Ok so. I've been really wanting so much to like this new Nokia Lumia 920. I've had been waiting to get rid of this IPhone 4 because I remember the days of my brick HTC Tilt and how customizable Windows 6 phones were. So far, I'm am disappointed. It isn't that I hate the phone. It is just that I expected more. I was expecting a lot out of this phone and it has not met the high standard that I (they) set for it.
The first major complaint is the camera. Are we being fooled into thinking it is that much better in low light. Yes, from what I've seen in reviews, it is better, but in my own experience, it isn't that much greater (I have tried auto and night mode). Am I too used to SLR pictures? The camera was supposed to be a big selling point! We have already been fooled once by Nokia about their "Pure View." (http: // articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/06/business/la-fi-tn-nokia-fake-ad-20120906) I wonder if all of this is just a scam. Now it seems that Nokia is owning up to more camera flaws (http: // pocketnow.com/2012/11/05/nokia-lumia-920-camera-fix). I really hope that this isn't a hardware issue and that they fix it right and not try any tricks. It isn't that the pictures/videos I take are bad, but they aren't that much greater(if they are greater) than the competition. Duped?
Battery life: I just switched from an IPhone 4 with no 4G LTE so i'm unaware of the battery consumption of 4G LTE but I have noticed that the battery sure does drain a lot quicker. I'm used to being able to go a couple of days without having to charge. I have noticed ways of getting the phone to last longer. Ff you run Nokia Drive beta, the GPS stays on in the background even when it is closed (you will notice a target at the top status bar remains on). You can turn the background option off, or you have to restart your phone to turn off the GPS and it can consume your battery. Yes, this should be an easy fix, but think about all the people that have to deal with this. Also there is not way to switch off 4G LTE.
Limited voice commands: I'm a big user of the voice commands to play my music. One of the first things I've noticed about this phone is that there are no voice commands from the touch and hold windows button that allow you to play your music. I get it that you can get the "Hey DJ" app and use voice commands for music, but why didn't they just integrate this into the OS so that I don't have to unlock my screen, and tap a few places. Isn't the point of voice commands so that you don't have to look at the screen.
Here are some other small complaints (Maybe some XDA developers could help cook up some changes.... I have paypal ).
No separate volume for ringer and music.
Internet explorer is limited when you search through Google
It is easy to accidentally press the back or the search when using the phone with one hand and reaching across the screen.
No apparent way that I have found to get the Nokia Drive Beta to repeat the last spoken direction.
No seeking option in visual voice mail. You have to listen to the whole thing all over again to get to one point in the voicemail.
Bottom line. This phone seems rushed and unpolished. I got it that some of these issues are OS issues, but come on! Am I expecting too much or isn't this the phone that Nokia was making such a large deal about? 10 more days to give this a try before my return policy expires. Come on Nokia and Microsoft. Change my mind!
Camera taking blurry pictures is a SW issue, as you probably know from having read about it, which hopefully theyll have sorted out fast in an SW update. The nighttime pictures Ive taken are very nice, though, so I dont know whats going on there.
Battery for me is fine, Ive only had my phone for a day, so I cant really say much, but the way its worked so far it seems about the same as my SGS3 in that department. Which is quite good. But of course, I need more time for that.
Voice commands I never was a big user of, since I feel like a moron walking around yelling commands in english (especially when Im in a non-english speaking country). But Im sure its annoying.
Volume thing I agree on, that should be an easy fix for MS to make, really.
Not sure what you mean by "limited" when searching through Google?
The accidental pressing is much like on the SGS3, really. Just a habitual thing, youll get used to handling the phone so you eventually dont mispress.
Iunno, I have a single real annoyance and that is wordwrapping in IE10.
i'm not sure what you were expecting from the camera, but the low light shots are some of the best i've ever taken with a smartphone. and i've had my share of smartphones (this year i've probably had between 8-10 different handsets from various oem's) the daytime shots are a little bit soft, but on par with some of the better smarphone camera's i've used, and it's something that is completely possible to fix via firmware updates (as in, it's not a hardware flaw, but rather a software one)
battery is pretty good for me, on par with my SGS3, it's so much better than my 4s on iOS6 though. there are a couple quirks that are causing the battery to drain rapidly, but people haven't been able to point the blame completely yet. some people have had google accounts getting stuck on syncing constantly and that is killing the battery and the only solution for now is a hard reset. it's an odd issue since it wasn't present in wp7.x and afaik the method wp8 uses to sync is the same as before. it's something that will most likely be fixed via software updates as well
limited voice commands are something that wp8 has the ability to deal with but i'm also bummed they didn't add more voice controls to the built in apps. music in general seems like a really rushed revamp in wp8 which is surprising since the zune software was quite well done in 7.x and was also a major feature which i liked a lot about windows phone. they're changing a bunch of stuff though so it's something that will probably be updated over time. personally i don't like voice commands outside of when i'm driving because i feel like it's faster to just use my fingers, but i understand your disappointment.
volume is something i agree on as well, why microsoft hasn't figured out this is something people have been wanting since 7.0 is beyond me, it really seems like a pretty simple change to make, especially when one is rewriting the entire OS.
accidental pressing is something that will lessen with muscle memory, i always have a lot of issues with button presses and a lot of typos when switching phones, but after a couple weeks you learn to do it a lot less.
i remember getting drive to repeat the last direction, but for the life of me right now i can't figure out what i did. if i figure it out, i'll post it.
the OS isn't for everyone, but for people who like the curated user experience a semi-closed system provides, but don't like apple's 1 handset philosophy it's a good platform.
i admit, i get bored sometimes and end up going to android, but almost always, after about a month of whatever the latest and greatest android handset, i always come back to windows phone. once you figure out your workflow on it, it's really the most efficient and fluid mobile OS out there.
Slai said:
Not sure what you mean by "limited" when searching through Google?
