I spent 3+ years on windows phone, firmly sticking around and refusing to believe i was missing out on much. I somehow reluctantly switched to android a few months back. What an eye opener that was! There's absolutely nothing i miss from widows phone. In fact the gap (not just apps) now looks bigger than ever. They over-promised and under-delivered massively on mobile, i doubt there's coming back from it to be honest, and the numbers reflect that.
I'm using stock android, so can't comment on other skinned ones from manufacturers. Yes i find some of the settings a bit all over the place. But other than that, i don't really have any complaints. App number and quality is there (the same apps on windows phone had in general less features and less updates), speed is there, widgets are great (better than live tiles imo).. All around a solid experience so far for me. For the curious i was on a lumia 930 and moved to a nexus 5X.
@maximumGPU: "App number and quality is there (the same apps on windows phone had in general less features and less updates)"
Agree with the app numbers argument, but I suppose there isn't much of a difference in quality for the apps I've tried. They do get updated less often than on my Android tablet, but the android updates often seem to be bug fixes and stability issues that aren't always present on their Windows Phone counterparts. Another update I could definitely do without are advertisement platform updates. Frankly, most updates don't bring new features. Granted, their are a few apps I've used that are legitimately second class on Windows Phone, and I've found alternatives. For instance, I like the metronome and tuner apps I've found (Windows Phone only) better than the ones I've used on Android. My experience will obviously be different than yours, but it is easy to just update without looking at what is updated, so you may have missed that part.
@maximumGPU: "... , speed is there, ..."
Smoothness and UI responsiveness has always been better on Windows Phone for both myself and a fairly sizable (though statistically insignificant) crowd of people I know who have used them. That said, more than a few review sites have talked about UI smoothness and general responsiveness as a weakness of Android, so it's not surprising. Though, in my opinion, it did get better when they release Android RunTime (ART).
maximumGPU: "... , widgets are great (better than live tiles imo), ..."
Given that I don't much care for either, I'll go with the one that is less resource intensive. So I guess we'll just have to disagree here.
@damianrobertjones: "Don't you find Android to be a shiny version of Windows mobile 6.5? It's just clunky and all over the place (IMO)."
I feel like neither Android nor iOS could figure out how to get away from the whole desktop icon system that started way back in the 90s. The organization is a bit different and they don't have start menus per say, but you are right. There is a striking resemblance to Windows Mobile once you take the makeup off. Admittedly the first attempt at tiles seemed a little kindergarten in the looks, but it was still a pretty effective method to work with. Now that they have transparency tiles on user selected backgrounds, the looks are quite good IMO.
I'm not saying android can't provide a solid experience or that your move to android wasn't positive. Certainly Nexus devices can be extremely good with few compromises to privacy, the ability to uninstall carrier loaded junk, and the promise of security updates well beyond the time frame that other android manufacturers have been willing to do. Though I do wish they'd do more with expandable storage.
@maximumGPU: "For the curious i was on a lumia 930 and moved to a nexus 5X. "
Good Job :)
I will, however, say that your experience is not universal. My time spend on a Lumia 920 has not left me wanting and having several android tablets and my wife's android phone (mine until I went back) to deal with, I know what the other side of the fence looks like. Certainly, there are benefits to be had, but Windows Phone is not without its advantages. It just depends on what is important to you. A third major player would be good for the industry as well, but most people don't buy a phone to support the industry.
linkedin, whatsapp, facebook, ebay to name just a few of the big ones that are better (in some cases dramatically so) on Android. Then you've got all the bank apps that pulled out or don't bother. Then it's a questions of the apps that matter to you. (i use Synology apps, few productivity ones, spotify, games) and all of them were of higher quality on my nexus. And i certainly do not miss the "resuming..." or "loading..." pages.
It's as you say dependent on use cases, and maybe yours is not that sensitive to app quality. But other than a cool looking tile interface (with reduced functionality compared to widgets), i couldn't find a compelling reason to stay.
I have heard that the banks are working on UWP Win10 versions instead. So they'll have one codebase for desktop down to smartphone, and that means less for them to maintain.
Well, I'm still on Lumia 920 (and Lumia 830 for my work phone) and really like it. I hd opportunity to replace 830 with Galaxy S6... tried Galaxy for a few days and went back to 830.
Not to be taken wrong, S6 is higher-end phone... but I just preferred how Win Phone works. A habit, to a degree... but I love minimalist GUI that follows default Win apps.
I'm also finding quite interesting to follow Win 10 development on phone. Have been running preview on 830 for some time, and not long ago upgraded to full release. It is developing nicely - from number of bugs and glitches, I'm aware of only one at the moment - my phone's screen will blink rarely, maybe once a week? for no obvious reason. Eventually it might be something with my phone, but it never happened under 8.1.
