Just watched a review on the HTC evo4G and was impressed but unsure if I am an Android man???? what are your thoughts?
Evo4G vs HD2
antilagman said:
Just watched a review on the HTC evo4G and was impressed but unsure if I am an Android man???? what are your thoughts?
Evo4G vs HD2
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Click to collapse
I've never tried Android, but if that phone wasn't CDMA I'd probably give it a go.
The EVO is definitely a device I'd love to have a go with. I enjoy using my HD2 but the EVO definitely has a few features i'd be interested in, mainly the Android OS, but also the better camera and the HDMI out.
HDMI-out is the killer feature I miss on the HD2 (I'm not even sure I would use it much, but I love convergence me )
I love the slimness of HD2 so I'm not sure yet.
Both my daughter and wife have the Evo. It is a fantastic phone. I find myself playing with it over my HD2 frequently. My HD2s biggest advantage is Outlook/Exchange. Android has some pretty good Exchange integration, but not as good as WinMo.
Turning on 4G kills the battery pretty quick. The battery cover is pretty cheesey compared to the HD2's. Android market beats Microsoft's marketplace handily.
I've been playing around with the HTC Desire, which also has Adroid on it and I was amazed by it's responsiveness. In other words, it's fast!
As you can see in the review, browsing the internet on the HD2 (this is probably a opera mobile browser thing) is annoying, as you have to pan and zoom in/out all the time; the browser adjusts pages for you, but not always in a convenient way.
The Android market is huge, and mostly free. But that doesn't get me enthousiastic, as I have found all my application for WinMo here on XDA (you gotta love this site, big thanks for all the developers!).
Google Maps Turn by Turn navigation isn't available for WinMo (that's correct right?) yet. I'd really love to have that feature on my HD2.
I'd also like to have the one button press to get an overview of all the home-tabs as in Android on my HD2, but maybe this is already developed or being developed.
So, for me, in the end, I'll stay with my HD2 for a while (at least 10 months as my contract will then be renewed (yay for "free" phones ) Maybe by then Android will have left WinMo even further behind.
Seemless outlook syncing, tomtom and garmin keep me with windows mobile...
Never been tempted to android or iphone...
Its that simple for me...
My mate's trading in his hero for a desire... I'll grab it, play with it for a few minutes and give it back and say "yeah, nice...", then walk away thanking God I have my HD2...
Android and iphone interfaces may be smoother, but that's not the phone experience I'm worried about...
I'll stick with WM...
argentocruz said:
My mate's trading in his hero for a desire... I'll grab it, play with it for a few minutes and give it back and say "yeah, nice...", then walk away thanking God I have my HD2...
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Click to collapse
x2.
My girlfriend has an iphone4, and a coworker of mine has the evo4g, and I really can't see myself using either of those phones on a daily basis. I like the minimalistic of cooking my own ROM, I like the idea of using whatever software I want, when I want, without having to fork over $2-3 dollars for it. Conversely, I want to be able to manage everything manually on my phone. I want to have the ability to establish where the cache is going to be, I want to be able to tweak and "mod" the behavior of the program im running. I don't want the OS to dictate that.
Basically it comes down to functionality and flexibility, and with Cookies Home Tab, no two HD2s are alike...which makes the phone that much more unique.
On the other hand, you could argue that the apps are what make the phone, but honestly, I dont need to further clutter my phone with countless sports score apps, food apps, or any of that junk. Everything basic amenities that a smart phone need are already available on the HD2/windows mobile.
i jumped from sprint to t-mobile after the evo was already out. I'm not interested in android at this time and I'm pretty sure with nrgz28's cht ROM, it's every bit as smooth as the iphone4 and evo.
What's sad about sprint for me was the data speeds on sprint (3g). I was getting only 500-700kbps. I'm getting 2000-3000 kbps on t-mobile on hspa with hspa+ rolling out this month (according to my local t-mobile). So my speeds right now are similar or close to sprint 4g, then will blow right past them very soon.
Honestly, I don't get the jump to android, especially an htc device. Sense is very similar on both and you hardly dig into winmo anymore anyways.
I think that if you have 4g in your area, go for the evo if you are looking for something different, but if not, and your t-mobile coverage is good, you might as well wait at least till this fall and see what is coming out (like all the galaxy s and galaxy s pros). Not to mention there is some sweet spec'd wp7 coming down the pipe (1.5 ghz snap dragon anyone???).
lude219 said:
x2.
My girlfriend has an iphone4, and a coworker of mine has the evo4g, and I really can't see myself using either of those phones on a daily basis. I like the minimalistic of cooking my own ROM, I like the idea of using whatever software I want, when I want, without having to fork over $2-3 dollars for it. Conversely, I want to be able to manage everything manually on my phone. I want to have the ability to establish where the cache is going to be, I want to be able to tweak and "mod" the behavior of the program im running. I don't want the OS to dictate that.
Basically it comes down to functionality and flexibility, and with Cookies Home Tab, no two HD2s are alike...which makes the phone that much more unique.
