10 ms·

I own a Lumia 925, my wife owns a Lumia 640, and we use a Lumia 520 as our home line. I realize that Windows has a small share of the mobile phone market in the

I own a Lumia 925, my wife owns a Lumia 640, and we use a Lumia 520 as our home line. I realize that Windows has a small share of the mobile phone market in the US but everybody that I've ever met that owns a Windows phone is pretty happy with their purchase -- I am. Apple phones are too expensive for my budget, and I tried helping a family member with his Android device and quickly realized I had made the right decision buying a Windows phone. I'm looking forward to see how the new OS (Windows 10) works on my devices.

the-dude 11y ago
How much are you paid for posting this? This just reads as blatant advertising.
paganel 11y ago
Not sure why you're getting downvotted, over here in Europe the Lumia phones are pretty popular.
- MatthiasP 11y ago
  They are popular in some parts of Europe because of the Lumia (Nokia) brand, not because of Windows phone.
  - Someone1234 11y ago
    The two things are inseparable at this point. So I don't really understand the distinction you're making, it isn't as if people buying a Lumia don't know it will be running Windows Mobile.
    - vetinari 11y ago
      Many don't. They are buying Lumias, because they always bought Nokia. They haven't got the memo yet, that it's no longer Nokia.
    - Grue3 11y ago
      No, I would bet most people buy them because it's a Nokia, regardless of the OS. Case in point, my mother who seems to only buy Nokias because they used to be the best brand. I told her to buy an Android phone and she somehow found and bought a Nokia Android phone (I didn't even know they existed). It had some weird Metro skin too so that it looks like a Windows Phone but is actually an Android.
      - ZenoArrow 11y ago
        > "I told her to buy an Android phone and she somehow found and bought a Nokia Android phone (I didn't even know they existed). It had some weird Metro skin too so that it looks like a Windows Phone but is actually an Android." I think you're referring to one of the Nokia X devices: http://www.microsoft.com/en/mobile/phones/nokia-x/ http://www.microsoft.com/en/mobile/phones/nokia-x/
- trimbo 11y ago
  I Googled stats to verify this claim and you're right. Last fall, Windows Phone was on par with iPhone sales in some European countries, and in fact beat Apple in Italy (TIL) http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/29/kantar-september-2014/ http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/29/kantar-september-2014/ Though it sounds like some of those fortunes are turning since the iPhone 6 http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/05/06/iphone-marketshare-surges-for-apple-in-europe-china-during-march-quarter http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/05/06/iphone-marketshare...
  - BrianEatWorld 11y ago
    Poland is an even more interesting story as Windows Phone has close to 20% market share. http://www.zdnet.com/article/why-is-windows-phone-outselling-the-iphone-in-poland-hint-its-the-economics-stupid/ http://www.zdnet.com/article/why-is-windows-phone-outselling...
- newsreader 11y ago
  I'm getting downvoted? Sounds like a bad thing but I'm not concerned. I'm a Hacker News reader and hardly ever write comments. I'll be fine. Thanks for the heads up...
- frik 11y ago
  Maybe in some (northern) parts that still remember the Nokia brand. Otherwise, Android and iOS are the really big players, with Android being number one in Europe followed by a strong iOS. WinPhone, Blackberry, FirefoxOS, JellyOS, etc. are of little interest for the average joe buyer.
jonlucc 11y ago
Often with devices of small market share, the people who purchase them are the people most likely to be happy with their purchase. That said, I think the WinPhone platform is very good, but suffers by not commanding the influence over app-makers.
bostonpete 11y ago
Our of curiosity, what got you buying MS phones? My sense was that by the time they had a decent phone available, most people were too invested in Android or iOS to readily consider a change. Were you a late adopter of smart phones or did you make the switch at some point?
- guiomie 11y ago
  I bought a MS phone because my nexus 4 kept crashing with the latest upgrades. The battery would last max 6 hours, using the camera had a 50% chance of restarting the OS, the touch functionality of the screen would work 50% of the time after reboot, when the battery was under 25%, the phone would act eradically ... etc. As for iphone, too expensive. I got my lumia for 60$ on amazon without contract.
- dagw 11y ago
  I'm not the original poster, but I bought a Lumia 925 out of pure nerdy curiosity. I'd tried iOS, I'd tried Android and just wanted to see what else was out there. And I have to say it's pretty fine piece of hardware running a pretty great OS. All that being said, I'm probably going back to Android for my next phone, simply because WP keeps lagging further and further behind when it comes to apps. If WP had the same apps as Android I'd probably buy a new Windows Phone.
  - romanovcode 11y ago
    AFAIK WP will be able to run Android apps on next release which is coming this summer.
    - s73v3r 11y ago
      The developers of said apps will still have to upload them to Microsoft's store.
      - 0xFFC 11y ago
        I think most of developer will do , When they see such huge opportunity .
GFischer 11y ago
