Windows Phone - Worth Another Try?

[T3Jn]

Ok - not a tablet question, I know - but these devices are coming closer together so don't think the question suits the off topic forum.

I used the original windows phones for years before apple came along and 'invented' the smartphone and loved them all. Swapped to iPhone 3g when I discovered just how good they had made the OS. Tried the Nokia 720 for a while but although I felt it far more advanced than then iPhone critical things for me (mail an phone) seemed unreliable I gave it 3 months then bought an iPhone 4s. I was also annoyed that the OS would not be updated.

With the release of the 925 and my love of the Surface I am thinking about giving it another shot.

My question is, has anyone recently jumped to Win8 Phone from iPhone and what are your thoughts?

 

[jlangner]

Not from IOS but android. I have had a 8x since November...luv it!!! I would have gone the 920 route but t-mobile does not have it or should I say "did". No regrets here..best phone I have had. Most of missing apps gradually coming on board.

 

[ArnoldC]

I had HTC Mozart (7.5) before iPhone 4s, which I got just for kicks. Eventually, I gave the iPhone 4s to my girl friend. Right now, I have a Lumia 610 (7.8) and HTC Windows Phone 8S and like them both. Having said that, I also have HTC One V (ICS) and Sony Xperia V (JB), the latter I got just for LTE.

Will I jump to a 925, perhaps not (due to the other Windows Phone devices I still have) and I'm hopelessly waiting for Microsoft's Surface Phone. If I don't have a Windows Phone yet, the 925 will be good.

I'm sure you are aware of the app availability issue. If you can live with that, the Windows Phone 8 devices are good.

 

[Rallicat]

With the Lumia 720, you'd have had a Windows Phone 8 device, and whilst there have been various small updates for that OS, the current range of Windows Phones, including the newly announced Lumia 925, all run the same OS - Windows Phone 8.

I've had no problems with the reliability of the OS (although I've some friends who have experienced one or two issues). Specifically for mail, I torture my phone with about 5 mail accounts (2 Outlook.com accounts and 3 Gmail iMAP) and find it to work well, YMMV.

I'd say that what you get out of all these devices (iPhones, Android handsets, Windows Phones, iPads, Surfaces etc etc) all depends on how you approach them, and how you seek to use them. For example, I use allot of the Microsoft 'stuff' - Outlook.com, SkyDrive, Skype etc, and so everything works well for me between my Windows Phone, Surface RT and Windows 8 Desktop machine. If you're wanting to use a mish-mash of services from different companies - that's where things can sometimes start to get a little less perfect. That's not to say you shouldn't have every right to use whatever service you like, but everyone always wants to give you 'the best experience' when you take there services togather.

Embracing all the Microsoft stuff though is actually a very liberating experience. I too used iPhone for several years, and used it in combination with Gmail, and iTunes. Now I use the Microsoft stuff and in many cases find it to be superior. Give it a try I guess!

 

[Surface Dude]

I have been using Windows Phone 8 since it was released last year(Aside from a brief stint with Android with the GS3 and DNA).
I do think it is worth another try as I love my 920

 

[d31dk]

I do think it is worth another try as I love my 920

+1 Very happy with my 920 (And also my Lumia 800 with 7.8)

 

[T3Jn]

Yes - one of my reasons is my investment in MS apps, I've always been a fan and am also a Microsoft Partner, however I found the "it just works" element missing when I switched from the iPhone 4 to the 720. Hard to put your finger on it, but phone calls were not reliable - constantly crashing calls and the Mail (few exchange accounts) seemed to really lag. I expect the device with 18 months of updates is probably sound now.

I think I'll take a crack at the 925 when it is released with the WP8 update.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[pwaggs]

The Lumina 920 is simply a more capable phone than the IPhone 5. I use a Lumina and my 16yo uses an IPhone so I get lots of hand on time with both. Right now there is no reason NOT to switch to WP8 EXCEPT for the app store. If there is an app that you really cannot live without, make sure that it is available before switching. The MS app store has fewer apps at this point. All of the basic and even mid level type apps are available, however, specialty and technical apps may be missing, for example for your bank or business. Finally, I will admit that the IPhone has a better podcast player. Not sure why as the Zune software was better at playing podcasts than the current WP8 Xbox iteration. Same issue I have with the Surface RT actually.

 

[TeknoBlast]

I have the Lumia 810 and I'm enjoying it. I was torn between the HTC 8X and the Lumia 810 and the 810 won because I like the soap bar shape and the wider screen. The HTC screen seem a little then to me.

My wife hasn't jumped into the smart phone craze yet.....well she does have a Samsung Bold II.......but I'm gonna look into the Lumia 521 that's being released on the 22nd at Wal-Mart. She's not a tech geek like me, so she doesn't need any high-end phone like I do. Want to keep her in the Windows Phone family.

 

[pallentx]

I agree - the only reason not to switch is certain specific apps you require that are not available. There's still a few on that list for me Strava and USAA are the big ones still missing, but I enjoy the phone so much more, I'm ok without them. I never had any problems with WP7 or WP mail. The issue about WP7 phones not being updatable should be a thing of the past. No phone will be updatable forever, but there wont be a hard cutover like that for the near future.

 

[dlacaba]

Switched form Iphone 3GS to HTC 8S. Good phone, but lack of apps is disappointing at times. Biggest gripe is that seeing as how live tiles are awesome, why are there no sports app that show sports scores as live tiles. There is one, but you gotta pay. My only other issue with the phone is just how often I mis-click things. The back/home/search keys are so easy to press you often press them when you don't want to.

 

[T3Jn]

Just done a quick audit of the iPhone apps that I actually use, there are 4 unfortunately that are not supported:

Strava
The Times
ViewRanger
Sonos

Ironically these are pretty much the only non built in iPhone apps that I use. Only Sonos has a suggestion that there is an app on the way for WP8. I've contacted the others and they have no intention of supporting WP... bummer

There's no doubt that the WP is far more capable than the iPhone, my 720 had massively more potential than the iPhone 5, but without the big apps you're not going to buy it, without people buying it the apps are not going to be ported... so do you buy to add to the numbers to break the circle?