On the other hand, you could argue that the apps are what make the phone, but honestly, I dont need to further clutter my phone with countless sports score apps, food apps, or any of that junk. Everything basic amenities that a smart phone need are already available on the HD2/windows mobile.
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Click to collapse
customizabilty FTW! thats why i stick with winmo too. i can make my phone completely my own.
im sick of the whole "app store" argument too. iphone & android have oh so many apps... most of which are stupid games & frivolous bull****. winmo has as many apps as they do, theyre just not all organized in the app store yet. most of them are actually useful too. MS only recently made an app store cause googling for the app they want is too much work for most people & they were losing out to the competition.
why would you go from hd2 to evo when hd2 can run android too?
i'll stick to a Windoes mobile phone no matter what....dunno why, s'pose it's like a PC....no way would i change to apple (IMHO) s**T like that.
prob change my phone in 3 months, maybe even a year, but whatever it will be, it'll definitely be a windows operating system.
Matt
Related
Greets to all fellow XDA membs!
Ill make it sweet n short:
Been a diehard Winmo user for many years, winmo has given me the love we all know about (don't regret a second of it) but.... some fukr stole my fuze and im in the market for a new phone, ive been eyeballin the TP2, butttttt, since i have switched to Ubuntu for quite some time now, i said to myself maybe thats the same path I should take on my mobile devices.
Sooo, what do you dislike or like about the Hero? is it worth ditchin the good ol Winmo for some Android? Do i get any "benefit" by runnin linux on pc and on my phone? How do prior Winmo users feel about the switch?
-How about the on screen keyboard? Multitouch makes a big diff, I mean typing a sorto long email?
Thanks all for the tips, I trust my fellow XDA members givin me a good birds eye view.
I guess we can turn this into "mini" reviews.
I've just switched from a Touch HD to a Hero. So far I'm very impressed with the Hero. Speed of screen switching is good and somehow I feel more "connected" with the Hero. I have no problems updating Facebook or my blog from the phone. Keyboard is very responsive (I was using Zoomboard on the HD) and I've only once found myself trying to get a stylus out (non-existent on the Hero).
I'd prefer a better calendar app for the Hero, the in built one is a bit limited. Pocket Informant for Android would be good.
All in all I can say it's been a very positive experience moving across though.
M
After using WM for some years I don't regret using a Hero now.
It's fantastic.
Being a Ubuntu/Linux user for some years now I decided I wanted a Linux-based smartphone.
Just do it and you won't regret it.
Coool, thanks for the replys., I think im takin the Dip! 2 Android
Any one else?
Coming from a Htc diamond (1) I can only say buy the hero
It works a lot quicker the sense ui is brilliant (even the normal android screen is far more usefull than winmo's ''today''screen)
I can't say I miss any programs I ran on winmo, almost all popular programs have android alternatives in the market.
For example Meebo IM instead of messenger live... works a lot better my contacts don't even notice I'm online on my hero instead of my pc.
Also typing on a touch phone without a stylus has never been so easy before (have to admit never had something else other than winmo devices not naming the Ithingy)
I don't have any regrets the only thing I miss a bit is the bluetooth support. But hopefully that will be fixed in future android/rom updates.
the only real downside but's a htc thing I think, is the camera has no flash therefor almost useless in situations with bad lighting. But I don't care so much for that.
Have a very nice digital slr wich makes perfect pictures ^^
Androidod
It blows WinMo away I was forever messing with Windows Mobile and it just seemed an OS that promised the world but delivered very little.
I got the T Mobile G2 and I am well hooked. my only 2 gripes with it are.
1) handling long SMS's it seems to only get the first part of long texts and i dont get the rest. With other phones its receives 2 messages and linked them.
2) Good apps are a bit thin on the ground when you compare with IPhone apps. They have Monkey Island Special Edition, Madden to name but 2 big name titles. We need more support for the good of the device after sales.
Other than that its the nuts!
I know a lot of ppl have had trouble with their WinMo phone, bugginess and other factors but, after delving deep into alternative OSes for my HD2, I have come to the conclusion that WinMo is the best you can get for your HD2. Mine is supremely more useful than any of the Android ROMs I've used. And HTC-Sense really makes WinMo a top-notch OS. I am able with just a quick flick or tap get to whatever homescreen tab I need to show me all I need to know instantly. No need to scroll through homescreens or activate apps just to see at a glance what's happening. The Sense slider is brilliant.
The markets for WinMo aren't nearly as bad as some would have you believe. I find the WinMo Marketplace to be functionally as good as the Android market. That isn't saying it has all of the apps, it has plenty apps, though. The games lack severely, but even among those, there are gems to be had. But, after playing with the iOS market, Android market and even the WP7 market, WinMo market is just a pure pleasure.