I am currently recommending Lumias for a specific user group - non-technical users that need WhatsApp, maps and light browsing, and are on a tight budget. A cheap Windows phone outperforms a cheap Android phone significantly (and is apparently much easier to learn the UI for that user group), and these users cannot afford an iPhone. They lose out on the Android ecosystem and the Apple experience, but I currently believe they're the best choice at that price point (100 dollars or so). Of course, those things vary, if a new Android version is significantly better on low-end hardware I'll probably go back to recommending them (mostly because all apps in my country are Android-first).
- austenallred 11y ago
  Theoretically that should be a really large user group. Especially outside of the US.
- Someone1234 11y ago
  If you go straight to China there are some "acceptable" Android phones for the sub-$50 price point. However when you compare that to the Nokia Lumia 635 which is $30-40 (often with $10 carrier discount, $50 unlocked) you get an incredible phone for almost no money at all. I actually held one at a Microsoft store the other day, and the thing is extremely responsive and feels very premium. It is lacking a few things people just take for granted like a front facing camera, but regardless it is a huge bargain if you're shopping in the low end market. I won't be giving up my $500 phone tomorrow, but respect where it is due to some of the Lumia phones.
  - jkestner 11y ago
    With such cheap Windows phones, I wonder if there's still a possibility that Microsoft can use them to make real revenue on services, or if offering those same services on the other mobile platforms is enough. What again, in a Services, Services, Services Microsoft, is the point of a third-place mobile platform?
- arrrg 11y ago
  Android phones have been a nightmare for me from a support point of view and for certain user groups Windows phones can – is my hypothesis – be a much, much more enjoyable experience. My dad has some Samsung Galaxy (probably a couple generations old at this point) and doesn’t like it and doesn’t use it much beyond actually making phone calls (he even hates writing text messages). My mom has the simplest of the simple Nokia Lumias (also a generation or two old now) and she uses it all the time for all sorts of things. Browsing the web, communicating via SMS, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, reading email, making phone calls, taking photos (and sending those to people with exactly the messenging app she wants to use). She is able to achieve all this without ever needing help and the phone never gives her the feeling that she is not in control. Sure, part of that may be differing attitudes of my parents towards technology (my mom has certainly a slightly greater ability to get used to and comfortable with newfangled tech), but I do think Windows phone is very friendly towards people. It’s very sparse, but if it does what you need to do then that’s a plus and it helps you feel in control.
anoncow 11y ago
Indian Windows phone admirer here. Loved the developer preview program. Frequent updates to the OS made me feel wanted as a user. The transition from WP 8 to WP 8.1 was especially noteworthy. Sadly I lost my Lumia 1320 and switched to a cheaper Android. Would like to go back and try Win 10, but the lack of new devices makes me apprehensive.
at-fates-hands 11y ago
I own a Lumia icon and have been really happy with it. The cut on Windows Phone is the amount of apps available. Since they are such a small share of the market, developers aren't keen to build for the platform - even though its completely wide open right now with little if no competition. If Windows Phone had closer to the amount of apps Android and IOS have in their stores, the phones would be doing much better. Nokia makes a solid handset and the Windows Phone platform is the first not to copy Apple's design. As for Windows 10 on Windows Phone - I was using the developer preview for a few days and its still really really buggy. It does have tremendous potential though and I'm looking forward to seeing them work out some of the bugs, there are a ton of really cool things coming: http://www.cnet.com/products/microsoft-windows-10-mobile/ http://www.cnet.com/products/microsoft-windows-10-mobile/
kirk21 11y ago
The phones are great but quite heavy + thick (at least the phones I saw).
- chiph 11y ago
  A coworker just noticed that - my Nokia is about the same weight as his larger Android phone. In my case, the phone isn't thick enough. I had problems with it slipping out of my pocket (I once went back to the car looking for it to find it on the ground getting rained on), so I added grippy skateboard tape on the back. If I change phones, I'd do it again. Why not just buy a case? Because to get a grippy case, they're too grippy and will hold onto the cloth in my pocket when taking it out. The skateboard tape is "just right". Someone ought to produce & sell grip-tape with die-cut patterns in it. Peace-symbol, happy face, Totoro, etc.
tluyben2 11y ago
I have some Lumia's (for work) and while I go in really liking them, I end up with a lot of small annoyances. I should really write them down in a blog post, but the endresult is that I pick up my Android (s4 with swappable battery) or iPhone and actually never touch the Lumia's again. The way MS (or someone else!) would get me on board is when I can walk into the office, put my phone on my inductive loading plate, automatically triggering my monitoring to flick on and pairing with my mouse + keyboard, showing me, on the big screen, another (desktop) representation of the OS I use on the phone. I know some companies (and MS with Windows 10) are working towards that as I saw in demos, but it's still clunky and not what you want yet while the phones are fast enough (I often connect the above to my OpenPandora and work straight on it for days on end; most high end phones are a lot more capable than the OpenPandora...).
