Windows or Android

ShinySideUp

ShinySideUp

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Martin
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In February my phone is due for an upgrade and at present I have a Blackberry but I want something less business, more pleasure.

Originally I was looking at a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 because I really liked the ability to write notes with my hands rather than a keyboard but my new PC has Windows 8.1 on it and I rather like it so I am starting to wonder if I should get a Windows phone instead.

I know none of the Windows phones have the Galaxy-type pen but I can live without that if I pay half the amount per month for the same data/texts/voice amount.

I also know that there are fewer apps for Windows phones but I am not interested in games on the phone so that cuts out a lot of the advantages of an Android phone.

Who has a Windows phone and would you swap to Android, if so, why and if not, why not?
 
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I have a Windows phone and love it but am considering a switch to (or, more likely an expansion to include) an Android one almost purely because of the available apps. TBH, the only apps I really want on it are the remote camera controls for my Fujis and TPE, neither of which are available for WinPhone.
 
Dont think I could could ever go back to windows from Android now, only reason I kept my laptop was for making Cds, now have usb system in car,so no use for it at all. Think Android has some way to go yet but it still has filing system same as windows, Share files easy ect. Also Android easy to use with windows, so no problems there. Not sure if microsoft can keep up with Android apps. For me personally I wouldnt go to windows based phone from Android.
 
In terms of app numbers Microsoft will always be playing catch up with Android but if they got the strategy right, i.e. careful vetting and quality control I think they could eventually become the top dog. Android is great, with zillions of apps but the vast majority of them are junk, it's real attraction for me is (because it's open source) the ability to adapt it and change it, to be able to dump the bloatware and make it work my way which I suspect Microsoft will never allow.
 
Just got the Nexus 6. It is a fantastic phone. Don't have tablet so went for a 6" phone. Really happy with it. But I do like android.
 
Speaking as a total Luddite, regarding such matters,
I switched to an android some 18 months ago, from a basic Nokia.
It took a bit of getting used to as you can imagine,
but I'm more than happy with it.

The only criticism I have is that
sometimes the text says what it wants too,
not what I want it too.
No real embarrassing moments have occurred,
just a few chuckle moments :D
 
i have a windows phone, and i love it. I actually swapped from a galaxy s3 to windows and really couldnt be happier. Something about the samsung version of android just annoys me. my devices are:
Laptop running win 8.1
Ipad
Windows 11" tablet
Samsung Note 10
Nokia 930

i can obviously dip in and out of windows stuff like onedrive on all the windows devices and the Note, can run office on the ipad, phone and windows devices, so all basses are covered in that respect
The Android version on the note is samsungs, all the samsung apps will stop working at the end of the month so thats kind of pointless, and Office for Android not yet available.

I like being able to write with the Note, its useful for some stuff, but the camera is terrible.
 
Cobra said:
Speaking as a total Luddite, regarding such matters,
I switched to an android some 18 months ago, from a basic Nokia.
It took a bit of getting used to as you can imagine,
but I'm more than happy with it.

The only criticism I have is that
sometimes the text says what it wants too,
not what I want it too.
No real embarrassing moments have occurred,
just a few chuckle moments :D
Click to expand...

And of course, operator error cannot be blamed for this.......
:sneaky:
 
I have windows phone and love them. So easy to use and they just work. OK, not as many apps yet, but a lot of apps are utter sheite anyway. Never had android so can`t comment on them, but far prefer windows phones over apple.
 
I've had Android for the last 4 years, but am seriously considering moving to a winpho next time around, depending on what's available. It's certainly worth trying a few different models & OSs out just to see what works for you.

When I bought my Motorola RAZRi 2 years ago it was the best compromise between screen size, bulk, battery life, performance and cost I could find. Many more recent phones are quite large as the trend for bigger screens continues, so make sure you're happy to carry whatever phone you get. Many of the cheaper androids suffer laggy performance and most of the phones out there have short battery life too, though that is also improving. Apps are only important if you NEED to do something that your phone cannot do with what's built in.
 
Was always an android fan..then tried out windows and really liked it but had the urge to go back to android.Well my moto g died recently and been looking at a few phones and tbh off back to windows.Grabbed myself a lumia 735..windows os is so simplistic and most the main apps are there.
 
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Exactly how bad are the windows apps? So far I love the look of the windows phone..( bored of iPhone)
Is there a way too see what apps are available before committing?
 
Cg_Girl said:
Exactly how bad are the windows apps? So far I love the look of the windows phone..( bored of iPhone)
Is there a way too see what apps are available before committing?
Click to expand...

Google available apps for windows phones ;)
 
Cobra said:
Speaking as a total Luddite, regarding such matters,
I switched to an android some 18 months ago, from a basic Nokia.
It took a bit of getting used to as you can imagine,
but I'm more than happy with it.

The only criticism I have is that
sometimes the text says what it wants too,
not what I want it too.
No real embarrassing moments have occurred,
just a few chuckle moments :D
Click to expand...

