Well, I got it: Nokia Lumia 920, Windows 8

[superboyac]

So if anyone is interested, I'll be posting my thoughts here.  First impressions:
--i like the interface adn touch response better than android and possibly better than ios.  it's crisp like the ios, but probably more confusing.  it's more responsive than android and cleaner.  i know, that's pretty vague.
--it's not as customizable (yet) as i would like.  i like the tiles a lot, but i don't know how to change the tile color (there doesn't seem to be a way other than changing ALL the tiles' colors at once).  Also, i'd like more ability to show what goes into the tiles.  like the gmail app shows the latest email and some of the first words...but there's enough space to show, say, the last 3 emails or more information.  I'd prefer more info showing.  But as usual, design people always want lots of blank space everywhere and as little info as possible.  so i'm hoping someone will come up with a hack or third party tool for this.

--mainly, what i would like is an app to tweak the interface of the device.  the basic functionality is fine so far for me, i don't do that much computing with my phone so it's going to be mainly for email, text, calling, browsing, a little reading...that's it.  and that's all fine (oh plus gps stuff of course).  But I'd really like some ability to change fonts, font size, size of titles...just nitty gritty theme tweaking.  i hope windows will allow for that, that's one of the great trademarks of windows.

[superboyac]

Another thing I'm not seeing that I'm curious about: there's no file manager on the windows phone.  i know that's not  big deal to 99% of the users, but i'd still like to have one just like a regular os.  but i guess i'd be expecting too much.

i just linked skydrive to it, i'll play around with it this week and see how it goes for work/professional situations.

[f0dder]

there's no file manager on the windows phone.  i know that's not  big deal to 99% of the users, but i'd still like to have one just like a regular os.  but i guess i'd be expecting too much.

Indeed you are - you're not supposed to access files. Heck, you're not even supposed to know about files - each app is it's own little data island. Thanks crApple, for infecting Microsoft with this line of thought.

If you want a tiny snip of freedom and access to your own data, you have to go Android.

[Tuxman]

Aren't there third-party file managers?

[40hz]

@SB - thx for "taking point" on this one.

I'd be extremely interested in any news/experiences/headaches you'd care to share. 

[superboyac]

OK, well I got my first real solid experience with the windows phone on my flight back today.  SO here goes:

The Windows experience on the phone is much more like Android and iOS than the Windows we are used to on the desktop.  Whatever that means to you, to me it's a little on the sour side, but also no big deal as of yet.  As I mentioned earlier, I'm curious how Windows is going to be dealing with basic file/folder management on the phone.  That's a big deal to me, but I'm also open to new ways of doing it on a small touch device...but right now, there isn't anything special I can tell that's different from any other mobile OS where files get locked to their apps (if no hacking occurs).  It seems as though Sky Drive linking may be the solution, which is not bad actually.  Skydrive is good, especially if you use the Office suite.  But for just basic file management, people like us will miss a lot of functionality.  Still better than android and ios on that front.

Secondly, the interface is, i think, nicer than android and ios.  Cleaner, less cute and for kids, more for adults.  There is a lot of potential, but currently it's just potential...nothing is happening.  Even basic apps like Dropbox aren't ready for primetime (again, sky drive competition).  The tiles are very cool in that you can resize the boxes, and supposedly convenient information can be shown there.  The only app i have doing it well is facebook, which makes good use of a bunch of tiles to show what's going on.  The other apps stink right now.  The email/text/etc apps you'd expect to make excellent use of tiles and show the last couple emails or notification, etc.  But now, it's minimal.  It'll let you know if you have a new text, it will show the first line of your latest gmail.  I'd like something more flexible.  Hopefully, apps willl start having user options of what to show on the tiles.  Right now, it's dictatorship...the app developers choose what to show, if anything.

