A few weeks ago I was waiting for an important phone call on my Microsoft Lumia 640. The phone started to ring but the touchscreen absolutely refused to unlock, despite increasingly frantic upwards swipes.
Eventually, I managed to unlock the phone before I missed the call.
- This shouldn't happen to any phone, but the one reason that I've stuck with Windows Phones has been the solid call and text handling. Now that this is a bit dodgy, I've decided to go back to Android for the second time this year.
Now that I'm back to using Android, I miss the simplicity of Windows Phone, but everything seems to work a lot better. This is a pity, because Windows Phone has always been a lag-free, easy to use affair, but Android appears to have caught up.
Ok, without Windows Phone I miss the Live Tiles, the dark interface, the easy call and text handling, but everything on Android seems more "fluid". Oh, and of course the apps are far better quality - including (crucially!) the browser.
And Google Maps is of course much better at finding directions and re-routing you than Microsoft Maps.
But, Android lags badly. I've gone into the developer options and limited the maximum number of running services to four, which makes the phone usable.
I've also installed Greenify, which helps to boost battery life by about a third!
I miss my Lumia phones, but each time I consider going back to them I remember how many more things now "just work" with Android - whereas a year ago Windows had the edge overall for day to day ease of use.
The other main reason that I'm not returning to Windows 10 Mobile is that Microsoft will not be manufacturing any more handsets.
OEMs are now left to carry the torch for Windows Phone, which let's face it is heading in the same direction that BlackBerry did a few years ago. I can't see many manufacturers building Windows Phones at any point in the next few years, by which time anyone who may be considering moving to this OS will have surely sided with Android or iOS.
Here in the UK, unless you buy one of the current handful of Microsoft Lumia phones available, your choice is limited to a couple of mediocre (but good value) handsets from BLU, as well as another cheap (but good value) Windows 10 Mobile from Bush (which is currently available SIM free from Argos for about £50).
Once these handsets have sold, even though there will be a gap in the market, I can't see any company filling this Windows Phone shaped gap at any point.
If my handset breaks, or I want a different handset, I want to be able to buy one: Android gives you a choice of handsets at different price points, Windows Phones are becoming rarer by the day.
Saturday, 2 July 2016
Saturday, 7 May 2016
Back to Windows Phone after TWO MONTHS on Android
There are times when I firmly believe that not one of the major smartphone operating systems is actually any good.
This isn't an iOS vs Android vs Windows 10 Mobile showdown, merely my thoughts on what is a journey in the world of mobile phones.
When I used feature phones back in the day (2001-2010), all I wanted was a way of syncing my important data (contacts and calendar).
To be honest, I'm beginning to feel that I want to go back to this basic concept after just two months of Android use!
Two months ago I became frustrated with Windows Phone (8.1) and most notably the HERE Maps app that crashed continually on me on every journey that I made. This frustration made me move all of my contacts, calendar and email back from Windows Phone to Google/Android.
So what went wrong? Well, not one but two Android phones later, I don't think that it's possible to use any Android phone for longer than one month without the damned thing lagging like half a rabbit.
I've tried hard resetting both phones, but still they lag.
When an app took over a minute to open, that was the final straw and I have promptly moved all of my services back from Google into the clutches of Microsoft.
I'm past caring if the apps are rubbish. I just want a smartphone that syncs my contacts, email and calendars and makes calls/sends texts - Windows Phone does that, whereas Android has required tinkering, menu after menu of settings - and the OS still lags.
Windows 10 Mobile is good, and not dissimilar to Android 5.1+ but it still has problems, but at least it works as a phone.
This isn't an iOS vs Android vs Windows 10 Mobile showdown, merely my thoughts on what is a journey in the world of mobile phones.
When I used feature phones back in the day (2001-2010), all I wanted was a way of syncing my important data (contacts and calendar).
To be honest, I'm beginning to feel that I want to go back to this basic concept after just two months of Android use!
Two months ago I became frustrated with Windows Phone (8.1) and most notably the HERE Maps app that crashed continually on me on every journey that I made. This frustration made me move all of my contacts, calendar and email back from Windows Phone to Google/Android.
So what went wrong? Well, not one but two Android phones later, I don't think that it's possible to use any Android phone for longer than one month without the damned thing lagging like half a rabbit.
I've tried hard resetting both phones, but still they lag.
When an app took over a minute to open, that was the final straw and I have promptly moved all of my services back from Google into the clutches of Microsoft.
