Thorough day-five impressions. Hopefully some questions/concerns answered

[J4rrod]

OP forgot one HUGE pro with the Lumia... Wireless charging. So easy to just drop phone on a pad at night and go to bed. Doesnt seem like a big deal but I honestly see it as a must have now.

You're right, I did forget to add wireless charging to the Icon's pros. However, I didn't consider the M8's lack of to be a con, as my 925 didn't have it and I didn't miss it that much, especially since the only time I charge my phone is at night. If I had a desk job I'm sure that would've been higher on my priority list.

 

[TaliZorah]

You're right, I did forget to add wireless charging to the Icon's pros. However, I didn't consider the M8's lack of to be a con, as my 925 didn't have it and I didn't miss it that much, especially since the only time I charge my phone is at night. If I had a desk job I'm sure that would've been higher on my priority list.

No biggie Im just saying some things are more important to other people. I understand why some have the M8 and why some chose the Icon.

 

[MDMcAtee]

Pardon me for asking... but for those who feel the lack of wireless charging on the m8 is a con, please enlighten me a little bit about it.

Can you use the phone and still be charging it.? Are the wireless chargers not occupying a electrical power outlet? Are they cheaper than a standard oem USB plug and cable?

I have never really understood the reasons why not having this option would be considered a con..

Posted via Windows Phone Central App

 

[cbreze]

Pardon me for asking... but for those who feel the lack of wireless charging on the m8 is a con, please enlighten me a little bit about it.

Can you use the phone and still be charging it.? Are the wireless chargers not occupying a electrical power outlet? Are they cheaper than a standard oem USB plug and cable?

I have never really understood the reasons why not having this option would be considered a con..

Posted via Windows Phone Central App

Any con for not having wireless charging is definitely in the view of the user. For me any con is so small its really insignificant. Others wont even consider a phone that doesn't have this feature. It's harder to use IMO when charging so I would just pick it up to use then replace it to continue the charge. After having it with the icon then not having it with the M8 , I've pretty much developed a meh attitude about it. Have it, don't have it, couldn't care less at this point. If your phone is prone to high battery usage then having it available for quick boosts is convenient for sure. Fortunately the M8 battery goes all day while the icon not so much. One reason so many are pinning high hopes on the cyan release to help with power usage.

 

[rdubmu]

Thank you for this review, when this does come out for tmobile I might jump on it and bury my iphone


EDIT: auto-correct!! AHHH!
Sent from my Surface Pro 3 using Tapatalk

 

[Silviu Bogusevschi]

No, there wasn't an option for this.
I'm sure there will be an update somewhere along the line tho, especially as there's already a phone out there (M8) with the option.

Lumia Denim update will allow you to hide the on-screen buttons by swiping them.

 

[MDK22]

Correct me if I'm wrong (I know you will)

Doesn't the M8 have 32gb onboard storage w SDcard slot ... the Icon has 32gb (?) onboard w NO SDcard slot
haven't seen that mentioned, seems to be high on the list of pros / cons.

 

[J4rrod]

Correct me if I'm wrong (I know you will)

Doesn't the M8 have 32gb onboard storage w SDcard slot ... the Icon has 32gb (?) onboard w NO SDcard slot
haven't seen that mentioned, seems to be high on the list of pros / cons.

Maybe for some, but not for me. That list was just my personal preferences. I don't need that much storage, 32GB is easily enough for me

 

[danwanna]

Pardon me for asking... but for those who feel the lack of wireless charging on the m8 is a con, please enlighten me a little bit about it.

Can you use the phone and still be charging it.? Are the wireless chargers not occupying a electrical power outlet? Are they cheaper than a standard oem USB plug and cable?

I have never really understood the reasons why not having this option would be considered a con..

Posted via Windows Phone Central App

The main thing I love about wireless charging is throwing it on the charger at night without looking at it. I have the Tylt charger and it is really forgiving on placement.

 

[techgeek32#WN]

I have both of these devices and ended up keeping the M8. Here is why.