Iunno, I have a single real annoyance and that is wordwrapping in IE10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Word wrapping is exactly what I mean when I say searching through Google is limited. If you use IE and search through google, at the top of the page, you get a: "This page adapted for your browser comes from...." If you search through through the built in Bing search, you don't get the word wrap. You get the actual page. This is very lame and I think its Microsoft's way of getting us to use Bing instead of google.
Also if you just enter the URL, there is no text wrapping.
Okay? Ive set Google as my default search engine in IE10, and while word wrapping doesnt seem to exist and double-tap to zoom isnt really working perfectly, I havent seen a big change from searching with google and searching with bing or just using a bookmark or directly typing in the url :s ?
vangj said:
Word wrapping is exactly what I mean when I say searching through Google is limited. If you use IE and search through google, at the top of the page, you get a: "This page adapted for your browser comes from...." If you search through through the built in Bing search, you don't get the word wrap. You get the actual page. This is very lame and I think its Microsoft's way of getting us to use Bing instead of google.
Also if you just enter the URL, there is no text wrapping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This will happen if you have the 'defaul view' as desktop, if you select 'mobile' they will display fine, it is annoying, what I did was install the Google app and I just use that for my search and browsing.
Slai said:
Okay? Ive set Google as my default search engine in IE10, and while word wrapping doesnt seem to exist and double-tap to zoom isnt really working perfectly, I havent seen a big change from searching with google and searching with bing or just using a bookmark or directly typing in the url :s ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so it does text wrap well if you choose the mobile option for internet explore. I for one do not like the mobile version and chose to set my settings to desktop (sorry still a newbie so i can't post links)
ht tp://postimage.org/image/w6w5t09ml/
If you set your IE settings to desktop and search with Google, you get a funky altered website that looks like this at the top.
ht tp://postimage.org/image/j1gnmwfr1/
It seems like the phone is sending to Google that it wants to still be a mobile phone. When you search with Bing you don't get this option. If you search with Google in Desktop mode, you can scroll to the bottom to get to the desktop site but it can be a hassle.
ht tp://postimage.org/image/5zuyx1rct/
Like I said, I like the desktop mode because I can zoom in and out and make great use of this huge screen.
Hoping google releases Chrome.
Yeah normally I like using desktop mode myself, but my most visited website works really well in its mobile form, so I figured "what the hell".
Would be interesting to see Chrome for WP8. I dont see why not, it is available for W8.
vangj said:
If you set your IE settings to desktop and search with Google, you get a funky altered website that looks like this at the top.
http://postimage.org/image/j1gnmwfr1/
It seems like the phone is sending to Google that it wants to still be a mobile phone. When you search with Bing you don't get this option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you look at the URL of the page in your sample image, the URL is one on Google.com. It seems that Google recognized that you're on a phone and gave you a search results page that contains modified URLs that point back to Google itself (not to xda-developers.com) and that Google then proxied it for you, reformatting things to fit your phone.
Your complaint seems to be with Google for forcing you in to a "mobilized" view. Unless Google can't tell which "website preference" you're set to (mobile or desktop). I don't know how that preference gets conveyed in HTTP requests. Sorry.
vangj said:
Also there is not way to switch off 4G LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Rogers variant has the "max speed" option to shut off LTE. The AT&T one doesn't seem to have that... so this is an AT&T issue, not a Nokia one. And if AT&T is doing this on Windows Phone, I'd assume they are customizing their Android phones similarly, no? (I have no experience with Android.)
vangj said:
Limited voice commands: I'm a big user of the voice commands to play my music. One of the first things I've noticed about this phone is that there are no voice commands from the touch and hold windows button that allow you to play your music. I get it that you can get the "Hey DJ" app and use voice commands for music, but why didn't they just integrate this into the OS so that I don't have to unlock my screen, and tap a few places. Isn't the point of voice commands so that you don't have to look at the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is an OS issue, so not too much to do with Nokia. The voice commands in WP8 are extensible. That means 3rd party developers can easily create apps that support it. I think Urbanspoon, Hey DJ and Audible are already out and support voice commands (meaning you can launch the apps by long pressing the windows button).
I expect a lot more apps will add that feature because it's so easy to implement. That makes the lack of voice commands for the built in apps really strange.
EShy said:
This is an OS issue, so not too much to do with Nokia. The voice commands in WP8 are extensible. That means 3rd party developers can easily create apps that support it. I think Urbanspoon, Hey DJ and Audible are already out and support voice commands (meaning you can launch the apps by long pressing the windows button).
I expect a lot more apps will add that feature because it's so easy to implement. That makes the lack of voice commands for the built in apps really strange.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uhm, you could always launch ANY app with your voice, even on WP7.
Those new apps support voice commands for other things. For example, from your start screen you might be able to say, "Urbanspoon, find nearby burgers" and it'll launch and go straight to finding burger restaurants around you. I have no clue what their apps actually support, but I know that it's possible to make an app that does that!
Related
Ohhh, you brave souls... haha
I was in the o2 shop this lunch having a play with their live unit (well, except it had no SIM or web connectivity. for this type of phone that's pretty limiting!)
some questions i was unable to get help with, i am hoping you have more experience of, before i consider the device further:
1. SMS display. i much prefer the look of iPhone's SMS "dual conversations" - its very clear which side of the chat is which and generally more friendly and usable. can the x10's change to this type of layout? rather than listing each reply above or below each other. found no options in the main settings area from the home screen (not sure if the context-specific settings under messaging is any different...?)
2. mac compatability. is this possible? can it sync properly with itunes? does it use a 3rd party app to do so? could this be "culled", ala blackberry/palm syncing with itunes? does the x10 appear as a mounted usb volume? (in this way, i could use applescript to manage the library - horrible, but it might work). someone with actual experience here with a mac would allay my fears, rather than commenting it might be possible (sorry if that seems abrupt in advance...)
