Advantages of windows 10 after android. Which is better: Windows or Android? Microsoft Outlook - mail on the "top ten"
Windows 10 Mobile is the version of Windows 10 designed for mobile devices screen sizes up to 9 inches. Its main feature: synchronization with the desktop version of Windows, the launch of new "universal" applications, as well as the ability to connect devices to external display and using a smartphone as a PC with mouse and keyboard support
A little background
The first version of the OS was released in December 2015. Windows 10 Mobile was a “glimmer of hope” for all Windows Phone owners. With the release new version mobile OS, Microsoft began to “shower” users with promises that many “were seduced” by (including the author of this article).
I am the owner Microsoft Lumia 535 with Windows 10 Mobile preinstalled (I've been using the device for 3 years). During the use, I had a certain opinion about the smartphone and the OS as a whole, so I decided to tell readers about the relevance of this platform today.
My first impressions of the purchased smartphone are not entirely objective and a little naive:
To compare and understand the issue, you can imagine any device in 2015 on iOS and Android, and this is one generation from Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, Google Nexus 5X and 6P, samsung galaxy S6. And most likely, such smartphones are still fully operational (questions can only be about the battery, but they are solved by replacing the battery with a new one). But what happens to a typical smartphone in 2015 on Windows 10 Mobile?
Device support
The first disappointment that Windows 10 Mobile brought was that it did not support all devices. Minimum system requirements were as follows: 1 GB of RAM, a screen resolution of 960 × 540 pixels and higher, the presence of a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor: 208, 210, 615, 617, 625, 808, 810, 820 or 835. This meant that budget Lumia with 512 GB of RAM did not could get official update(although some users managed to somehow replace the smartphone data and install updates).
Windows App Store
Score Windows applications- a complete disappointment and the situation has not changed in any way from 2015 to the present day: applications and games are sorely lacking. Existing ones are not updated by developers, and new ones are simply not made by anyone.
The store is full of all sorts of "slag", which is not moderated in any way. There are paid applications, the purchase of which is meaningless. Apps from Microsoft and hits of 2015-2016 for Android hang in the tops of the store.
On the this moment applications show the ability to update, but refuse to update (perpetual download hangs), although this problem may be related specifically to my Microsoft Lumia 535 smartphone.
Beginning of work
Getting started with a smartphone is a living hell. On Android and iOS user registers one account that applies to all devices. Microsoft decided to “stand out from the crowd” and offers the owners of their devices to register two Outlook accounts and one Xbox, and all this in order to be able to download and install any applications and games from Windows Store. “What are two Outlook accounts for?” - you ask. And I will answer: “For Microsoft family”. One is “parental” and is tied to a PC, the second is “children's” and is designed for a smartphone, a kind of “innovation” in the field of synchronizing a PC with a smartphone and.
OS shell
The interface is nice and minimalistic. Like it or not, but here Microsoft did not fail with its tile design. On the main screen, you can display any installed apps, and some of them support output additional information. The second screen contains a list of a bunch of applications that are not convenient to use at first, but you get used to them later. There is also an alphabetical search, which is a good solution for this shell, but in my case after next update Firmware Russian font “broke” (see the last screenshot).
Firmware update
At the moment, this process hangs at 1% load, as a result of which the device is not updated. Especially funny is the description of all the updates to Windows 10 Mobile, with which “your device will work even better.”
Using a smartphone while charging
This is one of the many factors that will make users lose a lot of nerves. The bottom line is that when charging a smartphone, it is impossible to use it. The screen takes on a life of its own, one touch turns into three, a swipe down opens a bunch of apps (the problem may be related to a certain model or batch of smartphones, but that doesn't make it any easier for me).
Compatible with other accessories
In the age of smartwatches, fitness trackers, and add-on plug-ins that can be easily used with iOS and Android smartphones, this problem is more relevant than ever. There are a limited number of smartwatches that support Windows 10 Mobile: , Fitbit Surge, Agent smart watch, i'm Watch (all discontinued).
To date, no manufacturer of current smart watches supports Windows 10 Mobile. On the Internet, you can find official fitness trackers from Microsoft: Microsoft Band and Microsoft Band 2, which are also discontinued and are not supported by the company. But with smartphones on Windows, they should work. The choice, as you can see, is small ...
VPN
A very useful feature these days. Especially relevant for Ukraine and Russia. Free Apps There are some that allow you to use VPN on Windows 10 Mobile, but they are absolutely not functional. The only ones left are apps that offer VPN services for a monthly subscription of $20 or more.