I must say, I'm very undemanding on apps - I'm surrounded with computers and tablets both at work and at home, so I rarely need phone to be my alpha device... and what I need is there - and works good for me. SMS, email, calendar, FB, maps & nav, weather, KeePass, Skype, Viber... that would be it. Rarely a game, and a simple one... sort of like while waiting wife to finish her shopping.
On a side note: comparing my Lumias to wife's iPhone 5s... her phone does freeze/blackscreen on occasion and needs soft reset. Maybe once a month? Right now her internet access (over cellular) does not work... though this might be due to maintenance local Vodafone is doing. Even if both my Lumias are on the same provider. Anyway, my Lumia 920 froze once in the past 2.5 years, and twice I had to reboot because it was running hot and wasting battery... and all those incidents happened in the 1st year of ownership. From my personal experience, Windows phone turned out more stable and reliable platform than iOS, and judging from my Android using friends experience, than Android too.
>m-muh numbers It`s literally top 50 applications in any mobile store that get the money, and everybody else gets the shlong. Being somehow proud that your platform of choice has more of the same bottom feeders is retarded.
Not to mention Android interface becoming at least moderately usable around 4.0 only to return to usual rainbow painted turd deal a version change later. Apple had the right idea while Jobs was alive, but it`s in the same turd boat now with no chance of changing direction.
The Office numbers... I call shenanigans on them. Most new notebooks and pre-fabbed PCs today come with the Office 365 trial, unless you explicitly tick off the box or say "no Office installed" in the options.
I would bet my favorite trousers they are counting all those as "sold".
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maximumGPU - Friday, April 22, 2016 - link
I spent 3+ years on windows phone, firmly sticking around and refusing to believe i was missing out on much. I somehow reluctantly switched to android a few months back. What an eye opener that was! There's absolutely nothing i miss from widows phone. In fact the gap (not just apps) now looks bigger than ever. They over-promised and under-delivered massively on mobile, i doubt there's coming back from it to be honest, and the numbers reflect that.damianrobertjones - Friday, April 22, 2016 - link
Don't you find Android to be a shiny version of Windows mobile 6.5? It's just clunky and all over the place (IMO).maximumGPU - Friday, April 22, 2016 - link
I'm using stock android, so can't comment on other skinned ones from manufacturers. Yes i find some of the settings a bit all over the place. But other than that, i don't really have any complaints. App number and quality is there (the same apps on windows phone had in general less features and less updates), speed is there, widgets are great (better than live tiles imo).. All around a solid experience so far for me.For the curious i was on a lumia 930 and moved to a nexus 5X.
BurntMyBacon - Friday, April 22, 2016 - link
@maximumGPU: "App number and quality is there (the same apps on windows phone had in general less features and less updates)"Agree with the app numbers argument, but I suppose there isn't much of a difference in quality for the apps I've tried. They do get updated less often than on my Android tablet, but the android updates often seem to be bug fixes and stability issues that aren't always present on their Windows Phone counterparts. Another update I could definitely do without are advertisement platform updates. Frankly, most updates don't bring new features. Granted, their are a few apps I've used that are legitimately second class on Windows Phone, and I've found alternatives. For instance, I like the metronome and tuner apps I've found (Windows Phone only) better than the ones I've used on Android. My experience will obviously be different than yours, but it is easy to just update without looking at what is updated, so you may have missed that part.
@maximumGPU: "... , speed is there, ..."
Smoothness and UI responsiveness has always been better on Windows Phone for both myself and a fairly sizable (though statistically insignificant) crowd of people I know who have used them. That said, more than a few review sites have talked about UI smoothness and general responsiveness as a weakness of Android, so it's not surprising. Though, in my opinion, it did get better when they release Android RunTime (ART).
maximumGPU: "... , widgets are great (better than live tiles imo), ..."
Given that I don't much care for either, I'll go with the one that is less resource intensive. So I guess we'll just have to disagree here.
@damianrobertjones: "Don't you find Android to be a shiny version of Windows mobile 6.5? It's just clunky and all over the place (IMO)."
I feel like neither Android nor iOS could figure out how to get away from the whole desktop icon system that started way back in the 90s. The organization is a bit different and they don't have start menus per say, but you are right. There is a striking resemblance to Windows Mobile once you take the makeup off. Admittedly the first attempt at tiles seemed a little kindergarten in the looks, but it was still a pretty effective method to work with. Now that they have transparency tiles on user selected backgrounds, the looks are quite good IMO.
I'm not saying android can't provide a solid experience or that your move to android wasn't positive. Certainly Nexus devices can be extremely good with few compromises to privacy, the ability to uninstall carrier loaded junk, and the promise of security updates well beyond the time frame that other android manufacturers have been willing to do. Though I do wish they'd do more with expandable storage.