There is so much WinMo can do that it is a shame it didn't receive the market share it deserves. I know it can be buggy, but with proper and simplistic maintenance, it can be a sweet ride. I never had any issues with the OEM ROM, but I'm using a custom ROM. As long as I keep it managed, it is a sweetheart. WinMo isn't the smoothest or fastest mobile OS around, but it is more than smooth and fast enough to be a pure pleasure. It, in fact, is smoother than a lot of Androids. Plus the GPS and Bing voice nav works better than Android. It boots quicker and locks quicker.
When you get tired of the battery drains and bugginess of Android, or the non-permanent nature of WP7 on HD2, come home to a nice WinMo w/HTC-Sense ROM.
I'm selling my Leo after using it for a week or so with Android. The buyer is getting it for his father because the screen is so large. I told him that I was very impressed with the Sense interface that HTC put on this phone and that his father should be able to use it easily and that with the replaced digitizer, it should do him well for a long time.
There's a lot to be said for software designed to work on the hardware. It's why, 14 months on, my Nexus One remains un-rooted. Why bother?
kampf said:
I'm selling my Leo after using it for a week or so with Android. The buyer is getting it for his father because the screen is so large. I told him that I was very impressed with the Sense interface that HTC put on this phone and that his father should be able to use it easily and that with the replaced digitizer, it should do him well for a long time.
There's a lot to be said for software designed to work on the hardware. It's why, 14 months on, my Nexus One remains un-rooted. Why bother?
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Click to collapse
That's how I feel. As good as the Android devs did with their ROMs, they just didn't feel right. They were like a mask over the hardware and not the real deal. I suppose if the ROMs weren't so battery hungry or buggy, they would be acceptable. But, like you said, there's something to be said for a native ROM.
Try SPB MobileShell 3.5 and it's even better
First android rom I tried just had the android interface, and frankly it sucked balls, clunky with a horrible keyboard (like WP7's, it's the 21st century so why should i have to go to a different overlay just to get numbers?) and a really basic email client.
The only good things about it were kindle and the ability to access more than one exchange account (work and personal).
Then I found one of Dandiest's android builds, with sense, and it was actually usable, HTC have done a good job improving android with sense.
It's still not as good as WM with SPB MS (haven't tried version 5 for android yet), but it's bearable. Unfortunately as I need access to two exchange accounts I find myself using android most of the time, but I won't ditch WM, being able to dual boot gives me the best of both worlds, so when I need a decent navigation tool, I can flip to WM and run TomTom.
Wish someone would reengineer WM so that it can handle a second exchange account, then I'd go back to it pretty much all the time.
He's kinda had his heart set on a new iphone, coming from a 3GS and a Mac user.
I think he'd be smart to make the jump now to Droid, and if he was able to pull the trigger i think he'd never look back. He can get a new Skyrocket refurb for $150 less than the 4S he wants. He's broke so the savings alone should be huge for him! But you know how it is when you get your mind set on something like this. He's also pretty savy, so i think he'd figure out everything he wants to do. He thinks iphone will sync better with his mac and everything he wants to do already.
one thing that will make him think about it - tell him that the iphone doesnt have any porn applications,free or paid NADA....iphone is for kids 13yo below.
android has it all...u name it.
Free mp3 sharing sites on Android market. Never pay iTunes again....that alone made my 14 year old switch.
If her friend bought a cd and wants to share a song, Droid does....iTunes can't....
Sent from my DROID using Tapatalk
meh, he's too set on iphone, since he has a mac. he wouldn't even take the free 30 day trial i told him he could have. lame
Can't really say much. You yourself said he already has a fixed mindset. Tbh iPhone does have the advantage when it comes to syncing. Personally, if it wasn't for Android's crazy level of customization, I would've gone with an iPhone. But that was the past. Its just too expensive. Especially without a plan.
Sent from my GT-I5500 using XDA App
tell him to enjoy the thousands of fart apps
Can you take the battery out or upgrade the memory via sd yet?
How about customise to your liking via themes?
Oh sorry, nevermind, iPhone SUX!
Some people will want the iPhone no matter how much you tell them about alternatives, they are buying it based on brand loyalty only. But here are most Android device advantages:
Hardware:
-Replaceable battery
-Expandable Memory (microSD)
-Non-proprietary charging/usb cable (microUSB)
-Better specs for cheaper than iPhone
The OS itself allows more customization with widgets, launchers, keyboards, etc. So even if you hate the default look it can easily be changed without rooting/flashing. Adobe flash, even though its being discontinued, is great for the full internet experience at least until HTML5 deployment catches up.
This probably doesn't apply since he has a Mac, but I hate iTunes on Windows. It feels bloated and runs useless background processes wasting resources. I keep it off my computers. I'm not sure how iPhones sync better. I can download apps from the market to my Android phone from a browser. I sync music with a small batch file that I made which uses xcopy to sync the two directories, its a lot faster than iTunes.
I guess I'm in the minority here but if he's used to iphone and mac, and got his heart set on 4S maybe its best for him to get what he wants rather than what the majority think is better for him.
As a mac and older gen iphone user he is used to that and it is easier for apple products to connect together than android with apple, if he isn't looking at other phones he is probably not ready to make a switch anyway.
