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

[tomseys]

I bought two 640's for myself (AT&T Go Phones unlocked via AT&T site) for use with pay as you go T-mobile and I am still using the first one. I paid $29.99 for the phone and pay $3 a month for service. I did not update it to Windows 10 and have no plans to since Windows 8.1 works great - very fast and smooth with zero issues - no muss no fuss.

I'm not a heavy smartphone user but I've grown to really like this phone. The call quality is excellent, the email operation is silky smooth, the word flow keyboard makes everything easy, the people contact and other synching is great, the camera takes pictures that everyone always seem to really like (and after a pic compliment I just can't help but say that the phone cost $29), battery lasts long, easy to transfer things to it, never a problem etc. I still think the interface is bland but I've even grown to appreciate it. It's simple and gets things done.

I also bought two for a friend (again, kept on Win 8.1) who has serious cognitive/memory issues since they are cheap and if he lost it then its no big deal and at first I thought it might be confusing for him but he took to it right away and he uses the phone everyday very heavily with FB and Whatsapp and all kinds of messaging and he loves it. He uses it like a pro. Great phone.

 

[james42519]

yeah i am still having trouble syncing 640 with 650. seems like l640 and l650 synced with computer i guess. computer has wifi passwords from l640 and i can send text and get notifications from l650 but some reason can't get stuff to sync between l640 and l650. it is not because one has 8.1 and one has 10?

 

[nick popplewell]

The 640xl is on sale at my local att store for $100,I bought one in July for 253 and traded it on a 950,which was way over priced,but I got another xl off eBay for 90 bc I dropped my 950 and have to change digitizers,yup,I didn't get the insurance like a *****

 

[amywaco30]

Like Tomseys, I purchased the $30 GoPhone and am using it on the PAYG T-Mo plan. $3/month can't be beat!

I upgraded to W10M and am happy that I did. While there aren't a lot of apps on the Windows platform, there are more with W10 than with W8.1! The nice thing about W10M is that they are constantly refining the OS. I was reluctant to make the switch given all the problems with the initial roll out, but it's been smooth sailing for me. And with all the updates, it's like I get a new phone every couple of months. Just yesterday, I got the updated camera app, and I like it!

My wife has a L928, and to me, it just feels a bit dated and a clunky now. And even though the L928 has OIS, I think the pictures with my L640 are just as good. Go figure.

 

[aybarrap1]

I have to admit that since W10M official was released, MS has kept the updates coming. Granted many have been little fixes, but at least they are keeping it up. I will admit that while W10M pushes the L640 a little harder the little things they are doing are nice. I am glad MS took control of the update cycle and for carrier branded phones like mine, we are no longer at the mercy of the carrier.

 

[Rubidad]

I have to admit that since W10M official was released, MS has kept the updates coming. Granted many have been little fixes, but at least they are keeping it up. I will admit that while W10M pushes the L640 a little harder the little things they are doing are nice. I am glad MS took control of the update cycle and for carrier branded phones like mine, we are no longer at the mercy of the carrier.

Yes, I look forward to the cumulative updates as a Release Preview user and I am also tempted to move up a ring or 2

 

[LightenSkies]

I use to use mine. It's almost a year old and think I got a rubbish one from best buy. The screen on the right side looks to have light leak and the sound quality gets distorted from time to time. I may give it away for someone else to want to get it fix. I can't be bothered with it.

 

[aybarrap1]

I use to use mine. It's almost a year old and think I got a rubbish one from best buy. The screen on the right side looks to have light leak and the sound quality gets distorted from time to time. I may give it away for someone else to want to get it fix. I can't be bothered with it.

Have no issues with light leak but turning the screws on that side ever so slightly might do the trick. As far as sound distortion, it happens intermittently on mine and others have reported the same issue. Don't think there is a fix for that, but considering the phone was going for $30 for a while, it is a bargain regardless. Hope MS will do another bargain steal like this one was on an up to date model.

Sent from mTalk

 

[mc_razza]

Last May I dropped my Lumia 520 one too many times and completely shattered the screen. This unfortunate event (or blessing in disguise) forced me to reconsider the 640. Previously I had kept an eye on it for months and months waiting for a decent price drop but sadly Aussie retailers weren't all that generous. In the end I finally purchased one (in glossy white) on clearance for AUD$199.00, down from $299.00. It wasn't going any lower so I grabbed it while I still could before the 640 was pulled. After a few hours breaking it in I noticed the display had a fault. A week later I exchanged it for another one and since then it's been smooth sailing.