I was also expecting more customizeability with the tile colors and sizes.  You can choose from 30 or so colors, and it will only color non-colored apps (which is most of them).  Some apps, like the att apps, are aready colored, you can't change those.  And it's not like you can tweak the appearance like in desktop windows, where we are used to messing around with fonts, font sizes, title bar, background color, etc.  Nope, just one color.  All the tiles will have that color, and the accents in various programs will have that color.  not much tweaking available.

the speed is on par with ios, definitely faster than android, or just better.  I think it actually beats ios in terms of touch response, but I'm not terribly confident of that statement.  android sucks balls here, even the s3 with all it's specs is lame with touch response...which indicates it's an android issue, not a phone issue.

So far, I like the phone much better than any iphone or android phone.  It's a good phone, and windows is not bad on the phone.  The things to keep an eye out for for those considering the purchase of a windows phone:
--wait for a healthy FREE apps market.  Only then will you be able to judge this versus the other phones.  Good free apps are the sign of a healthy app market.
--keep an eye on on news about tile features; this is the best and most unique feature of the phone, being able to glance a lot of detailed info right on the home screen.
--hopefully future updates of the phone will bring more hardcore system options, control-panel type stuff.  This phone hardly has anything.  It has an option for "theme" and there are just two things you can do: change accent color, change overall look between "light" and "dark".  very lame.
--i'd also be interested in alternative keyboard options, like swype.  My professional friends LOVE swype.  but I'd like a keyboard that has cursor keys (up-down-left-right) which for some reason ALL mobile OSs avoid.  it sucks trying to highlight accurately with your finger. By the way, Windows phone also has (by a slight margin) the best copy/paste tools of the mobile OSs.  it sucks on iOS, it sucks on Android, and it sucks a little less on Windows.  that's how i'd put it.

[superboyac]

Here's an article with several points i agree with:
http://forums.wpcentral.com/windows-phone-8-general-discussion/197887.htm

I want to see the following in WP8

-A file explorer that will allow us to bulk transfer our photos, music, videos, documents, or anything else to anyone else over any means. This includes transferring over bluetooth and/or NFC. This includes creating file folders with directories. Moving files from one directory to another. Etc. If they are going to force us into "Apple" mode where we can't manipulate anything, that = fail. My 4 year old BlackBerry Bold had a file explorer and that thing was basically a calculator.

-When I plug my phone into my computer I want it to be able to act as a USB mass storage drive. Zune is not the solution here going forward. Can't tell you how frustrated I was when I had some videos on my phone, connected to my computer and Zune automatically deleted them because they weren't present in my "My Videos" folder. I was travelling and needed these videos for the plane. And yeah it was only after that happened that I found the setting buried in Zune to not "automatically sync My Pictures/My Music/My Videos to your phone upon plugin". As far as I'm concerned Zune is a nice looking POS software that needs to be replaced ASAP.

-"Manly" looking tiles. My phone is not a toy, it's a tool to get sh*t done. **** the phone has the best mobile MS Office on it baked into the OS. I'm also a guy, not a chick. And therefore "baby blue" and other flourescent colors being the only option is just not appropriate. Grey, Black, White, and otherwise darker colored themes need to be offered, period. There's no excuse for that. And if someone like Joe Belfiore with his questionable sense of style is making these color decisions then he needs to be canned. Give me a break, this OS is way too good to be ruined by ugly colors.

-Folders for apps. The App list on the "second home screen" is decent but is tiresome after a while. Just allow us to create folders i.e. "Photo", "News", "Finance", where we can put similarily purposed apps inside as to reduce the amount of clutter in the App list. I mean there is already a folder/hub for "Games", why not let us expand that to everything else.

-A "notification" center is not really necessary but instead the "Me" tile should be repurposed for this. In fact, the whole name "Me" tile is generally dumb. I do not pin the "Me" tile to the home screen as it looks narcisistic to have a huge picture of yourself that says "Me" on your home screen. In fact, what is the point of the "Me" tile? To get notifications, check in, and post messages to FB/twitter. So perhaps the nomenclature is appropriate but I do not want my profile picture displayed on my home screen. Regardless this tile already fetches Facebook, twitter, and other notifications, and should be expanded to include all applications. I'm sure this is not the direction they are going to take, but really it should be.

