Giving up on Windows Phone, do I go Android or iOS?

I've been putting off this question holding out hope that things would change. I've been a Windows Phone since WP7 and I've been very happy with it. I have a Nokia Lumia 928 which was the 'flagship' of WP phones at the time I got it. There were a lot of rumors that the HTC One M9 would be offered in a Windows version but that never happened....and it sucks.

Future Windows Phones are going to be of the entry-level variety and I'm not interested in cheap, crappy hardware that doesn't last. The only option I have for a high-end Windows Phone is the HTC One M8, which costs $480 from Verizon! But I have a difficult time justifying paying that much for old technology when the Android HTC One M9 is only $552. The M8 will be two years old next month, so I'd be using 2yr old technology for two more years. Would I be crazy to do that?

The other option, and I don't like it, is going to the dark side and getting an iPhone 6, 6 Plus or 6s. I'm familiar with iOS because my parents, my sister and my best friend all have iPhones. But I have resisted because I have issues with the way people seem to become indoctrinated and MUST have everything Apple- iPad, iPhone, MacBook, etc. I also refuse to buy any computer that is sealed and doesn't allow me to service or upgrade my own system! So I don't really want to "drink the Kool-Aid, so to speak".

I've never really used Android, to be honest. Prior to July 2011, when I bought my first Windows Phone, I wasn't using smartphone. I still had an old-school flip phone to that point. So Android is alien to me and I despise change, but my Nokia Lumia 928 is getting old and starting to have intermittent issues, so something has to happen.

Do I get the HTC One M8 with Windows Phone and pay for old technology? Do I step out of my comfort zone and get the HTC One M9 Android? Or do I embrace everything I despise and get an iPhone?

 

I feel your pain for Windows Phone. Loved my Lumia 900 even though I was stuck on WP7.5, and I've been hoping for a nice Nokia flagship to come out in a year or two. Now Microsoft has basically abandoned the platform altogether, which is hardly surprising given the terrible sale records compared to Android/iOS phone sales.

That said, I've used a fair bit of both Android and iOS. iOS is nice if you're looking more for stability (or at least "sameness") and possibly better performance for a given set of hardware, given that both iOS and WP are designed to run on bare metal rather than on a virtual machine as Android does. That said, you'd also have to accept the walled garden that Apple hosts for those devices, which isn't all that different from how Microsoft treated WP I suppose...

Personally, I've only owned Androids after my WP (though my mom had several iPhones before switching over with me). It's a more flexible and "allowing" OS than either iOS or WP, which is nice if you want to tinker with the phone without jail-breaking it. However, my personal experience with Android is that your experience of the OS is highly dependent on the phone's OEM; my sister was the first of us to get Android (on a Samsung Galaxy 3) and the experience was fantastic as far as usability goes. I bought a LG G2 and even after an RMA the hardware and/or LG's low-level software drivers (never figured out which) always disappointed me. GPS never worked right, first had a funky LTE radio or something, and the device easily overheated (even to the point of thermal protection shutdown, while using it outside on a summer day). Bought a Samsung Galaxy Prime Core (or Core Prime? Even the packaging mixes it up...) last December and ignoring the performance differences (LG's then-flagship compared to today's budget smartphone), I haven't had any issues with this phone as of yet. Before that, my mom bought a LG G3, and while her phone wasn't as bad my G2 phones, it's certainly not a quality product either.

Can't say anything good or bad about HTC though, as I never bought any of their products before.

 

I went from WP7.5 (and then WP7.8) to Android. I also have experience with iOS because my mom keeps sending our family iPads so that she can Facetime with her grandkids (she's an Apple loyalist and not computer literate so she literally would rather buy us an iPad instead of learning how to use Hangouts or Skype). I think either way is going to be a trade-up for you.

I personally would go Android from WP instead of iOS. First and foremost, your dollar goes a LOT farther, and you sound cost-sensitive. The Nexus 5X currently starts at $299 (for the 16gb model; 32 gb model is $349) and the Nexus 6P currently starts for $449 (for the 32 gb model). Compared to $649 for a 16gb iPhone 6S and $749 16gb iPhone 6S Plus (add $100 for increased storage in both cases), and you're paying nearly twice as much for the iPhone. If you have the means and don't mind spending the money, I'm not going to criticize. But for someone who is cost-sensitive, iDevices are NOT the way to go.