3. other syncing needs. i guess most other aspects for sync'ing are removed/negated with an android handset - are we as users supposed to follow the "cloud computing" google-masterplan? do others sync with desktops and for what purpose?
4. browser/app zooming. the device doesnt have multi-touch (plenty covered on this, and other forums!) but, the iPhone has other methods of navigating around the browser and apps. i.e. double tapping a block of text, which i would consider a single fingered gesture. as the test unit i was playing had no web connectivity i couldnt test it out - can someone comment?
here's hoping for advantageous answers
jingo_man
1. use Handcent SMS , can make it look 100% like iPhone sms
jingo_man said:
...............
1. SMS display. i much prefer the look of iPhone's SMS "dual conversations" - its very clear which side of the chat is which and generally more friendly and usable. can the x10's change to this type of layout? rather than listing each reply above or below each other. found no options in the main settings area from the home screen (not sure if the context-specific settings under messaging is any different...?)
...............................
3. other syncing needs. i guess most other aspects for sync'ing are removed/negated with an android handset - are we as users supposed to follow the "cloud computing" google-masterplan? do others sync with desktops and for what purpose?
4. browser/app zooming. the device doesnt have multi-touch (plenty covered on this, and other forums!) but, the iPhone has other methods of navigating around the browser and apps. i.e. double tapping a block of text, which i would consider a single fingered gesture. as the test unit i was playing had no web connectivity i couldnt test it out - can someone comment?....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Well, probably the handcent sms thingy, never tried it tho.
or you could go into contacts and find the contact there. When you go there the sms messages are listed in a simmular way as on the iPhone.
You on the right hand side
and you friend on the left..
3. I have just used the Cloud sync method to be honest, haven't really bothered to do it in any other way. But there is probably a way to do it.
4. The zooming is no problem to be honest, the double-tap to zoom thing works good enough. So I have to say that I kinda like it Even tho the multi-touch zoom was handy every now and then..
1. handcent works fine on this phone, and has customisable colours and themes.
2. can't comment on mac, but it is APPARENTLY possible to sync with itunes for the PC through iTunes Agent. I know this won't help you but it might help someone else reading this later.
3. cloud seems to be the way forward, and it works great on the x10. when you first plug it in to the usb though you get the option to install some sony ericsson syncing software, which is the same as i used for my c902 to transfer all my contacts to gmail for this phone. it is pretty simple to use.
4. the default zoom on the android is nice to use. browsers like dolphin (available from the market) come with their own zoom, but i disabled this cos the x10 seems to handle it nicely natively.
hope that helps
1. handsent sms. hmmmm... that does look more along the lines that i was thinking for layout/design. but i'm guessing this wont play nice with the timescape app, which seems pretty central.
i thought i went into the individual contact at one point, and it had the same appearance as when displayed under the general. i may make a return visit to the store to check that out...
i dont think i would mind using separately bought apps, but 1 of the biggest selling points seems to be the timescape so not sure i'd want to miss out on using it. though might change once i have used it for a while...
2. here's hoping eventually a mac user stumbles across this thread and is in a giving mood about their experience.
3. cloud syncing. suppose i can get onboard. not a massive issue not to rely on desktop software. i guess this means no-one really sync's it with a desktop then?]
4. glad of the double-tap zoom, atleast thats something. and its generally how i start to zoom on iPhone (in the browser) but how does this work in other apps? i.e. google maps cant double tap, as there's no "frame border" to sync the tap too...
this could a deal breaker for me, for this product. not a massive app user, but love web browsing on these devices when out-and-about. fine control offered by pinch/zoom far more refined and easier to use than the clunky zoom button, which just didnt seem to refresh fast enough to make it smooth...
maybe wont get onboard with all these bits until i consistently use the device, but not paying best part of £500 to find out!
please continue with more insights if you got 'em
2. mac compatability. is this possible? can it sync properly with itunes? does it use a 3rd party app to do so? could this be "culled", ala blackberry/palm syncing with itunes? does the x10 appear as a mounted usb volume? (in this way, i could use applescript to manage the library - horrible, but it might work). someone with actual experience here with a mac would allay my fears, rather than commenting it might be possible (sorry if that seems abrupt in advance...)
hi, Mac user here. Yes it mounts like a USB-HDD, and turns off in the phone. So you can transfere files, and then just unmount it. Transfered 7 GB of musik files, no problem.
jingo_man said:
1. handsent sms. hmmmm... that does look more along the lines that i was thinking for layout/design. but i'm guessing this wont play nice with the timescape app, which seems pretty central.
i thought i went into the individual contact at one point, and it had the same appearance as when displayed under the general. i may make a return visit to the store to check that out...
i dont think i would mind using separately bought apps, but 1 of the biggest selling points seems to be the timescape so not sure i'd want to miss out on using it. though might change once i have used it for a while...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
even with that installed, the other messaging app still runs. handsent simply becomes the default. this means that when you load up timescape, it pulls in the messages from the standard messages app and works like a charm.
its a shame we cant just use the screen under the contact to send a message, that looks pretty good. click onto a contact, and scoll along at the bottom, past call log, onto messaging. that is a sweet screen.
jingo_man said:
2. mac compatability. is this possible? can it sync properly with itunes? does it use a 3rd party app to do so? could this be "culled", ala blackberry/palm syncing with itunes? does the x10 appear as a mounted usb volume? (in this way, i could use applescript to manage the library - horrible, but it might work). someone with actual experience here with a mac would allay my fears, rather than commenting it might be possible (sorry if that seems abrupt in advance...)
3. other syncing needs. i guess most other aspects for sync'ing are removed/negated with an android handset - are we as users supposed to follow the "cloud computing" google-masterplan? do others sync with desktops and for what purpose?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use Salling Media Sync for iTunes sync http://www.salling.com/MediaSync/Mac/
Adress book and iCal has support for google sync, just enable it in the prefs and then everything syncs from google.