I use mine every day as my daily driver and I absolutely love it. I'm still running WP8.1 Denim. I like it. Everything works well. I'm in no hurry. Eventually I will upgrade, probably when it gets to the point where it hits critical mass for reduced app support. That said, I've upgraded our spare 635 to W10M so it's not like I'm deliberately missing out on anything. Prior to exchanging the 640 with the defective screen, I upgraded it to W10M and was mildly impressed with the general speed and performance improvements here and there, but I wasn't keen to upgrade permanently.

Well, I bit the bullet and upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile on my Lumia 640. The process took about an hour all up, which was quicker than on the 635. W10M definitely feels quicker than when I upgraded my first 640 last June to it. I presume it's down to the improvements in the Anniversary Update and subsequent builds. I'll stay on W10M for a while and give it a proper go (for the second time). If I'm not completely happy, I'll drop back down to WP8.1... permanently.

BTW, is there any way to disable the movable keyboard? It's invoked by tapping and holding the space bar, and I tried it out in myTube. It was cool initially but now the keyboard partly obscures the comment/text bar in the app after I moved it back, which in turn moved the taskbar to above the keyboard. Weird.

Also, RIP Battery Saver live tile.

 

[jamharden]

Yeah, I still use my 640 every day. I never thought I can buy a 30$ device (29$ ATT deal last year) and use it as a daily driver. Just as a moving on further I am dreaming of getting a ATT HTC One M8 for Windows for its amazing design and a bit better specs. Hope it will last at least for a year in the battle of RAM GB's and CPU cores.

 

[lqueen75]

I like mine just fine. I just mainly use it to text and talk and check on facebook.

 

[markymarc123]

I just upgraded to the Lumia 830.

Now on the spec sheet there are very little differences between the 640 & 830 apart from the camera.
However, that is where the similarities end. The 830 feels like a premium phone in your hand, it actually feels like someone thought about the design.. You can see how Nokia made some great phones before Microsoft took over and started cutting corners..

I was a big fan of the 640 and it was great value for money as I tend not to spend a lot on a handset. The only thing letting the 640 down for me was

1) Very poor low light/indoor/night camera, - can be improved a little in the settings but who wants to faff around when you are in a bar/club.
2) Feel of the phone in your hand- Felt too wide for my hands, attempted to take a few selfies and its horrible as you need 2 hands.
3) No dedicated camera button

Apart form that there is little i can complain about.

I actually wanted to move to android due to the awful app situation, however trying to find a Android phone with the same camera specs as the 830 ( Carl Zess, Pureview, OIS) without spending a fortune is very difficult. Even the budget Moto phones that all the reviewers are raving about have no OIS.

So if you are on a budget and want to stay with a Lumia, I would recommend the 830, i got mine with a wireless charging pad for $80 AUD.

 

[editguy]

I use mine as my W10M fast ring preview phone. Still works great, but it's not my daily driver.

 

[mc_razza]

Well, I bit the bullet and upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile on my Lumia 640. The process took about an hour all up, which was quicker than on the 635. W10M definitely feels quicker than when I upgraded my first 640 last June to it. I presume it's down to the improvements in the Anniversary Update and subsequent builds. I'll stay on W10M for a while and give it a proper go (for the second time). If I'm not completely happy, I'll drop back down to WP8.1... permanently.

Well, I decided to call it quits with Windows 10 Mobile and downgrade my 640 back to Windows Phone 8.1. Despite all the improvements - especially to Outlook, Cortana, Office, and Edge - W10M just doesn't feel right for me on the 640. Features from WP8.1 are missing (although some are gained), there are UI inconsistencies, battery life is worse, and honestly, it doesn't look right on a device built for WP8.1. That last point sounds silly, but W10M's sharp and tight aesthetic doesn't match with the 640's round and bold-coloured design. I hold my phone, look at it and all I see is a mismatch.

Oh WP8.1, how I missed thee! Everything just works, and smoothly too. It feels so right on the 640. There are a couple of setbacks, mainly the return of the text rendering bug, Cortana's back in Alpha (yay Australia!) and the zombie in the room: the app situation. Also I'm having difficulty purchasing music in the store via the xbox music app too. Other than those quibbles, everything is absolutely and reassuringly fine. It's good to be back.

The only scenario that sees me using W10M is if either I buy a 550, 650 or 950/XL, or the app situation gets worse thus forcing me to upgrade. The former is far likelier.

I also rolled back our spare 635 (1GB) too. *drops the mic*

 

[libra89]

Well, I decided to call it quits with Windows 10 Mobile and downgrade my 640 back to Windows Phone 8.1. Despite all the improvements - especially to Outlook, Cortana, Office, and Edge - W10M just doesn't feel right for me on the 640. Features from WP8.1 are missing (although some are gained), there are UI inconsistencies, battery life is worse, and honestly, it doesn't look right on a device built for WP8.1. That last point sounds silly, but W10M's sharp and tight aesthetic doesn't match with the 640's round and bold-coloured design. I hold my phone, look at it and all I see is a mismatch.

