Windows Phone Guy goes ‘Rouge@ (Andriod) UPDATE

Hi Readers

This is about my experience of going from WP to Andriod. I have had the phone for 1 week and used it as my main phone for the last 4 days.

The phone I chose is the OnePlus 3t. The phone as a phone is awesome.

Battery life is like i have never experince. An app that on WP has always drained the battery so so quick, yes does on my 3t but nowhere near the same. The battery is excellent.

Finger print sensor. WOW. Not much else to say but WOW. Awesome amazing, i’ll add that.

Now too the most important part that those WP fans will want to know. The user experience. Yes at the moment I am missing the detail of WP 10 fast ring insider build offers. My 3t is waiting for 7.0 so from what i read things will get better.

But overall yes i miss what Ive always done with WP arrange and resize tiles, but honestly this is the only reason to stay with WP. I do miss being able to pin so much more to the home screen to, especially some settings.

I do have the Microsoft arrow launch which is great. Gives in a way some WP feel. 

I have got used to the way things work quite quickly. Some detail like setting stuff is taking time. Doing certain things quickly like I have done. But then isnt that the same with everything new it can take time.

Windows Phone went in a total different direction which was new exciting and yes better in many many ways than IOS and Andriod. It was new, is it the future NO.

I will post again because from my own experience as a WP fan I refused for ages to agree with Pauls take on WP.

BUT THE APPS. DAMN PEOPLE. Yes apps. You say like I did I have all i need. Thats because you dont know whats out there.

From a WP fanboy to others. Just do it. Treat it as an exciting challenge. Something exciting to do. I should have done it a year ago rather than buy my 950.

I certainly dont regret my change now and know I wont. How. Sorry but it will come down to the amount of apps that can allow you to do so much.

 

Thanks for reading

 

Conversation 23 comments

  • 9963

    19 January, 2017 - 4:14 pm

    <p>I agree. I switched to a Nexus 6p about 6 months ago (from a lumia 930) and it was the best decision I’ve made.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>The only thing I really miss is the wp start screen. Otherwise Android is better in every other way.</p>
    <p>I totally underestimated the app situation. When on windows phone I told myself I didn’t use many apps, but being on android and having access to all of them is pretty great.</p>
    <p>I also use the arrow launcher which is great, but I disagree that it gives any type of windows phone feel. It doesn’t.</p>
    <p>To summerise, I totally recommend moving to android, once you get used to it the experience is much richer. It also has the most up to date microsoft apps, so if you’re a microsofty, android is the best way to experience what they’re doing.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>&nbsp;</p>

  • 2525

    Premium Member
    19 January, 2017 - 4:28 pm

    <p>Agreed. &nbsp;I switched&nbsp;about 18 months ago from a 920 that was just over 2 years old (it still runs phone 8.1 great btw).</p>
    <p>Just being able to get the apps is handy. &nbsp;Kids tuckshop at school – easy. &nbsp;Yesterday my daughter got some new t-shirt and an app lets you view it in "4d" so we just went to the Play store, found it, and had two minutes of amusement. &nbsp;iOS and Android only of course :)</p>
    <p>I’ve just added Cortana beta to the lock screen which seems to be working ok. &nbsp;</p>
    <p>One thing I heavily used on the 920 was the ability to have a programmed number in my car’s bluetooth that would call Cortana. &nbsp;I could then have a hands free conversation, usually saying something like "text my wife… &nbsp;I’ll be home in 20 minutes… &nbsp;yes". &nbsp;I still can’t find a way to do that on Android with Cortana or Google or S-voice.</p>

    • 268

      Premium Member
      19 January, 2017 - 4:50 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#37790">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/IanYates82">IanYates82</a><a href="#37790">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>For the hands free texting – it sounds like you have a Samsung (hence the s-voice, which you should never use). I haven’t tried this on a Samsung – unfortunately they try to replace so much native Android functionality that they break a lot of it. But you should be able to enable Google Now with the screen locked (on native Android it is in the Google Now settings). Once enabled, it has you train your voice for it. For example, I have an old stereo – no BT in it, but I can have my Pixel XL locked, playing from Google Play Music via an AUX jack over the stereo and just say, "OK Google, skip song". In the same way you should be able to say "OK Google, text my wife blah blah" and do it without touching the phone. It may depend on the model of phone though. I know many have been able to do this from some early Motorola X devices that had a separate voice processor to listen through the Nexus 6, 6P, and now the Pixel. It could be that the Samsung can’t do it (which would be a shame because it works really well).</p>

    • 592

      19 January, 2017 - 4:59 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#37790">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/IanYates82">IanYates82</a><a href="#37790">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>I need to switch so I can see tee shirts in 4D. I am so deprived. (sorry, couldn’t help the snark.)</p>

  • 5812

    19 January, 2017 - 4:55 pm

    <p>Very interested to see these updates. Thanks for taking the time to do them.</p>