Just enter your gmail details.
the web browser on this thing is amazing really. renedering is smooth and pages launch instantly. i am very impressed with the web browser and with the added extra of using dolphin you be on to a winner. web browser on this is better than my N1
you mean like this...?
jingo_man said:
Ohhh, you brave souls... haha
I was in the o2 shop this lunch having a play with their live unit (well, except it had no SIM or web connectivity. for this type of phone that's pretty limiting!)
some questions i was unable to get help with, i am hoping you have more experience of, before i consider the device further:
1. SMS display. i much prefer the look of iPhone's SMS "dual conversations" - its very clear which side of the chat is which and generally more friendly and usable. can the x10's change to this type of layout? rather than listing each reply above or below each other. found no options in the main settings area from the home screen (not sure if the context-specific settings under messaging is any different...?)
.....
here's hoping for advantageous answers
jingo_man
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont know about all the other questions, but did you mean something this? (Oh, crap! Where is my image? Ok, no image, dont know how to get one into this post)
I mean from it you see exactly who is on which side of the conversation
I just switched from an iPhone to the G-Note. While I love the phone and the great screen on it, I have a few issues I just don't get and I would "hope" there are work arounds too. Not being in this world of android long however, I'm lost so after digging around and trying to fix things on my own, I'm coming back here with the few remaining questions / issues.
1) Contact Images - WTF is up with the 96x96 crap? I'm pretty sure my old windows 3.1 could handle those too. When my iPhone rang, it would show great full screen images of the caller and not this crappy little image. I've played with a few apps to overcome this, but they all feel like a kludge to me. I am sync'd with both google and exchange contacts, and the problem is on both of them, not one or the other. I know ICS will up that to 256/256 (only on the local device, the sync data to gmail will still be 96/96 acording to the post i was reading by a google dev), but still, most ALL new phones are at least 720p ( or close ).
2) Quality of Apps - No description needed. The quality of Apps for the android, with a few exceptions, doesn't even compair. As an example, where are the real GPS apps? And those that do exist, I can't find a single one that lowers the volume of playing music etc to give directions. This is a STANDARD for all gps systems today, including my aftermarket in car radio...
3) WHY is 1-202-555-1234 not the same as 202-555-1234 as a contact phone number? Really? I get seperate logs for them this way, as well seperate entries in the contacts info ( when for instance I sync with say facebook and they included a "1" in the info there ).
4) Music Player - Similar complaint to #3. But why is the band "Van Halen" not the same as "van halen" in the info? For that matter, it does the same with the album name as well. This does not just hold true for Music player either, many many apps on this platform do this. This has forced me to spend COUNTLESS hours going over my music library on the old PC to make sure everything is the exact same in each and every mp3 file. EVERY programming language in the last 20 years allows you to do case insensitive comparisons...( strcmp, stricmp anyone? ).
5) Ya know, my list is MUCH longer then this, but for the life of me, now that I'm sitting here to rant/ask how to overcome some of these issues, I can't think of them... Story of my life.
Just alot of "little" things like this that make it feel very.. "clunky" to me. I love some of the features, but some of the little unrefined parts are just a pisser.
Jailbroken / rooted what ever. Yes I was jailbroken on my iphone and yes I'm rooted on the GNote.
1. Try GO Contacts or Dialer One(from Market)
2. No can do my friend. Personally I don't think so.
3. Again, Go Contacts or Dialer One
4. Umm... Alternative music player? WinAmp, PowerAmp, DoubleTwist etc.(I don't know why, but that didn't happen on my phone)
rkennison said:
1) Contact Images - WTF is up with the 96x96 crap?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a samsung touchwiz issue/feauture. I first had an HTC desire then I got a Samsung Galaxy S2, the hardware is great but the software still (after a year of owning the SGS2) feels pretty rough, unlike HTC's Sense
2) Quality of Apps - No description needed. The quality of Apps for the android, with a few exceptions, doesn't even compair. As an example, where are the real GPS apps? And those that do exist, I can't find a single one that lowers the volume of playing music etc to give directions. This is a STANDARD for all gps systems today, including my aftermarket in car radio...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sygic and Navigon are there I guess only TomTom is missing; If you really miss a feature in Sygic usually if you post it in the forum you will find a in an update with 2-3 months.
rkennison said:
2) Quality of Apps - No description needed. The quality of Apps for the android, with a few exceptions, doesn't even compair. As an example, where are the real GPS apps? And those that do exist, I can't find a single one that lowers the volume of playing music etc to give directions. This is a STANDARD for all gps systems today, including my aftermarket in car radio...
3) WHY is 1-202-555-1234 not the same as 202-555-1234 as a contact phone number? Really? I get seperate logs for them this way, as well seperate entries in the contacts info ( when for instance I sync with say facebook and they included a "1" in the info there ).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2. Really, I've used a friend's iPhone and the apps honestly are the same. I'm not sure what you are talking about...? Google Maps with Navigation Beta is an awesome free navigation system. It's gotten me out of messes just fine. And I think your audio issue is a problem with your OEM. Mine handles lowering the volume just fine. Maybe try another ROM?
3. The numbers are different due to a number of issues. Gosh, how do I explain this.... Ok. All outside-of-area code numbers are now supposed to be dialed as 1 (555) 201 2222 instead of (555) 201 2222 to help the system establish the country. This is especially true for landlines. Since you're on an international phone it helps to add the 1 (or even +1).
So just make it a habit to add +1. So enter it as +15552012222.
I hope that helps.
A couple ICS roms are ready for the Note although they are beta(so what? i used CM9 as my daily driver when it was just in alpha stage!)
Maybe try them first
You mentioned you were running CM9, is that ready in any "reliable" form for the i717? ( I don't have the international , I'm in the USA with "good old" at&t ).