Dave
Sent from my LG P920 using Tapatalk
the iphone is a good product if you are into a limited scope of activities and do not want to learn how to use something that is a little less intuative. If I got my wife a galaxy nexus she would hate it. She wants to turn it on, send a text, make a call, and check her facebook. for users in that class the iphone is the easiest way to go
- iphone's ugly looking waterdrop theme, lifeless, static icons, the entire interface is from the past and feels cheap - like a toy. ice cream sandwich is lightyears ahead in styles und functionality.
- caged. man you cant do anything. my droid remotely controls my dslr (iphone does too, with a laptop in between, duh), locates cables in my walls when i need to drill holes, measures my sleep patterns and wakes me outside REM-phases or sends messages into REM for lucid-dreaming/astral-travel, etc. android is full freedom, everything the device is capable of android allows. iphone is a brick, i'd be bored to heck playing angry birds all day.
- it's inability to change keyboard. most iphone users i know haven't even heard of swype. they need ages to get simple texts done or they reduce their typing to a minimum. i laugh when i see them sweating hard tapping out texts - it's a stone age thing to do really. so apple decides what's good and what's not, you have to bite the bullet and use a typing technology that was never meant to be used on a device as tiny as a smartphone. it's keyboard renders it use-less.
- multitasking on android is awesome. droid's getting real-time facebook msg's, whatsapp, skype calls, voip calls, mail, bluetooth walkitalki, company mail, dropbox, just about every service in the net. everythings coming in nicely through subtle push-notifications. personally i have stopped using countless of programs on my laptop and the browser can go screw itself, phone is collecting everything with ease wherever i go. iphone users are not even close to that experience, again coz apple has crippled the device. they argue battery power, but what the heck, one day or two at max is fine, recharging is fast.
convinced my girlfriend to drop her apple.
Don't convince him to get anything. If he hates it it's now your fault.
Sent from my SGH-I897
Instead of convincing him, which can be a pain since he's hardcore Apple products, do yourself a favor by getting a Samsung Galaxy S2.
Hop on the SGS2 xda forum and switch ROMs weekly.
That's way he will see your new Android phone, new look, new launcher, cool features, 'til he gets envy and jumps ship
votinh said:
Instead of convincing him, which can be a pain since he's hardcore Apple products, do yourself a favor by getting a Samsung Galaxy S2.
Hop on the SGS2 xda forum and switch ROMs weekly.
That's way he will see your new Android phone, new look, new launcher, cool features, 'til he gets envy and jumps ship
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's nothing envious about that.
Sent from my SGH-I897
Don't try to convince hi because he may regret it and be pissed that you talked him into it. The iphone has a ton of games for ppl his age. Also he doesn't have to suffer the lag android has that will irritate him. Also the post in this thread are dumb because a jailbroken iphone does everything a rooted android does except for custom roms. I do find both apple and android fans don't know crap about the others platform and just spread false info.
apollooff320 said:
Don't try to convince hi because he may regret it and be pissed that you talked him into it. The iphone has a ton of games for ppl his age. Also he doesn't have to suffer the lag android has that will irritate him. Also the post in this thread are dumb because a jailbroken iphone does everything a rooted android does except for custom roms. I do find both apple and android fans don't know crap about the others platform and just spread false info.
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Click to collapse
You make good sense but regarding jailbroken iphones doing all a rooted android can do I'm sure that must be wrong.
For example on a non rooted android you can change launcher completely, have full automation using apps like tasker (eg when I'm at home turn wifi on but when at cinema go silent, auto answer calls and when films finished book me a taxi etc).
You can also change keyboard completely for example, use widgets, put toggle switches in notification bar and so on. I know at least the tasker type automation isn't possible as that's an ios restriction that stops that so at least one thing I can do on stock android a jb iphone can't.
Dave
Sent from my LG P920 using Tapatalk
Don't waste your time. Do you really want to support his device should he end up getting an Android? Tell him to go through all the guides/rooting/flashing if he doesn't like stock?
Just let your bro get the iPhone, he might hate you for convincing him to get an Android after it starts locking up, randomly rebooting and draining battery like crazy. Your brother might also enjoy timely software updates and well design apps with consistent UI.
To be honest, I have been back and forth from Iphone 4 to Samsung Galaxy s2 over the last few months.
The ability to change, customise and tweak everything on Android has its pro's and cons. fun but takes over your life, especially when you get into Rom flashing, I swapped my SGS2 a few weeks back for another Iphone 4, I thought I had managed to quell my addiction to Android...Alas nope, I am returning yet again, OK things run along all well and good on the iOs not too many hiccups, all nice and dandy, dandy andnnnnzzzzzzzz zzzzz arrrghhh I woke up, yes the Iphone can become a little tedious to say the least.