You can turn that off :)
 
Cobra said:
Don't start confusing me any more than I already am :D
Click to expand...

Get a newer phone, the predictive text thing on mine is actually very helpful, I can almost text properly now ;)
 
windows apps are not 'bad' - rather not plentiful

if you like social media then all the usuals are there, facebook, twitter, instagram, whatsapp

camera on nokia/microsoft is good, very impressed with the 920 i used to have and the 930 i now have

dont know what other apps people use all the time, but Tapatalk works....
 
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Mr Magoo...
Go to settings
Find - keyboard and input
tap the settings icon next to your keyboard
Look for an option to show suggestions and untick it.

Android settings menus are not always laid out the same way so the route might be a bit different :)
 
Matt said:
windows apps are not 'bad' - rather not plentiful

if you like social media then all the usuals are there, facebook, twitter, instagram, whatsapp

camera on nokia/microsoft is good, very impressed with the 920 i used to have and the 930 i now have

dont know what other apps people use all the time, but Tapatalk works....
Click to expand...

I had heard the camera was good and that's what appealed as well as the layout!
In theory I don't use/need many apps as long as I can get on here and yes social media.
Bank and Gmail although bank isn't a sticking point
 
Steep said:
Mr Magoo...
Go to settings
Find - keyboard and input
tap the settings icon next to your keyboard
Look for an option to show suggestions and untick it.

Android settings menus are not always laid out the same way so the route might be a bit different :)
Click to expand...
I'll wait for my son to appear :D
 
bank apps are few and far between, i use HSBC which scales very well to suite.

gmail is doable, ive got 4 email accounts on the phone so thats easy
 
Nokia have a sat nav on both my phones,630 and a 635, free updates and very accurate. Windows has the apps that I require, as Matt said, they are not bad apps,just not as a plentiful yet.

The maps are pretty good as well. If you go abroad, you can download the maps for the relevant country so that you are not using your satnav or maps on your data tarriff.
 
Taking a look they look fine for my use as I said I'm not in to games and they seem to have an ok amount..

Sat nav is a plus that's for sure or it will be once I have a car again

My phones slow so I didn't search spotify does it have that does anyone know?
 
Cg_Girl said:
Haha!! Well nobody has come to correct you as yet :D
Click to expand...
Yeah, left the door open for some grief there,surprised halfwit has not commented yet.......;)
 
Well, thanks for all your replies. A Windows phone looks promising on several levels, not least that I find Google (Android) a creepy company, shame about none of the Windows phones having a dedicated stylus. I doubt that the number of apps will ever grow to match that of Android but I've had a smart phone for two years nearly and have barely touched downloaded apps usually finding the built-in jobbies are enough for me. My contract is up for upgrading in February so I have plenty of time to look around.
 
screw contract phones, buy a phone and go sim only. If you don't want the latest phone every month, it works out far cheaper.
 
fracster said:
screw contract phones, buy a phone and go sim only. If you don't want the latest phone every month, it works out far cheaper.
Click to expand...
Absolutely, you only end up paying for the damned phone at least once in the life of a 2 year contract.
when compared to a sim only contract.
 
I get your point but not everyone has the money to do that :)
 
Cg_Girl said:
I get your point but not everyone has the money to do that :)
Click to expand...
Fair comment, but I guess it also depends on what type of phone you want.
if its just a basic one, they are cheap enough,
but if you want / need something technically advanced, then paying by "instalments"
built into the contract is the way to go :)
 
I use a mathematical formula for deciding which contract to take as the offerings are quite confusing as to what is the best deal.

I use a graphical calculator and enter the formula Cost = ax + y where a = cost per month, x = number of months and y = initial cost of phone; in the even of the phone being free then that figure is zero

Two examples, from the Vodafone website:

A Galaxy Note 4 with 3G and at least 250MB per month, unlimited texts and 100 minutes; 24 month contract:

1) Phone cost: £199, £39 per month

2) Phione cost: £49, £43.50 per month

1) works out cheaper after 15 months and will save £90 over the contract period. If you find contracts where the phone is free then the difference is much greater and occurs much earlier.

I shall investigate SIM only using the same method and see what happens.
 
OK, done the SIM only, and without going into great detail but using the Note 4 as an example at a purchase price of £659, then you would have to keep the phone on a SIM only contract for 36 months (on the comparable details) before it started to pay you back so that's out. In 36 months you would also have to factor in the price of a replacement battery as experience shows me that they are generally good for only two years before the time between charges becomes annoyingly short.
 
ShinySideUp said:
OK, done the SIM only, and without going into great detail but using the Note 4 as an example at a purchase price of £659, then you would have to keep the phone on a SIM only contract for 36 months (on the comparable details) before it started to pay you back so that's out. In 36 months you would also have to factor in the price of a replacement battery as experience shows me that they are generally good for only two years before the time between charges becomes annoyingly short.
Click to expand...
The point we were making that you can buy a phone for a few ££
and sim only, that way you save a lot of money,
but if you are looking at the latestes gizzmo, at hundreds of ££ there isn't much in it.
 
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