Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Windows Phone 7 Is More Stylish Than iOS

WP7 is a nice system for the beginner smartphone user. Anyone on this board after a month with it i would assume would go for something more sophisticated, iOS , WebOS, or Android. I could give the WP7 to my grandmother and she could use it pretty easy.

The problem with WP7 is Microsoft. The OS is not their bread and butter. Its thier "well, i should jump into this game" but they are not in 100%, like Apple is for instance or even Google with Android. Otherwise, there would be better updates to WP7 or more going on with those space wasting blue squares (i am aware you can change the color). More could be done with them.
 
los318 said:
WP7 is a nice system for the beginner smartphone user. Anyone on this board after a month with it i would assume would go for something more sophisticated, iOS , WebOS, or Android. I could give the WP7 to my grandmother and she could use it pretty easy.

The problem with WP7 is Microsoft. The OS is not their bread and butter. Its thier "well, i should jump into this game" but they are not in 100%, like Apple is for instance or even Google with Android. Otherwise, there would be better updates to WP7 or more going on with those space wasting blue squares (i am aware you can change the color). More could be done with them.
Click to expand...

How can you say they are not in 100%? I think the amount of effort and time to overhaul windows mobile and release windows phone (as essentially a 1.0 release) across dozens of devices which all give a very consistent experience shows that they want to compete, and in the most important area: user experience.

Gotta give it time.. WP7 is like a 1.0 release and is just 4-5 months old. iOS is nearing 4 years on the market and its taken time to reach this level of apps and features.
 
You have to hand it to MS for making something that is fresh and new. Not the tired old icon grid everyone else is running into the ground. It's a complete philosophy change and one I could get on board with when it matures and has reliable updates. And they're not afraid to pack it in a 4" screen.
 
true, but within 6 months of initial release Android already had 1 update and 1 major revision. WP7 has had none. The only device with any type of upgrade is the new HTC Arrive and it added only Copy and Paste. WP7 is a young OS in a mature OS's world. its going to be an uphill battle for the OS unless they start updating the OS. Unfortunately for Microsoft, they started late and need to catch up. Honestly, they need to loose Ballmer and get someone more Gates-ish back.
 
los318 said:
WP7 is a nice system for the beginner smartphone user. Anyone on this board after a month with it i would assume would go for something more sophisticated, iOS , WebOS, or Android. I could give the WP7 to my grandmother and she could use it pretty easy.

The problem with WP7 is Microsoft. The OS is not their bread and butter. Its thier "well, i should jump into this game" but they are not in 100%, like Apple is for instance or even Google with Android. Otherwise, there would be better updates to WP7 or more going on with those space wasting blue squares (i am aware you can change the color). More could be done with them.
Click to expand...

i would say iOS is more for the beginner smartphone user
 
Its a well designed UI. I have the Samsung one. I buy every major phone to just give it a try. The tile feel is really nice and the aesthetics of the fonts etc are pretty good. They even provide Mac sync software :)

Its hard to imagine MS catching up though and whomever said they will gain the #2 spot anytime soon....good luck with that.

Nokia or not its a long uphill battle.

There sell through has been abysmal apparently and for a huge company dedicated to getting back in the game, updates have been very slow and the amount of marketing you see is also relatively paltry.

I do not know of anyone, friends family or coworkers that has considered buying one yet. Its all iOS or Android.

They better have a multi-year strategy of sinking tons of money into this market other than the $1B they just paid Nokia. The same commitment that they have done with Xbox (minus the three red rings of death issue) to maybe make money in five years, is what they will need to have a hope of gaining share on Google or Apple.
 
Last edited:
(I wrote this over at Ars last week. I now have my iPhone 4 back!)

