It was fun!

[5150 Joker]

Well sold my 1520 and moved back to iPhone, specifically the iPhone 6 Plus. After wrestling with the lack of apps for so long and MS's inattentiveness to the platform, I had to switch back. It's a shame because Windows Phone itself is easily a contender for the top spot but it ultimately seems it will fail due to the lack of commitment from Microsoft. Here's a comparison I wrote on another site:
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So who here has one and how do you like it so far? I got mine yesterday in the mail and paid $100 too much for it because it was out of stock everywhere. Then it turns out I go to the Apple store here today and they had ONE in stock, the same model I bought..fml. Anyway, I bought the overpriced Apple psuedoleather case for it because it has a nice grip and looks good too. My phone's the 64 gb space gray one on IOS 8.0.2 and so far it's pretty nice. Installed Swype, something iPhone FINALLY got and other apps that I need for work and studying. I had a Windows Phone (Nokia 1520) prior to this which was pretty nice so in a nutshell this is how they stack up:

UI: Tie
IOS: Nice transitions, notification menu and one you can pull up from the bottom but no live tiles. Not hard to use, don't know why some people complained about that.
WP: Live tiles are gorgeous and bring the phone to life. But the notification center isn't as good as the one in IOS and they don't have the bottom swipe up UI for additional shortcuts. Plus IOS's notification center just looks and works better.

Build Quality 1520 vs iPhone 6 Plus: Tie
1520: Made of plastic but very durable and is unibody. The screen also has soft edges (something Apple seemed to have copied) so swiping feels great. It is also heavier and thicker than the iPhone (by quite a bit) and can cause one handed fatigue.
iPhone 6 Plus: Unibody aluminum, same soft edges on the screen. Without a case, it does feel slippery (just like the 1520) but a bit too thin. Apple should have engineered it a few mm thicker and reinforced it with magnesium like other phones do. I suspect iPhone 6S Plus will address this. With a case on, the Phone feels great for one handed use (I have big hands) and it also reinforces the durability.

Speakers: Nokia 1520
Both have great speakers (although mono) and sound great at full blast but overall I think the 1520 sounds a bit better. That could be because it's larger in size though I'd have to check the specs of their speakers to truly know but in person the iPhone doesn't sound quite as good.

Apps: iPhone by a landslide
This is what got me to switch back to iOS. MS is failing to address the lack of official apps for WP and many times they've released MS apps on IOS/Android before WP which does not instill consumer confidence in Windows Phone. If the developer is putting apps on competing platforms first, then why should anyone stick around with WP and deal with IOS/Android's breadcrumbs? This is the fundamental flaw of Windows Phone and will likely cause MS to outright abandon it. Their Nokia purchase won't change anything and will probably be sold off to someone else eventually.

 

[N_LaRUE]

I won't be snarky as I believe everyone should use what suits them best. If WP didn't work for you and iPhone does, that's great.

All the points you've made are valid and the app issue, with both MS releasing better apps on competitor products and the lack or mainstream apps have been discussed thoroughly on this site on many threads. I do agree with both your statements of how this sets the uptake of WP back and how people may abandon it after a period of time like yourself.

One thing that may be deterring developers maybe the constant shifting of the OS itself. It's possible that many have been waiting for Windows 10 and that's where we'll start to see some change. Who knows?

To me, WP is for those who don't really use that many apps and in countries where it's popular, mostly 'emerging economies' they're doing well with the app situation. So in some ways they're doing ok, but in others it's been frustrating for many.

 

[jubbing]

Dude, don't be patronizing, people can make their decision how they want, for what suits them - not you.

I myself have wanted to get an iPhone6 Plus IF it was cheaper, to go with my 1020, but I bought a 1520 instead. I still want to for the apps, which I can't get on wp8 (mostly games and bank apps and more).

I'm waiting to see how he next few updates go as well.