I think iOs is brilliant on the IPAD, Android Pads just don't come close in my opinion, but for the phones there is such an amazing choice and the SGS2 is similar in style to the Iphone. There just is not a community like this one for the Iphone except for trawling through the Itunes clunky market...Androids market you can faff about on anywhere on any computer and it syncs directly to your phone, even if you dont have it with you...Google is better synced with Android and facebook on Android is far better with many more options, twitter notifications work on Android, rarely do on iOs and to top it all of Scramble has just been released for Android yesterday, so there are no more excuses
alex2792 said:
Just let your bro get the iPhone, he might hate you for convincing him to get an Android after it starts locking up, randomly rebooting and draining battery like crazy. Your brother might also enjoy timely software updates and well design apps with consistent UI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you actually have an android phone? Mine does none of that other than use battery quick which is lg's fault for putting a crap battery on a powerful phone.
Dave
Sent from my LG P920 using Tapatalk
First smartphone was some low-end Android phone on a prepaid carrier, and even though it ran like crap, I've loved Android since. I took a shot with Windows Phone by buying a Dell Venue Pro, but the main reason I chose it (hardware keyboard) turned out to be a bit disappointing, and I kinda came with a negative attitude toward the OS, and eventually returned it. Plus, it was last-gen specs and it had its share of issues, so I probably wouldn't have kept it regardless.
Anyway, I've really been considering getting an HTC Radar on T-Mobile US, because I love everything about the phone (size, design, cameras, etc.)...but I need to be sold on Windows Phone and its functions/capabilities. I'm not too big on customization with Android (single homescreen with no widgets), and most apps I could live without on a daily basis (the few apps like Square I could plan in advance for and use an Android phone). I did like how smooth it was overall, but it seemed like a lot of basic phone/messaging/internet options were either hidden in weird places or non-existent (like manually refreshing certain stuff). And I did update the Dell to Mango, so I don't need to be told about the benefits, unless some of them apply only to the 2nd-gen WP devices like the Radar.
And in this case, I'd either get a Radar and then a Flyer so I can keep Android (and still use it as a phone if necessary), or just the new One S and no tablet.
First of all, everything is about your priorities and preferences. Mobile devices are a personal decision because there is always a tradeoff between cost, power, size, simplicity, customization, prior experience, and battery life. I can only tell you what works for me, then you can evaluate and come to your own decision.
In my signature you can see the devices that I have used, so I have some experience on both the Android and Windows Phone side. Last year I bounced back and forth between the two, but came down on the firmly on the Windows side for one major reason:
Simplicity.
It takes me two or three days to get an Android phone into a usable state so I have my major apps front and center, and eliminate as much "junk" as possible. (Of course, one man's junk is another man's favorite app.)
Windows Phone has most of what I need already set up once I've loaded my Google, Live, Exchange, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts. As a matter of fact, give me the standard Microsoft apps, plus a Google Voice client, and I can do just about everything I need to do.
Also, I find the Live Tiles and Hubs very useful in pulling information together from multiple sources. The clean, bold, unified design of the OS is icing on the cake.
After using Windows Phone, Android looks like a mish-mash of random interfaces and cluttered design.
But that's just me.
I've got a Radar on T-Mobile and a Nokia Lumia 900 on AT&T. One of them has to go this week. The Lumia is about the most beautiful phone I've ever used and the AT&T LTE is strong and fast where I live. On the other hand, the Radar feels perfect in the hand, and T-Mobile's HSPA+ is fast enough. (But the coverage doesn't stretch out into the suburbs where I sometimes go.)
If you like Windows Phone and are a T-Mobile customer, the Radar is a quality choice. Also take a look at the Nokia 710. Some people like that handset better.
That's my opinion, for what it's worth. Best of luck!
Thanks for the quick reply. I do agree that Windows Phone is much simpler, and that definitely does appeal to me. I looked around and saw that it's possible to get OEM apps like the Nokia-specific apps without much work, that's nice. It's also nice that there might be a ROM for the Radar sometime soon.
However, I'm a bit confused when it comes to side-loading apps and unlocking and whatnot. I read something about Chevron tokens, and that they're out of stock, but then the official site charges $9 to unlock - what exactly does that do? And then in another thread I read something about being able to unlock it for free through a student DreamSpark account...is there a simple explanation about unlocking and ways to do it?
Anyway, I might be a little more sold on it as a result...if I can get one for a good price, I might jump on it soon.
EDIT: Also, since I saw you had a Nokia N8...where does Symbian fall into any of this - would it be something you'd ever consider going back to? I haven't had the chance to experience it, and have no idea how it compares to Android or WP7.5
magus57 said:
I'd either get a Radar and then a Flyer so I can keep Android (and still use it as a phone if necessary), or just the new One S and no tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive also had experience of both and getting a tablet is a sensible thing.. I have a Galaxy 5 Wifi for my media player and now a Radar for my Phone.
As has been mentioned here.. the best thing is simplicity, unfortunately, Android is being hammered at us from every angle from the One X to the Sensation XE, the Galaxy S2 and now 3 to the Note and sadly, WP7 seems to be getting left behind.