First let me say I love Windows Phone 7 and I want it to succeed. I am a big gamer and I love Xbox LIVE and the Xbox 360. (I love my acheivements!) But sadly, I've come to the realization since that day on November 8 when WP7 hit the US that it is not ready for prime time. Coming from iOS (understandably a more mature platform) to WP7 was a tough transition and ultimately I am going back to the iPhone 4. I rely on my phone for business and personal use. I am on it constantly, even more than my PC/Mac and iPad.

The WP7 OS itself is awesome. BUT, the beauty of the iPhone is that there ONE DEVICE and Apple has FULL CONTROL over it. I've been using the Samsung Focus and it is an excellent device. But quite simply there is NO device IMO that can match the quality and experience of using an iPhone.

The killer feature I miss more than anything is the "retina display". My wife still has her iPhone 4 and every time I looked at that screen and go back to the Focus it's all I can think about. There is noticeably less eye strain when reading text on the iPhone 4. I even enjoy reading emails on the iPhone 4 more than the iPad because of the display. The Focus has a Super AMOLED screen that is quite impressive in it's own right but simply can't match the iPhone 4. iOS task switching is also something I miss dearly. The back button is not a replacement for this. I can't wait until October for the WP7 update (heck the NoDo update isn't even here yet), and seeing the recent stubmles with the first update who knows if Mango will even ship this year. Lastly knowing the iPhone 5 is coming in June and to still be stuck with the Focus is something that really weighed on me. (Although, not sure I will be eligible to upgrade when the 5 comes out, but that's another matter)

I think Microsoft has a great thing going here, I only hope the recent stumbles with the first "update" are not indicative of future performance. Windows Phone 7 is truly a joy to use. For a version 1 OS it is very impressive. But for my use, I need to go back to iOS.

Here's some more WP7 (Samsung Focus) annoyances (besides the screen) that I've been able to learn over the past 4 months....

-- Focus battery life is not acceptable. I am a heavy user and by 2PM I am having to plug it in. Once battery hits 40% or so it dives down quickly.

-- Zune Marketplace hangs constantly requiring a RESET. MS apparently knows about the issue but due to their inability to issue frequent updates this hasn't been fixed and who knows when it will be.

-- Also documented is skipping before changing songs in the last 10 seconds or so. Quite annoying especially with no skip albums like concerts

-- There is a bug that pictures taken on the Samsung Focus cannot be saved to the iOS Photo Library. So for example if I text a pic to my wife on her iPhone 4, when she tries to save it to the Photo Library the picture is corrupted(grey ".jpg" icon)

-- Inconsistent Search button behavior. In Native apps it searches within the app, but others apps it exits the app and launches Bing search

-- All the Twitter apps suck

-- No Sirius/XM app (not MS's fault, but still)

-- No in app email (meaning apps have to reload when coming back to the app) makes emailing from other apps slow and take longer than necessary

-- Devs has no access to the camera hardware so there are no cool photo apps like Hipstamatic and barecode scanning apps have to EXIT the app to access the camera and bring the pic back in (slow)

-- No auto focus (have to use HW button)

-- Camera settings are not saved (I did see MS say this was a "feature", huh?)
 
I want to love WP7. I've been using Zune since the 80gig first came out, and now I have a 64gig Zune HD and absolutely love it. The only problem I see myself having with WP7 is that it just doesn't have the selection of the app store. That's honestly what I feel is the main advantage Apple has over other phones out right now.
 
SomeDudeAsking said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=790NeAUsEfM

screenshot_1.jpg


screenshot_2.jpg


Damn, Windows Phone 7 is too sexy. It even makes transit apps look good. If this were iOS, we would be stuck with pinstripe backgrounds from the 80's and horrifically styled "3D" buttons that look terrible, not to mention the terrible typography in iOS that is too small in many cases or have terrible formatting that makes it look unfinished.
Click to expand...