Hi all
i have just got a HTC 8X and am very disappointed to find that not only is Nokia drive 'missing' (although i had researched and knew thus was the case despit Nokia and MS promise that it would be available on all WP devices)
there are some things i love coming,from Android and there are a few frustrating basics missing ... Some are sort of overcomeable (word?) with other apps some less so (as far as I have discovered so far)
- battery percentage ...c'mon why isn't this in the notifications, the app tiles are fine but not real-time and must use up some battery to read from the system what the system could just display ...grrr
- persistent notifications? If an app notifies me and I don't respond immediately then it means a trip back to home screen to scour the tiles for an indicator ... Is there a roadmap for this or an app that helps ?
- maps ... As mentioned above the navigation apps or lack thereof is disappointing.
- keyboard ... Excellent some very nice touches ... As good if not better than the best third party keyboards I paid for on android
- multitasking... A little clunky and lacking task,management...any fixes planned from MS
- applist grouping ... Any news from MS on this topic ... The "named tiles" apps seem like a poor replacement
buy my absolute biggest frustration is that I did the research first with a friend,who had a Lumia 800 and discovered there was a viber app and a smh app ... Not realizing these "third party" apps are exclusive to Nokia. Sure viber has a "messaging only" version but this is no good if you use it for calls. Does anyone know if these are intended to be permanent exclusives or are they,just for 3 months or 6 months or something? I have searched but can't fund any official,info about this?
Skype is good but I can't make the video use the rear cam or rotate to landscape like I could in the android app ... Am,I just being dense?
also how,come,I can't view notifications in the browser
thanks and sorry for all the questions I honestly have had a go at answering them myself
s.t.s said:
Hi all
i have just got a HTC 8X and am very disappointed to find that not only is Nokia drive 'missing' (although i had researched and knew thus was the case despit Nokia and MS promise that it would be available on all WP devices)
there are some things i love coming,from Android and there are a few frustrating basics missing ... Some are sort of overcomeable (word?) with other apps some less so (as far as I have discovered so far)
- battery percentage ...c'mon why isn't this in the notifications, the app tiles are fine but not real-time and must use up some battery to read from the system what the system could just display ...grrr
- persistent notifications? If an app notifies me and I don't respond immediately then it means a trip back to home screen to scour the tiles for an indicator ... Is there a roadmap for this or an app that helps ?
- maps ... As mentioned above the navigation apps or lack thereof is disappointing.
- keyboard ... Excellent some very nice touches ... As good if not better than the best third party keyboards I paid for on android
- multitasking... A little clunky and lacking task,management...any fixes planned from MS
- applist grouping ... Any news from MS on this topic ... The "named tiles" apps seem like a poor replacement
buy my absolute biggest frustration is that I did the research first with a friend,who had a Lumia 800 and discovered there was a viber app and a smh app ... Not realizing these "third party" apps are exclusive to Nokia. Sure viber has a "messaging only" version but this is no good if you use it for calls. Does anyone know if these are intended to be permanent exclusives or are they,just for 3 months or 6 months or something? I have searched but can't fund any official,info about this?
Skype is good but I can't make the video use the rear cam or rotate to landscape like I could in the android app ... Am,I just being dense?
also how,come,I can't view notifications in the browser
thanks and sorry for all the questions I honestly have had a go at answering them myself
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Click to collapse
1. Battery percentage > You can see it from Settings>Battery. Looking for it in notifications, too bad. I don't work for MSFT, can't help you there.
2.Notification> Coming soon. Was left out due to the lack of time, but is promised.
3. Maps> Am angry about that also. MSFT paid Nokia to use their maps, but Nokia still insist on having the exclusivity crap. Sigh. The lack of transit directions is a deal-breaker for me. If it dosn't appear, no more WP for me.
4. Keyboard> Yeah, its quite good. Although I dont like how the UK english keyboard comes with .co.uk
5. Multitasking> Works well IMHO. Maybe you haven't discovered that holding back is like holding home in android
6. Applist grouping> I don't understand
Most apps exclusive to Lumia should be for a short period of time ~3-6 months, but apps created by nokia should remain exclusive for the rest of time and eternity.
1 - I know ... was just wondering if there had been a similar announcement wrt to the notification centre
2 - I can't find a MSFT announcement or eta ... just lots of blogs referring to the issue
3 - indeed ...
4 - they could do with adding a few customisable options but it is very good
5 - I dunno ... it seems clunky ... lots of button presses to get it done ... and you can't close apps from the multitasking view?
6 - I was talking about folders
on the exclusive apps ... the frustrating point is that no one is communicating openly ... if Nokia were shouting about the great apps they had exclusivity on then that would be fine ... and I would have bought a Lumia
The task management is different in Windows Phone. Holding the back key pressed comes in very handy when you want to quickly switch between apps. It takes a while to get used to it, but after that it will be fine.
You have other drive/maps apps at your disposal, as far as I know.
App sorting is fine. The more apps you get, the more "sorted" they become alphabetically.
At first, there is a small gap between letters (like last app that starts with C and first with D there is a small gap). When the app list gets big enough, there will be clear indicators with bookmars for letters which you can tap to quickly get to other letters.
IMO, this is way more feasible than folders.
Yeah the back key works to get to the running apps ... but you can't close the apps from that view ... you have to open the app and then exit from the app again ... or am I missing something?
There are a couple of other drive/navigation apps but they don't seem great ... and compared to google maps they are awful. Nokia Drive is a pretty good competitor ... and is offline which is a strong plus
But if you don't want to sort alphabetically ... or if the app does "odd things with its name" ... like "XE" is filed under currency ... then folders are good ... and in particular for a "stuff I don't use" folder it is good to declutter the rest of it. I do like the alphabet tile system ... but it is a click too many (wouldn't it be awesome if it went to that view with a "big flick" of the app list!)