Browsers and popular apps
The story about all kinds of applications is not over yet. Browsers on WP10 are a sore subject. Of the normally working, there are only two: Microsoft Edge and UC Browser. Unfortunately, they do not have sufficient functionality of modern browsers. Surfing web pages occurs with freezes and freezes. There are not enough applications from Google: Maps, YouTube, Google Play Music and so on.
It is also worth mentioning popular applications. Messengers, they are present in the Microsoft store and almost everything, but updates from developers are extremely rare and not always on time, or even not received at all.
A sore subject is bank customers, who for the most part do not exist or they exist, but unofficial, from third-party developers. Whether it is worth trusting your banking data to such decisions is a rhetorical question.
In general, the store does not have many official applications of stores, operators, sites. There is a severe shortage of photo editors and games. As for audio and video players, the standard ones are enough. Readers can be found without problems, although they, for the most part, will be analogues of Android applications.
P.S. Fortunately, in the middle of last year for Windows 10 Mobile came out Steam client, if you know what I mean, fellow pirates.
Preinstalled Applications
Upon initial purchase of a smartphone, a user is greeted with a series of useful programs from Microsoft: Food, Health & Fitness, Maps, Camera Apps, Weather, Mail, Sports, News, Word, OneDrive and more. It would seem that at least these applications can be used without problems? But not everything is as rosy as we would like ...
Separately, it is worth talking about the Office software package. They are made really high quality and comfortable, but after a year they require a purchase. paid subscription. The maps are also well done, but only relevant for Europe.
Gameloft Hub is the official application of the game developer (I could not ignore this application). It contains 5 games from Gameloft, which are ports from java. And everything is either donated or paid. What guided Microsoft when creating and integrating this application into new (once) smartphones is not clear.
The screenshots of the gameplay speak for themselves - this is some wild junk:
One-handed mode
Functionality that developers have added in later versions of Windows 10 Mobile. Perhaps a useful feature for flagship Lumia with a large screen size. On Microsoft Lumia 535, it is implemented “crookedly”. The developers made sure that the user could scroll only half of the screen, but the content in this mode is not always displayed correctly.
Eventually
The author does not recommend taking smartphones under Windows control 10 Mobile. Even if it seems to you that the hardware is quite good, and the price is tempting. Better turn your attention to Android devices for a similar cost. They may not be so cool at first glance, but at least you can use all popular services on them without problems and wasted nerves.
Smartphones "soft", in our time, can only perform the functions of dialers and media players. Especially sorry for users who have purchased flagships from Microsoft. Yes, they got the ability to use a smartphone as a PC using a docking station, but an abandoned proprietary OS will make you regret such an acquisition more than once.
This post is my own opinion and experience using Preview Windows builds 10 Mobile by site user.
Many regular readers somehow thought (and some decided) about switching to the preview version. I myself was a tester of three builds, and this article is intended to talk about non-obvious and not immediately noticeable little things. new system which for some may be critical.
This material is primarily intended for those who are not sure whether they should become an insider and test new builds themselves and send bug reports.
I tested the system only on Microsoft Lumia 532, and in this material I will reflect only those aspects that do not depend on the device. There is a possibility that some items will disappear in build 10525, but from experience this is far from a fact.
pros:
1. Notification Center.
This is the main advantage of the new system. This is access to an extended list of switches, deleting individual notifications, the ability to respond to notifications. I believe that this is exactly how it should have looked since Windows phone 8.1. It remains to make it translucent as in the desktop "top ten".
2. Start screen.
The appearance of the desktop and the list of applications also deserves praise and the question "Why not do it right away?" appearance was on desktop Windows 8.1. It seems that this change is insignificant, but only at first glance - it was the same with the picture on top of the tiles in Windows phone 8.1.
3. Joystick on the keyboard.
A very cool alternative to moving the cursor with a magnifying glass on apple devices, which is one of the most convenient.
A feature that is sorely lacking in 8.1 during recovery from backup. And the rest is a very competent approach to the implementation of the function. I would also like to see the download speed - sometimes it is useful.
5. New system apps.
I want to note right away that this does not apply to all applications, and not to the full extent. This plus is at the intersection of new features and new bugs. This includes new office applications, mail and calendar, music, calculator, alarms and clocks and especially new browser. The new phone applications, messages and contacts are called advantages, alas, the language does not turn.
Minuses:
1. Scaling bugs.
Under this concept, I combine incomprehensible text wrapping in the store, very large or vice versa very small interface elements, etc. It looks disgusting from every point of view. I really hope this is just a bug and not a feature.
2. A bug in the notification shade.
Perhaps I find fault, but some of the additional icons cling to the eye when the curtain is lowered, which then disappear. If this is done in order to show that they are there, then why the "Expand" button?
