My last two phones have been HTC's WP7 phones, I got the Mozart at launch and a HD7 after that one went through the wash. Ever since Mango both phones have locked up after songs at random. I'll keep my eyes open for what HTC announce, but I am not expecting anything amazing revolutionary. I am more excited to see what Apple is introducing now, they might bring something cool to the mobile market.
Reports that HTC is going to sell its WP8 models with some light Sense skinning included = no thank you. The giant clock isn't all that awful, and I actually like it on Android, but I want my first Windows Phone to be as unskinned as possible. I want to be able to use the Windows update center thing on Windows 8 without interference from a hardware manufacturer.
The good news is that Verizon and Nokia are apparently in talks. This gives me hope that the 920 (or 922, or whatever equivalent) is coming to Big Red. My only concern then would be if Verizon is going to cram the thing with bloatware (is there any doubt?). Glad to hear that WP8 lets you remove anything you want from the home screen (so there wouldn't be forced, unremovable bloatware tiles), but they'd still be in the app list, which is annoying.
I'm pretty sure you can uninstall any bloatware - it's a requirement for WP7, at least. (It does come back after a factory reset so it isn't a true uninstall, but it's gone from the app list.)
Which is why you have to do the combing. That's true for pretty much any phone you picked up (for example, T-Mobile as a carrier has specific apps for its phones, across manufacturers--some useful, some not).
No handsets have been announced that use that chipset, but the Surface RT uses Tegra 3 and Windows 8/Windows Phone 8 share kernels, so I wouldn't be surprised...
I'm waiting to see the full reviews when the 920 comes out, but it's either that or the 808 Pureview for me. I had an N8 which was fantastic, so the 808 makes sense. Main problem is the pretty crappy screen on the 808. As long as the 920 has working USB on the go and mass storage mode, and the camera turns out to be good, it's probably what I'm going with.
No handsets have been announced that use that chipset, but the Surface RT uses Tegra 3 and Windows 8/Windows Phone 8 share kernels, so I wouldn't be surprised...
In a few days HTC will show a new WP8 right?
XBL - ArchSilversmith
"We have years of struggle ahead, mostly within ourselves." - Made in USA
No handsets have been announced that use that chipset, but the Surface RT uses Tegra 3 and Windows 8/Windows Phone 8 share kernels, so I wouldn't be surprised...
In a few days HTC will show a new WP8 right?
They've got a press event on the 19th. No clues as to what they plan to announce, but it'll probably include both their new Android and Windows phones.
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jungleroomxIt's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovelsRegistered Userregular
Windows Phone 8 has officially hit RTM as of late yesterday.
Interestingly, it seems they've partnered with Microsoft to be the "face of Windows Phone 8" - hence the phones actually being named after the OS. I like the design of the 8X, though specs-wise the Lumia 920 still pulls ahead (storage, camera, and screen). The 8X is much slimmer and lighter, though.
Definitely not going to be as straightforward to pick as before.
Well, this complicates things. At the very least, it means we're guaranteed a flagship WP8 phone on Verizon. I'd honestly take either - and it may come down to physical feel. I'm okay with that, since it means good things for the OS overall if there are a number of equally-attractive options.
I'm probably still leaning towards the 920. Nokia's software offerings have, on average, been a bit better than what HTC has brought to the table (Of course, if that changes I'll have to think it over again). The 920 doesn't quite have as much storage as I'd like, but it should be enough to get the job done... having to use the midrange phone in order to get the most possible storage is really annoying.
I knew not to expect a keyboard phone at this stage, but the HTC showing looks pretty good. It might be a while before we learn how viable switching out the internal memory will be for the 8X (I think...I don't think anything's been announced yet strictly). My Venue Pro isn't supposed to have a removable MicroSD either, heh. That being said, while I very much like the 8S coming out and presenting its memory slot, it's definitely a little too small for me.
Yeah, it's a real shame the flagship phones don't have expandable memory, while the mid-range ones do.
The Ativ S does, IIRC, but it's also basically just a Galaxy S III with WP8 tacked on; HTC and Nokia are the only ones (so far) who've come up with something specifically for the platform.