I guess this will take some adjusting from the uber-customization of Android to this ...
A click too many is usually deterred by the swiftness at which the click in executed. In Android, when you have loads of apps installed, the app drawer begins to lag, whereas in WP this never happens.
s.t.s said:
Yeah the back key works to get to the running apps ... but you can't close the apps from that view ... you have to open the app and then exit from the app again ... or am I missing something?
There are a couple of other drive/navigation apps but they don't seem great ... and compared to google maps they are awful. Nokia Drive is a pretty good competitor ... and is offline which is a strong plus
But if you don't want to sort alphabetically ... or if the app does "odd things with its name" ... like "XE" is filed under currency ... then folders are good ... and in particular for a "stuff I don't use" folder it is good to declutter the rest of it. I do like the alphabet tile system ... but it is a click too many (wouldn't it be awesome if it went to that view with a "big flick" of the app list!)
I guess this will take some adjusting from the uber-customization of Android to this ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Closing" apps does nothing, though. They are not running, they are frozen. Not necessary to go through and "close" things. Apps that "run in the background" actually install a daemon that is always running whether you start the app or not.
So don't worry about managing processes, in WP multi tasking is simple. Just go to the app you want to go to, then forget about it. The only time you need to close an app is for password protected things, for example the app photo lock has you type in a password every time you start it, but you can resume to it without typing a password.
I am due for an upgrade later this month. I am an Android user of phones & tablets for more than 3 years so i am very used to the OS with its massive customisations, etc. But i have been noticing in the background that Windows Phone 8 is slowly gaining fans and i would like to know why. I'd like to convince myself. In particular i'm interested with the Lumia 920 and the newer 925/928 model:
1. Does the Lumia have a Bluetooth feature that can connect to any Bluetooth wireless speakers? And can one send files via bluetooth to any bluetooth-enabled Android phone?
2. Does the Lumia have a quick toggle to settings to instantly turn on or off settings such as wifi, Bluetooth, brightness, etc. (much like the notification drop down bar of Android)
3. Is there a customisable equaliser settings to the new Lumias? Surround sound? Bass? Preset EQ settings?
4. Can I set a Playlist, edit a Playlist name and set songs to a Playlist on-the-fly? If no then what app can do that?
5. Can I drag n drop files from my Mac to a Lumia with a need or no need of another software?
6. Can I still access my Google apps & services such as YouTube, Gmail, Maps, Currents, Chrome, etc.?
7. Is there a pinch to zoom feature in zooming objects for taking photos? Is there an option to easily share them via Email, Bluetooth, Twitter, Instagram, Dropbox, etc.? A way to set photos as a phones's lockscreen wallpaper? A way to edit photos and share them? if so which app do i need?
8. Any "swype to type" typing feature? (For faster typing)
9. Any good alternatives music player, video player for the Lumia?
10. Notification Centre - is it true that one can view a notification (from email, Twiiter, Facebook, etc.) on the lock screen? And how do i "access" or see my notification? Do i swype or just click it?
11. Is there a unified & a fully customomisable news app similar to Google Currents?
12. Sideloading apps - is this possible with WP8? Is there an alternative app store other than WP8's?
Android has tons of alternative/3rd-party app stores where one can look, download & install .apk files on almost any device available out there. Is this also possible with WP8?
13. Would the copy & paste capability be possible in almost anywhere ON THE device itself? How do i copy & paste btw?
14. A way to set Google as a default search option?
15. Software updates - found this "1308" update but it would seem there is the newer "1314" update. What's the real deal? Is it true the 1308 update vastly improved the camera's features and the battery life? ('cause i can't see that info on the website) And how often would those "minor" updates be like performance updates, battery life improvements, new features, etc.
16. Any good note-taking app?
17. How does one go back to view last viewed sites on IE10? Is it any way possible to save them on the hard drive of the phone so i can view them again & again?
18. A way or possibility to print wirelessly to a bluetooth wireless wifi printer?
19. Can one create folders (like a folder for Games, News apps, etc.) like in Android?
20. A very good .pdf viewer please?
21. Can i easily edit a Contact's name, phone number, details, etc.?
22. Can i set a Calendar event or note?
23. Is there a way to edit or change the tile icons on the "main" home screen?
24. Does the camera of the Lumias (in particular the 920) is BSI and HDR features?
Again, read of reviews that the camera is good but photos can sometimes be "washed out" and looks blurry when zoomed in.
25. Screenshots - With Android there is a way to take a screenshot of your phone's current screen. IS this possible with WP8? If yes then how?
26. A good alternative to Google Maps where i can check for transport updates and how to get from point A to B or how to find nearby shops or restaurants?
27. How often does Nokia or MS updates their phones?
28. The battery is only 2000mAh which compare to Android or iPhones is very tiny. How long does the phone lasts for Music? Video? Moderate use?
Please advice. Thanks.
1. yes
2. yes but via apps from market (Windows Store)
3. no but Lumia have equalizer setting and Dolby headphone settings
4. yes and no... you can add songs to playlist and you can with WP app for PC/mac you can make playlist but few things missing
5. yes
6. yes with IE or apps from Market, you cant have other browser, only IE (or Nokia Xpress Browser), maps also with IE or with other app (gMaps for example)
7. yes. yes (direct and also with apps from Market. yes. yes. in most case is enough Nokia apps but if you need more just search market or use App Highlights to suggest you apps
8. yes. WP keyboard is rudimentary but you can swipe with finger to type
9. no. in reality, all players from Market is only shell to original windows player...
10. when notification come, is shown short time in top of screen and if you click it, open it... if you dont click, notification closes and shown on lock screen (wallpaper all missed notification with icon and number)
11. is tons of many apps in Market, i dont use it but think no problem to find right one
12. yes and no.... can sideload but only original apps downloaded from Windows Store and loaded from SDcard if Lumia have SDcard slot. No other alternative stores. WP is most secure OS and in 2 and half year no any type of malware or viruses found on Windows Store because this restrictions
13. copy paste working, just select text and select copy icon, same with paste...