M8 Pros

1. Who knows when the Icon will get 8.1?
2. Dot View case. I can answer calls without opening the front. I can activate Cortana without opening the front. The Icon doesn't have any cases that can do this.
3. Double tap to turn on. Might not seem like much, but having to press the Icon power button all of the time is not as handy as double tap or just opening the Dot View case cover.
4. Extra storage on the M8. I usually come close to filling up my Icon. I do store things on One Drive, but having pictures on the SD card allows me to easily move them to another device like one of my Android phones.
5. Call quality and speaker volume. I find the signal strength and call quality slightly better on the M8. I live in the Houston area.
6. The M8 works much better with Microsoft Sync in my 2014 Ford Fusion than the Icon. I get static on calls with the Icon.
7. I read a lot on my phone and even though the Icon has a slightly brighter display the M8 has whiter whites and more natural colors than the Icon.
8. Outside use is about the same on both devices.
9. The front camera on the M8 is probably the best out there if you are a Skype user.
10. The battery life is better on the M8. It has a bigger battery and has better stand by time as well.
11. The M8 works much better with the newer version of Ford's Microsoft Sync in car Bluetooth system. Calls are clear and music has a little more punch.

The Icon Pros
1. Wireless charging. I love this feature and have about 7 Qi chargers of various kinds and really don't like having to plug in the M8
2. The camera on the M8 is really bad. I wish that HTC had just put in the 13megapixel camera that they put in their One mini. For such a high quality build, HTC really messed up with this camera.
3. Nokia has some great apps, but most of them are being made available to all Windows phones, so not that big of a plus.

Everyone will have Pros or Cons that affect them differently but for me the Pros of the M8 far outweigh the Icon for me. If you are a photographer or serious camera user, the M8 will not fit the bill and the Icon would have to be the only option, if on Verizon.

 

[J4rrod]

I have both of these devices and ended up keeping the M8. Here is why.

M8 Pros

1. Who knows when the Icon will get 8.1?
2. Dot View case. I can answer calls without opening the front. I can activate Cortana without opening the front. The Icon doesn't have any cases that can do this.
3. Double tap to turn on. Might not seem like much, but having to press the Icon power button all of the time is not as handy as double tap or just opening the Dot View case cover.
4. Extra storage on the M8. I usually come close to filling up my Icon. I do store things on One Drive, but having pictures on the SD card allows me to easily move them to another device like one of my Android phones.
5. Call quality and speaker volume. I find the signal strength and call quality slightly better on the M8. I live in the Houston area.
6. The M8 works much better with Microsoft Sync in my 2014 Ford Fusion than the Icon. I get static on calls with the Icon.
7. I read a lot on my phone and even though the Icon has a slightly brighter display the M8 has whiter whites and more natural colors than the Icon.
8. Outside use is about the same on both devices.
9. The front camera on the M8 is probably the best out there if you are a Skype user.
10. The battery life is better on the M8. It has a bigger battery and has better stand by time as well.
11. The M8 works much better with the newer version of Ford's Microsoft Sync in car Bluetooth system. Calls are clear and music has a little more punch.

The Icon Pros
1. Wireless charging. I love this feature and have about 7 Qi chargers of various kinds and really don't like having to plug in the M8
2. The camera on the M8 is really bad. I wish that HTC had just put in the 13megapixel camera that they put in their One mini. For such a high quality build, HTC really messed up with this camera.
3. Nokia has some great apps, but most of them are being made available to all Windows phones, so not that big of a plus.

Everyone will have Pros or Cons that affect them differently but for me the Pros of the M8 far outweigh the Icon for me. If you are a photographer or serious camera user, the M8 will not fit the bill and the Icon would have to be the only option, if on Verizon.

Icon has double tap to wake, and only HERE apps are available to all WPs.

I disagree about the camera. Maybe it's because of comments like yours, but I came in with the lowest of expectations and came out pretty surprised. I've managed to get some decent shots actually.

 

[rdubmu]

I disagree about the camera. Maybe it's because of comments like yours, but I came in with the lowest of expectations and came out pretty surprised. I've managed to get some decent shots actually.

Having expectations very low might make my decision to get an M8 for windows a reality.

 

[wpnokia920]

Is there not an option to hide them like there is on the M8? On the M8, you can either swipe up from the bottom to hide and show them, or hit the little arrow.

Two ppl here have stated you cannot. That is not true. Yes that is an option under settings/navigation bar.

Also it defaults with a small arrow next to back button to let you know you can tap down to close bar. But under settings you can use gestures like you mentioned.