I'm past caring if the apps are rubbish. I just want a smartphone that syncs my contacts, email and calendars and makes calls/sends texts - Windows Phone does that, whereas Android has required tinkering, menu after menu of settings - and the OS still lags.
Windows 10 Mobile is good, and not dissimilar to Android 5.1+ but it still has problems, but at least it works as a phone.
Sunday, 17 April 2016
Giffgaff Outage 2016
Last week O2 MVNO giffgaff experienced the first major outage of 2016.
As usual, customers took to the online-only Help and Support section, but were fobbed off with the usual "It's not our fault, we can't do anything about it" excuses that were relayed from giffgaff themselves via the online community of customers.
I do use giffgaff, but never as my main network as the service is far too unreliable day to day - as well as experiencing more outages every year than any other network that I've used.
On average, giffgaff has around four outages nationally/regionally every year, which can't always be attributed to O2 or parent company Telefonica.
O2 manages to hold onto a much more acceptable network failure rate than giffgaff, which does make you wonder if "cheap and cheerful" is maybe not the best policy if you want a reliable mobile service.
I hope that giffgaff eventually manage to sort out these regular outages, as it would be a shame to see this network operator fail after five years. As Britain's third largest MVNO, giffgaff should have big enough balls to fix these problems quickly, if not prevent them from occurring as often.
The least that giffgaff should do is hold their hands up and tell customers that it is their fault for not investing in more robust systems, rather than hiding behind the online community of customers and saying that there isn't anything that they can do.
As usual, customers took to the online-only Help and Support section, but were fobbed off with the usual "It's not our fault, we can't do anything about it" excuses that were relayed from giffgaff themselves via the online community of customers.
I do use giffgaff, but never as my main network as the service is far too unreliable day to day - as well as experiencing more outages every year than any other network that I've used.
On average, giffgaff has around four outages nationally/regionally every year, which can't always be attributed to O2 or parent company Telefonica.
O2 manages to hold onto a much more acceptable network failure rate than giffgaff, which does make you wonder if "cheap and cheerful" is maybe not the best policy if you want a reliable mobile service.
I hope that giffgaff eventually manage to sort out these regular outages, as it would be a shame to see this network operator fail after five years. As Britain's third largest MVNO, giffgaff should have big enough balls to fix these problems quickly, if not prevent them from occurring as often.
The least that giffgaff should do is hold their hands up and tell customers that it is their fault for not investing in more robust systems, rather than hiding behind the online community of customers and saying that there isn't anything that they can do.
As You Go Mobile Network Collapses?
Only a few months ago, a new O2 MVNO entered the UK market.
As You Go Mobile offered 6p/minute, 5p/text and 3p/MB PAYG rates (no monthly bundles) on the O2 network.
Proving that the MVNO market is a dynamic - and very tough - place, the company appears to have gone bust.
Around the 7th of April 2016, the As You Go Mobile website appeared to have been taken offline, with Google reporting issues with the website's security certificate.
I went to the company's Twitter account to see what was going on. They currently have four followers (including myself) and are following one other Twitter account, so it's safe to say that they aren't using this as their primary means of contact!
I tried to contact them, but they have not responded to either of my requests for information, so all I can do is assume that the company has sunk without trace.
The As You Go Mobile website is no longer visible, though there is a holding page that says asyougomobile.com is currently unavailable.
If As You Go Mobile has folded already, this wouldn't be a surprise, as MVNOs go under regularly, though this is the first time I've seen an active MVNO fold within such a short space of time.
It's a pity if As You Go Mobile has folded already, as they were offering some very good value, basic PAYG rates on the O2 network.
Given that O2 MVNO giffgaff has recently increased their standard PAYG rates to a rather outlandish 15p/minute, As You Go Mobile were really good value for low users, and certainly much better value than the other new O2 MVNO GT Mobile, whose national rates are bizarrely poor value (19p/text, 19p/minute to a mobile!?)
My own best value PAYG bundles website has been updated today to reflect the possibility that As You Go Mobile has ceased trading.
If As You Go Mobile respond to me, I'll update my website and this blog accordingly.
As You Go Mobile offered 6p/minute, 5p/text and 3p/MB PAYG rates (no monthly bundles) on the O2 network.
Proving that the MVNO market is a dynamic - and very tough - place, the company appears to have gone bust.