But if you're going to go Android, I would strongly recommend getting one of those two Nexus handsets instead of an HTC One M9 purchased through Verizon. The cameras on the two new Nexus devices are some of the best on any Android device, and far better than the HTC One's. You're going to get security updates and Android version updates MUCH faster and MUCH longer with a Nexus device than a Verizon-purchased HTC One, it's going to run smoother and more stable because you've got vanilla Android instead of the Sense skin and Verizon bloatware, and your dollar goes much further with the modern Nexus lineup (Verizon sells the One M9 with 32gb storage for $549, and it falls somewhat between the $349 Nexus 5X and $449 Nexus 6P in specs and build).

https://store.google.com/product/nexus_5x

https://store.google.com/product/nexus_6p

 

Maybe I didn't get the point, but what about the new Flagship Lumia 950(xl)? Not that I would recommend it, but if you would like to stay on WP, that would be the choice.

Otherwise I agree switching to Android. Did that too from my Lumia 930 to LG G Flex2 recently and I don't regret it so far. Dunno your budget, but if you want to spend on a high quality Android you could get the Flagships Nexus 6p or Huawei Mate 8.
Got my LG G Flex2 for 240 € (Germany) and besides the throttling (which unfortunately is there - and yeah it gets "warm"! ) I think that you get a great bang for the buck - even better, if you tweak it afterwards. I hope to negate the throttling issue with some 17w/mk Thermal Pad on the CPU and flash an unlocked rom on it. After that it should run like a charm!

 

The 950 doesn't support Verizon's network, and the original poster is on Verizon.

 

There will be Snapdragon 820 Windows 10 devices... Microsoft specifically mentions that the MSM8996 (Snapdragon 820) will only work on Windows 10

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/01/15/windows-10-embracing-silicon-innovation/

They wouldn't have mentioned the SD820 if they didn't plan to make a high end phone using it in the near future. I would hedge my bets on a high end W10 phone before the end of the year, not that I would buy one.

As for recommendations... it comes down to this - if you like Apple's hardware, you go with Apple. If you like the fact that there are devices for literally every taste out there, Android is a no-brainer.

Since you're coming from the weakest app ecosystem out of the three, apps shouldn't really be a big deal. Android has pretty much everything Windows does except the proprietary Microsoft software as does iOS.

I personally can't stand iOS. I hate how locked down it is, I hate how much control Apple has over everything, I hate the design of the GUI, I think that having just a single button adds layers of complexity to figuring out things... And I own an iPad Air... I never use it.

 

I love Windows Phone but I made the switch to Android and haven't really looked back. It's not too complicated to learn and the interface doesn't change massively between versions of Android, so it's usually a case of working out where the odd setting has now gone in the menu.

Both Android and iOS work fine - my inner geek loves Android for it's flexibility that comes from rooting but iOS diffinitely has something in it's favour with the GUI and apps. My previous Nexus died so I picked up one of those Chinese 'Cubot' Android phones - 2GB RAM, true octo-core processor - poor camera quality but the phone has been surprisingly good for the small amount that I had to pay. Further downside is the need to make sure that your phone carrier frequency matches if buying a CHinese Android phone.

 

I have an Nokia 1020, I have had it a couple of years it`s running WM 8.1 and i hate it, the only thing i kept the phone for is the 36mp camera as it takes amazing photo`s but i use my Android HTC M7 95% of the time.

John.

 

I for one just got a 1020 (mainly because of the camera, but I liked the OS as well, the one and only one-hand friendly OS as of now) and I love it. Using it as a daily driver and my aging iP4 fills the app gap when needed, and if it's available for 6.1.3 that is, because no way in hell I'm updating to the ugly mess that everything above (iOS7+) is.

 

I like widgets on my home screen on Android, on wm8. 1 the tiles only update every 30mins, that's crazy, and there is no setting menu like on Android, it seems like an afterthought just in the a to z list, and downloading app updates I still don't know, have used an third part app to find them, and the drop down settings to turn on wifi with a swipe down and a click on the wifi icon, but to turn wifi off you have to swipe down click on the wifi instead of the wifi turning off, it takes you into wifi setting then you click to turn wifi off and then your done.

