Windows Phone users: opinions wanted

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My contract is up in October. My old BlackBerry could stand being replaced, and I can pick whatever phone I want.

My replacement choices are these:
Android
Sorry, but this one is a non-starter for me. I very much dislike how Android snitches to Google everything you do. That was the price to phone makers for receiving the OS for free.
iPhone 5
Intriguing, but too much of a "consumer toy" rather than a "tool". Too limited in functionality, such as being unable to rename photos before sending directly from the phone, or unable to enter words directly into a dictionary so they are not flagged as incorrectly-spelled (yes, these features are important).
BlackBerry
That swirling noise bothers me; it sounds too much like water going down a toilet. Plus there's no Auto-BCC for the email.

This leaves Windows Phone.
The company my sister works for has recently replaced all their corporate BlackBerries with a Windows phone (I forget what brand and model, but it has a 41-megapixel camera). She's quite happy with it. We're talking several thousand Windows phones here, so this was a big decision for her employer.

Those of you who have a smartphone with the Windows OS: what do you think so far? Pros? cons?
 
Originally Posted By: abycat
Go with a Samsung Galaxy.

Android. No. Read my post more carefully.

Are you a Windows Phone user? No. Then why did you reply?
 
I really don't like the tone you have against Google.

I'm no fanboy, but if you think Google's "snitching" on you, I sincerely feel bad for you for trusting the likes of Microsoft or Research In Motion.

Since I doubt you'll be buying a phone for full price, and you don't mention what carrier your on, and your upgrading. So if your on one of the GWN's big 3 carriers, there's only 2 or 3 Windows phones on each, MAYBE.
 
Originally Posted By: Tegger
Originally Posted By: abycat
Go with a Samsung Galaxy.

Android. No. Read my post more carefully.

Are you a Windows Phone user? No. Then why did you reply?


just wanted you to make a good choice. Not a [censored] one.
 
Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
I really don't like the tone you have against Google.

I'm no fanboy, but if you think Google's "snitching" on you, I sincerely feel bad for you for trusting the likes of Microsoft or Research In Motion.

Since I doubt you'll be buying a phone for full price, and you don't mention what carrier your on, and your upgrading. So if your on one of the GWN's big 3 carriers, there's only 2 or 3 Windows phones on each, MAYBE.


Rogers has three:

Lumia 1020
Lumia 635
Lumia 520

Bell has a sweet one (lol!):

Samsung ATIV S

Telus has NADA.

grin.gif
 
Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
but if you think Google's "snitching" on you, I sincerely feel bad for you for trusting the likes of Microsoft or Research In Motion.

+1
 
Originally Posted By: Tegger

This leaves Windows Phone.
The company my sister works for has recently replaced all their corporate BlackBerries with a Windows phone (I forget what brand and model, but it has a 41-megapixel camera). She's quite happy with it. We're talking several thousand Windows phones here, so this was a big decision for her employer.


Or the are an all Microsoft shop and MS threw free phones/tools/licenses at them to get them to switch. Or they are taken by the "write once deploy everywhere" fantasy MS is selling. Don't kid yourself - if someone offered you several thousand free phones you'd take it in a heartbeat and make everyone adapt. These types of deals go on all the time in business, especially with Microsoft. The "best" solution most likely didn't get picked - the most financially advantageous one did.

Look long and hard @ it. WP has the least selection of apps and those that are there are often a 3rd rate afterthought rather than a good effort.
 
Originally Posted By: abycat
You can actually turn off any reporting that any app does. even google. It's fairly easy.

How is it done?
 
Originally Posted By: itguy08
WP has the least selection of apps and those that are there are often a 3rd rate afterthought rather than a good effort.

OK, but how do you know this? Do you personally have WP experience?
 
I have a Nokia Lumia 928. A lot of stuff that other phones do in apps can be handled in Internet Explorer. The real GPS is really nice to have, and the camera is quite good. Battery life is also quite good. Overall, I rather like the phone since it does what I want it to. Call quality is pretty good, and it seems to get signal in most places. Having it natively sync with Outlook and other MS programs with little to no fuss is pretty nice, especially my Outlook work email/calendar. The interface works for me with the tiles, which make it fairly easy to get around.

The lack of apps doesn't bother me since I'm not big into streaming music or Facetube. (BITOG views very well on a small screen, BTW!) So if you don't need a lot of apps and a otherwise pretty good (IMO) phone, Nokia/MS makes a decent phone.
 
Originally Posted By: Tegger
Originally Posted By: itguy08
WP has the least selection of apps and those that are there are often a 3rd rate afterthought rather than a good effort.

OK, but how do you know this? Do you personally have WP experience?


Nope - I avoid Microsoft like the cancer they are.

But most reviews point this out and how some "key" apps are missing or sorely lacking features. Why waste your time with a distant 3rd place OS that is shrining market share?
 
I have a Lumia 925. This is my second windows phone, my choosing, if that tells you anything. I've been pleased with the operating system and how easy it is to set up and use. The live tiles work nicely too.

I always see the lack of apps for windows phone brought up, usually by non windows phone users. I find it to be a non issue. I have all the apps I need. Not sure what I am supposed to be missing.

Not going to bash the other operating systems. Phones and tablets are actually where windows 8 shines.
 
Can't really comment other than a guy i work with just got rid of his Sony Windows phone and got the Blackberry Z30. He loves the Z30, but I never asked about the windows phone cause I really didn't care...
 
Originally Posted By: itguy08
Originally Posted By: Tegger
Originally Posted By: itguy08
WP has the least selection of apps and those that are there are often a 3rd rate afterthought rather than a good effort.

OK, but how do you know this? Do you personally have WP experience?


Nope - I avoid Microsoft like the cancer they are.


But most reviews point this out and how some "key" apps are missing or sorely lacking features. Why waste your time with a distant 3rd place OS that is shrining market share?



I do to. But in the settings in the phone you can just click off what the app does. whether it be sync or reporting. or even location services.
 
FWIW, OP I personally do not own one, but I'm a software developer in a .NET environment and know a bit about the Windows mobile OS. I own both a Galaxy S5 and an Iphone 5. Both phones are great, but have their pros and cons - based solely upon public opinion. BUT I will note that a co-worker gave me his Windows phone to mess with for a while which was a Nokia (not sure what model), and it was actually pretty nice. If the phone is for business, like others have mentioned here, the features for calendars and mail syncing work seemingly well. Easy to use in general and the camera was fantastic, even compared to my S5. It seemed to be a great phone for most of the basic usage and Net browsing.

I am not the type that uses my phone for games and trolling social media, so the phone would work nicely in my daily use. It honestly all depends on what you are looking for - as others stated. If my contract was up on either of my phones, lets just say my options would not be limited to Android and Apple devices.
 
I don't have a windows phone (I would never buy one) but I know someone who does and its a big pain. It has to be updated constantly and if you don't, it will drop calls. I would go with android if I were you.
 
I don't have a Windows phone, and I hated every time I had to use one. But when talking to people who have them, they say they hated it at first, but then once you get used to it you think it's great.



Side note, *EVERY* smart phone OS "snitches" on you. Don't be fooled thinking it's only Google, I assure you every single smart phone OS snitches on you. Apple has been "snitching" on you since day 1. That's actually part of the reason why you used to have to use iTune and plug your iPhone into your computer to get updates and do things initially (years ago before they started doing everything over the air). iTunes used to package all your information off the phone (usage, apps used, various statistics, etc) and send them all back to Apple.

None of the major smart phone OS'es give you any privacy.
 
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