14. yes, in IE settings
15. 1308 is latest, 1314 is only AT&T update and not available for others...
16. a lot of them in market...
17. you can go back and you can bookmark but no save page option
18. not tried but think no...
19. you can create folders, anything like normal storage when connect via USB
20. official is good also others in Market
21. yes, on phone or on Live account on web http://mail.live.com/?rru=contacts
22. yes
23. yes and no... in basically you cant change tiles but also apps on market which can you make own style tiles and give him options
24. yes... Nokia 920 make great pictures...
25. yes, press windows button and power button... and this working where you want (apps, games, settings)
26. Here apps from nokia gives you most good navigation, travel and exploration features completely free with Maps, Drive, City Lens, Transit apps
27. booth... Nokia almost every week give new updates and improvements for their apps and settings
28. in normal use two day, less use 3 days for me (but i turned off many apps from working in background)... for music one day or little more is normal... all depend how many you use and set options in your phone. and newer let battery to discharged... this an brick phone... wireless charging is great thing, and if you can, get original Nokia plate for charging.
many of this answers is here
http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/how-to/wp8
I'm not looking for a Nokia Android phone here. Sure some questions i have been asking were"asked" before that is why i had to slightly change as to how i ask a specific question.
So far i like some of the replies in here. Very interesting OS compared to Android or IOS. For me one way to really know if i like a phone is to go to a shop. Which i've done today.
I went to an O2 store and saw the Lumia 920 & the 925. Both headphone jack were closed as i wanted to try out the vaunted Dolby headphones sound enhancement. The sales rep explained that he cannot do something about anything as he seem to suggest the brackets around the phone that covers the headphone jack is to "prevent the phones getting stolen". Jeez. An early turn off so i went to an EE shop instead.
EE had a working Lumia 920 so went to try it out. Camera seems slightly better than my S3 but noticed there were very few settings to dabble. Wasn't very much convinced with the Dolby sound enhancement (GSMArena were right after all); I wasn't sure if the software of the unit i was given was updated but i was using a mid-range 2-month old Sony earphones i must say. Even after changing the EQ to Custom sound was still somehow "flat" and lacking personality. Was able to try send a file from my S3 to the 920 with a bit of ease although it took about a minute which by todays' standards isn't great but isn't bad either.
What i still don't like:
1. Lack of an alternative app store
2. Lack of alternative browser
3. Lack of a really good altenrative music player with my above needs
4. Lack of .mkv and .srt support in video player
5. Slowness in transferring files via bluetooth
6. The need for a software in order to transfer files. Although someone did menttioned i can just copy & paste files and put them in a folder.
7. Uninspiring and seemingly flat audio/music quality when headphones are connected (even with Dolby On)
8. Non-removable & "low capacity" battery
9. Small 4.5" screen
10. Lack of or the inability to print to a wireless printer
11. Inability (?) for the phone to act as a wifi hotspot
12. Lack of swiping action for faster typing on keyboard
13. Inability to set Google as a search option
14. Inability to save a webpage as a .pdf file for future viewing
15. Few camera options & settings
16. No ability to edit a photo within OS/device
17. Inability to create folders tiles (for quick access to apps)
What also bothered me when i was in the EE shop was what the sales rep told me. She said that many people have been returning their Lumia 920s (i.e. rate of Lumias being returned were MANY!) for repair because of various problems such as bad incoming/outgoing call quality, screen issues and rebooting/crashing issues. She also bluntly advised me to get a Galaxy S4 or the HTC One instead.
Doesn't help with building up confidence does it?
Only the AT&T version allows you to tether and have up to 5 devices connected to it. But you have to have the second tier data package. Yes you can print to a wireless printer over WiFi (maybe another AT&T exclusive). It uses windows for godsake. If a PC can do it, this phone can do it. As for camera settings. It's a phone. If you want camera settings, then get a camera.
All app can be made into a tile simply by tapping and holding until the menu pops up to pin to desktop. The the file can be resized and positioned as you want it.
Google as a search option? Just make it your browser homepage. So what if it is just one more click. Has society really become this lazy?
That small screen is IPS and blows away all the other phones out there regardless of size. Also the gorilla glass is near diamond hard. Ok exaggeration but it is much harder than any other display out there.
You must have missed the edit photo option. You can cut, crop, change colors, and all kinds of edit options. Maybe that is another AT&T only feature.
My low capacity battery last 12 hours under full load and recharges in two with the wireless charger. Not sure what you want, but it is a computer in your pocket and you will not get phone life out of the battery.
Saving a webpage as a PDF. an Andy will not do that by default. So just wait for an app to be made. Or hey just bookmark it and view it over wifi.
There are alternative app stores for WP8. you just have to get into the right click. They are not made public since MS would shut them down.
There are three browsers that are free on the app store and six more you can pay for.
Did you even really try this out yourself or just let others opinions sway you like a typical sheeple? You know the site you keep referring to is biased against WP and MS products. So of course they will give this phone a negative review.
I am sorry to sound harsh but you tried one version from one provider. They are different. There are at this moment three types of 920 out there. The AT&T, The Rogers, and the all others. Each have some variations in functions and quality. As well as variations in the OS.
You also don't need software to transfer files. Not sure where you got that from but if the phone is plugged into a PC it behaves just like a USB drive and can be explored by windows explorer and you just drag and drop files just like another hard drive.
Bluetooth for file transfer is old school and slow. The S3 as well as the Lumia has a tap to send feature that when both phones are near each other you just select a file, select tap to send, find the other phone in the list and tap it. The other phone if feature is turned on will acknowledge a waiting file. You confirm it and it transfers over the TTS network between the phones. Faster than BT by the way.
