After about a year of using my iPhone 5c, I am ready to move on to something bigger and better, and less proprietary. I am strongly considering switching over to a device running Windows Phone 8.1. It makes sense. I use a Windows PC for work, carry a Windows 8 tablet (Asus Vivotab--love the stylus) to meetings, and have a smaller Dell Venue Pro 8 at home for personal use. I am especially excited about Microsoft's recent integration with Dropbox, because I use Dropbox to manage pretty much everything I do. I consider myself a power user, but I mostly browse the web and text with my phone. I do light document productivity on my phone occasionally and I use GPS a lot--I am an emergency manager and grabbing coordinates with my phone is a must . I also use my phone for music--I love Amazon Prime music, which I understand doesn't have a Windows Phone app. I am a longtime AT&T customer and I don't plan to switch carriers.
I've narrowed my choices down to two strong candidates and one "far shot". I like each for different reasons. The Nokia 830 is ahead by a little bit. I like its size, design, and features like wireless charging and expandable memory. I dislike its middling internals--an aging processor and low screen resolution--given that Microsoft has stated that current 8.1 devices will make the upgrade to Windows 10, I have concerns about longevity. And to be honest, I think the price is just a tad high for what you get. If it was $299 or even $349, I'd probably already have one.
The second candidate is the Lumina 1520. I like the phone's chops (it's still among the most powerful Windows 8.1 devices nearly a year after its release). I think the screen size is a double-edged sword: it would be great for surfing and mobile productivity, but it's a beast to lug around. I also see that the phone has very good battery life. I am troubled by the practical usability of a device this large--though I have a LG Tone + headset that would help keep me from holding the giant slab up to my face--and reports of some persistent and troubling manufacturing defects that cause phantom touches, etc. I also hate that AT&T gutted the phone vs. the unlocked international device.
My third option would be to grab an unlocked 930 (in orange of course). This would get me a phone the size of the 830 with the features of the 1520 (minus glance), but I would be losing LTE capability and the data aggregation features. I think I am savvy enough to input all of the network information to get the phone up and running. This is probably my cheapest option, but my biggest hesitation would be the lack of a warranty--which could be mitigated with a squaretrade warranty at additional cost.
One strike against these devices is the lack of waterproof cases--which I actually need because I often work outdoors in inclement weather. I just about lost my iPhone 4S two weeks after purchase to rain damage while doing damage assessment after a storm. A 830 in a case like a Lifeproof fre would be sharp!
I really like what Windows Phone 8.1 has to offer. I like the concept of a live tile that corrals "stuff" from my contacts into one place. I also think Cortana is a great addition to the OS and if I switch to a WP device, I am going to get a Band if I can ever find one. So anyway, I am looking from input from anyone who has made the switch from iOS over to WP and from you who have used both of these devices. I look forward to hearing your comments.
I've narrowed my choices down to two strong candidates and one "far shot". I like each for different reasons. The Nokia 830 is ahead by a little bit. I like its size, design, and features like wireless charging and expandable memory. I dislike its middling internals--an aging processor and low screen resolution--given that Microsoft has stated that current 8.1 devices will make the upgrade to Windows 10, I have concerns about longevity. And to be honest, I think the price is just a tad high for what you get. If it was $299 or even $349, I'd probably already have one.
The second candidate is the Lumina 1520. I like the phone's chops (it's still among the most powerful Windows 8.1 devices nearly a year after its release). I think the screen size is a double-edged sword: it would be great for surfing and mobile productivity, but it's a beast to lug around. I also see that the phone has very good battery life. I am troubled by the practical usability of a device this large--though I have a LG Tone + headset that would help keep me from holding the giant slab up to my face--and reports of some persistent and troubling manufacturing defects that cause phantom touches, etc. I also hate that AT&T gutted the phone vs. the unlocked international device.
My third option would be to grab an unlocked 930 (in orange of course). This would get me a phone the size of the 830 with the features of the 1520 (minus glance), but I would be losing LTE capability and the data aggregation features. I think I am savvy enough to input all of the network information to get the phone up and running. This is probably my cheapest option, but my biggest hesitation would be the lack of a warranty--which could be mitigated with a squaretrade warranty at additional cost.
One strike against these devices is the lack of waterproof cases--which I actually need because I often work outdoors in inclement weather. I just about lost my iPhone 4S two weeks after purchase to rain damage while doing damage assessment after a storm. A 830 in a case like a Lifeproof fre would be sharp!
I really like what Windows Phone 8.1 has to offer. I like the concept of a live tile that corrals "stuff" from my contacts into one place. I also think Cortana is a great addition to the OS and if I switch to a WP device, I am going to get a Band if I can ever find one. So anyway, I am looking from input from anyone who has made the switch from iOS over to WP and from you who have used both of these devices. I look forward to hearing your comments.