I want to install android on my Nokia 1020

John

 

Currently I am using Microsoft Lumia 535 for past one year, but now it has showing some touch problems and does react quite late. Now I am also planning for move to android. I wish to have Samsung Note 4 for myself.

 

Was with Nokia 1020 and M8 Windows phones, what is funny is I use Outlook for Work and Blackberry works better with Outlook! Also I use blend to Text from my computer vs phone so many reasons I love my BlackBerry Classic, if you dont need to watch youtube videos, movies, and useless apps but want to make phone calls, text and email well this is the phone and os!

 

I wouldn't give up a Window Phone for Android. I've been a Nexus owner for 4 years now, but for reasons that I like customization, rooting phones for adblock etc...

But for average user, who never has never done any such modifications and uses phone stock? I think Windows UI beats iOS and Android hands down easily. And I think it's premature to give up hope, Microsoft is pretty much writing off Lumia acquisition. Lumia have been very consistent with strong quality build, shatter resistant screens, the best AMOLED displays and the best cameras with the best UI. No other company IMO has had the consistency that Microsoft has. If Microsoft or Nokia made the Nexus Phones? Wow, that would have been incredible.

Wait to see what Surface Phone will bring, I think that will be the next update from Microsoft, a Surface Phone.

 

I agree that Android isn't ideal for the tech-illiterate. I cringe whenever I see a five-homescreen setup of carrier widgets and randomly-misplaced icons scattered without any rhyme or reason. I think the best interface for tech-illiterate people is iOS. The things about iOS that I find so limiting also make it very hard to mess up if you don't know what you're doing.

Windows Phone isn't any easier to use than iOS in my experience, and with iOS, half your friends already know how to use it, a benefit to a tech-illiterate buyer.

Add in the stability issues with Windows Phone 10 (surprising, since WP7 and WP8 were remarkably stable platforms), and I just couldn't recommend a WP10 device to a tech-illiterate person.

My general advice nowadays to tech-illiterate people is to get a Nexus device if they're price-conscious and live with someone who is at least slightly tech-literate, and get an iPhone if they're not and they don't.

 

the app update setting is in the Store setting. I put it on automatically and only download when connecting to wifi.

the setting in my WP isn't even in alphabetic order

actually I think the wifi button makes sense though since if you can just turn off wifi by clicking it a second time like the cellular button, then you can't choose which wifi network to connect to and also change wifi setting.

WP10 has not released yet right? My version is Denim, which I guess is WP8. Don't even know what color Denim is.

my Lumia 1520 seems to have inferior cellular reception since apparently I can never use my cellular because the speed is too slow (guess it's kinda a crappy data plan but I can't even load websites). And need more apps/love. Damn Steam always asks me to use their mobile authenticator but they don't support WP.

 

If you buy a Lumia 950 or 950XL, you get WP10 on it, not WP8. I don't know if/when prior Lumias will be getting WP10, but WP10 is indeed currently in the hands of consumers (at least those who own brand-new hardware).

 

I know that feel; it is not necessary to have all products from Apple. That's why i prefer using Android as i think the user experience and app ecosystem are better. most of my friends are using android phones, some of them are not that good at tech stuff but not like they are having trouble with their phones. so id say whether ur tech-literate or not does not limit ur choice to ios or android... However, I never bought any products from HTC so cannot give any suggestion on this brand.

As far as my experience goes, i would recommend you the LG G4 Dual which comes with Android 5.1 Lollipop( it's a version of the os). Going into its specifications, this phone has 16 MP rear camera with 3GB RAM and it's software UI is really user-friendly. I can say it has to be one of the best cameras for Android phones. Love it with its leather design cover as well. I got mine last year at T-dimension when they upgraded their website and started offering VAT free option, so you should consider taking a look at their site when you have made up ur mind on which model ur getting.

