So in Jan i moved from Lumia 950 to Motorola Z2. When I first set it up, I put on a few apps and understood this was the world I was missing – the app gap. Z2 has it’s mods which are great and the phone itself is very slim. It’s now on Android 8, for whatever that’s worth.
Since then I have spent a long time trying to tune the android experience down to something that does not frustrate me. Namely built-in ads, pop-ups, notification crazies, permissions overload, tons of apps I can’t get rid of but rather disable. Additionally because the Z2 has USB C I assumed I could use that to stream movies to a screen, but alas Motorola have not put that feature in. The most frustrating thing is the lock screen and finger print reader. I used to run a phone without any kind of lock screen security, but android will not allow you to setup the play store with setting up security which is a good thing I suppose. I set up the finger prints and use multiple finger scans for my main finger, but it only seems to last a week or two, and gets so unreliable I always fall back to the pattern. Apparently this is quite common for people with generally dry skin.
But it just infuriates me all the time, I don’t have the time to track and trace everything. The amount of times it has made a notification sound and disturbed my work only to find that goggle has pushed a notification for e.g the weather or some play store advert, means I have to stop work or dinner and go in and check app settings and remove permissions for notifications. Some really basic functionally is missing, like perhaps a little label over the icon to say number of unread messages. And I just don’t use the apps.
I picked the Lumia 950 out of the draw and it still runs flawlessly. It’s begging me to move back. Oh yeah and windows hello is suddenly looking quite useful.
PeterC
<p>Mate – coming from win 10 mob android is like the needy child from hell!!!! Just switch every notification of and then just add what you want in. </p><p><br></p><p>When I finally decided to switch out of Win 10 mobile last xmas it was awful. I bought a OnePlus 5T and used that – but like you found the switch seriously stressful. Its funny how "brain muscle memory" changes can be so disruptive isn't it. Its like fighting addictions. (something I do know a lot about).</p><p><br></p><p>I used the OP5T till spring but, I just couldnt take it any more, especially all the "bipiddy bonging" going on whilst I'd be watching TV or sport etc – and I relented and bought an iphone 8 (and ipad). To my surprise the lack of "ios customisation" which many don't like actually worked for me to begin with but the loopy arsed way settings worked compared to Win/Android drove me bonkers. </p><p><br></p><p>I had already sold my OP5T by this time but in a day of utter iPhone rage (yes customisation related) I ended up buying my old OP5T back from the local tech exchange shop. So now ive got my old Lumia 950 xl, OnePlus 5T and an iPhone 8.</p><p><br></p><p>I switch my 950 xl on every 10 days and update/sync and *sigh* a lot. I keep the One Plus 5T set up with a lot of MS apps and launcher to see how MS is doing/coping without a mobile platform (not well in my assessment), and my daily driver is the iPhone 8. </p><p><br></p><p>Yes I am sad. But hopefully by summers end I will have convinced myself to ditch the OP5T (again) and send the Lumias (I forgot to mention my old 950 and 640) to the tech exchange graveyard. I laugh at myself – I urge you to avoid switching back to the Lumia as youll end up in mobile no-mans land like I was for most of this year. It can be an expensive place to be.</p>
Bats
<p>This is funny. It's as if I am reading someone saying, "Gosh…I hate living in a mansion. I want to go back to the farm!" Kinda reminds me of the old tv show Green Acres. </p><p><br></p><p>You do know (but you probably don't) there is a DO NOT DISTURB function on your phone…right? I use this ALL THE TIME at work and for that 1 hour I am at Sunday Mass. Second, you can remove the notification by simply long pressing the icon and tapping "App Info" and removing the notification function for that particular app. </p><p><br></p><p>As for the fingerprint reader, that's not Android's fault. That's Motorola's or YOURS. People who are not used to fingerprint readers often place their finger on the scanner either to hard or to lightly. It's either that or Motorola fingerprint sensor isn't that good. How do you know it's quite common for dry skin people, with regards to finger print scanner? I have dry skin too. The problem with your statement is that it, according to you, it works for a week or two. Then it doesn't? It makes no sense.</p><p><br></p><p>As for "basic" functionality…..are you kidding? It's an Android! It has all the functionality under the sun. If Google or Motorola doesn't provide it, than you can download it from the Play Store. For me, I don't need it because I am so used to all notifications from the notification bar. If you need, then search and download from the Play Store. It's there. </p><p><br></p><p>Look, if you are seriously considering going back to Lumia 950, that's your choice. However, just do it for the right reasons. I feel that all your reasons to go back to the Lumia are no good. The way how I see it, you simply don't know how to use your phone or you don't want to try. </p><p><br></p><p>To be honest, I blame Paul Thurrott for this. This user, TEDZIO, should have known about all this. HE THINKS that this is an Android problem. when this clearly COULD BE (stress "could be") a manufacturer issue. I don't have any problems with any of his issues with my Pixel 2 XL and previously my Pixel XL, and the Nexus 6P. I did have a problem with my Galaxy Note 4 and Droid X and X2, prior to use of the Nexus 6P. Instead of educating the patrons of this site about Android, people are being left to believe about other things. For example, despite the fact, Thurrott constantly raves about the technological specs and aesthetics of the latest Samsung Galaxy phones, he should be using that phone to report on it's functionality with Android. As a former Galaxy user, it's like having two operating systems. For a moderate to power user, chances are there will be degradation over time. The fact of the matter is, Windows Phone is dead. Xbox has failed. Cortana has failed. Everything Microsoft has done has failed. I don't even know if Microsoft can succeed in CLOUD. Being in a lead in the CLOUD race means nothing. This is not the 80's and 90's where Microsoft has skated through the tech industry, there are serious challengers here. Everytime Microsoft has face a challenge, they have failed in this new era of tech computing. My point being is this, ….. this site (IMO) needs to move away from Windows and Microsoft in general and cover the more industry leading products and services in the industry. That's not Microsoft and will never be it. Thurrott is a great writer and he's wasting his time focusing on Microsoft. He shifted his time other things,…better things….people like TEDZIO would be better educated with stuff like this and would not have to go back to the smartphone equivalent of the rotary phone. Well,…at least the rotary phone was loved.</p>