3. Keyboard bugs.
These are probably the most annoying bugs in the system. When manual typing occurs, instead of some letters, neighboring letters can be entered, and only with a certain sequence, i.e. in other cases, the letter is active; autocorrect often works incorrectly and often suggests words with capital letter in the middle of a sentence. Personally, I'm "tired" of changing "On" to "not" and vice versa; the keyboard itself is smaller than 8.1, possibly due to the same scaling issues.
4. Incorrect background work of applications.
Everything is very bad here for those who are not advanced. If you do not correctly configure the background operation of applications, then with battery saving turned on, for example, you may not hear the alarm clock in the morning. In other words, what was protected from crooked hands can now be in them. And even turning off the seemingly background work of applications, some of them can send push notifications.
5. New multitasking menu.
In the multitasking menu, compared to 8.1, the animation of closing applications is very slow. Combined with the lack of a "close all" button, this is a little depressing. Also, when you open this menu in landscape orientation, it will allow you to close applications only in it and does not rotate vertically.
6. Lock screen bug.
The screen after unlocking may not light up or light up immediately, while the date and time appear with a delay.
Many lament about the lack of Russian Cortana, but not many people know that there is a fairly convenient voice control in Windows phone 8.1, which greatly simplifies the life of headset users. And this insanely useful feature in Windows 10 Mobile has simply disappeared.
8. Spoiled implementation of working with two SIM-cards.
In Windows phone 8.1, work with two SIM cards is insanely convenient. Thanks to the switches and different color indications, it is simply impossible to confuse where you are making a call from and where the SMS came from. In the mobile "top ten" this is done clumsily and absolutely not intuitively. Again, a nod to the phone applications, messages and contacts.
In addition to what I have listed, there are other strengths and weaknesses of the new system, but I have described only those that were forced to roll back to a stable version of the system. There are crashes and reboots, the battery eats like crazy. Perhaps the expense is connected precisely with my device, but the fact that it works 3-4 times less from one charge makes you at least think about the advisability of being an insider.
Some things may seem like small things, but as Windows phone users, we know that a positive user experience is all about the little things.
The rejection of old solutions that worked well in favor of new ones, in theory more convenient, involuntarily evokes memories of Windows times Phone 7.5 and the wonderful Zune program, which has sunk into oblivion along with intelligent synchronization (including Wi-Fi) and the ability to update the phone and download applications via a computer. And all for the convenience of the mass-storage format and over-the-air updates. In the end, it was possible to leave both options for interaction.
Write in the comments why you fell in love or were upset about Windows 10 Mobile, as well as your comments and suggestions on the content of the article.
Despite all the efforts of Microsoft, Windows 8.1 did not become as popular as the company expected. Probably, not least, this was influenced by the complexity of the task set by the software giant - Windows 8.1 is designed to work on computing systems of various form factors, not only on tablets. This circumstance, in particular, was associated with complaints from some users about the rapid discharge of the battery in the Surface 2, but it should be noted that the company was able to quickly eliminate this shortcoming with an updated firmware. At the same time, according to James Kendrick from ZDNet, Microsoft's new operating system has a number of advantages over one of its main competitors - Android.
Snap View mode. This is the multitasking mode in Windows 8.1, with which the user can run up to four applications at the same time on one screen. Each application has a minimum width, and it can be adjusted depending on the screen size. Android does not allow you to work on one screen with several programs, which forced some manufacturers to modify the OS interface. Samsung, for example, succeeded in this - the company added the Multi-View function, but it only works on some models of the Galaxy series tablets, and is also limited to a few applications. Note that Multi-View supports portrait mode, while Snap View can only work in landscape mode.
Updates. Android has become in many ways attractive in the eyes of customers due to its undemanding system resources and a large number applications. But it has one significant drawback - fragmentation: updates to latest versions Android devices are exclusively available for Nexus devices, updating other devices, even top ones, depends on the whim of the manufacturer. To make matters worse, Android tablet owners not only get android updates, with what else you can put up with, but also security patches. Owners of Windows 8 devices don't have these inconveniences, getting updates as they come out.
Improvement of user experience. Android appeared before Windows 8, but the user experience, or, in other words, the skills that owners acquire when working with each new OS update, if changed, did not change very significantly. At the same time, with the Windows 8.1 update, Microsft has shown that it can quickly respond to user needs by eliminating some serious flaws in the original Windows versions 8, besides, the company is probably preparing major changes for the upcoming Windows 9. It is possible that they will also affect the system interface.
This post is my own opinion and experience of using different mobile OS from a site user.