Around the 7th of April 2016, the As You Go Mobile website appeared to have been taken offline, with Google reporting issues with the website's security certificate.
I went to the company's Twitter account to see what was going on. They currently have four followers (including myself) and are following one other Twitter account, so it's safe to say that they aren't using this as their primary means of contact!
I tried to contact them, but they have not responded to either of my requests for information, so all I can do is assume that the company has sunk without trace.
The As You Go Mobile website is no longer visible, though there is a holding page that says asyougomobile.com is currently unavailable.
If As You Go Mobile has folded already, this wouldn't be a surprise, as MVNOs go under regularly, though this is the first time I've seen an active MVNO fold within such a short space of time.
It's a pity if As You Go Mobile has folded already, as they were offering some very good value, basic PAYG rates on the O2 network.
Given that O2 MVNO giffgaff has recently increased their standard PAYG rates to a rather outlandish 15p/minute, As You Go Mobile were really good value for low users, and certainly much better value than the other new O2 MVNO GT Mobile, whose national rates are bizarrely poor value (19p/text, 19p/minute to a mobile!?)
My own best value PAYG bundles website has been updated today to reflect the possibility that As You Go Mobile has ceased trading.
If As You Go Mobile respond to me, I'll update my website and this blog accordingly.
What is Handset Fatigue?
The latest buzzword to be passed around by mobile phone retailers and resellers is "handset fatigue".
What is handset fatigue? To start with, it's not badly designed smartphones bending or cracked LG G3s.
The term refers to customers simply having too much choice in the mobile marketplace.
Global smartphone sales are slowing, especially in the EMEA regions, and much of this is down to smartphone saturation - where most people who want a smartphone now have one.
Smartphones have also come on in leaps and bounds, and a capable smartphone can be bought for around £100 these days. Many potential customers simply don't need to buy the latest smartphone, especially if the one that they already use is perfectly ok to use.
I'm not a fan of upgrading for the sake of it, unless I have effectively reached the end of my current phone contract, in which case I'd expect a downgrade to a SIM only contract, or a shiny new smartphone on another 24 month contract.
Certainly, the recently released Samsung Galaxy S7 is a good example of this: The Galaxy S6 that many customers own is still barely a year old. These customers are probably on a two year contract, and does the S7 really offer that many new features to require customers to upgrade? Probably not.
Customers have grown wise to SIM only contracts, and many will use these whilst their current smartphone is still working. Porting your number in/out of a network operator is much easier these days, and given that monthly tariffs for the latest flagship phones is now around the £50 a month mark, it's hardly surprising that people are sticking with what they've got until the contract term ends and they can get a much cheaper SIM only contract.
The other reason that handset fatigue is kicking in is down to the sheer number of new high end phones that are released every year.
Each manufacturer is pushing out ever more phones in the £200+ region, and many of these are now so similar it's understandable that customers can't see the reason to upgrade.
- High end phones are the "feature phones" of today, and marginal improvements between them isn't enough to warrant ditching last years' model for one that has a fingerprint scanner, for example.
Even last years' upcoming manufacturer Huawei is touting their latest handset, the P9, but with a £449 price tag, this is a pretty expensive phone from a manufacturer who is known for decent budget phones. Why would anyone choose this over a Samsung Galaxy S6?
Handsets are all very similar, and to be honest are pretty uninteresting these days. A year ago one of my favourite mobile phone websites Mobile Gazette closed down due to new smartphones being black, slabby phones with no outstanding features. Five or ten years ago, Mobile Gazette was filled with weekly handset releases which made you actually look forward to getting a new phone - as well as wanting a different one only a few months later, as they all had something that set them apart from other phones.
Handset fatigue = Lack of choice in a world of all very similar smartphones.
What is handset fatigue? To start with, it's not badly designed smartphones bending or cracked LG G3s.
The term refers to customers simply having too much choice in the mobile marketplace.
Global smartphone sales are slowing, especially in the EMEA regions, and much of this is down to smartphone saturation - where most people who want a smartphone now have one.
Smartphones have also come on in leaps and bounds, and a capable smartphone can be bought for around £100 these days. Many potential customers simply don't need to buy the latest smartphone, especially if the one that they already use is perfectly ok to use.
I'm not a fan of upgrading for the sake of it, unless I have effectively reached the end of my current phone contract, in which case I'd expect a downgrade to a SIM only contract, or a shiny new smartphone on another 24 month contract.