- mmcconnell1618 11y ago
  They demonstrated this exact scenario at this year's Build conference: http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/29/microsoft-announces-continuum-turning-windows-10-phones-into-desktops/#.jgr5et:IozZ http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/29/microsoft-announces-continu...
- nothrabannosir 11y ago
  No need for the phone to be smart enough if it can just virtualize itself in a host laptop / computer. Not saying this is a good idea, but the phones not being fast enough is not all bad; what I need mostly from my phone is the files and content. The apps I could run locally.
  - shyn3 11y ago
    Get a BlackBerry and install Blend on your laptop/tablet.
pavlov 11y ago
I was a fan of the original Windows Phone 7 and since then used WP for years (until work requirements caused me to switch mostly to other platforms). I've been trying the Windows 10 betas on a fairly high-end Lumia (1520), and I just can't understand what Microsoft is doing. The entire system has apparently been rewritten using the "Universal" APIs (the same thing as Windows RT/10 basically). That must have sounded great on paper, but the reality is baffling. Everything that was working great in WP8 has been replaced with half-assed implementations that feel more like second-rate Android OEM apps. Worse, there don't seem to be any new features in Windows 10 Mobile that could offset the pain of the UI downgrade... Except that weird new mode where you can connect your phone to a keyboard, mouse and display and use Windows Universal apps that way. Is there a single Windows Phone user that asked for that?! I loved Windows Phone 7 because it was a holistically designed system that made perfect sense on a phone. All that seems to be gone in Windows 10 Mobile, replaced by Microsoft's traditional "Windows everywhere!" platform strategy bloopers.
- josh2600 11y ago
  The simple problem at Microsoft and at most large organizations is that stock options and bonuses are paid out for new features, not fixing existing bugs.
  - luuio 11y ago
    Source?
    - keithnoizu 11y ago
      Annual Commitments. There are tons of half complete projects and tooling pieces that are finished enough to check off the annual commitment objective. I constantly got nagged for tweaking and improving a backend system shim layer for transporting test data between systems instead of adding new check mark mission complete items to my list. I'm not sure what it like under the current review system but I very much perceived this to be an issue when I was there. I'd even seen large top level objectives altered purely because it was too far along in the year when they were proposed and making those changes would have impacted another groups ability to make their commitments. Some groups in microsoft are great but there are some systemic problems over there.
aikah 11y ago
> I had made the right decision buying a Windows phone No you didn't. Soon your device and its os will be discontinued, WP is a huge failure and it's over. You don't fire next to 8000 people when your product is a success.
- newsreader 11y ago
  When that happens - if it happens - I will buy a different phone. I feel that my investment has already paid off with the amount of great quality pictures and videos I have accumulated.
bad_user 11y ago
For a different experience, I received a Lumia 640 as a gift, but I gave it away, as the experience was inferior to Android. I tried liking it for about 2-3 weeks, but eventually I gave up. My wife then tried to use it and gave up as well. For example I don't like the design of the front-screen with the animated tiles. I find them to be very distracting and I prefer Android's model - static icons plus widgets for whenever I feel the need for some shiny stuff, but widgets don't survive for long. The notifications experience on Android is of course superior. That flat design in Windows Phone has also been annoying as it doesn't give clues on what can be touched. And as far as the experience goes, the new material design in Android kicks ass IMHO. The only serious usability issue it has are the up-front permissions system, but they are fixing that in the next version. The other issue I had is a lack of control. Microsoft went the Apple way in restricting their phones. So apparently with my Lumia I had to ask permission from my operator in order to do tethering. I've never met an Android phone that disallowed tethering based on the whims of these operators. Google Play is also superior, even to the iTunes Store IMHO, but beyond that, I like how Android lets me install apps from third-party sources if I want it - it's just a configuration change and this Apple-style grandfathering doesn't work so well for Microsoft - their store is filled with shit, malware and trademark infringing apps. I also tried being a good citizen in Microsoft's store and tried reporting a scammy app for trademark infringement - they asked for "papers" to prove I'm the rights holder. There's also one pet peeve I have with Microsoft - so Windows Phone still doesn't support CalDAV / CardDAV, insisting of course on Microsoft's own proprietary Exchange. You also can't change Bing's search as the default (at least in the version I had). Android doesn't do CalDAV / CardDAV by default, but you've got providers available. And Android also lets you change most things, like the search interface. Great going Microsoft, you've changed a lot. As for the apps available, there is no contest. Like Google Maps / Waze in combination with Google Now are awesome. Nokia's Here is pretty cool, but lo and behold, they've released it for Android as well. The experience with most popular services like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube is inferior on Windows Phone. Even Skype seems to suck less on my Android. In terms of hardware, the Lumia phones have a good price, but I want phones with good resolution. Couldn't find a high-end phone like the ones made by LG. And for a good price-quality ratio, in Android land you can also go with the Nexus devices, or OnePlus One. You can still find Nexus 5 devices and they've got a better price and better hardware than those Lumia devices.