    • 677

      Premium Member
      19 January, 2017 - 11:37 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#37802">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/Nicholas_Kathrein">Nicholas_Kathrein</a><a href="#37802">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>My pleasure.</p>
      <p>I know how hard it was and how i didnt want to. So Im just trying to help those |WP fans that where like me.</p>
      <p>&nbsp;</p>

  • 4018

    19 January, 2017 - 4:59 pm

    <p>There are a few critical things I do on Windows Mobile that I haven’t found a solution for&nbsp;on competing platforms. Like sending and receiving SMS through your pc. I haven’t found a way of surfacing the details of&nbsp;multiple email accounts&nbsp;on the&nbsp;Android&nbsp;start screen. Having your phone automatically read and accept&nbsp;voice replies to your texts when you connect to&nbsp;Bluetooth.&nbsp;There are others but those things far outweigh app availability for me.</p>

    • 5664

      Premium Member
      19 January, 2017 - 7:50 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#37807">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/devSpeed">devSpeed</a><a href="#37807">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>Skype for Droid will sync with Skype Desktop Preview in the Store.&nbsp;</p>
      <p>Usually.&nbsp;</p>

    • 677

      Premium Member
      19 January, 2017 - 11:39 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#37807">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/devSpeed">devSpeed</a><a href="#37807">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>I havent set it up yet but im sure microsoft is trying to do exactly what they are doing with texts and skype on windows to andriod too.</p>

    • 289

      Premium Member
      20 January, 2017 - 11:24 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#37807">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/devSpeed">devSpeed</a><a href="#37807">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>If you have an Android phone, Pushbullet will let you send and receive SMS over your PC. &nbsp;You can also send files, images, text snippets, etc. &nbsp;If you have multiple devices (e.g. two phones, a tablet, two PCs, etc.) you can also push things between them. &nbsp;</p>

      • 4018

        21 January, 2017 - 4:59 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#37939">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/Chris_Kez">Chris_Kez</a><a href="#37939">:</a></em></blockquote>
        <p>Thanks for that info. Now If I can find a solution for multiple emails and easy text to speech on Bluetooth it might&nbsp;push me off of windows phone.</p>

  • 5027

    20 January, 2017 - 12:36 am

    <p>So you bought a phone , and you are satisfied .. great for you .</p>
    <p>I also bought a great phone, the 950XL and it is the best phone I ever owned, and it runs Windows 10 mobile.</p>
    <p>"BUT THE APPS. DAMN PEOPLE. Yes apps. You say like I did I have all i need. That’s because you don’t know whats out there." &nbsp;</p>
    <p>So you assume people that see no need for apps are idiots? I know full and well what I’m missing, and that is nothing. (well I do miss a lot of things in life, but nothing that has to do with apps and phones)&nbsp;</p>
    <p>I know what apps that are out there, and I have also tried a lot of them, I do have access to more then one phone, as like most people I don’t live in a bubble, and still see no real point.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>I have a web browser, it works for everything I need.</p>
    <p>&nbsp;</p>

    • 677

      Premium Member
      20 January, 2017 - 11:18 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#37863">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/JudaZuk">JudaZuk</a><a href="#37863">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>You have your opinion I have mine.</p>
      <p>I stick buy all I say and have said. And I can see from how you reply you are in a bubble. But that your choice.</p>
      <p>And as a phone. Having had all the best Windows Phones my new one is way better.&nbsp;</p>
      <p>I chose to be set free to have all the Microsoft apps i need and a whole lot more that I am using and will use.</p>

  • 4123

    20 January, 2017 - 8:14 pm

    <p>Lumia 930 user here; I’ve had broken speaker for ~5months now.</p>
    <p>I traded up my airline miles for two iPhone 6Ss recently — wife’s got one and I’m trying to sell the other; just&nbsp;can’t bring myself to using an iPhone.</p>
    <p>I have my finger lingering over the "Buy now" button for a ZTE Axon 7, as soon as the iPhone is sold anyway.</p>
    <p>I’ll miss WP/WM badly though.</p>

