Want new smartphone: android or windows 8?

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afoulk

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I'm hoping theres some people on here who have had experience with both. I've owned 2 smartphones in the past few years, both of them android. My first was a LG Optimus that I absolutely hated. I liked the functionality of Android, but the phone was very "glitchy". I had that for a year, then I got a Samsung Galaxy 2s that I currently still use and have had almost 2 years. I've been happy with that one, but it too is starting to develope some minor glitches. We are currently with tmobile, and will be for the next couple years.

Now, a little back ground on me. I'm not a real "tech savy" guy. I don't use most of the stuff that is on my phone now. All I really use it for is phone calls, internet, maybe watching the occasional video on youtube,texting, pictures and some simple videogames. I don't know the ins and outs of these phones, I don't know what I'm looking at most of the time when I look at the specs. I don't use facebook or twitter. I am how ever good at figuring out how to use something new.

I was dead set on trying a phone with Windows 8 this time, but my wife just got a LG G2 for her birthday this weekend, and I gotta say, I'm impressed, and is the android phone that i'm considering. I like the volume buttons on the back, they are quite natural for me to reach during a call. The screen clarity is amazing. And ofcourse, the android system is familiar to me, so its easy to use. I also like the texting keyboard, much better than my current galaxy 2s. I also like the "knock knock" feature for turning the screen on, and the speed at which the phone works. My favorite feature is the battery life, the thing runs for ever on a charge. I also like the fact that it has a light that flashes to let you know you have a text message instead of having to turn the screen on to check, but thats not overly important. I need to play with it a little more to get a good feel for it, but getting it away from my wife is tough:) The only downsides I see to it are number one, the size, and number two, its like everything else, other than iphones and windows 8 phones. first, I keep my phone in my pocket all day. I work as a mechanic, so i always keep a cover on it, so till I get done putting a cover on there, its pretty bulky and is a pain to pull out and put back in my pocket. and second, I'm just the type of guy that doesn't always like doing or owning what everyone else does. I like to be different, try different things. That quite honestly was my main attraction to Windows 8, just wanted to try something different. I will also add that the phone feels slightly "cheap", as do many of the other smartphones available.

The windows 8 phone I'm considering is the Nokia 925, as I'm a fan of nokias since the old cellphones with the black and green screens, and its the best of the two Nokia's that Tmobile sells. For starters, I love the looks of the phone with the aluminum outer frame, the look and feel of the plastic back, and it just feels more solid in my hand. I also like the program that windows has for the camera and the fact that it takes good pictures in low light situations. We have kids, and I love taking pictures of them with my phone. Since we've had smartphones, we rarely get our digital cameras out. The nokia should be able to do everything I use my phone for now. When I compared it to the LG G2, the LG blew it out of the water in almost every spec. But then I compared it to my galaxy 2s, which is plenty capable for me now, and the nokia was equal or better in every aspect. All I really want is something with a better camera, something that runs a little faster, has a little bit better battery life, and is the same size, or smaller than what I have now. I think the Nokia checks all those box's. I'm also hoping that uploading pics from it to our computer (gateway with windows 8) will be easier. right now I have a hard time with uploading them from my galaxy 2s. The only thing that scares me away from it is microsofts lack of apps, and ofcourse there will be a learning curve to it. I havn't had a chance to play with one for more than 5mins, and I can tell it would take some getting used to, but I also welcome the challange. My one big concern, and I know this sounds stupid, but remember, I'm not to sharp with computers...does texting work ok between a windows phone and an android phone? my wife and I text a lot over the course of a day and I just wanted to be sure there would be no issues?

In the end, I must admit, if I hadn't gotten a chance to play with a LG G2, I'd probably be set on getting the Nokia, but the LG is just so darn good. I'll admit, I'm still kinda set on the Nokia, but I wanted to see what kind of opinions you guys had on the different phones. I like the looks and feel of the nokia, plus the other things I've mentioned, but at the same time, I can't help but think I might be happier with the LG, but I think a lot of that is just the fact that I'm familiar with Android. Sorry this was so long winded, but I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts.
 
Coming from someone who has used a high-end Android phone (HTC One) and a Nokia 928, my advice: get the Nokia.

I'm doing some consulting work for a small start-up, and they offered to send me a phone. I told them not to bother, but then they said it was a Windows phone, and they were curious for some feedback, so I said "sure". I'm incredibly impressed, both with the hardware and Windows. Which is funny, because I think I was the last human alive using Windows Mobil 5.whatever, and it was atrocious. Seriously. When I went from that to Android, I felt like a blind man who'd been given sight or something.

WP8 is totally different, and given how you described using your phone you seem like the perfect candidate for it. My wife's usage pattern is similar. She doesn't use the obscure features of Android, she just wants the thing to work. She loves the Nokia 928/WP8, and she never really loved Android or Iphone. Mostly what I like about it:

-live active tiles are actually useful, easy-to-use, and look good
-e-mail and text message display format works better for me, IMO(funny that g-mail seems to be easier to navigate on the Windows phone). Go figure.
-the keyboard is really, really good.
-maps works without an internet connection. That's a pretty big plus.