pjmlp 11y ago
I got a 630 to play around with WinRT and C++/CX development. It is quite quite, specially if one compares the whole development experience with the Android wild west (e.g. NDK experience). Sadly it has only catched on in countries as alternative to Android, where the majority of the population is not able to afford iPhones even on subsided contracts. Their decision to provide Android and iOS bridges in WP 10 will eventually backfire in OS/2 style.
Keyframe 11y ago
I had a WP7 Samsung Omnia awhile ago. WP was an excellent, performant, and snappy to use. It was really nice and everyone that saw it liked it. However, almost no apps (that I needed), app store full of crapware (borderline malware), and slow OS updates eventually led me to Android. No regrets.
jonknee 11y ago
Fascinating. Do you work for Microsoft or live in the Seattle area?
- newsreader 11y ago
  The answer is NO to both questions. I don't see what's fascinating about my comment. I live in Tucson AZ and I work in the IT department as an Applications Developer. My department has 30+ employees and I only know of four other people in my department that own Windows Phones.
  - jonknee 11y ago
    It's fascinating to me because I've never come across such a fan of Windows Phone. The Windows Phone users I have come across have gotten them through work (at MS or related contractors).
    - newsreader 11y ago
      I never considered myself to be a WP fan but I can see how I can be perceived as one. My initial decision to buy a WP was mostly driven by cost (my first phone HTC Radar was free after the rebate) and my current phone is a refurbished Lumia 925 ($150.00). I’m just not the type of person that’s willing to spend $500+ on a phone that has features I will probably never use. Like I said IMO Windows Phones give you the best value per dollar spent – an opinion that apparently is also shared by many of those making comments on this thread.
ChuckMcM 11y ago
It is ironic that my daughter bougth a Lumia 640 in Ohio because you couldn't get them on the west coast. They have sold out in pretty much every location. I expect mostly because Microsoft has not made very many of them to begin with, but they seem to be the most popular phone yet. I'm sad that there wasn't a way to recapitalize the Nokia phone business and re-release it into the wild.
deskamess 11y ago
Work phone is a Nokia 710, running WP 7.5 .... a no nonsense simple working phone with great battery life. Informative tiles and a clean UI. I am sure WP8/Cortana would be a great improvement. Dropped it in water a week ago and it is recovering... screen is still drying out. For personal use I have a Nexus4 and use it for camera/apps (Google Authenticator)/Google ecosystem. I prefer the simplicity of the Nokia/WP7 but for some things the Android is necessary. If Google ever ported their apps and services (Youtube, etc) to a Windows Phone I would switch.. or MS needs to create a nice equivalent.
- jkestner 11y ago
  Too bad you were able to recover the phone - Cortana is great, for the intelligent assistant part as much as the voice interface.
batou 11y ago
Lumia 640 here. Nothing bad to say. No regrets.
timrichard 11y ago
Counter anecdata... I often drop in to a local bar, and tend to be the troubleshooter for older folks with new smartphones. I've helped out on quite a variety of devices, but my heart always sank when I bumped into the guy with a Lumia that his daughter had given him. I can't remember every instance, but I can remember turning him away in frustration with outcomes like "sorry, I've no idea why the browser won't remember your login details". I ran into many frustrating problems with that device that I didn't find with iOS and Android (even super-cheap Android). I was extremely relieved when he rocked up one day with an iPhone, and very gladly set it up with all the apps he needed.
judah 11y ago
Lumia 925 user here. I really liked Windows 8.1. I've been trying the Windows 10 phone betas for a few months now, and the pain has been excruciating: lots of busted apps, bugs, battery life issues, missing functionality. It seems to me Windows 10 Phone is at least several months away from stable.
amaks 11y ago
Are you sure Windows 10 will be compatible with your devices? Prior history of new Windows Phone OS releases proves otherwise.
- newsreader 11y ago
  I'm not 100% sure but it is listed in the following website: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-supported-phones http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-supported... I'll probably be shopping for a new phone if it's not...
electricarc 11y ago
My mom finds it easy compared to Android.
ForEnglandJames 11y ago
While we're trotting out anecdotes, I have heard and experienced only the opposite. One friend in particular who was given a windows phone by his large, seattle-based employer (ahem) had no end of trouble. The UI was great, but basic functionality was terrible. The thing could never handle SMS--we had to call him constantly, just to let him know what was going on, then we all would sporadically receive 4-5 texts from him that made no sense out of context. It was a nightmare.

