 822- Verizon) plus the 8gb version of HTC 8x on AT&T
Nokia's Killer Windows Phone Won't Be Coming To America - Forbes

 

[Armada]

That's bad news for me since pretty much every WP8 device is priced out of my range ($300 is as much as I'm willing to pay). I'm not roping myself into another contract just to get the subsidized price. I guess WP7.x is still an option but I'm not sure what the major differences between the new and old platform is as someone new to it all.

EDIT: Looks like my area has been part of the spectrum conversion. This opens up the possibility of using AT&T phones and getting HSPA+ speeds. Still, nothing exactly budget friendly in the WP8 camp.

 

[opacityzero]

Armada..for me, it depends on your timing. Right now the 710 is about 150 on ebay. You can always buy a 810, 920 (once the spectrum refarming is done) or HTC 8X but the price is about 400 currently. I would get the Lumia 710, save the $150 from your budget and upgrade in a year when each of the three phones above will be half the price making your upgrade cheap. For 150, you will test how you like Windows Phone and know if it's right for you.

I been using the 710 for about a year now and it's great. The only downside I would say is the build quality when compared to the beautiful Lumia 800 almost any of the current WP8 phones out now, but in its own right the quality is fine, it's just not the wow quality and design. Btw, Nokia does a great job, maybe too great, of making exclusive apps for Lumia only that makes me think hard about ever switching to another Windows Phone manufacturer - for me it's the Nokia Dive (gps turn by turn navigation with offline maps too) and Music (like pandora, even allows offline/cache listening which is usually a premium service) that I love with them.

btw, call T-Mobile to sim-unlock your phone once you're with them so whenever you do sell the 710 you will get the most from it or keep if needed for travling abroad.

 

[Armada]

I guess my last few questions come down to this: Are there any glaring problems I should be aware of coming from Android, what big features will I miss out on from WP8 (I like the lockscreen notifications mostly), and how usable is Skype on WP7.5 for Skype being used for IMs over anything else?

 

[rodney0905]

Has anyone else noticed that the refurbished 710 is on sale for 120. I've checked the site over the last few weeks and its been in and out of stock.
Nokia Lumia 710 - No Annual Contract | Prepaid Phone Details | T-Mobile

 

[darthhen]

I guess my last few questions come down to this: Are there any glaring problems I should be aware of coming from Android, what big features will I miss out on from WP8 (I like the lockscreen notifications mostly), and how usable is Skype on WP7.5 for Skype being used for IMs over anything else?

Armada, regarding WP7.5 vs WP8, I noticed a lot of the new apps that are coming out is on WP8. It's quite frustrating. Although there's no app that I am dying to use on WP8, but it would still be nice to be able to try it.

I am not a Skype user so I can't really comment.

 

[jc0187]

I have had the lumia 710 for about 6 or 7 months and I dislike it very much. First thing I noticed was my virtual keyboard is very sluggish. When I type, the characters are delayed about 2 seconds before they appear on screen. This gets frustrating especially when you misspell a word or the phone auto corrects things and puts a word in your text you did not intentionally want there. The virtual keyboard is inaccurate. When i type words, sometimes the letter underneath, or to the sides of that letter get pressed instead. I have never had a significant issue with this on a physical keyboard. While surfing the web, speeds slow to a sluggish, dial-up connection speed. My brother could be in the same room surfing the web on his galaxy 3s and reach multiple websites in the time it takes this phone to get to one site. Then theres the crashing issues. It crashes alot. It will just randomly restart or just plain shut off sometimes. The speaker phone on it is horrible. I used to get frustrated at people whom im talking to over the speaker phone, and they would say they can barely hear me, that it's like im talking to them from the shoulder of the freeway, or in a wind tunnel, that was until my girlfriend used her speakerphone to call me (we both have a lumia 710). I profusely called everyone back apologized for the bad connection. This phone does have a built in radio tuner, which is nice. Unfortunately, the tuner is far from perfect. While the radio is active, if I switch to speakerphone and my screen goes into sleep mode, the radio will sometimes stop. All in all though, if this will be a first touch screen phone, its not too bad. There definitely is better options out there. If I were you though, stay with an android. They are much better phones, and they have the support behind them. A WP is a failed project, and within a couple years, the people will vote with their feet and march to a better phone. And the WP will be the headaches of the past.

 

[hary536]

I have had the lumia 710 for about 6 or 7 months and I dislike it very much. First thing I noticed was my virtual keyboard is very sluggish. When I type, the characters are delayed about 2 seconds before they appear on screen. This gets frustrating especially when you misspell a word or the phone auto corrects things and puts a word in your text you did not intentionally want there. The virtual keyboard is inaccurate. When i type words, sometimes the letter underneath, or to the sides of that letter get pressed instead. I have never had a significant issue with this on a physical keyboard. While surfing the web, speeds slow to a sluggish, dial-up connection speed. My brother could be in the same room surfing the web on his galaxy 3s and reach multiple websites in the time it takes this phone to get to one site. Then theres the crashing issues. It crashes alot. It will just randomly restart or just plain shut off sometimes. The speaker phone on it is horrible. I used to get frustrated at people whom im talking to over the speaker phone, and they would say they can barely hear me, that it's like im talking to them from the shoulder of the freeway, or in a wind tunnel, that was until my girlfriend used her speakerphone to call me (we both have a lumia 710). I profusely called everyone back apologized for the bad connection. This phone does have a built in radio tuner, which is nice. Unfortunately, the tuner is far from perfect. While the radio is active, if I switch to speakerphone and my screen goes into sleep mode, the radio will sometimes stop. All in all though, if this will be a first touch screen phone, its not too bad. There definitely is better options out there. If I were you though, stay with an android. They are much better phones, and they have the support behind them. A WP is a failed project, and within a couple years, the people will vote with their feet and march to a better phone. And the WP will be the headaches of the past.

Not had any keyboard disappear problem on my Lumia 710 with WP7.5. I know it was a reported bug in WP7.
Not sure, why editing texts is an exercise of restraint for you. Personally haven't found any problem.

Regarding websites browsing, it's not OS fault entirely. It's a well known fact that some websites have been designing them to identify IE on WP as mobile browser than full desktop browser, causing some issues. Slowly web developers are realizing the mistake and it will take some time to change. But obviously, phone is not a replacement for all websites for your desktop. For casual browsing, this is perfectly fine device and OS.

FM radio is designed to use your headphone as antenna. Hence it doesn't work on speaker phone. This is the real FM receiver not internet based radio. Hence it works this way.
It says about using headphones as antenna clearly when you start radio. I am surprised if you have never seen this before on any other phones. I have seen this standard on most of the nokia and other OEM's phones in the past.

I have the phone for only 1 month and still not using it as my main device,since am going to give it as a gift to my dad. Have been testing it though. So far not had restart issues.
But had to restart manually once,since couple of apps were not launching. That's it so far.

Also, I bought the phone new unlocked from groupon for $160 and recently there was/is a deal on other website for new unlocked 710 for $150.