 

[waazzupppp]

Great review... Almost the same as I feel about the M8, but not quite...

Build Quality - The build is amazing. I loved my various Nokia handsets, but aside from the 900 and the 920, most of them felt a bit light in the design department. The 925 was gorgeous, but they omitted Qi and a few other features that would have made it a killer. Overall, Nokia doesn't make a piece of hardware that touches the M8 in build quality right now.

Software - This one is definitely going Nokia's way. Between losing Nokia Camera (DuoCam is ok, but the adjustment rings just flat out destroy two stage buttons for adjusments) and Mix Radio, it hurt a ton. Also the Nokia Video Uploader and Play To are absent and just don't have a good Win Phone replacement. HTC did work in BlinkFeed which I love and Video Highlights which is like a lite version of their Zoe software, but it's still not enough to keep up with the Nokia Collection. Maybe someday MS will release the entire MS Mobile catalog to everyone, but until then, Nokia has the edge in software.

Camera - Toss up, depending on what you are shooting. HTC's exposure system gives a more dynamic exposure, but Nokia's is larger. Nokia allows you to use a bit of digital zoom, while HTC does not - you can do it, but the results are pretty darn horrible. That said, in a blind test, about 90% of the people I asked liked my HTC images better than my 925's... So, if you aren't printing 8x10's, chances are the HTC will work dandy. It is also worth noting that the HTC does not have a physical camera button - which makes it a requirement to have the camera on your home screen. There is no button to unlock the camera without a password either.

Front Camera - I put this in to a separate category because this is the best front facing camera I have ever used. It gets my entire family in the shot at arms length and is crystal clear. Did I mention that it is a 5MP shooter? Yep, that's 'better' than the back camera, though the dynamic range isn't quite as good. Huge bonus for vacation photos if you ask me!

Battery Life - I used to make it 8-10 hours on my 925 with normal use. I don't even look at the gauge on the M8 any more. I usually have 40-50% left at the end of the day if I don't game on it. If I game on it, I can subtract about 15% per hour for that - and yes, it gets HOT! Now on the subject of Qi charging... they make adapters - no they don't work. Is it hard to give up... YES! I have DT-900 and DT-910's all over and I totally miss setting my phone down to trickle charge. That said, I only have to plug it in overnight, so I don't miss it that much. In fact, I think I benefit more by having my phone on me all the time than forgetting it at my desk when I would take it out to charge it. So, for me Qi is a mixed bag of I love it, but the M8 doesn't need it - so there it is...

Dot View Case - Cortana users take note: YOU NEED THIS CASE! All you do to access Cortana is swipe downward. You can then give it voice commands. It's awesome. Dot View is also great for answering the phone as it shows who is calling and all you need to do is pick it up and talk to answer. No swiping or opening necessary. Now, that said, the case does tend to get in the way while shooting photos, so be careful!

Ships Unlocked - Yes, you can use it on the AT&T and T-Mobile networks in the US. That said, it's not always 100% great on said networks. It seems to work ok on the Band 4 1700(d/e) bands on AT&T LTE, but T-Mobile is hit and miss. You will see HSPA+14.4 speeds on AT&T's 1900 band and in areas where T-Mo has refarmed the 1900 bands as well. Overall, a huge plus even without the LTE radios everywhere.

What's awesome: The build, the screen, BlinkFeed, BoomSound, Camera (speed and dynamic range), Front camera resolution and quality, HTC Advantage (free screen replacement), expandable memory!

What's not: No Qi or good wireless charging options, No access to Nokia software, Earphone jack on bottom (this doesn't make sense to me, but whatever), the 'downsized' versions of Android Apps.

Overall, the M8 is the phone I have been waiting for since the Titan was killed off. It is the perfect phone for me in size, weight, feel and design. My biggest issue is that I have to have a case on that gorgeous finish. I really like carrying this thing without a case, but I just can't do it much due to the fact I am afraid of dropping the thing. All in all, until Nokia releases a newer phone than the Icon, the M8 is a no-brainer in my book for those on Verizon and makes a strong case anyone that is willing to give up MMS features to use it on any other carrier.

 

[cbreze]

Icon has double tap to wake, and only HERE apps are available to all WPs.

My icon did not have double tap but here drive and here maps do work fine on my M8.