 

[Ed Boland]

Congrats on the new iPhone! It's a fine device.. I'm going to stick it out with my 1520 until the Windows 10 version of the OS comes out and all the new hardware before I make my decision on which platform/ecosystem I really want to be on.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

As soon as I read he over-payed, I knew what followed had to be gold.

 

[Techno-guy]

I own both a 1520 and an iPhone 6 Plus. Love them both for very different reasons. No haters please! Just want to share my experiences and $.02 for what it's worth for some.

1520 has the much better OS, in my view. Live Tiles are just brilliant. Home run for Microsoft. Love the integration with Office apps. Way cool for productivity. Glance ROCKS! Can't believe more phone makers aren't doing dim screens in standby for incredible information without touching the phone. Stellar battery life!

iPhone 6 Plus very easy to use OS (with little flexibility which is a downside to me) but definitely user friendly. Like the new keyboard options - come on Microsoft! Huh, no missed call/email/text notification system without pressing the "On" button Apple, really? WAY, WAY, WAY better apps which makes up for the pretty unflexible OS. Awesome camera and form factor is better, the slightly slimmer width makes it far easier to hold (at least for me with average sized hands). Stellar battery life too - probably the equal of the 1520.

Really comes down to personal preference for most people. Each platform has strengths and weaknesses. Windows Phone has a GREAT thing going and could REALLY catch on fire if they could really beef up their app store...I know, there are alternatives to a lot of things but after using an iPhone and the very rich selection of outstanding apps, you really realize how much of a challenge that is right now. I'd love to see WP hit 10%+ market share in the U.S. and with the right app push I really think MS could get there.

 

[jdhooghe]

It's always what is best for the user but I am surprised Microsoft still hasn't become more attentive to the platform; it is worrying. It's why I left the platform; I was sick of waiting. Windows Phone is always a fun, dynamic OS that I miss sometimes but the cons always outweighed the pros. I keep hoping Microsoft will step up and grow instead of throwing everything out after an iteration. I really do hope no functionality goes away with Windows 10 as Microsoft cannot afford to lose features like they did from WP7 to WP8. The best thing that a consumer can do to make light of something is to vote with your money.

OP, I'm not trying to flame but to keep you from getting a fiery backlash from some users on here. There is a sub forum on here that you can put your I am leaving Windows Phone story unless they got rid of it. Good luck with your 6 Plus, I love mine to death.

 

[GSOgymrat]

What are the apps you wanted that WP didn't have? I don't use a lot of apps and at this point I have all the apps I want on WP. I seriously considered the iPhone 6 Plus but after playing with both phones side by side I didn't see the advantage in switching except with iPhone I would not be stuck with AT&T. One thing I did realize that I use frequently and really like is the 1520's dedicated camera button, which Apple should have copied. I also really prefer WP's UI. Frankly I thought iPhone 6 Plus being new hardware and software would wow me but I came away feeling the phones were very similar.

 

[chmun77]

Nicely written by OP.

I do agree with the points listed. But I'm moving to Note 4 soon. Will continue to hold onto my 1520. With WP8.1 and its new features especially file management, Windows Phone offers quite a pleasant experience to me. But the lack of developer loves is something which turned me off for now. I still can't use any banking apps with Windows Phone in my country. All service providers here are developing apps for Apple Store and Android except Windows Phone. It is such a pity.

Until the situations improve, 1520 will be my last Windows Phone from Nokia / Microsoft.

 

[5150 Joker]

Some of the apps that I noted a long time ago in threads here that never materialized included Epocrates, USMLE World (though I won't need this much longer as I graduate soon), Teamspeak, Steam and some games I play. Also noticed some apps were never as good as their IOS counterparts with lacking features or just would crash due to poor ports (e.g. Up To Date). It would be nice if NVIDIA started pushing their new Kepler GPU on the WP and Windows tablet scene as it would be a nice boost but it seems they're focused too much on Android at the moment. But with MS's money, anything is possible.

 

[Laura Knotek]

http://forums.windowscentral.com/ot...evice-including-windows-phones-post-here.html