The more I look at the bluish purple 8X, the more I think I might want it over the 920. I love the illusion of flatness provided by the super-thin sharp edges. And I like that the colors are bold without being glossy or simple. The Lumia has Nokia apps, wireless charging, and a larger screen... but the 8X's screen has more ppi, and it'll sound better.
Man, I just don't know. I don't care about expandable memory, personally - but I am troubled by the 8X's smaller battery. My HTC Thunderbolt's battery is awful - guess that's why I'll have to wait for reviews of all of these devices. Gotta say - I am digging the WP8 aesthetic and the colorful, stylish look of these phones.
For what it's worth, Windows Phone 7 has had pretty great battery life for me. My HTC Arrive can outlast pretty much any Android or iOS phone on its 1500mAH battery. Sometimes I don't even bother charging it overnight, and if I really need to ensure that it'll last out a lot of usage, battery saver mode is really effective. Hopefully they don't lose that efficiency in WP8.
The only Nokia phone I've had was an N8 which was Symbian 3 - it had pretty amazing battery life. I don't know if that's a Nokia thing or a Symbian thing or an xfactor thing but there you go.
A feature that I really appreciated which I believe is being carried over to Lumia is the GPS and maps. Maps and GPS worked perfectly with or without a data connection. You could download maps of whatever areas you want ahead of time, and the GPS thing would be able to instantly show you where you were on that map super accurately with no data or wifi active. I did a lot of traveling with the N8 and this functionality was incredibly helpful.
Yeah, Nokia Drive's very good; I live in a rural area with generally poor reception, so having the full UK maps and navigation saved to the phone can be a real lifesaver.
I'm very surprised by just how good the announced HTC phones look - cyan Lumia's got some competition at last!
For what it's worth, Windows Phone 7 has had pretty great battery life for me. My HTC Arrive can outlast pretty much any Android or iOS phone on its 1500mAH battery. Sometimes I don't even bother charging it overnight, and if I really need to ensure that it'll last out a lot of usage, battery saver mode is really effective. Hopefully they don't lose that efficiency in WP8.
Considering the small battery it has (a common issue with keyboard phones) and the very bright screen, my Venue Pro has very good battery life (maybe a reflection of Dell's familiarity with laptop battery life). And saver mode does its job. My preferred GPS app (Turn-by-Turn Navigation) sucks up battery life though.
To steer the topic back to WP7.5--anyone noticed their wireless syncing doesn't seem to work...quite right? It's my default way of updating music/podcasts, and more and more, I've noticed that it'll sync once or twice, but after that, nothing. I need to plug it back into my PC and set it up again, which is annoying.
It might have something to do with my Wireless settings, but I'll be damned if I can figure that out. Clearly, my settings will let it sync a couple times, but after that, it doesn't seem to want to (despite still being hooked to the charger).
"We have years of struggle ahead, mostly within ourselves." - Made in USA
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Great ScottKing of Wishful ThinkingParagon City, RIRegistered Userregular
edited October 2012
I'm aware that it took a while to build up a marketshare with the Xbox, but at least in the US the phone market is really controlled by the carriers - it's not the same kind of market; there are gatekeepers.
Hopefully Microsoft can/will make a better deal with the carriers so that they get the chance to succeed. Right now I only see two (expensive) Windows 7 phones on the AT&T website, and I had to search them out.
Great Scott on
I'm unique. Just like everyone else.
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Great ScottKing of Wishful ThinkingParagon City, RIRegistered Userregular
wireless charging, every time I have seen it, just seems expensive and big. Be it the touchstone, or the new Lumia thing, or the energizer hacky stuff apple has made for it. And they take slightly longer to charge.
And you still have a wire running from the wireless charger to the wall or your computer... so why do people care so much about it?
It's the connector. My Android phone and my Kindle tablet share the same charger (the one by my desk), and... they have the opposite vertical orientation for the microUSB socket. If I had a nickel for every time I jammed the USB cable in those devices the wrong way I'd be rich.