  • 6619

    22 January, 2017 - 9:52 am

    <p>Interesting. Seems I’m coming from the other side of the camp on this one. I’m a long time Windows Phone fan and recently decided that as its likely any potential Surface Phone is&nbsp;about a&nbsp;year away from launch (if it even exists, which I think logically it does.) now is a sensible time to test out the competition again.</p>
    <p>I’ve had iPhone 3, 3GS and 4 so I know the deal with them and tbh not a massive amount has changed so I went and bought a Nexus6P handset a week ago and tried Android first. I plan to sell it in August and grab an iPhone 6s Plus so I can have 6months with each before deciding what to do.</p>
    <p>However. I’m a week into Android 7.1.1 and its just dull. The workflow doesn’t work as well, the pliain grid of icons makes me sad, the touch keyboard isn’t as good (tried the stock and MS Hub keyboards), it won’t pair to my car, the much anticipated split screen mode most apps don’t even support and the ones that do don’t do it very well (pausing the video when the focus switches to the other split screen app), they have just announced no more support for the Band2, I could go on…</p>
    <p>the key thing for me I think is that I’ve been running this for a week as my primary phone and I’ve not really downloaded any significant apps that I didn’t have on my 950XL. I’ve now got discord/amazon/paypal/etc which is nice but nothing that doesn’t already work just as well via a browser.&nbsp;Some WoW apps which really haven’t changes since my days of iPhone 3/3GS days and a bit disappointing. All the work apps are basically the same. Chrome is an absolute waste of space, (scroll, scroll, scroll, lagggggggggg, scroll, scroll) so I’ve downloaded Firefox to try tonight. About the only app I think I’ve got that I think I would miss is the NEST app so I can change the schedules in addition to the temperature.</p>
    <p>The fingerprint sensor I agree is very nice, whatever I get next I want to have it. But I miss the iris sensor as well tbh, always found it very accurate and with the updates coming in Creators its going to get much quicker.</p>
    <p>At this point in time, I’ve not seen any reason for *me personally* to jump ship just yet. I’m not saying its going to make a comeback in its current state but I think it will change into something better and I think I’m going to keep the faith a little longer.</p>
    <p>I’ll be returning the Android handset for now. Maybe pickup an iPhone6s Plus for a few months. Hopefully some news will appear to confirm/deny the Surface Phone/Mini/Mobile/thing and can use that information to better decide.</p>
    <p>just my 2cents :)</p>
    <p>Joe</p>

    • 289

      Premium Member
      24 January, 2017 - 5:24 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#38188">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/moogleassassin">moogleassassin</a><a href="#38188">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>LastPass on Android, combined with the fingerprint sensor, has been revelatory for me. &nbsp;</p>
      <p>Google Maps, Waze and Glympse serve me much better on Android than what I was using on my Lumia 930. &nbsp;</p>
      <p>If you haven’t played around with Nova Launcher, you should. &nbsp;</p>
      <p>And while I still prefer WP Live Tiles, there are some good Widgets on Android (try Event Flow for a calendar "tile", and Pocket Casts if you listen to podcasts). &nbsp;</p>

  • 5496

    24 January, 2017 - 2:47 pm

    <p>I tried Android for a month. Had problems with not receiving notifications, outlook not syncing, outlook calendar not syncing. Battery was dying fast within a day, I can lose like 50%. I remember 1 night, it used like 30%. That was with do not disturb on.</p>
    <p>Settings were all over the place, it seemed disorganized.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>It was to much of a setup to get it to how I want it to work.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>On Windows phone, I can use it the same way. it would take 2-3 days to get to 50%. Also that doesn’t have a do not&nbsp;disturb, that I know of. So I was getting&nbsp;notifications throughout the night. It uses no more then 5% at night.</p>
    <p>&nbsp;</p>

    • 5812

      24 January, 2017 - 4:00 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#38577">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/lordbaal1">lordbaal1</a><a href="#38577">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>I think we talked about this but your issues were as much about the android phone you choose then a problem with Android. The main poster bought a new high quality phone and you didn’t. I can understand you didn’t want to sink a lot of money into this but you get what you pay for. You paid little and ended up with little in exchange. A One Plus 3T is a great phone and the best at $430 you can buy. This is the min you should spend as One plus gives software updates which low end phones don’t. &nbsp;</p>

    • 289

      Premium Member
      24 January, 2017 - 5:16 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#38577">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/lordbaal1">lordbaal1</a><a href="#38577">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>If you have any remaining curiosity, pick up a used Nexus 5X from Swappa and give it another go for a few months. &nbsp;And keep an eye on that Outlook app for Android. &nbsp;In the past that was a battery killer for me; forced me to use the Gmail app for almost a year.</p>

      • 5496

        24 January, 2017 - 10:05 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#38604">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/Chris_Kez">Chris_Kez</a><a href="#38604">:</a></em></blockquote>
        <p>I won’t spend hundreds of dollars for a phone. $250 would be the max. There is no way to test it for.months, when most store have only a 30 day return policy.&nbsp;</p>
        <p>if I do go back to android. If I do go back to android, it would be a tablet, not a phone.</p>

        • 289

          Premium Member
          28 January, 2017 - 9:08 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#38623">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/lordbaal1">lordbaal1</a><a href="#38623">:</a></em></blockquote>
          <p>In fact you can get a Nexus 5X for less than $250 on Swappa right now.</p>

  • 185

    Premium Member
    27 January, 2017 - 1:57 pm

    <p>Have you seen in your experience where you set SwiftKey keyboard default and then say overnight gboard is the default keyboard again?&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

    • 677

      Premium Member
      28 January, 2017 - 1:59 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#39040">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/RonV42">RonV42</a><a href="#39040">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>Nope. Swiftkey &nbsp;is always the default keyboard.</p>
      <p>I have not experience that myself.</p>
      <p>&nbsp;</p>

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