Certainly, the recently released Samsung Galaxy S7 is a good example of this: The Galaxy S6 that many customers own is still barely a year old. These customers are probably on a two year contract, and does the S7 really offer that many new features to require customers to upgrade? Probably not.
Customers have grown wise to SIM only contracts, and many will use these whilst their current smartphone is still working. Porting your number in/out of a network operator is much easier these days, and given that monthly tariffs for the latest flagship phones is now around the £50 a month mark, it's hardly surprising that people are sticking with what they've got until the contract term ends and they can get a much cheaper SIM only contract.
The other reason that handset fatigue is kicking in is down to the sheer number of new high end phones that are released every year.
Each manufacturer is pushing out ever more phones in the £200+ region, and many of these are now so similar it's understandable that customers can't see the reason to upgrade.
- High end phones are the "feature phones" of today, and marginal improvements between them isn't enough to warrant ditching last years' model for one that has a fingerprint scanner, for example.
Even last years' upcoming manufacturer Huawei is touting their latest handset, the P9, but with a £449 price tag, this is a pretty expensive phone from a manufacturer who is known for decent budget phones. Why would anyone choose this over a Samsung Galaxy S6?
Handsets are all very similar, and to be honest are pretty uninteresting these days. A year ago one of my favourite mobile phone websites Mobile Gazette closed down due to new smartphones being black, slabby phones with no outstanding features. Five or ten years ago, Mobile Gazette was filled with weekly handset releases which made you actually look forward to getting a new phone - as well as wanting a different one only a few months later, as they all had something that set them apart from other phones.
Handset fatigue = Lack of choice in a world of all very similar smartphones.
Sunday, 20 March 2016
Microsoft Lumia 950 Review/Trial
Microsoft UK have been kind enough to lend me a Lumia 950 and the Continuum dock for ten days.
This isn't a full review, but I'll note down all of my thoughts, which should be helpful to prospective buyers.
I've owned several Lumia phones over the years, and a year ago I decided to ditch Android and tie myself in to the Microsoft ecosystem for good.
Last year, I used the Lumia 535, 635 and 640 - All of which are relatively cheap, decent Lumia phones.
Let's get one thing straight right from the start: Lumia phones are all very nippy, don't suffer from lag, solid and (for a smartphone) relatively simple to use. You never need to close apps, hunt for too many settings or install task management apps to get your battery to last all day (unlike Android). You can leave WiFi on when you leave the house and your battery will be fine. Connecting to public WiFi networks is automatic and requires no user input.
First impressions of the Lumia 950
It's got a very crisp screen! It's a real standout feature, after using the low end Lumias.
It's plastic.
There's no way of avoiding this issue - The handset is plastic and doesn't look like you've paid £500 for it. In fact, you'll be hard pressed to say if it's any different to the £100 Lumia 640, apart from the metallic buttons on the side of the phone.
It has a dedicated camera button.
Too many phones are missing this feature - A feature which was standard on Windows Phones until Microsoft took over. A dedicated quick launch camera/shutter button is a great idea, but given that you have to pay a premium for one, why not just include them on the cheaper handsets?
It has a USB C connector - Which means that all of your standard USB connecting devices are now obsolete. Again.
Thanks to the mobile industry, we have yet another "standard" charging option forced upon us five years after they told us that all phones would be expected to use the same USB chargers to minimise electronic waste.
Cheers for that.
And that's it.
The Lumia 950 is an unremarkable phone.
The Continuum "Dock"
This is a great accessory, which if I had the spare cash I would certainly buy.
I'm not sure what it's purpose is, though: It is basically a micro desktop PC. You plug your Lumia 950 into it, connect it to your TV and use the wireless keyboard and mouse and you have a fully fledged Windows 10 PC!
The first problem with this is that it's not powerful, so it'll never replace a desktop PC - but for many users this is unnecessary. The Continuum kit is great, if you have a spare bit of space, and if I was considering getting a new laptop or desktop PC for use at home for general PC work, this would be brilliant.
The drawbacks of the Continuum dock:
There are lots of cables - Ok, the keyboard and mouse are wireless, but your Lumia 950 needs to be plugged in to the box, which needs a power supply, and it needs to be connected to your TV.
It's a messy affair, with more wires than you would expect - And it's hardly portable, unless Microsoft are going to sell a carry case for the whole lot.