This year we're now seeing HTC and Nokia battle it out, but ultimately.. its down to you.. My advice..
Dont follow the Advertising and Media circus.. it'll drive you mad and no matter what you buy, theres always something new coming out.. so is it Android, with its many apps and open source marketplace.. which can result in some rubbish apps or WP7 for simplicity and ease of use, but without the customisation, just add ons.
Bear in mind, at the end of the day.. they are just phones.. even though the adverts will tell you different. A ONE X is just a faster Desire.. but its still a phone. I find WP7 call quality is much better than my old Wildfire S and under Mango theres alot more to work with.
Good luck
magus57 said:
...However, I'm a bit confused when it comes to side-loading apps and unlocking and whatnot. I read something about Chevron tokens, and that they're out of stock.. Also, since I saw you had a Nokia N8...where does Symbian fall into any of this...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If side-loading apps is your goal, WP7 is not the best platform. The Chevron unlocker was available to aid developers of the first edition of Windows Phone. But it was never updated for later versions, and after Mango it is useless. So there is no easy way to open up the platform, although some have managed it on a phone by phone basis. But, really, Android is so much more open in that respect that I would stay in that environment if hacking is your goal.
As for Nokia, they consistently make the best phones. The N8 is still unsurpassed as a camera phone. No one has even attempted to put that large a sensor in any smartphone since. It will only be bested this month when Nokia releases the 808 PureView running Symbian. They are ahead of the competition in build quality and their radios usually pulll in better reception that others.
Their move into Windows phone looks very strong, and they have only been making them for six months. It will be interesting to see how that lineup grows.
The Symbian OS, however, gets mixed reviews. Back in the days of Windows Mobile, it was a very strong competitor. In a post-iPhone world, however, it cannot match the mobile operating systems that have been conceived from the ground up for touch navigation. Although they have made huge advancements, including touch-enabling the whole OS, it will always feel a bit more like a super-advanced feature phone OS when compared to Android, iOS, WM7, and WebOS.
Even so , I would say that the combination of Nokia hardware and Symbian represents the best value for money of any phobne / OS combination. For example, all of these phones can upgrade to the just released Symbian Belle update and are faster and have more features than they did when they were originally released:
N8 - Feels incredible in the hand and even more distingushed from the competition today. $340
E7 - The business phone; a tilt-up touchscreen with a great slide out keyboard. $380
C6 - essentially a thinner, lighter version of the N8, minus the super large camera sensor. $215
The problem for most Americans is that they have never used a Symbian phone before, so the whole feel of the OS is odd.
I think Nokia made the right decision moving to WP7, although Symbian will remain a strong platform for them, especially in new developing markets.
im really debating on whether i should switch from an GS3 to a lumia 920? i just worry about the app store. are the apps really that limited on lumia 920?
it depends....
If you're talking about applications I would say that the ones that are there are as good or better than Android and for those few that are missing, there are alternatives or 3rd party apps that do the job and in some cases exceed those original apps still missing. So if you're talking about functionality with respect to apps, I would say you'll be perfectly fine with making the switch.
However, if you are a heavy phone gamer and want the latest games and have them for free with ads etc, Google Play is much more ahead of Windows Phone. If you just want light gaming like Angry Birds Star War's, Cut The Rope etc.....you'll be perfectly satisfied.
I made the switch to Windows Phone. I'm not a big gamer, don't really care about gaming on the phone (I prefer a tablet even for light gaming). What I would argue though is that the functionality out of the box, the consistency of the UI1 and the consistency of the apps, and the speed of Windows Phone seriously makes it a better phone than either Android or iPhone.
If you want to drive your car with your phone, or are a heavy gamer and love to tweak your phone over and over and over I would say get Android. If you want a dumb but safe OS with a phone that has a high resale value and you don't mind paying through your nose for an overpriced product which has serious limitations like small screen and proprietary accessories etc, iPhone is for you.
I chose the Lumia 920 and have no regrets whatsoever. Seriously, if you use Google services and you switch to Windows Phone, just get gMaps & Metrotube and that covers pretty much everything (Skydrive is better than Google's offering anyways). I had gMail and switched to Outlook and only use my Google account for Youtube when I'm on the PC. People who say "But with an Android I can get Google Services" are seriously not realizing that there is really not much there, if anything, compared to Windows Phone. Hope this helps you make your choice.
I've contemplated switching myself. My wife has a new lumia 920 and it's a beautiful phone. She's been a Windows phone user for a year and a half now and absolutely loves it. We also picked up a new lumia 920 for my 19yr. old son for Christmas and being an avid xbox guy, he was extremely happy. At least for the twelve hours he had the phone before it got knocked off the table onto our tile floor and cracked the screen. It should be back from the repair shop next week.
I do have to admit that with Windows 8 on all our computers, the integration with my wifes Lumia 920 and her LIVE account is pretty cool. To a large extent, google has the same sort of integration, but it seems quite a bit more scattered with multiple different google apps for different things, where WP8 just seems to sync/integrate everything quietly in the background.