There are several MKV players in the store, but they are not free.
I'm sorry but it just sounds like you are picking the phone apart and trying to convince yourself not to get one. If you are happy with Andy then the Lumia is not for you just to be blunt. Most Lumia users are tired of Andy or iPhone and that is why they switched. You will not get the customization of Andy with this phone. What you will get is a good rugged phone that has an OS that runs it like it should with minimal apps to perform most day to day things. You will get a camera that rivals lower end SLR's in quality even if it does not have all the bells and whistles. Yes there are SLR users here who have compared the pic quality and in some case it was better on this phone. You will get an OS that runs smoothly and fast and again does what it should. I will say it one last time. If you are happy with Andy or iPhone then this phone is not for you. This phone is a first phone, or a phone for those tired of the cookie cutter phones/OS's out there.
I do not think GSMArena is "biased" to WP & MS products. Why would they? Please enlighten me. The reason they have "negative" reviews of the Lumias is because its the truth i suppose. And the truth sometimes hurts isn't it?
And you might also ask yourself: why would the sales person be biased in saying the rate of returns is enormous because of such & such issues? Please enlighten me. Of all shops i went to (O2, EE & Carphone Warehouse) most of them sell (YES) Android phones (as many companies make Android phones...duh!), iPhones AND Windows phone 8 phones.
Again, let me ask (and challenge you)...why would the sales person be biased? I don't think its because they use Android phones most of the times. I simply don't think so. These people are trained to use and be familiar with ALL types of phones. The only reason i could think of is their reputation. Many returns (for repairs or otherwise) will ultimately have a negative effect on them.
I also heard of incompatibility with the EE network. If the phone is 4G-ready/capable it shouldn't be a compatibility issue. Its the issue of the maker of the phone (and OS) itself isn't it? If the phone is not up to what it can do or is capable of doing then i would rather go for a tried and tested and familiar phone & OS that is Android. I'm aware some companies release different versions of their phones depending on the country/market but still that doesn't help at all.
Also, the trouble with these shops is their phones are most of the times not updated so the software & other improvements are not there for you to experience. The headphone jack might be "locked" by the braces holding the phone or the phone isn't charged at all. Its a lose-lose situation.
Look i am not looking for a perfect Nokia Android phone as i will not find one. I know its either Windows Phone 8 or Android OS.
I made myself clear on my previous reply about my experience in the phone shops and the negative things i have known and read.
If i get the Lumia 920 right now on a 24-month contract with EE will they allow me to return the phone simply because "im not happy with it"? I guess we all know the answer to these question. All they care about is getting money from you and that's it.
Doesn't inspire confidence does it?
I know AT&T gives you a 14 day return period even on a 24 month contract. If you go beyond 14 days then they hit you with the phones full price if you break contract. The issue is not the phone, with 4G. 4G from provider to provider is on different frequencies. This phone like all others only supports 4G and LTE on certain frequencies. If your provider does not support those frequencies then there is nothing that you nor Nokia can do. You need to bust your providers balls to support the other frequencies as well. Good luck on that though since they will just tell you to use a phone they provide. If you want the Lumia to function 100% then you have to buy it from a provider who supports it and use their network. Buying it and trying to use it on a network that it was not intended for will result in fail most of the time. Or the very least a lot of flashing and tweaking and still may not be 100%.
I will say it again. If you like Android and are happy with it then stay with it. To me it sounds like you have already decided against this phone anyways. You Are not going to get somebody in a Lumia forum to flat out tell you not to buy it. So if you are looking for somebody to confirm your feelings you won't get it here. The bottom line is that this phone is not for somebody who is happy with their current OS. This phone is a phone for those just starting or those just fed up with the other stuff out there.
Well thank you all for your replies and insights.
If i get a Windows Phone 8 phone right now i feel it is a way backward not forward. I'm familiar with Android OS so i think i'll stick it out with them.
I hope this is an acceptable to place to ask generic questions, there doesnt seem to be a general/off topic section anymore, but rather seems to be device specific only.
Ive been using Windows Mobile/Phone since prob 2009 (HTC Touch Pro on Sprint). Now that T-Mobile is shutting off their 3G network in July, im being forced off of my Lumia 950 since it cant do VoLTE without a registry hack for IMS registering that i only ever got to work once. The main reason ive held out for so long, is the Lumia's did everything i wanted them to do and without extra apps etc.
Ive got my Nokia 8.3 pretty much set up the way i want and all the Microsoft apps and such on it so that it kinda feels more like a Lumia than a Samsung, but im still having issues finding the answers to some nagging bits.
Now for some questions:
1. Is there really no way to have the prox sensor default to Speakerphone during a call when its not next to your ear? The only answer ive found is "Tasker this, Tasker that" and i think its bullcrap that something so basic isnt part of Android, if its supposed to be so much better than Windows Phone/Mobile. I used my Lumia almost exclusively as a speakerphone cause it was just that good.
2. This is a REALLY annoying one, especially coming from Windows, why cant OneDrive integrate into the apps? Ive tried having folders available for Offline use and still cant access anything in them in any app save for the Onedrive app. Any article i find on this only tells you about the OneDrive app, but not how to get it integrated properly into Android. Or, is this even possible? I have thousands of pics in various folders, mainly for meme access, so i dont have to carry them solely on a device or SD card. But, i dont want to have to go to OneDrive first, then find the image, download to the phone, go back to the app i was in and then wait for the image to show up 5 mins later for use.
3. Loading files into Ringtones doesnt make them available for apps outside of the stock sounds for that app?
4. More incremental control over volume? Im used to the 1-10 ringer and 1-30 "all other sounds" control, but Android seems to be set at like 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, or some other 'non single integer" increment. And its maddening that app sounds/notifications are so much louder than actual media voice/music/video sounds, but are tied together.
I think thats all i have for now. Thanks in advance.
Bumo?