After using it for a while, I would have replaced my aging Bionic with a windows phone. I didn't, for 2 reasons: 1) no good tethering app (to use my phone as a modem, this was the deal breaker), 2) no dropbox (I could have gotten over that one and used something else).

I'm sure you'll hear lots of comments from people who've never touched one telling you to avoid the Windows phone. My opinion, it's a really solid platform and the Nokia hardware is great. If there aren't any specific missing apps which you actually use, I think it's a no-brainer. It's just a better, more user-friendly interface, IMO.
 
If you only quote "All I really use it for is phone calls, internet, maybe watching the occasional video on youtube,texting, pictures and some simple videogames. "

I would say Android and get an unlocked phone like the Nexus 5 or new Moto G, can't beat the price, your not locked to a carrier subsidy plus you will enjoy the latest in Android updates in a timely manner. I would avoid any what I call "Android locked carrier" phones, i.e. Samsung Galaxy line, Note, LG, etc...

Moto G

Nexus 5


Or get the iPhone 5C which is another outstanding phone for your use case.

iPhone 5C

PS - All of these phones will work perfectly with T-Mobile's post-paid service even saving you more money.
 
Originally Posted By: zloveraz
If you only quote "All I really use it for is phone calls, internet, maybe watching the occasional video on youtube,texting, pictures and some simple videogames. "

I would say Android and get an unlocked phone like the Nexus 5 or new Moto G, can't beat the price, your not locked to a carrier subsidy plus you will enjoy the latest in Android updates in a timely manner. I would avoid any what I call "Android locked carrier" phones, i.e. Samsung Galaxy line, Note, LG, etc...

Moto G

Nexus 5


Or get the iPhone 5C which is another outstanding phone for your use case.

iPhone 5C

PS - All of these phones will work perfectly with T-Mobile's post-paid service even saving you more money.


+1 for the Nexus 5. I am loving mine.
 
Alot to like about the nexus 5..but integrated battery and no additional memory slot are 2 drawbacks..not for everyone but its worth noting.

I havent used a windows phone since the early stages so i cant comment..iphone is boring..nothing new there..android is decent. Compare the 2 devices and decide that way. Windows phone good for integration etc..but android for browsing web..go into a store and play with the windows phone for a bit..see how u like it..
 
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Originally Posted By: JOD
Coming from someone who has used a high-end Android phone (HTC One) and a Nokia 928, my advice: get the Nokia.

I'm doing some consulting work for a small start-up, and they offered to send me a phone. I told them not to bother, but then they said it was a Windows phone, and they were curious for some feedback, so I said "sure". I'm incredibly impressed, both with the hardware and Windows. Which is funny, because I think I was the last human alive using Windows Mobil 5.whatever, and it was atrocious. Seriously. When I went from that to Android, I felt like a blind man who'd been given sight or something.

WP8 is totally different, and given how you described using your phone you seem like the perfect candidate for it. My wife's usage pattern is similar. She doesn't use the obscure features of Android, she just wants the thing to work. She loves the Nokia 928/WP8, and she never really loved Android or Iphone. Mostly what I like about it:

-live active tiles are actually useful, easy-to-use, and look good
-e-mail and text message display format works better for me, IMO(funny that g-mail seems to be easier to navigate on the Windows phone). Go figure.
-the keyboard is really, really good.
-maps works without an internet connection. That's a pretty big plus.

After using it for a while, I would have replaced my aging Bionic with a windows phone. I didn't, for 2 reasons: 1) no good tethering app (to use my phone as a modem, this was the deal breaker), 2) no dropbox (I could have gotten over that one and used something else).

I'm sure you'll hear lots of comments from people who've never touched one telling you to avoid the Windows phone. My opinion, it's a really solid platform and the Nokia hardware is great. If there aren't any specific missing apps which you actually use, I think it's a no-brainer. It's just a better, more user-friendly interface, IMO.


I agree with you.

I recently got a touchscreen full HD windows 8 laptop and some of the apps are great. I have Apple and Android devices so can make a comparison.

Like you say, live tiles are neat. I can imagine the interface working on mobile devices well and I like the idea of sync across devices.

My sense is that Microsoft could do very well from Windows 8 and the Nokia purchase has the potential to help them further.
 
Originally Posted By: Joe_Power
Go with the Iphone. Hands down the best. Android is junk. Dingleberry is outdated. Windows phone....What the heck is that???
Originally Posted By: Joe_Power
Go with the Iphone. Hands down the best. Android is junk. Dingleberry is outdated. Windows phone....What the heck is that???


