First impressions after day 1 on WP8

[architxt]

I got myself a Lumia 620 after cracking the screen of my new Sony Xperia Z (it didn't like my pocket).

First impressions are very positive starting from the size and build quality, which is exactly what I need. Never again will I get anything as sizeable as the Xperia.

There is still a lot of stuff I need to figure out to make the most of WP8 but I think I figured 75% of it out as I configured accounts, tiles, etc... Most of the apps (and type of apps) I need are available. That said, my requirements are fairly minimal.

What I'm please about the most is usability. Android is powerful and flexible, but WP8 works better for me. I really like how I can access all sorts of info via a contact profile - the experience is much more person than app-centric. With my Xperia I felt I was carrying a computer around with me rather than a phone, so I actually appreciate certain limitations I have now. I'll be using my phone less, which is a good thing.

So all good thus far. No doubt I'll come across things that I will not like and functions that I will miss from my Android days. I haven't quite worked out how integrated (or not) WP8 is with Windows 8 is yet. I've got fairly high expectations for this - we'll see how it goes. And I'm not sure I'll be able to configure my various POP email account exactly as I want to. If not, I'll keep some of them in Gmail.

 

[alllies]

Welcome to WP community..mind you..once you get used to WP it is hard to get back:winktongue:

 

[chezm]

Welcome to WP8 and joining the rest of us that also came from Android family. ENJOY!!

 

[N_LaRUE]

So all good thus far. No doubt I'll come across things that I will not like and functions that I will miss from my Android days. I haven't quite worked out how integrated (or not) WP8 is with Windows 8 is yet. I've got fairly high expectations for this - we'll see how it goes. And I'm not sure I'll be able to configure my various POP email account exactly as I want to. If not, I'll keep some of them in Gmail.

Currently WP8 doesn't integrate with Windows 8 at all. It uses an app, which is pretty basic I might add. It won't be until the 'Blue' update that there will be more cross function, apparently.

You should have no issues setting up POP accounts, not sure what configuration you're after but you should have little issues there.

Judging from what you've written you haven't hit those areas where the limits come in that will drive you crazy and they will, like they drive a lot of us crazy. As I've pointed out to others new to the platform or those thinking about it. You need to take WP8 as it is and work with how it is otherwise you'll get frustraed and disappointed rather quickly. If there is anything that comes out in the future that makes the experience a better one all we can do is hope.

Anyway enjoy.

 

[MilkyTee]

Came from Android myself, and very glad I did. You'll enjoy your stay.

 

[9520G]

Good job, other OS will look a mess after this.

 

[architxt]

N_LaRUE, I'm hoping Windows 8.1 will do a better job than the current version. With SkyDrive being more integral to the OS, file sharing across devices should be better.

The issue with POP accounts is that I want to be able to use a single Outlook.com account for multiple POP accounts via a desktop browser and my phone. The problem with the Phone is, however, that I can't have proper reply-to addresses for the multiple POP accounts. I hope this makese sense

I haven't come across any big limitation so far. Part of the reason is that I've lowered my expectations -- I want to use my phone primarily as a... phone. So far I'm doing find without some of the apps I was using on Android.

 

[Tictac1977]

I find it integrated enough for me, especially with using ms office 2013 and SkyDrive. Take a picture and its usually immediately available to view on my desktop. Make a shopping list or spreadsheet for work and I can use and edit it on my phone. How much more integrated do you need?

 

[HvdW]

Hey all!

I'm also fairly new to actually owning a Windows Phone device (although I've been a fan and avid follower of its development from day one). I also came from Android (first had the HTC Desire, then the Samsung Galaxy SIII Mini).

I consider myself a a pretty intense user of my phone as a communications tool, but also as a life assistant and main source of entertainment when I'm away from the computer. In the first year or so of being on Android, I was tinkering with the OS in all sorts of ways (Custom launchers, icon packs, strange lil widgets and eventually flashing a new ROM). I considered this just to be part of my personality (I'm pretty nerdy!). But eventually I also got to the point that Architxt made: I want a phone, not a computer. The bigger problem was that I realized, I wasn't constantly customizing my phone because I enjoyed customization; I was doing it in an eternal (and futile) attempt to simply get it to work the way I wanted it to work.

Long story short, Windows Phone works the way I like and find natural. It has more than enough options for customization for me to feel it is truly personal (always thought that was just marketing crap from Microsoft... I stand happily corrected). I miss none of the features from Android, aside from one or two Google Now specific things, but I can gladly live without them.

I've had my Lumia 920 for a little over a week now and I couldn't be happier! Don't know if I qualify to do any welcoming of new users, but screw it: always nice to meet like-minded people who share a common interest. So welcome!

 

[angel51woo]

never liked android, come from iphone 4s, stay with WP8

 

[glow84]

Welcome as I always tell people. Thinking of making a switch. If you aren't app crazy then this IS the phone for you. Doesn't everything you want simple and does it well.

 

[Blkacesvf41]

Currently WP8 doesn't integrate with Windows 8 at all. It uses an app, which is pretty basic I might add. It won't be until the 'Blue' update that there will be more cross function, apparently.

You should have no issues setting up POP accounts, not sure what configuration you're after but you should have little issues there.

Judging from what you've written you haven't hit those areas where the limits come in that will drive you crazy and they will, like they drive a lot of us crazy. As I've pointed out to others new to the platform or those thinking about it. You need to take WP8 as it is and work with how it is otherwise you'll get frustraed and disappointed rather quickly. If there is anything that comes out in the future that makes the experience a better one all we can do is hope.