The keyboard is awful. It folds in half, making you think that Microsoft actually believe that the Continuum kit is portable. The keyboard is just plain awful to use, and you'll soon be forking out extra cash for an alternative, mechanical keyboard soon after purchase.
Continuum doesn't really serve a purpose. It's a great idea, but it's more like an accessory for the Lumia 950.
The good:
The mouse is pretty great, and as a PC I can't fault Continuum for everyday tasks.
However; The Continuum pack needs to be able to be used with every Lumia phone. There's no way that it's worth buying the Lumia 950 just to be able to use the Continuum dock.
Microsoft are really missing a trick here. Get Continuum to work with any Lumia phone and it'll sell in bucketloads. As an accessory to the 950? I'm afraid that it doesn't cut it.
Back to the Lumia 950
It's fast, responsive and doesn't lag, but then neither do any of the other Windows 8.1 and above smartphones.
The camera is excellent, as is the screen. However, I'm very happy with my own Lumia 640, so I'm unwilling to pay another £400+ for a better camera and screen.
Windows 10 Mobile is very good. The Edge browser actually allows you to view and use most websites (Windows 8.1 doesn't).
The settings menu is still a bit of a jumble, and there are now settings tucked away inside other settings (much like Android 5.1). The settings search facility is pointless in this regard.
The new Action Centre is a bit of an Android 5.1 ripoff: It now needs an extra swipe and/or tap to be able to access a setting or check something, which is not a welcome change. I ditched Android last year because the OS needed additional swipes and taps to perform the same functions as it did in Android 4.4
Windows 10 Mobile is perfectly acceptable - and I'm glad to see that it's heading to most Lumia handsets very soon - Which of course makes buying a Windows 10 Mobile handset a bit pointless at the moment.
The apps are the same disastrous affair on Windows 10 Mobile.
For years, I've not cared too much that Windows Phone apps are years behind their Android and iOS counterparts.
However, I recently had to use my "trusty" Lumia 640 as a satnav, using its offline maps to navigate. Once again, Lumia let me down (HERE Maps froze on me) and directed me through the centre of Basingstoke. Luckily, I know the area and found a different route, only for HERE Maps to freeze again.
HERE Maps froze/crashed on me no less than six times that day - and it's a regular occurence on all Lumia phones. I've been (almost) willing to put up with this for a year now, but on testing the Lumia 950 in the same situations I've found that it's just as bad.
Windows 10 Mobile feels a lot like Android 5.1, with it's pull down and swipe/tap Action Centre, so apart from the Metro interface, there's not a lot between the two operating systems.
I have, at least temporarily gone back to Android, as Google Maps works, where the various Lumia mapping/navigation apps don't.
I have to say that the transition between the two operating systems has been easy. Maybe Windows Phone is taking too many tips from Android Lollipop?
What I'm missing most at the moment is easy call and text barring on Android (too many sub menus), and setting custom message tones isn't possible.
I also miss the battery life of the Lumia phones. Android lasts about 12 hours with moderate use, whereas Windows Phone will go 16-17 hours with the same usage.
The Metro live tiles are clean, informative widgets. I don't want lots of Android homescreens filled with widgets just to see basic information (number of unread messages, for example).
And of course there is the general nippiness of Windows Phone compared to Android.
But, for now, I am back on Android. My Lumia 950 trial could have convinced me to stick with the OS, but it hasn't.
I love the basics of Windows Phone/Windows 10 Mobile, but I need reliability and apps that actually work.
Sorry Microsoft: You could have had something great if you had let Nokia sell your phones cheaply when Android could barely be used as a phone, but now you are playing catch up to operating systems that are now quite reliable.
Windows 10 Mobile works, but not quite well enough. It's getting on a par with Android, but the apps really let the whole OS down as the core apps don't work well enough and are very rarely updated.
Some Windows advocates are crying out for a Surface Phone, but that's going to be a pricey handset and let's face it, it'll still be hobbled by the app situation.
The Lumia 950 is a good phone, but there is no way that it's worth paying five times the price of the perfectly adequate Lumia 640. The Continuum dock is a nice accessory, but it's a bit of a gimmick.
This isn't a full review, but I'll note down all of my thoughts, which should be helpful to prospective buyers.
I've owned several Lumia phones over the years, and a year ago I decided to ditch Android and tie myself in to the Microsoft ecosystem for good.
Last year, I used the Lumia 535, 635 and 640 - All of which are relatively cheap, decent Lumia phones.
