Lumia 640, 1 year later: Are you still using it?

[Guytronic]

While I don't expect a slew of device options, a mid range at the $300-$400 price point would be the perfect winner for me.

True and same here.
I'd really like to see at least a couple of successful consumer devices from someone that are upgrades in the hardware department.
Continuum or use for business isn't a desire as far as I'm concerned.

Let's not make the excuse that WM is just a business device now because Microsoft tucked their tails and ran away from consumers.
Why not at least afford the remaining users of the platform a couple of parting gifts before turning the next corner.

 

[Kimmo Toivanen]

I bought 2 in Black Friday, one for myself, one for Mrs to upgrade from her L625.

Now My 640 is a kind of work phone (no Pok?mon; Exchange mail account and Skype instead). I thought I would update it to W10 but then came to my senses
I don't know if MS has detected that I'm using android version of Outlook, or have they shut down the store for WP8.1, or should I just reset the phone, because W10 upgrade advisor, Skype for business and some other updates/installs just error. No matter if internal storage or SD is selected. Maybe they were renamed in store or something... Well, maybe I put "work SIM" (paid by myself, so it's for others to call me if email and Skype are not enough ) back to low-end android and use that...

640 is still not bad I have 820 running pre-anniversary, and it's no rocket, I can tell you. I could swap it for a Rasperry Pi

About the $300-400 midrange Windows phone... I went for a €200 android as primary phone and it's pretty much all I need and want. Enough power, 5.2" FHD display, decent camera, finger print reader. No gyro nor NFC. Son got one with on par specs sans finger print reader, but with 5.5" FHD display (extra millimeters in size I was afraid of ), gyro, NFC and stereo speakers. I don't know if they are midrangers or lower, but way above 640 and 650. They are good for us for a couple of years

 

[Werentuckl]

Put it on WM10 friend. Its pretty green on this side of the fence. Compared to the side you're on. ^_^

-- W

 

[aybarrap1]

True and same here.
I'd really like to see at least a couple of successful consumer devices from someone that are upgrades in the hardware department.
Continuum or use for business isn't a desire as far as I'm concerned.

Let's not make the excuse that WM is just a business device now because Microsoft tucked their tails and ran away from consumers.
Why not at least afford the remaining users of the platform a couple of parting gifts before turning the next corner.

Even for businesses, a mid range option is not a bad idea. In fact, I think it would give MS a huge boost in the mobile platform. A $300-$400 device with mid range specs running W10M = winner. Windows Mobile OS has proven itself to run smoothly on low end hardware. Give it midrange where things can speed up and you have a winning combo. A phone you can reliably get three years out of with updates at a respectable price.

Overall, I think windows phones still have a chance, but MS needs to step up their game and put some focus on it. Sure they have a steep hill to climb, but they actually have an OS with promise, unlike BlackBerry or HP WebOS, which just slipped by the wayside. Universal apps tied to the PC and Windows tablet market gives MS a stronger position if they can just play their cards right.

 

[libra89]

True and same here.
I'd really like to see at least a couple of successful consumer devices from someone that are upgrades in the hardware department.
Continuum or use for business isn't a desire as far as I'm concerned.

Let's not make the excuse that WM is just a business device now because Microsoft tucked their tails and ran away from consumers.
Why not at least afford the remaining users of the platform a couple of parting gifts before turning the next corner.

This! I don't even care about Continuum, so I'm indifferent about not having the display dock with this 950. I'm sure it's cool but I'm also sure it's not something I will be using.

 

[aybarrap1]

This! I don't even care about Continuum, so I'm indifferent about not having the display dock with this 950. I'm sure it's cool but I'm also sure it's not something I will be using.

True. Continuum seems like a good idea, but until it can truly replace my desktop or laptop, it is frivolous to me. If it could fully replace a PC, I could justify the price tag of the 950 and the display dock.

 

[ttsoldier]

I've been using mine for a while as a DD. I've even bought for friends.