the-dude 11y ago

How much are you paid for posting this? This just reads as blatant advertising.

paganel 11y ago

Not sure why you're getting downvotted, over here in Europe the Lumia phones are pretty popular.

MatthiasP 11y ago
They are popular in some parts of Europe because of the Lumia (Nokia) brand, not because of Windows phone.
- Someone1234 11y ago
  The two things are inseparable at this point. So I don't really understand the distinction you're making, it isn't as if people buying a Lumia don't know it will be running Windows Mobile.
  - vetinari 11y ago
    Many don't. They are buying Lumias, because they always bought Nokia. They haven't got the memo yet, that it's no longer Nokia.
  - Grue3 11y ago
    No, I would bet most people buy them because it's a Nokia, regardless of the OS. Case in point, my mother who seems to only buy Nokias because they used to be the best brand. I told her to buy an Android phone and she somehow found and bought a Nokia Android phone (I didn't even know they existed). It had some weird Metro skin too so that it looks like a Windows Phone but is actually an Android.
    - ZenoArrow 11y ago
      > "I told her to buy an Android phone and she somehow found and bought a Nokia Android phone (I didn't even know they existed). It had some weird Metro skin too so that it looks like a Windows Phone but is actually an Android." I think you're referring to one of the Nokia X devices: http://www.microsoft.com/en/mobile/phones/nokia-x/ http://www.microsoft.com/en/mobile/phones/nokia-x/
trimbo 11y ago
I Googled stats to verify this claim and you're right. Last fall, Windows Phone was on par with iPhone sales in some European countries, and in fact beat Apple in Italy (TIL) http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/29/kantar-september-2014/ http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/29/kantar-september-2014/ Though it sounds like some of those fortunes are turning since the iPhone 6 http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/05/06/iphone-marketshare-surges-for-apple-in-europe-china-during-march-quarter http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/05/06/iphone-marketshare...
- BrianEatWorld 11y ago
  Poland is an even more interesting story as Windows Phone has close to 20% market share. http://www.zdnet.com/article/why-is-windows-phone-outselling-the-iphone-in-poland-hint-its-the-economics-stupid/ http://www.zdnet.com/article/why-is-windows-phone-outselling...
newsreader 11y ago
I'm getting downvoted? Sounds like a bad thing but I'm not concerned. I'm a Hacker News reader and hardly ever write comments. I'll be fine. Thanks for the heads up...
frik 11y ago
Maybe in some (northern) parts that still remember the Nokia brand. Otherwise, Android and iOS are the really big players, with Android being number one in Europe followed by a strong iOS. WinPhone, Blackberry, FirefoxOS, JellyOS, etc. are of little interest for the average joe buyer.

jonlucc 11y ago

Often with devices of small market share, the people who purchase them are the people most likely to be happy with their purchase. That said, I think the WinPhone platform is very good, but suffers by not commanding the influence over app-makers.

bostonpete 11y ago

Our of curiosity, what got you buying MS phones? My sense was that by the time they had a decent phone available, most people were too invested in Android or iOS to readily consider a change. Were you a late adopter of smart phones or did you make the switch at some point?

guiomie 11y ago
I bought a MS phone because my nexus 4 kept crashing with the latest upgrades. The battery would last max 6 hours, using the camera had a 50% chance of restarting the OS, the touch functionality of the screen would work 50% of the time after reboot, when the battery was under 25%, the phone would act eradically ... etc. As for iphone, too expensive. I got my lumia for 60$ on amazon without contract.
dagw 11y ago
I'm not the original poster, but I bought a Lumia 925 out of pure nerdy curiosity. I'd tried iOS, I'd tried Android and just wanted to see what else was out there. And I have to say it's pretty fine piece of hardware running a pretty great OS. All that being said, I'm probably going back to Android for my next phone, simply because WP keeps lagging further and further behind when it comes to apps. If WP had the same apps as Android I'd probably buy a new Windows Phone.
- romanovcode 11y ago
  AFAIK WP will be able to run Android apps on next release which is coming this summer.
  - s73v3r 11y ago
    The developers of said apps will still have to upload them to Microsoft's store.
    - 0xFFC 11y ago
      I think most of developer will do , When they see such huge opportunity .

