Windows based cell phones, do you own one? What can you tell me?

No, my Google is not busted. I have been doing research on Windows based phones for close to 2 months and was giddy awhile back about the HTC Arrive. But that's Sprint and we're dropping Sprint this month.

I don't know anyone personally that owns a cell phone with this OS but everything I read on Tech sites and blogs, people claim to love them. If that's the case, why are sales so poor?

I hate Android phones and refuse to become a member of the iSheep society.


Thanks for your input.

Over the past sales have been poor due to the smaller ecosystem, reduced marketing by carriers (at least from my experiences), and aged hardware (although this can be a plus if you want a phone on a low budget). Sales will probably stay low until the release of WP8 at which point the platform has a chance again at more success than their past attempts; if not, MS certainly has deep enough pockets and enough interest in the mobile sector to keep funding it.

If you hate Android and iOS then WP7 (or WP8 if you can wait) is probably your last avenue for an at least somewhat widely supported OS assuming you're not fond of BBOS/QNX.

I don't mind giving it a try if the price is right. One of my friend bought a windows 7 phone, it seems to run very smoothly and the UI looks very refreshing. My friend said it is more responsive and crash less than his android phone. But I believe that is to do with his custom rom and 100+ apps installed.

If you have a Microsoft store or kiosk near you?

http://content.microsoftstore.com...footertray

If you go they will show you everything you could possible want to know. I got one of the free ones when MS was having their contest. One of the biggest issues is how much they offered the phone stores to sell their products, the phones are all subsidized and most people go into a store with a phone in mind from advertising and friends recommendations the smart salesperson just sell the customer the phone they came in for or upsells them in the same line a 4s instead of an iphone 4, a droid razr max vs a different Motorola phone or the Galaxy s3 vs s2.

A smart salesperson will not try to change your mind just upsell within the range you asked about.

As an android person I have to ask, which phones/versions you have tried android on? There is quite a difference on how the experience is depending on the version and hardware you are using. The last two major releases are a lot different than the older stuff and much improved.

Androids and iPhones just offer way more .... "stuff" ... than I'd ever need. I like to keep it simple.

I think today's smartphones are a lot of apps that relly don't do all that much and make things more confusing than anything.. My wife has an S2 and an iPad3. So I sometimes use those devices... for her they are almost too complex. For me they are moistly fluff. The Nav she has on it ok but I hear the one on the Nokia will be much better more like my Garmin I currently use.

I can see the Windows phone filling a large niche... MS never really put their best foot forward in the mobile phone market... now they will. Apple and Android are vulnerable. MS will be using a common core throughout the Microsoft universe.

What I believe that will produce is a simpler much better phone experience than Apple or Android could provide the average user.

People like stuff that works... I may for the first time pay for data (if I see value) on a likely second-generation Windows 8 phone (I"ll let them work the kinks out first). I like the idea of the synergy it creates with Windows 8 and even Xbox... fact is I like MS a whole lot more than Apple.

So I'm excited to see what MS will bring to the marketplace.... tiles will win in the end. When you think of it a live tile is so much better than the way Apple or Android do it. The killer apps of the future will be WP apps. MS likes to win..they sit back wait for a mature market then pounce. Look at Xbox.

This has been a long term strategy while under anti-trust regulations... now they will "be back".

MsGal, you're not the only one that hates Android phones, the number is constantly on the rise, which is not surprising.

Actually, there is too much of Android around. From phones to tablets, cheap chinese brands to Samsung, everybody is making Android devices. The interface, features have become monotonous.

Nokia 920 and 820 have got me excited and I just cant wait to get my hands on.
Who doesn't like change? And if the change is as brilliant as Nokia and Windows 8, who would mind?

P.S. I am an Android user.

WP7 was a failure because MS failed to convince consumers that it was worth their time, an obvious lack of apps for the platform and MS basically gimped any WP7 phone out of the gate by saying they wouldn't be getting WP8 on them. This combined with mediocre hardware and a lack of carriers adopting the phones and you can see why it failed. Although I don't see WP8 breaking this trend.

If you don't like android I would suggest checking out Jelly Bean and see if it's anymore compelling. The experience on something pre-ICS can be rather ho hum.

Quote from brbubba : WP7 was a failure because MS failed to convince consumers that it was worth their time, an obvious lack of apps for the platform and MS basically gimped any WP7 phone out of the gate by saying they wouldn't be getting WP8 on them. This combined with mediocre hardware and a lack of carriers adopting the phones and you can see why it failed. Although I don't see WP8 breaking this trend. If you don't like android I would suggest checking out Jelly Bean and see if it's anymore compelling. The experience on something pre-ICS can be rather ho hum.

I would agree for the most part with the android experience comments. For the comments on things can be too much, they are only too much if you want them to be. Basic things like calls and texts are still basic. If you don't want to have apps on your phone you don't have to, but its always nice to have the ability if your needs should change.

I've got a WP7, and had it for around 7 months. I like it. I got the HTC Titan, because it was one of the flagship phones (if not THE flagship phone at the time). Huge screen, very snappy, never crashes, all the big name popular apps that I had with my iPhone before are on it. It's disappointing to find out it isn't going to be updated to WP8, but it will be updated to 7.8 which gives all of the cosmetic upgrade of 8. If I were you, I would wait for WP8, unless you are just looking for a cheap and not necessarily top of the line smart phone.

Quote from MsGal : If that's the case, why are sales so poor? I ... refuse to become a member of the iSheep society.

You may have answered your own question there.

I don't know about lately, but Windows phones were always good at allowing UI changes and even emulating other OS' UIs if you wanted. So if you didn't like Windows, it wasn't all that hard to make it look like something else.

One major issue that has hindered the sales of Windows-based phones is a lack of 3rd party support. Virtually everyone offers apps for iOS and Android, from the Bronx Zoo to Starbucks, and yet comparatively few companies offer Windows equivalents. For that reason alone, I wouldn't even consider a Windows-based phone. Since that's not an issue for you though, there's no reason not to consider a Windows-based phone. I will say though that it doesn't sound like you've given any real consideration to Android or iOS. You can have as much or as little as you want on your Android device and as for iOS, it sounds like you're opposed to it simply because it's mainstream. If you really want to buck convention, just get a dumbphone.

Quote from 420 : One major issue that has hindered the sales of Windows-based phones is a lack of 3rd party support. Virtually everyone offers apps for iOS and Android, from the Bronx Zoo to Starbucks, and yet comparatively few companies offer Windows equivalents. For that reason alone, I wouldn't even consider a Windows-based phone. Since that's not an issue for you though, there's no reason not to consider a Windows-based phone. I will say though that it doesn't sound like you've given any real consideration to Android or iOS. You can have as much or as little as you want on your Android device and as for iOS, it sounds like you're opposed to it simply because it's mainstream. If you really want to buck convention, just get a dumbphone.

Like me.. dumb phones do exactly what you need call/text rest is all fluff (that you pay month after month for). Although WP8 may change my mind mainly because it has Windows 8 at its core. I have high hopes MS will make the best of that.