Yeah, even though I don't buy into wireless charging, that is a particularly good reason for it, Scott. I have a Kindle Fire and a Venue Pro sitting on my nightstand--aside from running out of outlets fast, being able to set both of them together on the lower part of the nightstand would be very convenient.
Though I have to say, if Apple announced they were looking to include wireless charging in next year's iPhone, I bet a lot of people would feel differently.
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The good news is that Verizon and Nokia are apparently in talks. This gives me hope that the 920 (or 922, or whatever equivalent) is coming to Big Red. My only concern then would be if Verizon is going to cram the thing with bloatware (is there any doubt?). Glad to hear that WP8 lets you remove anything you want from the home screen (so there wouldn't be forced, unremovable bloatware tiles), but they'd still be in the app list, which is annoying.
I plan to do that if I ever get a Nokia phone--comb through and rid myself of the useless apps.
I seem to recall people being upset that some of the best tools were codeveloped by Microsoft and Nokia and are exclusive to their line...
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
"We have years of struggle ahead, mostly within ourselves." - Made in USA
"We have years of struggle ahead, mostly within ourselves." - Made in USA
I really hope that Microsoft can market this and the Surface brilliantly so it takes off and I don't have to suffer "3rd place supporter syndrome".
In a few days HTC will show a new WP8 right?
"We have years of struggle ahead, mostly within ourselves." - Made in USA
They've got a press event on the 19th. No clues as to what they plan to announce, but it'll probably include both their new Android and Windows phones.
Interestingly, it seems they've partnered with Microsoft to be the "face of Windows Phone 8" - hence the phones actually being named after the OS. I like the design of the 8X, though specs-wise the Lumia 920 still pulls ahead (storage, camera, and screen). The 8X is much slimmer and lighter, though.
Definitely not going to be as straightforward to pick as before.
"We have years of struggle ahead, mostly within ourselves." - Made in USA
Definitely need to hear more.
The Ativ S does, IIRC, but it's also basically just a Galaxy S III with WP8 tacked on; HTC and Nokia are the only ones (so far) who've come up with something specifically for the platform.
Man, I just don't know. I don't care about expandable memory, personally - but I am troubled by the 8X's smaller battery. My HTC Thunderbolt's battery is awful - guess that's why I'll have to wait for reviews of all of these devices. Gotta say - I am digging the WP8 aesthetic and the colorful, stylish look of these phones.
A feature that I really appreciated which I believe is being carried over to Lumia is the GPS and maps. Maps and GPS worked perfectly with or without a data connection. You could download maps of whatever areas you want ahead of time, and the GPS thing would be able to instantly show you where you were on that map super accurately with no data or wifi active. I did a lot of traveling with the N8 and this functionality was incredibly helpful.
I'm very surprised by just how good the announced HTC phones look - cyan Lumia's got some competition at last!
Considering the small battery it has (a common issue with keyboard phones) and the very bright screen, my Venue Pro has very good battery life (maybe a reflection of Dell's familiarity with laptop battery life). And saver mode does its job. My preferred GPS app (Turn-by-Turn Navigation) sucks up battery life though.
http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/09/06/nokia-maps-for-windows-phone-8-goes-offline/
http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/09/20/benchmarking-mobile-maps/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf5-Prx19ZM
"We have years of struggle ahead, mostly within ourselves." - Made in USA
It might have something to do with my Wireless settings, but I'll be damned if I can figure that out. Clearly, my settings will let it sync a couple times, but after that, it doesn't seem to want to (despite still being hooked to the charger).
"We have years of struggle ahead, mostly within ourselves." - Made in USA
Hopefully Microsoft can/will make a better deal with the carriers so that they get the chance to succeed. Right now I only see two (expensive) Windows 7 phones on the AT&T website, and I had to search them out.
It's the connector. My Android phone and my Kindle tablet share the same charger (the one by my desk), and... they have the opposite vertical orientation for the microUSB socket. If I had a nickel for every time I jammed the USB cable in those devices the wrong way I'd be rich.
Though I have to say, if Apple announced they were looking to include wireless charging in next year's iPhone, I bet a lot of people would feel differently.