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Smartphones from Microsoft

boppin

boppin

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Hi everyone.

I hope I've chosen the right category. If not, please move it.

Have any of you ever tried a Microsoft smartphone? I had a Lumia 650 until 2021. It was a good device in itself, in my opinion, but unfortunately, there were very few updates, and some things caused it to malfunction. It manifested as a constant vibration. The only solution was to remove the battery and restart the device. So, if Microsoft hadn't abandoned this product line and improved it, I'd still be using it today.
 

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I got my Dad a Nokia Lumia (I was given it free) and it worked for him for a few years until he got an iphone 6. Having used Windows 11, I'll stick to iOS and Android, Android being preferred software.
 
I own a Nokia and a couple of HTC windows phones back in the day. I thought they were great but the app support wasn't there for them to be successful.
 
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I have owned a samsung Ativ S, Nokia 520 and the best device I have ever owned the nokia 1020. They were awesome. Satya killed them like he does with any consumer faced product, he has ******ified microsoft to the slop we have today.

Need I say more.
 
boppin said:
Have any of you ever tried a Microsoft smartphone? I
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Yep, I owned one briefly.

The interface was ok, different the iOS, but not bad. Windows 8 on the desktop was horrible, but that UI/UX on the phone was better. The lack of apps and MS failing to keep up innovating the hardware doomed it.

I think only spent a year on it, before switching back to the iPhone
 
once upon a time i worked for vzw. i had an LG Fathom for 3 months as my work phone. awful device. then CE/Windows Mobile died and microsoft started doing interesting stuff again in the phone space. from a distance, i liked the colorful lumias with windows 7/8 and awesome cameras, but i would never own one. the lack of apps was the deal breaker. i think we only sold 2 in a year long stretch before they were pulled off the shelves. we would even have an ms rep come into the store once a quarter to try to incentivize sales and give away swag, but no one was interested. i actually sold more microsoft kins than their lumia phones.
 
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I had a Nokia with Windows Phone 8. I loved it. It had the best offline maps with whatever Nokia provided, even to this day the UI was and is best in class, had a variety of very cool, innovative features that were ahead of it's time, and the value was unmatched. You could get a legitimately good phone for $100-200 unlocked.

The issue was Google didn't want a second competitor so they purposely gimped all their services, third parties didn't create apps because there wasn't enough customers, but there weren't enough customers because there weren't enough apps.

I legitimately think a contemporary Windows Phone is a solid concept. It'll never happen and it wouldn't make money for Microsoft, but it would be a great device. Android with Windows Phone UI and other Microsoft-specific features and advantages when it's out used like a phone, full-fledged Windows 11 ARM PC when plugged into a monitor. Not that half-measure known as Continuum.
 
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It was "almost" a smart phone. It was the Sharp KIN TWOm that was my phone for a few years. Look up the history if you haven't heard of it, it was quite the story. By the time I got mine, Verizon had just flipped it to a "feature" phone and dropped the requirement to have a data plan. It had a 720p video camera, touch screen, WiFi, email, and web browser for the price of a flip phone. I went through about 3 of them over the years because the ribbon cable that connected the display would fail from sliding the phone open and closed.
 
TSE said:
I had a Nokia with Windows Phone 8. I loved it. It had the best offline maps with whatever Nokia provided, even to this day the UI was and is best in class, had a variety of very cool, innovative features that were ahead of it's time, and the value was unmatched. You could get a legitimately good phone for $100-200 unlocked.

The issue was Google didn't want a second competitor so they purposely gimped all their services, third parties didn't create apps because there wasn't enough customers, but there weren't enough customers because there weren't enough apps.

I legitimately think a contemporary Windows Phone is a solid concept. It'll never happen and it wouldn't make money for Microsoft, but it would be a great device. Android with Windows Phone UI and other Microsoft-specific features and advantages when it's out used like a phone, full-fledged Windows 11 ARM PC when plugged into a monitor. Not that half-measure known as Continuum.
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It would work, and it would sell. No it would not be gangbusters, but it would sell enough to turn a profit in year 2 or 3, if they freaking keep it going. Same with the duo. it was the best foldable device on the market.