Let's get one thing straight right from the start: Lumia phones are all very nippy, don't suffer from lag, solid and (for a smartphone) relatively simple to use. You never need to close apps, hunt for too many settings or install task management apps to get your battery to last all day (unlike Android). You can leave WiFi on when you leave the house and your battery will be fine. Connecting to public WiFi networks is automatic and requires no user input.
First impressions of the Lumia 950
It's got a very crisp screen! It's a real standout feature, after using the low end Lumias.
It's plastic.
There's no way of avoiding this issue - The handset is plastic and doesn't look like you've paid £500 for it. In fact, you'll be hard pressed to say if it's any different to the £100 Lumia 640, apart from the metallic buttons on the side of the phone.
It has a dedicated camera button.
Too many phones are missing this feature - A feature which was standard on Windows Phones until Microsoft took over. A dedicated quick launch camera/shutter button is a great idea, but given that you have to pay a premium for one, why not just include them on the cheaper handsets?
It has a USB C connector - Which means that all of your standard USB connecting devices are now obsolete. Again.
Thanks to the mobile industry, we have yet another "standard" charging option forced upon us five years after they told us that all phones would be expected to use the same USB chargers to minimise electronic waste.
Cheers for that.
And that's it.
The Lumia 950 is an unremarkable phone.
The Continuum "Dock"
This is a great accessory, which if I had the spare cash I would certainly buy.
I'm not sure what it's purpose is, though: It is basically a micro desktop PC. You plug your Lumia 950 into it, connect it to your TV and use the wireless keyboard and mouse and you have a fully fledged Windows 10 PC!
The first problem with this is that it's not powerful, so it'll never replace a desktop PC - but for many users this is unnecessary. The Continuum kit is great, if you have a spare bit of space, and if I was considering getting a new laptop or desktop PC for use at home for general PC work, this would be brilliant.
The drawbacks of the Continuum dock:
There are lots of cables - Ok, the keyboard and mouse are wireless, but your Lumia 950 needs to be plugged in to the box, which needs a power supply, and it needs to be connected to your TV.
It's a messy affair, with more wires than you would expect - And it's hardly portable, unless Microsoft are going to sell a carry case for the whole lot.
The keyboard is awful. It folds in half, making you think that Microsoft actually believe that the Continuum kit is portable. The keyboard is just plain awful to use, and you'll soon be forking out extra cash for an alternative, mechanical keyboard soon after purchase.
Continuum doesn't really serve a purpose. It's a great idea, but it's more like an accessory for the Lumia 950.
The good:
The mouse is pretty great, and as a PC I can't fault Continuum for everyday tasks.
However; The Continuum pack needs to be able to be used with every Lumia phone. There's no way that it's worth buying the Lumia 950 just to be able to use the Continuum dock.
Microsoft are really missing a trick here. Get Continuum to work with any Lumia phone and it'll sell in bucketloads. As an accessory to the 950? I'm afraid that it doesn't cut it.
Back to the Lumia 950
It's fast, responsive and doesn't lag, but then neither do any of the other Windows 8.1 and above smartphones.
The camera is excellent, as is the screen. However, I'm very happy with my own Lumia 640, so I'm unwilling to pay another £400+ for a better camera and screen.
Windows 10 Mobile is very good. The Edge browser actually allows you to view and use most websites (Windows 8.1 doesn't).
The settings menu is still a bit of a jumble, and there are now settings tucked away inside other settings (much like Android 5.1). The settings search facility is pointless in this regard.
The new Action Centre is a bit of an Android 5.1 ripoff: It now needs an extra swipe and/or tap to be able to access a setting or check something, which is not a welcome change. I ditched Android last year because the OS needed additional swipes and taps to perform the same functions as it did in Android 4.4
Windows 10 Mobile is perfectly acceptable - and I'm glad to see that it's heading to most Lumia handsets very soon - Which of course makes buying a Windows 10 Mobile handset a bit pointless at the moment.
The apps are the same disastrous affair on Windows 10 Mobile.
For years, I've not cared too much that Windows Phone apps are years behind their Android and iOS counterparts.
However, I recently had to use my "trusty" Lumia 640 as a satnav, using its offline maps to navigate. Once again, Lumia let me down (HERE Maps froze on me) and directed me through the centre of Basingstoke. Luckily, I know the area and found a different route, only for HERE Maps to freeze again.