 

Hello, I know I'll probably be repeating a lot of things mentioned above, and I'll give you the pros and cons of android and ios (I've done this plenty of times on yahoo answers, haha), like everyone else, and I can give you some insight to the etc m9, since I currently own it, and I'll tell you why I choose it over the other android phones and iPhone. Hopefully, I'm not to late
*I've never used a windows phone, so if I say something that window phones have, I'm sorry about that*
Android Pros
A lot more customizable than ios. Since there's the app drawer on android, vs ios, where all the apps are displayed on your home screens, It's easier to access apps you more, and it keeps the home screen cleaner. I also like how you can download files such as zip files, documents, and install 3rd party apps straight off of the web. If you want to download music on ios, you need ios. Want to watch a video? go to the website, buy it, download it, and watch it. You can't do that on ios. You can't download music files, and move them into a music folder, or do the same with a video file. You have to go to iTunes, convert into aac or some other file, then connect your phone, and install. Also, if you have a windows computer, you need to download iTunes (I believe) to move files and pictures, where as android, you can just plug it into your windows PC, maybe install a driver, and move your files like an USB drive. Simple as that. One thing I mentioned above was the downloading of 3rd party apps. What if you want an app that got removed from google play? Or it's not on google play in general? Just download it from a website, and install it. Unlike ios, it has to be from the app store, or, you have to jailbreak your phone to install it from your phone. Finally, rooting an android is ooooh much easier than jailbreaking. And some functions offered on a unrooted android can only be obtained on an iPhone if you jailbreak it (ex, downloading 3rd party apps)
cons to android
Well, since you can download straight from the web, the security isn't as strong as ios. Also, if you have a mac, a bunch of apple products like the whole world, then android might not be for you. Finally, people claim that android is slower... well, that only applies if you get a low end or mid level model android. Also, people hate the choice of picking an android. You get an android phone, then another android company comes out with a better version, then another company tops that, it's just annoying knowing that had you waited a month, you could have bought a better phone, and that bugs people. Also, depending on the company you buy it from, their skin may not be that good. Lg had a skin software, that I didn't like, Samsung TouchWiz gets a lot of crap, cause it's crappy. It's getting better but... it's TouchWiz. I have the HTC skin, And I like. It's unique compared to other android phones. It does, however, take up a bunch of space, and a couple 100mb or ram to run. Actually, while I'm rambling about skins, I hate the ios skin. It looks like a 5-year-old drew the icons...
pros of iPhone
Better security, much better security. Also, if you're the kind of person that likes encryption, well, iPhone is for you. A lot of people have mac books, so maybe an iPhone makes more sense. ios in general, is just much better optimized, which is why iPhones could run on 1gb or ram, vs android and it's 3-4gb or ram. Due to the optimizations, ios beats android in single thread processes. However, I should note that while it is faster, the speed difference is not that noticeable. If you buy a high-end smartphone, speed is not noticeable, but if you get a mid or low-end smartphone, you'll see a difference in speed. There are also more apps on the app store? I don't know, I don't use apple products, but that's what people tell me. But honestly, there will always be something similar for android. Maybe not as good, but it works? I don't know. Sorry, at this point, it may seem like I'm biased towards android, but it's just because I've never used an apple product besides an iPod nano, which was a pain to get music for cause I didn't have iTunes on my PC.
cons of iPhones
not as much customization. Unless changing background counts as customization, well, it doesn't in my standards. It's also a hassle transferring file and moving files around. I should also mention that even though ios security is much better than android, I've never been hacked my 4 years of using android. I've rooted my phone, which means less security, sometimes using 3rd party apps means going to sketchy websites, where they download random files, all I do is delete them, and again, I've never been hacked. There are two people that I know who got hacked within months of using android, and they did not root their phone. So, I guess it's just a raffle. But again, it's not like headline news, "Android gets hacked again..."
HTC? Or not
Well, let's go over all the android companies. There's LG, Samsung, Huawei, sony, HTC, nexus phones, acetal, yadda yadda...
Well, in a few months, the LG g5 will be hitting, the Samsung s7 is out, and htc is releasing its htcm10 or what not soon, sony Xperia has a new kid, etc. It's that time again, where android is releasing its new phones (android phones come out in q1 and q2, while apple releases their phones q3 and q4, generally, that's the case). So yeah, that's just a bit