Oh WP8.1, how I missed thee! Everything just works, and smoothly too. It feels so right on the 640. There are a couple of setbacks, mainly the return of the text rendering bug, Cortana's back in Alpha (yay Australia!) and the zombie in the room: the app situation. Also I'm having difficulty purchasing music in the store via the xbox music app too. Other than those quibbles, everything is absolutely and reassuringly fine. It's good to be back.

The only scenario that sees me using W10M is if either I buy a 550, 650 or 950/XL, or the app situation gets worse thus forcing me to upgrade. The former is far likelier.

I also rolled back our spare 635 (1GB) too. *drops the mic*

I normally lurk and like but I felt the need to reply to your post. You did try it (which is good!) and I totally agree with all of your points actually.

It's been hard deciding what to do with my 640, and I have played with the idea of downgrading it back to 8.1 for the reasons you have said (haven't noticed the aesthetic one though). In the end, it sounds like downgrading it will possibly work better for you.

 

[mc_razza]

I normally lurk and like but I felt the need to reply to your post. You did try it (which is good!) and I totally agree with all of your points actually.

It's been hard deciding what to do with my 640, and I have played with the idea of downgrading it back to 8.1 for the reasons you have said (haven't noticed the aesthetic one though). In the end, it sounds like downgrading it will possibly work better for you.

Thank you!

Yeah, two days in and the phone feels and operates better on WP8.1. Everything just flows naturally. It was the best decision ultimately.

In some ways it's a little disappointing because I always update and upgrade to the newest software, but for the first time I'm downgrading. I'm missing out on some genuinely needed improvements, but in the end it was battery life, speed, features absent in W10M, a certain degree of aestheticism, and general operability that made me decide to permanently downgrade.

If you're toying with the idea of downgrading your 640, I suggest that perhaps you could give it a brief go. See how it feels for you first and then decide whether you're more comfortable on WP8.1 or W10M. I don't know if you have any other Lumias or Windows Phone devices laying around but maybe you can run WP8.1 on the 640 and W10M on another (more capable?) device so that you don't lose touch.

 

[libra89]

Thank you!

Yeah, two days in and the phone feels and operates better on WP8.1. Everything just flows naturally. It was the best decision ultimately.

In some ways it's a little disappointing because I always update and upgrade to the newest software, but for the first time I'm downgrading. I'm missing out on some genuinely needed improvements, but in the end it was battery life, speed, features absent in W10M, a certain degree of aestheticism, and general operability that made me decide to permanently downgrade.

If you're toying with the idea of downgrading your 640, I suggest that perhaps you could give it a brief go. See how it feels for you first and then decide whether you're more comfortable on WP8.1 or W10M. I don't know if you have any other Lumias or Windows Phone devices laying around but maybe you can run WP8.1 on the 640 and W10M on another (more capable?) device so that you don't lose touch.

Nice! Again, I agree with you.

I think I will try that sometime. I have more phones than I should have, but my other 2 are W10M phones.

 

[libra89]

Tried it. Couldn't deal with the lack of apps. People say that Windows Phone/Mobile doesn't have them but it's worse on 8.1. The speed was a nice experience though.

 

[barber76]

I'm still using it. But already looking forward to my next phone which will definitely NOT be WM. There are a few annoying details which force me off:
1) very annoying bluetooth bug I described here. Wonder why nobody else ever mentioned it, as it's hard to believe I'm the only active user of hands-free.
2) WM10 is much less finger-friendly than WM8.1. A lot of small-sized menus, etc.
3) hardware shows its age. Edge has never been particularly fast to start with, and browsing is an exercise in patience.
There are also couple of small bugs which I don't bother to describe.

Of course, there are things that I like a lot, like off-the-box offline navigation, very good runtime on a single charge, and great screen (for the price).

 

[mc_razza]

Tried it. Couldn't deal with the lack of apps. People say that Windows Phone/Mobile doesn't have them but it's worse on 8.1. The speed was a nice experience though.

Indeed. It's a problem that will never go away. Perhaps W10 on ARM will change things?

But yes, apps like Paypal, Amazon and eBay are all gone (accessible online-only) and the ones that are left are either exclusive to W10M or are receiving support on W10M only. I have a core set of third-party apps I use that are still supported, so WP8.1's dearth of apps hasn't been a problem for me. That said, how one uses their phone and what for varies from person to person.