HERE Maps froze/crashed on me no less than six times that day - and it's a regular occurence on all Lumia phones. I've been (almost) willing to put up with this for a year now, but on testing the Lumia 950 in the same situations I've found that it's just as bad.
Windows 10 Mobile feels a lot like Android 5.1, with it's pull down and swipe/tap Action Centre, so apart from the Metro interface, there's not a lot between the two operating systems.
I have, at least temporarily gone back to Android, as Google Maps works, where the various Lumia mapping/navigation apps don't.
I have to say that the transition between the two operating systems has been easy. Maybe Windows Phone is taking too many tips from Android Lollipop?
What I'm missing most at the moment is easy call and text barring on Android (too many sub menus), and setting custom message tones isn't possible.
I also miss the battery life of the Lumia phones. Android lasts about 12 hours with moderate use, whereas Windows Phone will go 16-17 hours with the same usage.
The Metro live tiles are clean, informative widgets. I don't want lots of Android homescreens filled with widgets just to see basic information (number of unread messages, for example).
And of course there is the general nippiness of Windows Phone compared to Android.
But, for now, I am back on Android. My Lumia 950 trial could have convinced me to stick with the OS, but it hasn't.
I love the basics of Windows Phone/Windows 10 Mobile, but I need reliability and apps that actually work.
Sorry Microsoft: You could have had something great if you had let Nokia sell your phones cheaply when Android could barely be used as a phone, but now you are playing catch up to operating systems that are now quite reliable.
Windows 10 Mobile works, but not quite well enough. It's getting on a par with Android, but the apps really let the whole OS down as the core apps don't work well enough and are very rarely updated.
Some Windows advocates are crying out for a Surface Phone, but that's going to be a pricey handset and let's face it, it'll still be hobbled by the app situation.
The Lumia 950 is a good phone, but there is no way that it's worth paying five times the price of the perfectly adequate Lumia 640. The Continuum dock is a nice accessory, but it's a bit of a gimmick.
Windows Phone vs. Android
You know how it is: Every now and then (about 18 months) you grow "bored" of your current smartphone. It works perfectly well but you see new releases and think "I want something new".
I have reservations about this nowadays. Google wants everyone to go for the latest version of Android, which is released on a yearly basis. Only a select few mobiles are ever updated to the latest version, so there is either a requirement to upgrade to the latest handset, or you stick with what you have and hope that it doesn't become obsolete within two years.
iPhones are another story - They rarely last two years, so if you are tied in to that ecosystem you are pretty much compelled to upgrade as soon as you are able to do so.
Windows Phone thankfully allows the majority of handsets to update to the latest version (Windows 10 Mobile should be available to all Lumia phones with over 1GB of RAM within the next few weeks).
But sometimes you need a change.
I have used Android phones since 2010, but have dipped into Windows Phone for months at a time since then.
I recently bought a Microsoft Lumia 640, which is a decent phone, and thought that I'd be tied in to the OS forever more. However, I recently used it as a satnav, and the HERE Maps app crashed, restarted and froze at least six times on a very important journey. This isn't the first time that this has happened - I've experienced this problem on a Nokia Lumia 620, 635 and a Microsoft Lumia 535.
The fact is that I need my phone to work reliably as a satnav occasionally, and whilst the HERE Map app is great for offline navigation, it's no use if it doesn't work.
Microsoft UK were kind enough to loan me a Lumia 950 on a ten day trial recently.
It runs Windows 10 Mobile, and whilst things like the Edge browser are a massive improvement, and you can finally attach files to emails when replying(!) it is still way behind Android's capabilities.
Trialling the Lumia 950 made me realise that all smartphones are only as good as the apps that they use, and the apps available for Windows Phone are years behind their Android and iOS counterparts.
A year ago I decided to ditch Android in favour of Windows Phone, and I have put up with the limitations for a year. When my 1st generation Moto G updated to Android 5.1 I was horrified at the requirement to swipe or tap additional times to sort out notifications, and the settings are still hidden in wierd places.
Trialling the Lumia 950 made me realise just how similar Window 10 Mobile is to Android 5.1, but at least Android doesn't have the same limitations.
So, thanks to Microsoft for the trial, but all it has really done is made me go back to my old Moto G to see if I prefer it to Windows Phone - And I believe that I do.
Over the last year I'd never had said that I'd be going back to Android, but it's simply more useful on a phone. Many ignore Windows Phone due to the perceived "app gap", but when core apps simply don't cut the mustard, you have to wonder why you are putting yourself through this torture.