Now, to answer your actual question. Well, I have the htc m9, and I like. However, I should note that my first choice was a sony Xperia z5/ z5 compact, but since you needed to import it (at the time, now, it's available in us), I didn't get it cause of warranty overseas and what not. I was also interested in the nexus 6p, which is a great phone, but it wasn't available at t-mobile, and the 5.7" screen is too big for me. So, if went with the htc. I picked the htc because I like music. The htc phone is one of the best phones to use for music. Boomsound is definitely one of the best speakers out there. Seriously, why don't phone companies use front facing speakers? I like the design of the phone. People complain that's it's heavy, and not thin enough. I reply, got a workout. The phone is not that heavy, maybe compared to other phones, but overall, no. As for thickness, what? why do you want it thinner, it just makes it uncomfortable to hold, and less edge to grip on. Also, the htc's curved back makes it thick, which, btw, feels great in the hands. Again, I like the UI htc created, sense, compared to LG and Samsung's TouchWiz, which I've read tends to lag and slow down over time. your experience may vary. Finally, a 1080p screen, IMO, is good enough. You don't need 2k screens with qHD technology, yes, they look better than htc's and sony's screens, but it drains power. the s7 has a big battery, but that screen uses it up in no time. cons of htc? well, the camera is trash. they never learned from their past mistakes, and I'm not sure if they will. but I don't take pictures so I could care less. I just like the design, how it's a music phone, and it has a decent battery.
Why did I take it over the LG g4 and LG g5? Well, the LG g4 has a better camera and a prettier and crisper screen, but battery life is essential to me. Who cares how pretty the screen is (compared to 1080p) if the phone dies out faster. no battery means no pretty display. I'm also not a fan of the plastic or leather backs. Also, the sd810 is better than the sd808. as for the LG g5, I have no comments, it's not out yet. The module part seems cool, but there's nothing really cool about it yet. What the camera add-on is nice, the high-quality DAC is nice for audio guys, but that design, though... Not a fan. and I can imagine the 2k screen killing battery life again. people market the removable battery as an unlimited battery, but remember, who actually carries a spare battery with them? And you also need a battery dock to charge that spare battery. I may be wrong though...
LG v10? Again, don't care about the camera, the screen uses a lot of the pretty big battery capacity. The design is rugged, but I'm not a fan. The dual screen tech is really pointless. Is it that hard to press the power button and see your notifications and the time?
*another thing, people tell you that the sd 810 overheats, but in my testing, gaming(real racing 3) while charging only brought CPU temps to no higher than 112 f. Which may seem hot, but google that temp, it could be much worse. And not to mention, I gained this by enabling high CPU mode and improved graphics. So the processor and GPU were working harder.
Why over the nexus 6p? well, hungry 2k screen, don't care about the great camera, 5.7" is just too big for me, and it's not available for t-mobile, at the time.
Why not Samsung s6 or edge, and now the s7 and s7 edge? Don't like the design. I think it looks bad, Samsung phones always looked bad, and they still do. Also, the edge design is pointless on so many levels (it really does nothing important, there's a glare no matter how you hold it, distortions on the curved part, and it's a lot more fragile. I'd just buy the normal s6 or s7. did I mention how bad TouchWiz is? Well, it is better on the s7 and s7 edge, but it's still TouchWiz. speaking of s7 and s7 edge, the new flagships are nicely designed. the snapdragon 820 is much better than the sd 810. The cameras are a big improvement with its new tech vs the other cameras on phones, and it's water cooled... sort of. So the phone will stay cool when the CPU and GPU are under stress. But the battery life is terrible cause of the new 2k screen. beautiful screen as always, but too wasteful of power.
Finally, the htc m9, and m10, cause I can't be biased against my own phone. the m9 is not that much different from the m8, which is why it was so hated. besides an internal update, a bigger mp camera, nothing really changed. same design, same software, people didn't like it. The only reason to get it is the boom sound, which some will argue the m8 boom sound sounded better. (btw, boom sound is powered by Dolby surround sound). and that camera, terrible. has issues with focus, can't produce good low light pics. literally proving the phrase more mp is not always better. I mean, of all the sensors it could have bought, it bought one from Toshiba. not like sony makes almost every phone camera sensor or anything. And the overheating issues. I don't think 112f is that hot, considering the conditions I put it under, but people don't like it. and the m10, they removed boom sound!!! what the hell htc. And because of that, I'm going to stop right there and not talk about anything else bout htc cause I'm pissed about that dumb choice. Well, at least, sony will keep the dual speakers...
SO yeah, that was really long, and I apologize for writing a book, and sorry for not seeing this thread any sooner. Any questions, I'll be happy to answer them. Again, sorry for the length, probably breaking posting rules right now, but finding a good phone that suits you is pretty important, I learned that the hard way.