Windows Phone?

PropThePolecat

PropThePolecat

Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
3,292
My HTC Android phone died on me. I want to get a new smartphone now, and ive been eyeing the Nokia Lumia 820.

Does anyone own a Windows Phone?

What do you think of it?
 
My daughter and her mother got 820's together, some family plan. Real pleased with them.
 
the Windows Phone 7.5 is great for ease of use and the reception of my AT&T/Samsung is excellent. The camera comes up immediately regardless of what is on the screen (unless the phone is locked) when you push the camera button. Video recording is excellent also. The only limitation is the number of apps. I wanted to do some picture enhancements and there are a small number of graphic editors available. My girlfriends iPhone has more and better apps available. If your company is using Lync, there is a Lync app for seamless UC. Similarly, there is an excellent email app for Hotmail/Outlook. It is easier to access information on the internet than the iPhone because there is a one button push to get the Bing search engine to come up. Also, it is much easier to get directions than on the iPhone; you enter the address in the Bing window, up comes a map icon, click it, click the arrow, directions are generated with detailed map & voice prompts. I love it.
 
theHobbyist said:
I own a Windows phone, have for many years now... Love them. What are your concerns?
Click to expand...

I guess the main concern is, the lack of apps, for example im an avid fan of tapatalk, but that particular app is not available for Windows. Its also quite a step to get a Windows phone, when Android and iOS has proven themselves as excellent operating systems.
 
@Esav

How good is the camera on the 820? I read on several forums, that the camera is not very good and the pictures are fuzzy and washed out.
 
PropThePolecat said:
I guess the main concern is, the lack of apps, for example im an avid fan of tapatalk, but that particular app is not available for Windows. Its also quite a step to get a Windows phone, when Android and iOS has proven themselves as excellent operating systems.
Click to expand...

If all you want your smartphone to do is make calls, mess around on Facebook, search the internet, check the weather, and get directions, a Windows phone is fine. But as you mentioned, the biggest disadvantage with WP (and Blackberry) is the lack of apps, and to another extent, the delay of the apps that are available. You're used to an Android. If you expect to play the newest, hottest game, you'll be regretting buying a Windows phone. Before getting a Windows Phone, you should see if the apps you use on your Android are available on WP, or at least have an acceptable alternative. If you must get a Windows phone, go with the 920 over the 820 (I'm assuming you have AT&T). Yeah, it'll cost $100 more, and it's slightly bigger, but the screen is far superior and the camera is better.

Frankly though, I really don't see any advantage of getting a Windows phone over an Android or an iPhone. Android vs iPhone arguments aside, there's so much more available on those 2 platforms that WP can't compete with (at least, yet). iPhones are easy to use and have the most apps available, and usually sooner than Android. Android has greater customizablilty and some functionality that iPhone doesn't (especially if you root it). Plus the Google "experience" (gmail, Maps, Street View, etc) is the best around. Depends on what you want. But I honestly don't know if there's anything a Windows phone does that an Android or iPhone can't do, or anything that it does better than what those other two already do. Office, maybe, but of course there's apps for iPhone and Android that can do the same well enough. Maybe it's the simplicity and functionality of the WP8 interface you like. Well, you can download a launcher interface for your Android that looks and works exactly like it. Nokia makes a tank of a phone though, so outside of the OS, that might be a consideration.

My advice, stick with Android. If you don't want to spend the $200 (or more, for more storage) on a Galaxy S4 or HTC One, the S3 can be had for $100 and is still a fantastic phone, as is the LG Optimus G (which I'd personally choose over the G3). Or for $.99 you can get the Galaxy Express or HTC First (just disable the Facebook crap). The First is probably the better phone (better construction, much better screen), but doesn't have a micro SD slot, so you're stuck with the 16gb (only 12 available) it offers. The Galaxy Express has less built-in storage but can take a micro SD card. Depends on what you want to load it up with.
 
PropThePolecat said:
I guess the main concern is, the lack of apps, for example im an avid fan of tapatalk, but that particular app is not available for Windows. Its also quite a step to get a Windows phone, when Android and iOS has proven themselves as excellent operating systems.
Click to expand...

The apps are coming, the more people that get windows phones the more likely the apps will follow. As for reliability, my windows phone has been more reliable than the droids, this is mostly because updates get beamed to the droid (I think this is an option or a switch somewhere) but they've had issues with some of the updates breaking stuff.

Anyways you should ask if the folks over at tapatalk are planing a windows phone port. they could just be waiting for enough people to ask... There is board express for tapatalk, might want to look that up.

In any case, most people don't like the Windows phone because of the lack of apps, which is fine, but for me, and my experience (I've had 2 drioids and an iPhone too), the Windows phone has been the most reliable for me.
 