My 1st generation Moto G is still good. It's certainly no worse than any of the lower end Lumia phones, and at least everything "just works" - I used to prefer Windows Phone because it "just worked", but having compared Android 5.1 with Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10 Mobile, I feel that Windows is merely borrowing ideas from Android and yet still managing a sub-par job of it.
Will I stick with Android now? For now, yes.
I've moved my calendar and email back to Google, and everything works how I would expect it to on a smartphone. I don't feel like I have to get my laptop out every other day to complete tasks that I had to put off due to the limitations of Windows Phone.
Oh, and Google Maps works brilliantly.
Going back to what I said about many people wanting to change their phones regularly: Most people don't switch operating systems, but they should at least give it a go occasionally.
Being part of Microsoft's trial community has been interesting. Some users do appear to be considering moving from Android to Windows.
Having been firmly in the Windows camp for a while, I doubted that I'd find myself heading back to Android, but after only a week with my Moto G, I can't see myself reinvesting in Windows Phone.
I have reservations about this nowadays. Google wants everyone to go for the latest version of Android, which is released on a yearly basis. Only a select few mobiles are ever updated to the latest version, so there is either a requirement to upgrade to the latest handset, or you stick with what you have and hope that it doesn't become obsolete within two years.
iPhones are another story - They rarely last two years, so if you are tied in to that ecosystem you are pretty much compelled to upgrade as soon as you are able to do so.
Windows Phone thankfully allows the majority of handsets to update to the latest version (Windows 10 Mobile should be available to all Lumia phones with over 1GB of RAM within the next few weeks).
But sometimes you need a change.
I have used Android phones since 2010, but have dipped into Windows Phone for months at a time since then.
I recently bought a Microsoft Lumia 640, which is a decent phone, and thought that I'd be tied in to the OS forever more. However, I recently used it as a satnav, and the HERE Maps app crashed, restarted and froze at least six times on a very important journey. This isn't the first time that this has happened - I've experienced this problem on a Nokia Lumia 620, 635 and a Microsoft Lumia 535.
The fact is that I need my phone to work reliably as a satnav occasionally, and whilst the HERE Map app is great for offline navigation, it's no use if it doesn't work.
Microsoft UK were kind enough to loan me a Lumia 950 on a ten day trial recently.
It runs Windows 10 Mobile, and whilst things like the Edge browser are a massive improvement, and you can finally attach files to emails when replying(!) it is still way behind Android's capabilities.
Trialling the Lumia 950 made me realise that all smartphones are only as good as the apps that they use, and the apps available for Windows Phone are years behind their Android and iOS counterparts.
A year ago I decided to ditch Android in favour of Windows Phone, and I have put up with the limitations for a year. When my 1st generation Moto G updated to Android 5.1 I was horrified at the requirement to swipe or tap additional times to sort out notifications, and the settings are still hidden in wierd places.
Trialling the Lumia 950 made me realise just how similar Window 10 Mobile is to Android 5.1, but at least Android doesn't have the same limitations.
So, thanks to Microsoft for the trial, but all it has really done is made me go back to my old Moto G to see if I prefer it to Windows Phone - And I believe that I do.
Over the last year I'd never had said that I'd be going back to Android, but it's simply more useful on a phone. Many ignore Windows Phone due to the perceived "app gap", but when core apps simply don't cut the mustard, you have to wonder why you are putting yourself through this torture.
My 1st generation Moto G is still good. It's certainly no worse than any of the lower end Lumia phones, and at least everything "just works" - I used to prefer Windows Phone because it "just worked", but having compared Android 5.1 with Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10 Mobile, I feel that Windows is merely borrowing ideas from Android and yet still managing a sub-par job of it.
Will I stick with Android now? For now, yes.
I've moved my calendar and email back to Google, and everything works how I would expect it to on a smartphone. I don't feel like I have to get my laptop out every other day to complete tasks that I had to put off due to the limitations of Windows Phone.
Oh, and Google Maps works brilliantly.
Going back to what I said about many people wanting to change their phones regularly: Most people don't switch operating systems, but they should at least give it a go occasionally.
Being part of Microsoft's trial community has been interesting. Some users do appear to be considering moving from Android to Windows.
Having been firmly in the Windows camp for a while, I doubted that I'd find myself heading back to Android, but after only a week with my Moto G, I can't see myself reinvesting in Windows Phone.
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