Anyway enjoy.

Not entirely true. Besides SkyDrive, as far as your pictures go, there's also integration with your music that you purchase. Your Hotmail contacts will also sync and don't forget your calendar.

 

[Blkacesvf41]

The one thing that bugs me is that your Hotmail contacts don't sync with the photo you have on your phone. When connecting Twitter to the people app, those contacts do show up with the pictures. Microsoft should really fix this.

 

[Onager1286]

Not entirely true. Besides SkyDrive, as far as your pictures go, there's also integration with your music that you purchase. Your Hotmail contacts will also sync and don't forget your calendar.

Well any phone can sync your contacts and calendar. I too am looking forward to some really special and useful interoperability between W8 and WP8.

 

[anon(123856)]

Welcome! I too came from Android and while I don't have any beef with it, I'm glad I switched. WP8 does everything I need and want from a smartphone.

 

[architxt]

Hey all!

I consider myself a a pretty intense user of my phone as a communications tool, but also as a life assistant and main source of entertainment when I'm away from the computer. In the first year or so of being on Android, I was tinkering with the OS in all sorts of ways (Custom launchers, icon packs, strange lil widgets and eventually flashing a new ROM). I considered this just to be part of my personality (I'm pretty nerdy!). But eventually I also got to the point that Architxt made: I want a phone, not a computer. The bigger problem was that I realized, I wasn't constantly customizing my phone because I enjoyed customization; I was doing it in an eternal (and futile) attempt to simply get it to work the way I wanted it to work!

I'm a bit like you in this respect and had tons of fun downloading launchers on Android and messin' with wallpapers, etc.. but with time becoming increasingly more prescious I saw switching to WP8 as an opportunity to claim back time. I've had to spend a bit of time figuring out tiles, true, but now I'm all set. And they work beautifully.

I haven't seen much of the Microsoft adverts for WP but they should certainly push this angle.

 

[OzRob]

I'm a bit like you in this respect and had tons of fun downloading launchers on Android and messin' with wallpapers, etc.. but with time becoming increasingly more prescious I saw switching to WP8 as an opportunity to claim back time. I've had to spend a bit of time figuring out tiles, true, but now I'm all set. And they work beautifully.

I'm suffering almost the opposite effect. I spent a while (probably a couple of weeks) getting my Android phone working the way I wanted, but after I did, I rarely touched the setup again and just went about using the phone, with lots of stuff being done automatically for me.

Since moving to WP8 (Lumia 720 - bought really to try out the OS and see how WP compared to Android) several weeks ago, I've been constantly battling to get the phone to do what I want it do. Some of this is an app issue (for example, there is no really comprehensive public transport app for Sydney, Australia - HERE Transit is too limited in functionality), some is to do with API limitations (there appears to be no way for developers to make apps that change system settings based on location and/or time, a la Llama in the Android world), and some of it is UI related, like not being able to search within the Messages hub, get a good display of upcoming calendar events, or set different volumes for ringtone and media. And some are just plain bugs (duplicate songs in music library with songs stored on SD card).

I'm not looking for my phone to be a personal computer (I don't care about lack of a file manager or not being able to 'root' it and install custom versions of the operating system), but I do want my smart phone to be smart. And so far with WP8 I'm spending more time trying to make it do what I want than actually doing what I want.

There's certainly potential there - the smoothness of the phone is fantastic and I like the overall look and feel of the OS - but it just seems to be fighting me over small issues all the time. Perhaps the next update will turn the situation around?

 

[N_LaRUE]

Not entirely true. Besides SkyDrive, as far as your pictures go, there's also integration with your music that you purchase. Your Hotmail contacts will also sync and don't forget your calendar.

Well he said 'integrates with Windows 8'. To me it wasn't about Skydrive, email/contact syncing or music that you purchase. I don't consider this integrating so much as something as the bare minimum a mobile OS should do. At this stage of things, WP8, WRT and W8 are all different beasts. The future is to create a more combined ecosystem (I believe this is the Blue update). That to me is integration, what we have now is functional integration. The latest version of WP8 app on W8 just added document syncing feature, this was available on Symbian with Nokia PC suite years ago. So once we step beyond what was available on mobile OS years ago I'll become more impressed.

 

[Phani Chandra]

Coming from an iphone 4, the last 24 hours on WP8 ( use a Lumia 720) has been a very weird experience for me. Things like turning off notifications seem to be next to impossible on WP!! i figured out turning off notifications for FB and Email but not for Text messages and Whatsapp . The music definitely sounds better on the new phone but using this phone to sync with a Mac has been such a painful experience..

The most weird thing so far has been the people app displaying contact pictures from FB, Twitter and Gmail in the same sequence and i have two pictures of the same person coming up at a time .

All said, i picked this phone to try Windows and i hope i dont get frustrated.

 

[architxt]

OzRob, I see what you mean. Seems like there are some core functions missing, or not quite working as one would wish, that is even putting the breaks on app development as well as frustrating users. My bugbear is getting multiple POP emails accounts working as they used to on Android, where I could send / receive with their proper @whatever.com domains and be synced with Gmail. Ultimately, I do have faith in MS's vision of the 'experience' spanning multiple devices... so I am expecting WP8 to become more complete.

N_LaRUE, the 'integrates with Windows 8' statement is a bit vague (and I'm not tech expert). But yes, I do mean an ecosystem as you describe it. This has to be high on MS's agenda if they want to compete with Apple and Google. Surely.