I've always enjoyed "tweaking" my phone. Started with a Nokia e71 and Symbian, moved to an iPhone 3GS and Jailbreaking, then finally to Android where pretty much anything is possible. I'm worried that moving to WP8 would feel a little too restrictive.
That being said, my contract is up for renewal in a couple months and I'm actually thinking of going with a Lumia 920 just to see how I like it. I figure I can always sell it and go back to my i9300 SG3 if things don't workout.
so this is the thing
bigkahuna111 said:
If you're talking about applications I would say that the ones that are there are as good or better than Android and for those few that are missing, there are alternatives or 3rd party apps that do the job and in some cases exceed those original apps still missing. So if you're talking about functionality with respect to apps, I would say you'll be perfectly fine with making the switch.
However, if you are a heavy phone gamer and want the latest games and have them for free with ads etc, Google Play is much more ahead of Windows Phone. If you just want light gaming like Angry Birds Star War's, Cut The Rope etc.....you'll be perfectly satisfied.
I made the switch to Windows Phone. I'm not a big gamer, don't really care about gaming on the phone (I prefer a tablet even for light gaming). What I would argue though is that the functionality out of the box, the consistency of the UI1 and the consistency of the apps, and the speed of Windows Phone seriously makes it a better phone than either Android or iPhone.
If you want to drive your car with your phone, or are a heavy gamer and love to tweak your phone over and over and over I would say get Android. If you want a dumb but safe OS with a phone that has a high resale value and you don't mind paying through your nose for an overpriced product which has serious limitations like small screen and proprietary accessories etc, iPhone is for you.
I chose the Lumia 920 and have no regrets whatsoever. Seriously, if you use Google services and you switch to Windows Phone, just get gMaps & Metrotube and that covers pretty much everything (Skydrive is better than Google's offering anyways). I had gMail and switched to Outlook and only use my Google account for Youtube when I'm on the PC. People who say "But with an Android I can get Google Services" are seriously not realizing that there is really not much there, if anything, compared to Windows Phone. Hope this helps you make your choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been a windows phone user for two years now and I will say this much, if you are looking for customizability and playing with the look of your phone, windows phone will bore you to tears. The truth is that once you setup your layout on the homescreen, there isn't much else you can do or will do since it is already setup to your needs and how you use the phone. Like I add tracking packages to the bottom of the screen and once they get delivered I delete them, same goes for games once I finish playing them. So once the screen is setup I would argue that you do get bored after a while and go through different colours depending on your mood or even depending on the Bing wallpaper which is showing that day (if you use that lockscreen feature) etc. There really isn't any other customizability you can do or really will do after a bit because the phone is perfect for a lack of a better term, its perfectly setup for your needs.
I would argue that's a good thing, even though I do wish I can see some animations on the lockscreen etc. At the end of the day the added functionality I get with a Windows Phone and the way it integrates with everything I use, is just too good to give up to get some more freedom with respect to tweaking icons, text, wallpapers, animations etc.
Hope this helps you in your decision....
If you can live with the out of the box WP functionality & experience for the majority of your needs then you will be happy. If the stock apps don't cover the majority of your needs then stick with Android. Of course WP has some great 3rd party apps that add functionality/fill in the gaps, but you may not be able to count on them always working or the program being around in the future. A good example are YouTube apps which may stop working because Google has made a change, until the developers make the necessary changes.
For the best WP experience you are basically going to use Microsoft services Outlook.com/Hotmail/Live. If you have all your info in GMail,Google Docs etc. then you should decide if your willing to migrate it to the MS ecosystem, before moving to WP IMO
Hi. Coming from SGS3, I wanted to know if i could find an apk like Gstrings and Musical lite?
acruxksa said:
I've contemplated switching myself. My wife has a new lumia 920 and it's a beautiful phone. She's been a Windows phone user for a year and a half now and absolutely loves it. We also picked up a new lumia 920 for my 19yr. old son for Christmas and being an avid xbox guy, he was extremely happy. At least for the twelve hours he had the phone before it got knocked off the table onto our tile floor and cracked the screen. It should be back from the repair shop next week.
I do have to admit that with Windows 8 on all our computers, the integration with my wifes Lumia 920 and her LIVE account is pretty cool. To a large extent, google has the same sort of integration, but it seems quite a bit more scattered with multiple different google apps for different things, where WP8 just seems to sync/integrate everything quietly in the background.
I've always enjoyed "tweaking" my phone. Started with a Nokia e71 and Symbian, moved to an iPhone 3GS and Jailbreaking, then finally to Android where pretty much anything is possible. I'm worried that moving to WP8 would feel a little too restrictive.
That being said, my contract is up for renewal in a couple months and I'm actually thinking of going with a Lumia 920 just to see how I like it. I figure I can always sell it and go back to my i9300 SG3 if things don't workout.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 same thoughts here....
Haha you'll suffer
Sent From My Galaxy S3
I did a switch and am unhapppy.