I agree with this , I've had high end android phones and the phones are always the issue. The android os isn't bad, it's not a smooth as iPhone but it's not bad it's the phones that are junk.
My iPhone 5 has been flawless. I don't think ill even consider an android for my next phone. It'll be an iPhone. It's overall the highest quality product.
Android has some flashy stuff but it's to me all bark and no bite kinda deal. The iPhone actually delivers and delivers well.
Keep in mind I've had Motorola htc Samsung and lg android phones all were junk. The lg being the worse. I got the s3 brand new and it wouldn't get service worth a darn . They told me it was a software error and it would eventually be updated. I decided to swap phones and try the iPhone 5 best thing I've ever done.
 
My wife recently got a new phone, and I spent some time playing around with phones in the Verizon store. I really wanted to like the Windows 8 phones, but just couldn't. But I'll say that it's completely subjective: I thought the tiled interface was very cold and very sterile. It had no character to it. Past that, though, I really liked the virtual keyboard and the Nokia phone had a very good quality feel to it.

If you like the look of the interface, I think you'd like the rest of the phone.
 
Thank you guys for the help so far. I will also add that being able to add or expand storage/memory isn't really a big deal for me. My Samsung galaxy 2s only has 16GB, same as the Nokia, and its been more than enough for me.

Add far as the non replaceable battery, it doesn't really bother me either. I'm usually lucky if I have a phone for two years, and I've never had a battery problem in that amount of time.

some one here mentioned the Android phones feeling of poor build quality when held in your hand and I tend to agree. The Nokia I held, as well as I phones, all feel of much better quality. Yes I considered an iPhone, but most mechanics I've run across with them, have all broken the screen at least once. Besides, a lot of people I know have them, and they seem to bee like a windows phone, most either love them or hate them
 
Originally Posted By: Joe_Power
Go with the Iphone. Hands down the best. Android is junk. Dingleberry is outdated. Windows phone....What the heck is that???


Iphone 5. All the successful business people I know have one. Because it works. I found Android to be bit of a toy.
 
Originally Posted By: ram_man
I've had high end android phones and the phones are always the issue.

Keep in mind I've had Motorola htc Samsung and lg android phones all were junk.

It's a hit or miss. My previous Moto Droid 2 wasn't the greatest, but my current Moto RazrM is very good. I have no complaints and the quality is great. Maybe not a "high end" phone though.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: ram_man
I've had high end android phones and the phones are always the issue.

Keep in mind I've had Motorola htc Samsung and lg android phones all were junk.

It's a hit or miss. My previous Moto Droid 2 wasn't the greatest, but my current Moto RazrM is very good. I have no complaints and the quality is great. Maybe not a "high end" phone though.


That's why I prefer iPhone the people who built the software built it to work on these phones only. Where as android is used on all sorts of stuff. Sometimes it's good and sometimes it's not. To me it make sense to go with a product where the whole thing was 100% designed to work together.
 
Cell phones are so cheap these days, why limit yourself to just one?

The Nokia's are an excellent camera phone. I've had a 920 for about nine months now as my business phone and it's been excellent. IMO, the windows 8 interface with the live tiles is by far the best out there. The iPhone blows, I've bought my wife every one of those since they first came out, and it looks as dated now as it ever did.

Android looks about as dated, although some shells look nice. I'll concede general ignorance about android devices. I've only owned one, my current weekend, rough service phone ( Runbo X5 ) and its definitely not a mainstream type of device.

Being a mechanic, though, you might really want to look at getting one of the ruggedized android phones, or a plain vanilla ruggedized feature phone and just swap your sim card between that and a "nice" phone as needed. I know I got sick of dropping nice smartphones on concrete or asphalt and having to get a glass replacement.
 
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I have had and Android tablet (Samsung Galaxy 10.1) for about a year and just got a WP8 (Nokia Lumia 521) a couple of weeks ago. The learning curve is much shorter with WP8, for me. I have no experience with Apple's OS, so I cannot comment on that. I have been a die hard feature phone user until I noticed that smartphone plans and hardware had come down in price to the former level of feature phones.

For the money ($100) I am very satisfied with this purchase.
 
Go with a high end Android or an iPhone 5s. I have nothing against Windows and I use a Windows 8 ultrabook. I like the livetiles but the choice of apps is what would hold me back. Maybe in a year or two, things will be different.

As for choosing between the iPhone and Android, don't let the fanboys distract you. Buy the one you like best. The fact of the matter is there are problems with both platforms and I think a lot of folks who say Androids are buggy seem to ignore all the software bugs that iOS has experience the last couple years. I personally had a ton of software issues when I was on iOS. My sister and neighbors constantly lose contacts and have icloud and text outages. I point out these iOS issues not to rip Apple but to bring a balance to the discussion (heck I'm about to buy an iPad for my mother in law).

Electronics are buggy and there is no bug free system. Buy the system you like and is most synchronized with your ecosystem.
 
I am VERY happy with my iPhone 5s. Very quick and it holds service MUCH MUCH better than any android/droid I've had. My S3 was LTE, didn't get LTE very often. iPhone keeps it 80% of the time, Not total LTE coverage here.
frown.gif
My S3 had a beautiful display and a great camera but other than a host of bugs (probably a Verizon thing) I can deal with my tiny iPhone.
smile.gif
 
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