So to summarize, in order for WP to succeed it really needs to strike a better balance between the "Apple" model (closed) and the "Droid" model (open). As of right now the restrictiveness is too much. It will be hard for me to consider WP, let alone recommend it to others, if I can't accomplish basic tasks that are well within the ability of a modern smartphone. These are powerful devices and should not be dumbed down ala Apple for the masses. There are intelligent people out there who want an alternative to Droid and Apple and who want a powerful device that will serve their basic computing needs on the go. People will buy WP8 if they can add features that make them truly powerful devices out of the box, and as a result App makers will start to pay attention and we'll finally start seeing some quality big-name apps here on WP.

Otherwise, I'm getting the next Nexus or praying Nokia adopts Android.

[superboyac]

It's true.  I can't bulk transfer anything.  Only one freaking file at a time.  This has got to change, cmon.

[allen]

This is probably better suited as a mini-review than a comment, but here goes anyway. At this time, I am on my third Windows Phone device and very happy. I had a first generation device, HTC Trophy on Verizon. I switched to AT&T for a Lumia 900 and am now carrying a Lumia 920. Now, I was I was happy -- but that happiness isn't the kind that comes from having everything. It's more an inner peace that comes from finding joy in ones limited state. Maybe it's a Zen platform.

Coming to this place has been a journey. I've owned palms and I've owned old Windows Mobile devices, I've owned more than one Android phone and multiple WebOS devices. In many ways, all of these other platforms gave me more. Deeper menus and complexity, bordering on attempting to be PC replacements, small as they may be. While on some of these platforms I may have had more power to affect change I can't help but feel like it was ultimately a great deal of time wasted fiddling because I could (as with my experience with Linux, could becomes must...).

A couple years ago I stopped thinking about my handheld device as a computer replacement or even extension of my computer and just embraced it for what it was -- took it instead as a separate thing altogether. That change of expectation made a great difference. Windows Phone is a much simpler experience than Windows -- you could argue it's all superficial. But here's the meat of it: it very elegantly does everything I need it to do. I can't do everything with it, but oh how I love what it does.

I know that some are really upset with Microsoft right now -- I'm the opposite. In the last few years, I've gone from jaded and Linux bound to becoming alarmingly close to fan boy. . . I guess I like the cloud and "not manly" icons.

[superboyac]

A couple years ago I stopped thinking about my handheld device as a computer replacement or even extension of my computer and just embraced it for what it was -- took it instead as a separate thing altogether. That change of expectation made a great difference. Windows Phone is a much simpler experience than Windows -- you could argue it's all superficial. But here's the meat of it: it very elegantly does everything I need it to do. I can't do everything with it, but oh how I love what it does.

This is exactly how I feel.  It's the reason why i even bothered getting the phone.  Most of my complaints do have to do with comparing it with a full desktop PC, which is quite unreasonable.  complaints about music/video...easily solved, I use my actual GOOD music player device like a sony walkman, or the sansas.  I already know what i'll be using this phone for: phone calls, keeping up with urgent emails/texts (the rest can wait for desktop), navigation help occasionally (though I prefer my large tablet for that), help looking up stuff on the fly, finding places to eat, addresses.  That's pretty much it.  Well said, allen.

[allen]

It can actually be a pretty great music player too, especially if you buy into their subscription model. Unfortunately while Zune and WP7 + Zune (for PC) had industry-best podcast support, podcasts kind of suck with WP8. I sincerely hope that's not a shift of priority indicative of the future but more "we ran out of time, it's coming" thing. . . we'll see. I guess podcasts aren't as important to me as they once were. . . maybe they're ahead of the curve on that.

Entirely unimportant, but what color phone did you get?

[superboyac]

Allen, you got me thinking, you basterd!!