Its just been 18 hrs since i switched from S3 to 920 and am already missing it very much. Its nothing to do with the phone as such. The major thing am missing is the android. If you happen to be an android user for over a year and if you like to play (Not just games but roms etc etc.) then i seriously suggest you NOT to switch.
kaladhar.r said:
Its just been 18 hrs since i switched from S3 to 920 and am already missing it very much. Its nothing to do with the phone as such. The major thing am missing is the android. If you happen to be an android user for over a year and if you like to play (Not just games but roms etc etc.) then i seriously suggest you NOT to switch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed.
I had a Lumia 920 for 2 weeks. Fantastic little machine, but I just found myself constantly looking on enviously at my friends' Android phones. Once I got the Nexus 4 it felt like I was back home.
For me, WP8 is too limited and has too many things that drove me up the wall. Type quickly? Forget about the auto-correct working properly, it couldn't keep up (and I'm by no means the quickest typist on a touch screen). Just little things such as the time not being displayed in certain screens at the top, and connectivity icons always being hidden used to irritate me. No notification was another irritant. Yes OK, the tiles would display unread texts etc, but I found sometimes I wouldn't notice them. The Android solution is so much better.
Overall, I just felt like I didn't have the same level of control as I do on Android. If I want to kill a task, how do you do that on Windows?
This can be a good or a bad thing, but I suspect many on XDA will not like it, being that most XDA members are very technically able people.
I thought I would enjoy having less choices and just getting on and using it, but you know what, it had the opposite effect.
exactly my same thoughts..^^^^^.
I switched to 920 at Christmas time. I love my new phone, Windows phone 8 is great, i can modify the home screen as much as I want and I love the live tiles. the only bug bear I had was the wifi switching of when asleep, but that has been fixed in the update I just received
one of the major reasons I switched was the slow uptake of Samsung to update it's phones, if I had not manually updated the firmware my s11 would still be sitting on gingerbread, the fragmentation of Android is hopeless. I only hope the same thing does not happen with Windows.
can you download files from the internet like you can with an android? I download a ton of torrents while i'm at work.
squarebobspongepants said:
can you download files from the internet like you can with an android? I download a ton of torrents while i'm at work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe nobody here downloads file ?
I not used torrent application myself but I did a search to see what apps in the store from my Lumia 920. I found a dozen so apps that manage and control torrent server software that you would have on your home computer. Some are free and some are paid .99 to 1.99. So at least you can control and manage your torrent server. I would suspect if you had a router based on tomato firmware that has torrent you could control/manage that as well in theory as well.
Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Board Express
tameracingdriver said:
Agreed.
I had a Lumia 920 for 2 weeks. Fantastic little machine, but I just found myself constantly looking on enviously at my friends' Android phones. Once I got the Nexus 4 it felt like I was back home.
For me, WP8 is too limited and has too many things that drove me up the wall. Type quickly? Forget about the auto-correct working properly, it couldn't keep up (and I'm by no means the quickest typist on a touch screen). Just little things such as the time not being displayed in certain screens at the top, and connectivity icons always being hidden used to irritate me. No notification was another irritant. Yes OK, the tiles would display unread texts etc, but I found sometimes I wouldn't notice them. The Android solution is so much better.
Overall, I just felt like I didn't have the same level of control as I do on Android. If I want to kill a task, how do you do that on Windows?
This can be a good or a bad thing, but I suspect many on XDA will not like it, being that most XDA members are very technically able people.
I thought I would enjoy having less choices and just getting on and using it, but you know what, it had the opposite effect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My experience is the opposite many of yours. I have had Android phones since T-Mobiles G1 (I still have it) and I loved all the tinkering I could do with them. I've had Moto, HTC and Samsung. But there was always 'something' that didn't work quite right. Maybe the bluetooth stack wasn't that great or the GPS would show me blocks from where I am. Even the compass on one of them would have me twirling in circles as I sat at a traffic light. Some hardware issues, some software. An update would occur to fix something then another thing would suffer. Many ROMs built here were phenomenal pieces of work and way beyond my skill set. However a fgreat deal of the time even they were not quite done 'baking', for lack of a better term.
I saw the demo of my 920 while shopping for a new phone for my girlfriend. I had my One X for about 8 months. I HAD to have this phone. I've been using it for about 6 weeks now and it just works. That's all I can say. Everything on mine just simply works. GPS, compass, BT, mail services, WiFi...even phone calls! I've embraced the UI so much that I bought a windows 8 tablet and sold my iPad. (I sold the iPad for more reasons than just Windows 8 but that's for a different forum)
The seamless integration between the two is great and, for my purposes, I couldn't be happier with my decision to make this move. Is the app store lacking? Absolutely. But not to the point that I miss my Android phone(s). Don't misunderstand. I really do get why you would miss the flexibility of that OS. If I had time I'd keep one just for messing with. But it's so much easier now that when I want to do something I just do it and the phone cooperates completely.
My 920 from my perspective. Thanks for listening. Now back to your regularly scheduled browsing already in progress.