Do you Windows Phone 8?

[rice_classic]

Have you tried it? Why or why not?

Do you like it? Why or why not?


So here's my take on how the market looks and how it stacks up:

iPhone/Apple:

I currently use an iPhone 4 for work. I feel like the iPhone is the Toyota Corolla of smart phones. There's lots of them, they're reliable but they're boring. Part of what made this device great is that it's locked down and only produced by Apple, but IMHO that's also what hurts it for me. The lack of options for hardware. Not only is the OS locked down but so is the device. The good = universal experience for consumers, universal platform for developers. The bad = no hardware options consumers, only 1 design. I will say that the consistency and popularity of the design has lead to companies developing apps for this platform first. The last two hardware launches for Apple weren't anything new (and their stock price reflects that). All we got was a taller iPhone and a smaller iPad.


Android/Google:

I no longer use Android, but that Galaxy S3 is pretty smokin' hot device! I don't use Android/Google partly due to software and partly on principle. First off the thing that made Android great is also what ruined Android for me. The openness of the platform has lead to massive OS fragmentation and the openness of the development has lead to malicious apps, viruses etc. If there's anything the iPhone has made me accustomed to is that when I download an app, it should just work and I did not have this experience with Android. Also, I have a personal problem with Google on how they record everything forever like some sort of self declared benevolent Big Brother. Their business model just feels creepy. I will note that Apple's been accused of some of this spyware nonsense as well. I also feel that Android platform, no matter how pretty they make it is just a glorified app launcher. However, that is also what makes it so popular and effective... apps... millions of apps. Every company with a product that has a corresponding app now writes it for Android as well as iPhone. Samsung has sold something like 30 Million Galaxy S3's recently.. that's a big deal.



Windows Phone 8/Microsoft:

The biggest detractor is the lack of apps but as market share is growing that will change. Most of the apps people use are already on the WP platform but it's still lagging behind. What is great about this platform is that it's like the best of both Android and iPhone and Microsoft.
1: It's locked down like iPhone but not totally. So consumers get the same reliable and universal experience like an iPhone customer but with more hardware options like an Android customer... Like how all WP8 phones have NFC (Tap to share). Same with the OS... You get the reliability and simplicity like that of Apple with the ability to customize (to some degree) like that of Android.
2: No OS Fragmentation (or almost none). I have yet to download an app for my windows phone (both WP7 and WP8) that wasn't "compatible" with my device which happened often on my Android.
3: Not a glorified app launcher. I like how much stuff is built into the device so you can do a lot of what you need to do without an "app for that".
4: OFFICE! I like how office is built in, how well it works with exchange and how reliable and easy it works with non MS platforms like Facebook, Gmail etc.

It seems like the fastest and smoothest device of the three but the lack of apps is hurting it. For example: I'm in Best Buy and I'm looking at cameras and see you "APP available for iPHone and Android.".. I then see that again for WIFI home security device and again for something else and again and again... I have to see the words "App available for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone."


Your thoughts?


(Please excuse grammar and spelling errors, thank you)

Current device: HTC 8X. Incredible battery life, incredible light (larger and lighter than my iPhone 4!).

[blur]

I have a Samsung Focus that I bought back in 2010 Still works great and WP7 is silky smooth.

[M-17]

I don't have WP8 yet, but I will be soon.

I think the layout is easier to work with WP8 and I can run certain programs on the phone when I'm away from work too. And like you said the way Apple locks down on its platform is why I still haven't bought into it. So I'll leave it to that for now.

[mechaghost]

I have a red lumina 920 and I love it. I also make games for windows phone check out armored drive amongst my other games

[Got3n]

I have the lumia 900, havent upgraded to the 920 yet but I love WP more than android and ios. Never going back.

[SVTSHC]

Never could get used to the layout of the WP7 but that's because I'm hailing from the droid universe. My Ma has one though; I played with the phone for a while, had to admit it was smooth butter. WP8 will probably blow it's shoes off.

[ZetaVI]

I personally prefer Android but I gotta say WP is freak'n good.

[dawnst3ar]

Working in IT I have seen several people in my company switch to the Lumia 900/920 and I have yet to hear anyone say that they would go back to the iPhone or Android. I know I won't, for the exact reasons you mentioned in your post, OP

[Dimman]

I'm curious to see how Microsoft works to their goal of having a pretty much universal Windows OS, where anything runs on anything. They seem pretty close... Maybe next gen phones?

That being said, I'm old enough to have the same 'bogeyman' impression of Microsoft that seems to have transferred to Google.

And has anyone seen Apple's patent application for software that will force 'compliance' of users viewing ads by shutting down the rest of your device until you acknowledge the ad? Fuck Apple.

Right now all Google is doing is bombarding me with the same Perrin ad for swaybars and Fumoto oil valve, based on my search history presumably.

[Shagaliscious]

Do they have any regular looking phones that are windows 8 phones?

I can't stand the ones that look like they took a regular phone and jammed it into a colored rectangle. So stupid.

[dawnst3ar]

what do you mean? Like black? if so, yes, they come in black....

[rice_classic]

The one I've been waiting on is the ATIV S by Samsung. It's the same case/body/screen as the Galaxy S3 but they've made no announcement for US carriers and delayed launch on Canadian and UK carriers due to production delays.

BTW: Those production delays are caused by the screen. They are selling so many GS3's they don't have enough screens for the display on the ATIV S.

Samsung ATIV S with 1080P, 4.8" screen... Oh and don't forget the 2300 mAh battery!

[gmookher]

I'm on Droid HD maxx, love it

[Shagaliscious]

Originally Posted by rice_classic

The one I've been waiting on is the ATIV S by Samsung. It's the same case/body/screen as the Galaxy S3 but they've made no announcement for US carriers and delayed launch on Canadian and UK carriers due to production delays.

BTW: Those production delays are caused by the screen. They are selling so many GS3's they don't have enough screens for the display on the ATIV S.

Samsung ATIV S with 1080P, 4.8" screen... Oh and don't forget the 2300 mAh battery!

Now there's a normal looking phone.

I'm guessing they don't have a set release date for it?