To begin with, I want to dot all the i's. This material is not a review or something like that. This is the quintessence of thoughts and impressions of a simple user who used smartphones on three popular platforms: Android, iOS and Windows Phone, and as a result chose one.
Well, having explained what I want to tell, you can proceed.
QUESTION ONE: WHY NOT iOS?
I will say right away that my user experience on this platform is limited to only one device - the iPhone 4. I bought this device under the impression of the biography of Steve Jobs that I had read before. Jobs was already a very strong and peculiar personality, so I became curious what kind of beast this iPhone was. Plus, one of my colleagues bought the same device shortly before and was very pleased with it and praised it. The first impression was (especially after the buggy and slow Samsung Galaxy Y, from which my acquaintance with the world of smartphones began, but more on that later) - WOW, HOW COOL! Nothing slowed down, the smooth operation of the system, a nice appearance - all this created a very pleasant first impression. But, as it turned out, this external simplicity hides a bunch of pitfalls:
- Stone number three - dancing with a tambourine. When I bought this device, I had no idea how often I would have to dance with a tambourine and how often I would have to use a very "optimized" iTunes. After all, you can’t just download music to your phone, you can’t put your own ringtone on a call, you can’t receive files or send them via bluetooth (with the exception of photos). You can’t even just transfer music from your computer to your phone without iTunes (it’s so closed file system). In general, I didn't like it much. Looking ahead, I will say that the T-shirts got rid of these "no" and did the right thing.
- Stone number four is the price. This is one of the main factors that protect me from returning to iOS. I believe that the prices of their devices are unreasonably high and I'm not going to overpay a few hundred euros for a brand. That's actually all on this issue. Let's move on to the next item
Stone number one is the abundance of applications for this platform. I do not share these enthusiasm and statements that iOS has everything a person needs to fully use a smartphone. Maybe I was unlucky, but it just so happened that there were no applications that were necessary and suitable for me at that time (and there is still no one). For example, due to the specifics of my work, I constantly need an office, in particular, Excel, and then it was not on this platform, and its analogues were not even close. Of course, now the office is present on this axis, but for me the train has already left, and I am not going to return for a number of reasons outlined below.
Stone number two is uneasy simplicity. Jobs positioned the smartphone as a device that is extremely easy to use. But how do you, for example, such a “simplification” as the inability to answer a call from a locked phone? Or the inability to attach a contact to home screen? Or programs that are constantly hanging in memory, because the exit button simply turns them off? And in this system, there are such small flaws in the carriage and the small cart. They generally spoiled my impression of the device and the platform as a whole.
QUESTION TWO: WHY NOT ANDROID?
Unlike the first point, the list of devices that I used on Android is not limited to one model, I will quickly list them:
Samsung Galaxy Y, Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S4, Huawei Y530, LG L7, Samsung Galaxy XCover, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, as well as a couple of GoClever tablets.
As you know, Android is very popular all over the world. It seems to me that the main reason for its popularity is very simple - EVERYTHING is possible in it. Indeed, EVERYTHING. From putting your own ringtone to changing the system beyond recognition (like CyanogenMod).
Well, having written these lines, I thought hard, why is Android bad for me? Why not him? The system has a lot of advantages, almost all actions with it can be performed without much effort. And therefore, to answer the question posed, I will begin with a description of the advantages:
Firstly, the openness of the system played its role. You can do anything with a smartphone / tablet, and initially, from the earliest versions, which cannot be said about Windows Phone. In fact, on our device, we can do everything the same as on a computer. Transferring / copying files, installing programs directly (which neither Windows Phone nor iOS allows). And much more (and if you make a root, then in general ...).
Variety of software. The popularity of the system has resulted in the fact that the local store is full of the most diverse de .., I beg your pardon, software for every taste and color.
Variety of lineup. Almost all manufacturers produce Android devices. So, when you come to the salon, your eyes sometimes run wide, but here sensible and “knowledgeable” sellers, as well as sellers who are well versed in technology, who are always ready to sell exactly what you need (in their opinion) will always come to your aid. ).
Having dealt with the advantages, let's move on to the disadvantages:
It is the fact that you can do whatever your heart desires with the device, which can lead to unpleasant consequences, such as, for example, infection with a virus. You can, of course, install an antivirus, but it's better to live without viruses at all, as the owners of Windows Phone and iOS live. And in general, the closeness of the system (not complete, but the same as in Windows Phone) is the best remedy for crooked hands and the associated headache.
A huge number of programs does not mean the quality of these crafts. How much "slag" they have there! Plus, Google's disregard for its store. I often read in reviews: “Do not download! Virus!”, “This is not the program it claims to be!” and a lot like that. In general, this was one of the reasons for the abandonment of Android. And yes, they didn’t have the programs I needed in my life (and some still don’t).