Hmm JB and then themes seems to solve this

other then that its up to the App makers
 
CardboardDoom said:
]I want to love WP7. I've been using Zune since the 80gig first came out, and now I have a 64gig Zune HD and absolutely love it. [/B]......
Click to expand...
Announced this week, M$ is dropping Zune no more Zunes........... Its an Ipod world.

http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2011/03/15/report-microsoft-discontinue-zune-media-player

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 15, 2011 - 7:06am.
Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft (NASD: MSFT) plans to discontinue its Zune media player device due to weak sales, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the decision. The company will reportedly continue to sell existing Zune models, and maintain the Zune brand, which also refers to the media software and subscription service bundled on mobile devices running its Windows operating system.
Click to expand...
 
Howdr said:
Hmm JB and then themes seems to solve this

other then that its up to the App makers
Click to expand...

Yeah, and I also like to compile my own Linux kernal and debug all the dependencies. :rolleyes:


Howdr said:
Announced this week, M$ is dropping Zune no more Zunes........... Its an Ipod world.

http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2011/03/15/report-microsoft-discontinue-zune-media-player
Click to expand...

The Zune HD is such a gorgeous looking device, much better than anything Apple puts out:

800px-Zune_HD.jpg


I wish Microsoft would make a ZunePhone with WP7. I would buy that in a heart beat.
 
Microsoft should make an Xbox phone. Of all their products other than Windows, Xbox 360 and Xbox Live has been a huge success for them. So while the Zune players and Kin look to RIP and Bing is nothing special, their Kinect becomes the fastest selling consumer electronic device ever at over 10M sold! Halo and Gears of War online shootouts on our phones!

Three American Giants
Apple vs Microsoft vs Google

This will be a battle for the next decade. Just 6-7 years ago, the Americans were the joke of the cell phone industry always playing catch-up. Now we are leaders in mobile software. Apple and Microsoft have the experience and expertise at software, Google has the youth and many partners. A 13-year whiz kid trying to outsmart against 35+ year old engineers. While fads like Twitter and Facebook may come and go, Google Search and YouTube will still last another 10 years to keep Google the biggest internet company in the world.

Then you have the once mighty Sony and Motorola that were both peaking in sales in 2005 now backing Google. You have #1 phone maker Nokia backing Microsoft. They each have strengths and weaknesses. Think of owning all the video game consoles. Each have their share of exclusives. You just end up buying them all and eliminate the insecure fanboyism talk. Imagine owning three very fast cars. They each take you to places you want to. One might be sleeker than the others. Another is a convertible gives you that open air freedom and versatility.

Motorola Atrix has been a disappointment. It still lags at dual-core. I think iPhone will still be the best smartphone for the next 2-3 years. By iPhone 8, it should start getting boring whether with a revamped UI or not. iPhone 5 = 2011 Phone of the Year. Apple will continue to have the best-selling single phone, Android will have the best-selling smartphone OS and its OEMs will keep pushing cutting edge hardware first, and WP7 will grow rapidly by late 2012 and throughout 2013 thanks to their Finnish partner. WP7 is only 4 months old. Android was for a niche crowd in 2009 before it exploded in sales last year. Patience and be forward thinking here. WP7 is top 3 in two years, tops. No other competitor out there has Nokia as a partner and Symbian and Meego will be relegated to the lower-end or niche crowd.

The classier webOS and BB OS 7 will be for the niche crowd. Too many OSes already. Too little, too late. Sales don't always equal quality though. I think BlackBerry PlayBook might pull an upset and be the 2011 Tablet of the Year for the core gadget geeks, but iPad 2 will be the most popular one. Think Justin Bieber. Just because he sells millions of records doesn't make him better than Bob Dylan.
 
SomeDudeAsking said:
Yeah, and I also like to compile my own Linux kernal and debug all the dependencies. :rolleyes:




The Zune HD is such a gorgeous looking device, much better than anything Apple puts out:

800px-Zune_HD.jpg


I wish Microsoft would make a ZunePhone with WP7. I would buy that in a heart beat.
Click to expand...

i guess its ok but what does that word say at the top, why is everything cut off
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back