If they fired Nadulla, put a consumer/hardware guy in charge, I would foolishly buy that phone. They would have to revive the pureview team as well!
 
I am disappointed that Microsoft didn't sell enough of their phones to keep doing it. Why? If the market had Android, iPhone, and Windows phone, it would be better for the customers because competition is good. It's my understanding that Google ate Microsoft's lunch by giving Android away for free and letting phone manufacturers customize it. Remember when Microsoft did that to Netscape by giving away IE for free? *Chuckles* What goes around comes around.
 
I had the Lumia 920 in a flashy yellow color. Very nice phone, good hardware, comfortable design and some interesting ideas in the software.

I liked the live tiles and still miss them. People hub where also an interesting concept. Unfortunately many apps where missing and most developers had no time and money to invest in a third eco system. Some smaller developers did their own third party apps and they where great but then the owners of these services locked it down.

Microsoft would never get it going and due to lack of apps they had no chance. Giving the phones away for free and with free data forever maybe would give them a small chance but probably not even that.
 
twinlight said:
I had the Lumia 920 in a flashy yellow color. Very nice phone, good hardware, comfortable design and some interesting ideas in the software.

I liked the live tiles and still miss them. People hub where also an interesting concept. Unfortunately many apps where missing and most developers had no time and money to invest in a third eco system. Some smaller developers did their own third party apps and they where great but then the owners of these services locked it down.

Microsoft would never get it going and due to lack of apps they had no chance. Giving the phones away for free and with free data forever maybe would give them a small chance but probably not even that.
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The thing is when they released the 950/xl, they were starting to gain traction and grow. Same with the MS band, version 2 was selling well, The apps were slowing coming, I had no issues using my 1020. I stopped when microsoft said they would not upgrade it to w10m.

Like everything, Nadella didn't see 10 percent growth a month so it was axed. He later stated that was his biggest mistake. I agree with him.
 
Steve Adams said:
He should be CEO. But they were too stupid.
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ProbablyDylan said:
I miss Panos Panay. He always seemed so enthusiastic about his products.
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See to me, I wasn't a fan. He came off as a try hard and like a tech-guy trying his best to look cool with some of the outfits he presented in and the energy he gave off.

And he didn't make the best of the best Windows devices... it was Nokia's team that did. After Microsoft bought them, they took a step back hardware wise. The 950/950XL got dinged for poor build quality compared to other flagships. Couldn't say that about the previous generation Nokias.

Microsoft hardware in general isn't that great.
 
TSE said:
See to me, I wasn't a fan. He came off as a try hard and like a tech-guy trying his best to look cool with some of the outfits he presented in and the energy he gave off.

And he didn't make the best of the best Windows devices... it was Nokia's team that did. After Microsoft bought them, they took a step back hardware wise. The 950/950XL got dinged for poor build quality compared to other flagships. Couldn't say that about the previous generation Nokias.

Microsoft hardware in general isn't that great.
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He did more than the phone. Surface devices have always been high quality. But the Nokia 1020 was the best of windows phones, the 950/xl was good too. I loved the continuum idea, they could have worked on that and unified app building, which satya scrapped again.
 
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Steve Adams said:
He did more than the phone. Surface devices have always been high quality. But the Nokia 1020 was the best of windows phones, the 950/xl was good too. I loved the continuum idea, they could have worked on that and unified app building, which satya scrapped again.
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Surface devices are alright… they are kinda clunky. The reliability is some of the worst on the market. Alcantara wears like FineWoven did. Had some good years, had some bad years. Surface RT was clunky.

My point isn’t that he’s not talented or didn’t have some good ideas, but I find people put him on a pedestal when I think he’s just ok and trying present and look like a badass when you got a bit of a beer belly is quite distracting.
 
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