Running w10 14393 on it.

I will continue using it until the W10 roms drop for Oneplus2/Oneplus3 and Xiamoi MI5. Then, I will upgrade. Till then, chugging along with it.

 

[NatKingColeslaw]

I used to have a Lumia 822 that I really liked. My wife was ready to deliver our first child as my contract came up, and I wanted something with a great front facing camera for the inevitable Skype chats we'd have with everyone. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 fit the bill. Even though I had my eyes opened to some possibilities of Android that weren't there with Windows phones, I've never been 100% sold. I picked up a Lumia 640 about 6 months ago to try out some insider builds. I tried to put that 640 through the same daily grind that the Note 4 went through. While the camera obviously wasn't as good, I was quite surprised at how well the 640 kept up. It was just as fast as the Note 4 in many uses. In some instances, I was even more productive with my 640. Small but simple things I have to do on a daily basis directly managing the 100 workers underneath me. Outlook integration. Office integration. The 640 made me realize how much more efficient I am with Windows than Android. That's the whole reason I ever got a smartphone in the first place--so that I wouldn't be tied to my desk 24 hours a day. I'm keeping my eyes on the Elite X3 and the possibilities of a Surface Phone as my contract expires in early February. Even though I will purchase a high end Windows phone, the real star will always be this undersized, underpowered, little 640 that showed me how much a** you can kick with even a $30 Windows phone.

 

[Parash01]

I'd love to use it again. But the stupid thing bricked when I was trying to do a rollback from w10 trial. Funny thing is when I took it to Microsoft to fix it they said they can't. It was a mobile made by them, using software o rollback was their and the PC I used had Windows, but surprise surprise they can't fix it. That made a dent in my love for windows phone.

 

[Kimmo Toivanen]

A $300-$400 device with mid range specs running W10M = winner.

At least in Europe, L950 is widely available at 300-340? ($335-$375, taxes included, SIM free). How is the price in US? Maybe we'll see L640-like (in proportion ) grazy prices later.

 

[Werentuckl]

640-esque retail sales would be a sureshot way a lot of holdovers on older/alternate devices like me would pull the trigger on this pretty thing. But the hardware is neither cheap enough, nor deprecated enough yet to expect such sales. Just yet. And I'm fine with that really. Its only now that previous gen flagship devices have started coming down below the hundred mark. So expecting a 500 dollar launch device to come in under 200-150 only a year after its launch is a little unfair.

I sure would like it though. But it probably wouldnt bode well for the health of the platform. Such a degree of liquidation only ever means one thing. Unless MS is making a loss leading push for wider adoption. Which we all know they arent.

-- W

 

[aybarrap1]

I'd love to use it again. But the stupid thing bricked when I was trying to do a rollback from w10 trial. Funny thing is when I took it to Microsoft to fix it they said they can't. It was a mobile made by them, using software o rollback was their and the PC I used had Windows, but surprise surprise they can't fix it. That made a dent in my love for windows phone.

That bites. I assume no warranty??

 

[RumoredNow]

Keep your eyes peeled for the Alcatel One Touch Idol Pro 4 that should be dropping as a T-Mo exclusive soon. I believe they are just waiting for an RTM of Redstone 1.

Alcatel Idol Pro 4 - Windows Central Forums

How do you know about that RumoredNow? Do we have any sauce for that? Because that sure as hell sounds exciting. People have been waiting for a cheaper, alternate flagship since forever now. And the Jade Primo isnt it. Sadly.

-- W

Sorry, I missed your question the first time around...

Everything I see about Idol Pro 4 when I Bing the device says: Coming/T-MoUS/Redstone 1. That's multiple Blog stories not all of which source back to the same place.

 

[charktorious]

Still my primary phone and I have one of those $8 ones in my drawer as a backup.

I love having a phone that I can throw in my pocket or leave anywhere I want and not worry about messing it up (since it was so cheap). If I had an iPhone 6 or Galaxy Note I'm sure I'd love them but I'd also be constantly worried about scuffing them up.