The people that are going to be very happy with the Androids and iphones are those who will do most of their computing on their phone.  This means they are far from being computer geeks.  Then there are the geeks, and they fall into two camps for the most part: Windows geeks, Linux geeks.  I'm a Windows geek, but if not for the popularity factor, I'm a linux geek at heart.  Linux geeks are not going to be satisfied with any phone offering out there, including this windows phone.  Too commercial, too much money, too much polish, not enough substance, too many ways to get people paying for monthly subscriptions, apps, what not.  I actually think that Android is currently better suited for the Linux geek AND the windows geek.  Now, if you're a windows FAN than you'll be fine with the windows phone.  i even think that currently the iphone is also better suited for the linux and windows geeks.  But this all remains to be seen what people are able to do with this new phone the next 6 months.

and also, i have to add, i don't even really care anymore.  i'm not mad, i get it...whatever.

[superboyac]

It can actually be a pretty great music player too, especially if you buy into their subscription model. Unfortunately while Zune and WP7 + Zune (for PC) had industry-best podcast support, podcasts kind of suck with WP8. I sincerely hope that's not a shift of priority indicative of the future but more "we ran out of time, it's coming" thing. . . we'll see. I guess podcasts aren't as important to me as they once were. . . maybe they're ahead of the curve on that.

Entirely unimportant, but what color phone did you get?

Black.  i couldn't stomach the other colors.  If anything, I might have gotten the matte cyan, but geez, other than black and gray, there aren't any low-profile colors.  if there was a matte brown color, I'd have gotten that.  I think brown is classy.  Because my skin is brown.

[allen]

It's all gotten really weird. Android is the obvious (only?) go-to for a true Linux geek. It is to mobile computing what old "Windows Mobile" was. Meanwhile, Windows Phone might be a better fit for true iPhone users than the iPhone--it's both simpler AND prettier. iPhone is perhaps best suited for only the most dedicated of Apple fans.

Windows Phone doesn't appeal to any sort of geek, inherently -- it's just nice and tied tightly to the cloud. Pretty damn pop. I'm a geek, but I like my tri-corder to be bubble gum.

(What I love about Windows 8 is it totally appeals to BOTH wholly. Oh I wish I could afford a Surface with RT... donations please!

[allen]

The original Zune came in brown, it was lovely! While I'm partial to matte, I really like the "storm trooper" white -- which I'm now into 2 phones deep.

Also, if you don't have a wireless charger yet--get one. I learned this a couple years ago with WebOS--fucking magic.

[Stoic Joker]

I'm still waiting for Sprint to get their head out of their ass and offer some proper W8 phones. But for my current W7 phone the office mobile's Outlook tied to exchange does great for scheduled calendar events - I'm hoping/assuming that hasn't changed) - When a scheduled event pops up it plays a sound and a quick glance tells me what it's on about. I don't really need to swipe the phone open it's just there on the lock screen to snooze or dismiss.

How is the camera on the 920? I couldn't care less about the purest nitpicking about maximum bla-bla-bla ... I just want to know if the thing will take a descent picture that will still look right when it gets to a desktop. My current W7 HTC Aspire's performance is less than stellar in that regard.

[Daleus]

Thanks for the in-depth reviews.

I don't use a Smart/Super phone as I've never felt the need.  I *do* have a flip open cel phone that's over 6 years old and while the local phone co. says it's alright if I don't upgrade, that doesn't stop corporate head marketeers from sending me a monthly text message to encourage me to trade up.  I suspect they will eventually notify me they are no longer supporting my old POS.

So, I read these sorts of threads with great interest so that when the time comes, I can make a reasonably informed choice.

Thanks for the effort!

[allen]

I'm still waiting for Sprint to get their head out of their ass and offer some proper W8 phones. But for my current W7 phone the office mobile's Outlook tied to exchange does great for scheduled calendar events - I'm hoping/assuming that hasn't changed) - When a scheduled event pops up it plays a sound and a quick glance tells me what it's on about. I don't really need to swipe the phone open it's just there on the lock screen to snooze or dismiss.