@maximumGPU: "For the curious i was on a lumia 930 and moved to a nexus 5X. "
Good Job :)
I will, however, say that your experience is not universal. My time spend on a Lumia 920 has not left me wanting and having several android tablets and my wife's android phone (mine until I went back) to deal with, I know what the other side of the fence looks like. Certainly, there are benefits to be had, but Windows Phone is not without its advantages. It just depends on what is important to you. A third major player would be good for the industry as well, but most people don't buy a phone to support the industry.
maximumGPU - Friday, April 22, 2016 - link
linkedin, whatsapp, facebook, ebay to name just a few of the big ones that are better (in some cases dramatically so) on Android. Then you've got all the bank apps that pulled out or don't bother.Then it's a questions of the apps that matter to you. (i use Synology apps, few productivity ones, spotify, games) and all of them were of higher quality on my nexus. And i certainly do not miss the "resuming..." or "loading..." pages.
It's as you say dependent on use cases, and maybe yours is not that sensitive to app quality. But other than a cool looking tile interface (with reduced functionality compared to widgets), i couldn't find a compelling reason to stay.
Alexvrb - Friday, April 22, 2016 - link
I have heard that the banks are working on UWP Win10 versions instead. So they'll have one codebase for desktop down to smartphone, and that means less for them to maintain.FrozenGiraffe - Friday, April 22, 2016 - link
There is a bank in 2016 that is building a desktop application?jasonelmore - Monday, April 25, 2016 - link
UWP allows it to run on the desktop even it it wasn't their intentions.nikon133 - Wednesday, April 27, 2016 - link
Well, I'm still on Lumia 920 (and Lumia 830 for my work phone) and really like it. I hd opportunity to replace 830 with Galaxy S6... tried Galaxy for a few days and went back to 830.Not to be taken wrong, S6 is higher-end phone... but I just preferred how Win Phone works. A habit, to a degree... but I love minimalist GUI that follows default Win apps.
I'm also finding quite interesting to follow Win 10 development on phone. Have been running preview on 830 for some time, and not long ago upgraded to full release. It is developing nicely - from number of bugs and glitches, I'm aware of only one at the moment - my phone's screen will blink rarely, maybe once a week? for no obvious reason. Eventually it might be something with my phone, but it never happened under 8.1.
I must say, I'm very undemanding on apps - I'm surrounded with computers and tablets both at work and at home, so I rarely need phone to be my alpha device... and what I need is there - and works good for me. SMS, email, calendar, FB, maps & nav, weather, KeePass, Skype, Viber... that would be it. Rarely a game, and a simple one... sort of like while waiting wife to finish her shopping.
On a side note: comparing my Lumias to wife's iPhone 5s... her phone does freeze/blackscreen on occasion and needs soft reset. Maybe once a month? Right now her internet access (over cellular) does not work... though this might be due to maintenance local Vodafone is doing. Even if both my Lumias are on the same provider. Anyway, my Lumia 920 froze once in the past 2.5 years, and twice I had to reboot because it was running hot and wasting battery... and all those incidents happened in the 1st year of ownership. From my personal experience, Windows phone turned out more stable and reliable platform than iOS, and judging from my Android using friends experience, than Android too.
Looking forward Surface phone.
Donkey2008 - Sunday, May 1, 2016 - link
So your entire opinion of iOS is based on a broken iPhone? Honestly, that made me laugh.Michael Bay - Friday, April 22, 2016 - link
>m-muh numbersIt`s literally top 50 applications in any mobile store that get the money, and everybody else gets the shlong. Being somehow proud that your platform of choice has more of the same bottom feeders is retarded.
Not to mention Android interface becoming at least moderately usable around 4.0 only to return to usual rainbow painted turd deal a version change later. Apple had the right idea while Jobs was alive, but it`s in the same turd boat now with no chance of changing direction.
maximumGPU - Friday, April 22, 2016 - link
i didn't say Android has more of the useless apps. I said it had more apps, and the ones that are common are of higher quality.extide - Friday, April 22, 2016 - link
Lol, have you USED WinMobile 6.x?YukaKun - Friday, April 22, 2016 - link
The Office numbers... I call shenanigans on them. Most new notebooks and pre-fabbed PCs today come with the Office 365 trial, unless you explicitly tick off the box or say "no Office installed" in the options.I would bet my favorite trousers they are counting all those as "sold".
Cheers!
Murloc - Friday, April 22, 2016 - link
if it's so, they will decrease in the next years. We'll see.doggface - Saturday, April 23, 2016 - link
While I disagree with your statement. I highly respect anyone who feels they must call shenanigans :) people should call shenanigans more.