PropThePolecat said:
@Esav

How good is the camera on the 820? I read on several forums, that the camera is not very good and the pictures are fuzzy and washed out.
Click to expand...

My daughter doesn't use the phone a lot, but she is happy with it.

Update: Asked her specifically about it today. Camera is the best he's had, better than some Android she had and a BlackBerry. Very happy with the camera, function and clarity.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for all your replies. I decided to stick with Android and I've bought a LG Optimus 4X HD.

I like WM8, but there are just too many apps that I use, that are not available on WM yet.
 
I've had a HTC Titan and I currently use a Nokia Lumia 920, which I occasionally alternate with a rooted Samsung Galaxy S3. Both my wife and daughter use iPhone 5s, so I am intimately familiar with all the major mobile OSes. My 920 is the best of the bunch. I especially like the wireless charging feature, and the camera is awesome. People have asked me about my phone based solely on the quality of the photos, particularly in low light conditions. If Tapatalk is your primary concern, it is currently in closed beta and should be released soon.

http://www.wpcentral.com/exclusive-1st-look-official-tapatalk-app-windows-phone
 
PropThePolecat said:
Thanks for all your replies. I decided to stick with Android and I've bought a LG Optimus 4X HD.
Click to expand...

Pretty good phone. Not the latest and greatest of course, but still very capable and far from obsolete.

The LG interface, thankfully, isn't too terribly heavily modified over the stock Android. It'll be pretty different from the HTC Sense interface that you're used to though. If you find yourself wishing it was more like your HTC, you can skin it to look just like your old phone. Buy the pro version of Apex or Nova Launcher (I prefer Nova) - it'll cost you a few bucks, but it's well worth it for the customizability you get, and you can download a Sense theme, or any of a massive number of other themes. In addition to making it look however you want, you can make it operate however you like. You can specify the number of home screens, the animations when you transition between them, the layout grid, scrolling dock tray if you want, etc. You can give your home screen different swipe gestures. For example, if I swipe down from anywhere, it drops the notification window. If I swipe up, it goes to Settings. If I 2 finger swipe down, it goes to my apps tray. If I 2 finger swipe up, it goes to the Nova Launcher settings. These are all customizable however you want. There's free versions of both Apex and Nova to play around with to see if you want to plunk down the case for the pro version.

I also really like HD Widgets. Gives you lots of options for clock/weather widgets, and fully customizable power toggle bars.
 
@Planterz

Yeah, im pretty happy with it. I got tired of the limited internal memory and RAM on my Wildfire S, so i wanted to get a powerhouse of a smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy SIII and the HTC One both fit the bill, but they were too expensive. Enter the LG Optimus 4X. Its a quad-core phone, just like the Galaxy and One, but quite a bit cheaper.

All the reviews i read were very postive. Only complaints were the battery life and the cameras autofocus. The fact that the battery needs charging once a day, does not bother me, cause frankly every smartphone on the market today needs a charge once every 24 hours. The cameras autofocus is quite slow, but i can live with it. The LG's UI is very nice and feels "light". I dont find myself missing the HTC UI.

Ive had the phone for a couple of days now and im VERY pleased. Its wickedly fast and there's no lag whatsoever. Every application runs smoothly and the android layout is nice and familiar. Im looking around for some graphics-heavy games so i can draw full benefit of the Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processors. Im just waiting for my 32 GB SD card to arrive. A friend of mine recommended Frontline Commando and judging from the screenshots on Google Play, it looks pretty awesome!
 
I am with T-Mobile and I had a 3g phone. well it broke under there warranty. so the exchange it for a Samsung Galaxy and I am still learning of all the thing you can do with it. I think that they are little computers that also work as a cell phone. now I have to charge mine up once a day if not 2 time a day. does anyone have to charge as much with there phone??
 
richard thurman said:
I am with T-Mobile and I had a 3g phone. well it broke under there warranty. so the exchange it for a Samsung Galaxy and I am still learning of all the thing you can do with it. I think that they are little computers that also work as a cell phone. now I have to charge mine up once a day if not 2 time a day. does anyone have to charge as much with there phone??
Click to expand...

Same thing here Richard. Smartphones are powerhungry devices. A charge a day is the norm and 2 or more if you use them heavily for videos, music, games etc.
 
I hated my windows phone, who seriously needs microsoft word or power point on their phone? Lack of apps and all that good stuff. Android is what works for me best.
 
when T-Mobile told me that the battery probably would not last 24 hours I told the to give me a car charger too. I don't want to be jammed up and need to use my phone. I don't have a house phone. just cell phone. bright house kept jacking up there internet rates for using there cable modem. so I stop them and I am using my cell phone as a hot spot. the extra charge is 1/2 of what bright house was charging me.
 
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