Braking of the system. God, how Android slows down. And there are many reasons for that. For example, the "Back" button often does not close applications, as it should ideally, but simply collapses them. Then, many manufacturers do not like naked android, they come up with their own shells and launchers, which also loads the processor, especially Samsung shells, whose programmers are known for their curvature, only Microsoft coders who ruined Mail can compete with them;).
The disregard of manufacturers to update their devices. Regularly updated in my opinion, only smarts from Google, it’s easier for the rest to update with the release of a new version of the system the lineup than mess with sending updates to existing ones, even if they support new versions.
Here are the main reasons why I don't want an android device at the moment. And so I turn to the third point.
QUESTION THREE: WHY WINDOWS PHONE?
I have only one device on this system - my favorite 520ya. The most successful state employee, IMHO. So why did I choose this particular system?
She doesn't slow down. Everything works very smoothly. I don’t see any lags (only in some rather weighty games like Asphalt).
Native office support (which was neither in iOS nor in Android at the time of the purchase of Lumiya). And this is very important for me at work.
The local store is small, but I found what I needed there (for example, a city transport schedule, there was no such application for my city in other systems).
Finally, convenient cartography and navigation! It is a pity, of course, that it is no longer exclusive, but nevertheless.
visual style. I love live tiles. A handy thing and looks better than iOS statics or Android widgets.
Of course, not everything is perfect in this system and here is what I would really like to add to it:
The ability to set the melody for the call yourself, without crutches in the form of connecting to a computer and without using third-party programs.
Synchronization with the computer "over the air", via WiFi.
Summing up, I want to say that, I am not the most demanding user, all of the above was my personal opinion and personal impressions, but despite all its shortcomings and very little popularity, Windows Phone and its successor Windows 10 Mobile is all I need . And I don’t need any iOS or Android for nothing.
If you're going to buy a phone this year, it's both rewarding and difficult at the same time. It's nice - because a rare new phone does not cause delight. Difficult - because you have to think a lot before purchasing a new phone. It will be a choice not only between smartphones, but also between platforms. Recently, Google officially showed its next operating system. Android system M with an interesting set of . Together with her users in 2015 waiting for three significant updates to operating systems for smartphones. After all, it is this year that iOS 9 and Windows 10 Mobile will also be released. Users have become accustomed to the fact that significant updates to operating systems occur annually. But those changes that touch phones on Windows base, are the most impressive.
The PhoneDog resource published a note "Windows 10 Mobile will make things difficult, but in a good way Windows 10 Mobile", which discusses what changes await users in operating systems for smartphones in 2015.
The differences between Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 8 were big, but the issues that made windows phones Phone were kept from version to version. The lack of applications for this OS still remains its most notable shortcoming. Windows Phone 8.1 also got some new stuff, but it wasn't enough to make users turn their backs on the popular Android and iOS and look towards the mobile platform.
Windows 10 will become Microsoft system designed for personal computers, tablets and phones, and there is hope that the problems that prevented Windows Phone from gaining popularity will finally be a thing of the past. At least the lack of applications, since it is expected that software will work on various devices, regardless of their type, not to mention the fact that Microsoft new a toolkit that provides a relatively easy way to port Android and iOS applications to Windows platform 10.
There is reason to believe that this approach will make Windows 10 Mobile a more serious player in the mobile OS market, especially if Microsoft begins to delight users again with flagship phones based on its platform.
Windows update 10 Mobile is the hottest thing in the mobile industry in 2015. iOS 9 and Android M will also arrive this year. At the same time, both updates will become more of a stabilizing performance than offering users something never seen before.
All this does not mean that users will immediately begin to massively switch to Windows 10 Mobile, but the popularity of Windows devices may increase over time. And that's good news, at least for consumers, as they'll have choices outside of the Android and iOS ecosystems.
Many people still like Windows Phone, but people are used to the huge selection of applications that is available for Android and iOS devices. Microsoft already offers a significant portion of its most popular services for Android and iOS, while Windows Phone support Google Apps.
Right now, the only advantages of Windows Phone at the moment are Cortana and a beautiful minimalist design. These smartphones are good for those users who need a budget device. If we talk about the premium segment and the category of mid-range devices, then Windows Phone today has very little to offer the user, compared to Android and iOS.
It's hard to say if Windows 10 Mobile will change the smartphone market. But there is reason to hope that phones running this OS will no longer be placed on the farthest shelves of stores.
How many Android smartphone users will prefer devices based on Windows 10 Mobile in 2015?