GFischer 11y ago

I am currently recommending Lumias for a specific user group - non-technical users that need WhatsApp, maps and light browsing, and are on a tight budget. A cheap Windows phone outperforms a cheap Android phone significantly (and is apparently much easier to learn the UI for that user group), and these users cannot afford an iPhone. They lose out on the Android ecosystem and the Apple experience, but I currently believe they're the best choice at that price point (100 dollars or so). Of course, those things vary, if a new Android version is significantly better on low-end hardware I'll probably go back to recommending them (mostly because all apps in my country are Android-first).

austenallred 11y ago
Theoretically that should be a really large user group. Especially outside of the US.
Someone1234 11y ago
If you go straight to China there are some "acceptable" Android phones for the sub-$50 price point. However when you compare that to the Nokia Lumia 635 which is $30-40 (often with $10 carrier discount, $50 unlocked) you get an incredible phone for almost no money at all. I actually held one at a Microsoft store the other day, and the thing is extremely responsive and feels very premium. It is lacking a few things people just take for granted like a front facing camera, but regardless it is a huge bargain if you're shopping in the low end market. I won't be giving up my $500 phone tomorrow, but respect where it is due to some of the Lumia phones.
- jkestner 11y ago
  With such cheap Windows phones, I wonder if there's still a possibility that Microsoft can use them to make real revenue on services, or if offering those same services on the other mobile platforms is enough. What again, in a Services, Services, Services Microsoft, is the point of a third-place mobile platform?
arrrg 11y ago
Android phones have been a nightmare for me from a support point of view and for certain user groups Windows phones can – is my hypothesis – be a much, much more enjoyable experience. My dad has some Samsung Galaxy (probably a couple generations old at this point) and doesn’t like it and doesn’t use it much beyond actually making phone calls (he even hates writing text messages). My mom has the simplest of the simple Nokia Lumias (also a generation or two old now) and she uses it all the time for all sorts of things. Browsing the web, communicating via SMS, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, reading email, making phone calls, taking photos (and sending those to people with exactly the messenging app she wants to use). She is able to achieve all this without ever needing help and the phone never gives her the feeling that she is not in control. Sure, part of that may be differing attitudes of my parents towards technology (my mom has certainly a slightly greater ability to get used to and comfortable with newfangled tech), but I do think Windows phone is very friendly towards people. It’s very sparse, but if it does what you need to do then that’s a plus and it helps you feel in control.

anoncow 11y ago

Indian Windows phone admirer here. Loved the developer preview program. Frequent updates to the OS made me feel wanted as a user. The transition from WP 8 to WP 8.1 was especially noteworthy. Sadly I lost my Lumia 1320 and switched to a cheaper Android. Would like to go back and try Win 10, but the lack of new devices makes me apprehensive.

at-fates-hands 11y ago

I own a Lumia icon and have been really happy with it. The cut on Windows Phone is the amount of apps available. Since they are such a small share of the market, developers aren't keen to build for the platform - even though its completely wide open right now with little if no competition. If Windows Phone had closer to the amount of apps Android and IOS have in their stores, the phones would be doing much better. Nokia makes a solid handset and the Windows Phone platform is the first not to copy Apple's design. As for Windows 10 on Windows Phone - I was using the developer preview for a few days and its still really really buggy. It does have tremendous potential though and I'm looking forward to seeing them work out some of the bugs, there are a ton of really cool things coming: http://www.cnet.com/products/microsoft-windows-10-mobile/ http://www.cnet.com/products/microsoft-windows-10-mobile/

kirk21 11y ago

The phones are great but quite heavy + thick (at least the phones I saw).

chiph 11y ago
A coworker just noticed that - my Nokia is about the same weight as his larger Android phone. In my case, the phone isn't thick enough. I had problems with it slipping out of my pocket (I once went back to the car looking for it to find it on the ground getting rained on), so I added grippy skateboard tape on the back. If I change phones, I'd do it again. Why not just buy a case? Because to get a grippy case, they're too grippy and will hold onto the cloth in my pocket when taking it out. The skateboard tape is "just right". Someone ought to produce & sell grip-tape with die-cut patterns in it. Peace-symbol, happy face, Totoro, etc.

tluyben2 11y ago

I have some Lumia's (for work) and while I go in really liking them, I end up with a lot of small annoyances. I should really write them down in a blog post, but the endresult is that I pick up my Android (s4 with swappable battery) or iPhone and actually never touch the Lumia's again. The way MS (or someone else!) would get me on board is when I can walk into the office, put my phone on my inductive loading plate, automatically triggering my monitoring to flick on and pairing with my mouse + keyboard, showing me, on the big screen, another (desktop) representation of the OS I use on the phone. I know some companies (and MS with Windows 10) are working towards that as I saw in demos, but it's still clunky and not what you want yet while the phones are fast enough (I often connect the above to my OpenPandora and work straight on it for days on end; most high end phones are a lot more capable than the OpenPandora...).