 

[Werentuckl]

Wish I had one of those 8 buck ones too. But I only have the 30 dollar ones. Kidding.

But RumoredNow, there's also been a lot of deathly silence over the phone too. When I go looking for it. There's not much by way of recent news or rumors. Or even updates on it. :/

-- W

 

[qbrick]

Although having left Windows on phones last year, I still have a L640 LTE in the bottom drawer just out of curiosity. To see how the sluggish, battery killing mess Win10 was on that fine device is going to develope.
Well, yesterday I updated to Anniversary and I have to say, everything feels much better now, except for Edge being incapable of using extensions. Bloody hell, even IE on Win 8.1 allowed me to reduce bandwith in order to avoid heavy internet ads! Browsing without ad blocking has become a dangerous and annnoying thing to do. Why does Edge on my laptop has a feature Edge on my phone doesn't (common single codebase)?
Aside from that, will I actually put the Lumia 640 in use again now with a matured Win10 for mobiles? Plainly no.
My everyday device is a Samsung Galaxy SS5 Neo with exchangable battery, it is waterproof and dust resistant, has a overwhelmingly longer battery runtime compared to the L640 (Win8.1) and it has Marshmellow running on it. In almost every other aspect (including the app situation which is relevant for me), the Lumia just inferior, too.

 

[Markjacklin]

I am using Nokia Lumia over 1 year. Great device so far. Excellent service.

 

[Werentuckl]

QBrick, I do believe comparing a Lumia 640 with a Galaxy S5 Neo is an unfair comparison. A more apt comparison, a quick glance at BestBuy would reveal, would be a Moto E, an LG Tribute 2, or a ZTE Maven. Where your experience would be comparable. This comparison is a little unfair, and a more apt one would be to compare it with a similar near flagship from the same time period. Which would be perhaps an Icon, a 930, or a 1520. Dated devices with launch frames near the original S5. I doubt your final conclusion to the dilemma would change. But it would be more warranted then atleast.

-- W

 

[RumoredNow]

The 640 will live on!!! I've reset it and set it up so I can pass it on to my mother-in-law to replace her Lumia 635. She'll get a big boost in Camera, Display and RAM. She will also get a Tempered Glass screen protector, 3 backs in different colors (black/green/orange) and a snap on crystal clear case. Should make her happy.

The 640 is now with Maw. She didn't want the two extra backs... Tomorrow (Thursday) will be the last day for getting stories in to win them. See this post for details: http://forums.windowscentral.com/marketplace-buy-sell-trade/228803-3.htm#post3541752


One thing I could not stand to part with from the Lumia 640 was my favorite ringtone EVER. So I found it, downloaded it and put it on my 1520: download link

 

[qbrick]

Hi Werentuckl. True, simply comparing both phones' hardware would be misleading. But taking into account the operating system and the software running on it in, I have to say, that for me Windows 10 annihilated most of the advantages Windows 8.1 had over Android without offering true advantages. The dreary situation concerning model variety makes it even worse - basic water and dust resistance at least for me is obligatory.

Aside from bad design decisions and worse energy efficiency in Windows 10, security is an important topic. Samsung is not that bad in releasing security updates.
The S5 Neo has received 6 security updates since release midyear 2015, not bad IMO. My current patchlevel is June 2016. Of course, since then new security flaws were published, which is absolutely in line with what you have to expect from software. Except for stagefright last year IIRC, every sec flaw to become a problem, the user had to have activated software installation from sources other than the play store.

BTW I remember IE on Win 8.1 for phones being affected by a security flaw not being fixed by Microsoft until Win 10 came around.

I'm keeping an eye on Win for phones (or whatever they use to call it atm), but in my opinion it will take years to become a serious option again, if ever. I really wish Microsoft to succeed, because I want the platform I currently use to be literally hunted by the competition - for the good of us customers.