mmcconnell1618 11y ago
They demonstrated this exact scenario at this year's Build conference: http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/29/microsoft-announces-continuum-turning-windows-10-phones-into-desktops/#.jgr5et:IozZ http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/29/microsoft-announces-continu...
nothrabannosir 11y ago
No need for the phone to be smart enough if it can just virtualize itself in a host laptop / computer. Not saying this is a good idea, but the phones not being fast enough is not all bad; what I need mostly from my phone is the files and content. The apps I could run locally.
- shyn3 11y ago
  Get a BlackBerry and install Blend on your laptop/tablet.

pavlov 11y ago

I was a fan of the original Windows Phone 7 and since then used WP for years (until work requirements caused me to switch mostly to other platforms). I've been trying the Windows 10 betas on a fairly high-end Lumia (1520), and I just can't understand what Microsoft is doing. The entire system has apparently been rewritten using the "Universal" APIs (the same thing as Windows RT/10 basically). That must have sounded great on paper, but the reality is baffling. Everything that was working great in WP8 has been replaced with half-assed implementations that feel more like second-rate Android OEM apps. Worse, there don't seem to be any new features in Windows 10 Mobile that could offset the pain of the UI downgrade... Except that weird new mode where you can connect your phone to a keyboard, mouse and display and use Windows Universal apps that way. Is there a single Windows Phone user that asked for that?! I loved Windows Phone 7 because it was a holistically designed system that made perfect sense on a phone. All that seems to be gone in Windows 10 Mobile, replaced by Microsoft's traditional "Windows everywhere!" platform strategy bloopers.

josh2600 11y ago
The simple problem at Microsoft and at most large organizations is that stock options and bonuses are paid out for new features, not fixing existing bugs.
- luuio 11y ago
  Source?
  - keithnoizu 11y ago
    Annual Commitments. There are tons of half complete projects and tooling pieces that are finished enough to check off the annual commitment objective. I constantly got nagged for tweaking and improving a backend system shim layer for transporting test data between systems instead of adding new check mark mission complete items to my list. I'm not sure what it like under the current review system but I very much perceived this to be an issue when I was there. I'd even seen large top level objectives altered purely because it was too far along in the year when they were proposed and making those changes would have impacted another groups ability to make their commitments. Some groups in microsoft are great but there are some systemic problems over there.

aikah 11y ago

> I had made the right decision buying a Windows phone No you didn't. Soon your device and its os will be discontinued, WP is a huge failure and it's over. You don't fire next to 8000 people when your product is a success.

newsreader 11y ago
When that happens - if it happens - I will buy a different phone. I feel that my investment has already paid off with the amount of great quality pictures and videos I have accumulated.

bad_user 11y ago

For a different experience, I received a Lumia 640 as a gift, but I gave it away, as the experience was inferior to Android. I tried liking it for about 2-3 weeks, but eventually I gave up. My wife then tried to use it and gave up as well. For example I don't like the design of the front-screen with the animated tiles. I find them to be very distracting and I prefer Android's model - static icons plus widgets for whenever I feel the need for some shiny stuff, but widgets don't survive for long. The notifications experience on Android is of course superior. That flat design in Windows Phone has also been annoying as it doesn't give clues on what can be touched. And as far as the experience goes, the new material design in Android kicks ass IMHO. The only serious usability issue it has are the up-front permissions system, but they are fixing that in the next version. The other issue I had is a lack of control. Microsoft went the Apple way in restricting their phones. So apparently with my Lumia I had to ask permission from my operator in order to do tethering. I've never met an Android phone that disallowed tethering based on the whims of these operators. Google Play is also superior, even to the iTunes Store IMHO, but beyond that, I like how Android lets me install apps from third-party sources if I want it - it's just a configuration change and this Apple-style grandfathering doesn't work so well for Microsoft - their store is filled with shit, malware and trademark infringing apps. I also tried being a good citizen in Microsoft's store and tried reporting a scammy app for trademark infringement - they asked for "papers" to prove I'm the rights holder. There's also one pet peeve I have with Microsoft - so Windows Phone still doesn't support CalDAV / CardDAV, insisting of course on Microsoft's own proprietary Exchange. You also can't change Bing's search as the default (at least in the version I had). Android doesn't do CalDAV / CardDAV by default, but you've got providers available. And Android also lets you change most things, like the search interface. Great going Microsoft, you've changed a lot. As for the apps available, there is no contest. Like Google Maps / Waze in combination with Google Now are awesome. Nokia's Here is pretty cool, but lo and behold, they've released it for Android as well. The experience with most popular services like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube is inferior on Windows Phone. Even Skype seems to suck less on my Android. In terms of hardware, the Lumia phones have a good price, but I want phones with good resolution. Couldn't find a high-end phone like the ones made by LG. And for a good price-quality ratio, in Android land you can also go with the Nexus devices, or OnePlus One. You can still find Nexus 5 devices and they've got a better price and better hardware than those Lumia devices.

pjmlp 11y ago

I got a 630 to play around with WinRT and C++/CX development. It is quite quite, specially if one compares the whole development experience with the Android wild west (e.g. NDK experience). Sadly it has only catched on in countries as alternative to Android, where the majority of the population is not able to afford iPhones even on subsided contracts. Their decision to provide Android and iOS bridges in WP 10 will eventually backfire in OS/2 style.

Keyframe 11y ago

I had a WP7 Samsung Omnia awhile ago. WP was an excellent, performant, and snappy to use. It was really nice and everyone that saw it liked it. However, almost no apps (that I needed), app store full of crapware (borderline malware), and slow OS updates eventually led me to Android. No regrets.

jonknee 11y ago

Fascinating. Do you work for Microsoft or live in the Seattle area?

newsreader 11y ago
The answer is NO to both questions. I don't see what's fascinating about my comment. I live in Tucson AZ and I work in the IT department as an Applications Developer. My department has 30+ employees and I only know of four other people in my department that own Windows Phones.
- jonknee 11y ago
  It's fascinating to me because I've never come across such a fan of Windows Phone. The Windows Phone users I have come across have gotten them through work (at MS or related contractors).
  - newsreader 11y ago
    I never considered myself to be a WP fan but I can see how I can be perceived as one. My initial decision to buy a WP was mostly driven by cost (my first phone HTC Radar was free after the rebate) and my current phone is a refurbished Lumia 925 ($150.00). I’m just not the type of person that’s willing to spend $500+ on a phone that has features I will probably never use. Like I said IMO Windows Phones give you the best value per dollar spent – an opinion that apparently is also shared by many of those making comments on this thread.

ChuckMcM 11y ago

It is ironic that my daughter bougth a Lumia 640 in Ohio because you couldn't get them on the west coast. They have sold out in pretty much every location. I expect mostly because Microsoft has not made very many of them to begin with, but they seem to be the most popular phone yet. I'm sad that there wasn't a way to recapitalize the Nokia phone business and re-release it into the wild.

deskamess 11y ago

Work phone is a Nokia 710, running WP 7.5 .... a no nonsense simple working phone with great battery life. Informative tiles and a clean UI. I am sure WP8/Cortana would be a great improvement. Dropped it in water a week ago and it is recovering... screen is still drying out. For personal use I have a Nexus4 and use it for camera/apps (Google Authenticator)/Google ecosystem. I prefer the simplicity of the Nokia/WP7 but for some things the Android is necessary. If Google ever ported their apps and services (Youtube, etc) to a Windows Phone I would switch.. or MS needs to create a nice equivalent.

jkestner 11y ago
Too bad you were able to recover the phone - Cortana is great, for the intelligent assistant part as much as the voice interface.

batou 11y ago

Lumia 640 here. Nothing bad to say. No regrets.

timrichard 11y ago

Counter anecdata... I often drop in to a local bar, and tend to be the troubleshooter for older folks with new smartphones. I've helped out on quite a variety of devices, but my heart always sank when I bumped into the guy with a Lumia that his daughter had given him. I can't remember every instance, but I can remember turning him away in frustration with outcomes like "sorry, I've no idea why the browser won't remember your login details". I ran into many frustrating problems with that device that I didn't find with iOS and Android (even super-cheap Android). I was extremely relieved when he rocked up one day with an iPhone, and very gladly set it up with all the apps he needed.

judah 11y ago

Lumia 925 user here. I really liked Windows 8.1. I've been trying the Windows 10 phone betas for a few months now, and the pain has been excruciating: lots of busted apps, bugs, battery life issues, missing functionality. It seems to me Windows 10 Phone is at least several months away from stable.

amaks 11y ago

Are you sure Windows 10 will be compatible with your devices? Prior history of new Windows Phone OS releases proves otherwise.

newsreader 11y ago
I'm not 100% sure but it is listed in the following website: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-supported-phones http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-supported... I'll probably be shopping for a new phone if it's not...

electricarc 11y ago

My mom finds it easy compared to Android.

ForEnglandJames 11y ago

While we're trotting out anecdotes, I have heard and experienced only the opposite. One friend in particular who was given a windows phone by his large, seattle-based employer (ahem) had no end of trouble. The UI was great, but basic functionality was terrible. The thing could never handle SMS--we had to call him constantly, just to let him know what was going on, then we all would sporadically receive 4-5 texts from him that made no sense out of context. It was a nightmare.