How is the camera on the 920? I couldn't care less about the purest nitpicking about maximum bla-bla-bla ... I just want to know if the thing will take a descent picture that will still look right when it gets to a desktop. My current W7 HTC Aspire's performance is less than stellar in that regard.

I've never used my phone with Exchange but as near as I can tell mail hasn't changed moving from WP7 to WP8. Those screen waking "toast" notifications are still in play -- much to the chagrin of some who feel it's a serious security/privacy issue.

The camera is fantastic. The way it stabilizes and compensates for my shaky hands is amazing, which also allows it to keep the shutter open longer in poor lighting making it likely the best low light camera phone on the market. I've seen some complain that images taken in good light are a bit washed out... nothing that can't be fixed with a firmware update. I think it's largely people who were hoping "Nokia PureView" would allow them to give up their SLR. It's still the best in-phone camera I've ever used.

Just took this - if you look closely, it wouldn't hurt to apply a little sharpness I guess.

[Stoic Joker]

I'm still waiting for Sprint to get their head out of their ass and offer some proper W8 phones. But for my current W7 phone the office mobile's Outlook tied to exchange does great for scheduled calendar events - I'm hoping/assuming that hasn't changed) - When a scheduled event pops up it plays a sound and a quick glance tells me what it's on about. I don't really need to swipe the phone open it's just there on the lock screen to snooze or dismiss.

How is the camera on the 920? I couldn't care less about the purest nitpicking about maximum bla-bla-bla ... I just want to know if the thing will take a descent picture that will still look right when it gets to a desktop. My current W7 HTC Aspire's performance is less than stellar in that regard.

I've never used my phone with Exchange but as near as I can tell mail hasn't changed moving from WP7 to WP8. Those screen waking "toast" notifications are still in play -- much to the chagrin of some who feel it's a serious security/privacy issue.

I was wondering if that aspect would come up. Personally I'm not worried about it - and love the feature for quick glance info. To me it's really more a matter of how securely you carry the phone. Leaving your phone laying around where some passerby can read toast mesages is just plain foolish ... It's not the phones job to protect people from themselves. If something is kept in ones pocket, it ain't gonna get lost (or read by anyone). If that same thing is laid down in various places every time one moves ... well (duh..!) it's just a matter of time before it gets lost (or "leaks" something it shouldn't have).

The camera is fantastic. The way it stabilizes and compensates for my shaky hands is amazing, which also allows it to keep the shutter open longer in poor lighting making it likely the best low light camera phone on the market. I've seen some complain that images taken in good light are a bit washed out... nothing that can't be fixed with a firmware update. I think it's largely people who were hoping "Nokia PureView" would allow them to give up their SLR. It's still the best in-phone camera I've ever used.

Just took this - if you look closely, it wouldn't hurt to apply a little sharpness I guess.

That'll work.

Thanks.

[allen]

I'm in the same boat as you, I like the feature. I only mentioned it because I'd been perusing the support forum and it's a pretty big issue to a few very vocal users. It was actually a mildly amusing thread -- One side pretty much word for word what you said about physical security while the other side yells back about cockamamy workarounds and complacent users who stand for this issue still being present in WP8. . . both sides have their merits, I suppose. I'm just one of those complacent users whose needs happen to be met. Lucky me.

I really like the camera. darn wasps

[superboyac]

I really like the camera. darn wasps

Is that a yellow jacket?  They are not friendly wasps.  I always found their bright yellow abdomens menacing.

[40hz]

I really like the camera. darn wasps

Is that a yellow jacket?  They are not friendly wasps.  I always found their bright yellow abdomens menacing.

That sure looks like a yellowjacket to me. A miserable member of the equally miserable Vespidae insect family.

Even worse is their cousin: the bald-face or white-face "hornet." Those things are psychotically aggressive. They make a regular wasp seem like a butterfly.

(Care to guess who's dangerously allergic to stings from these guys? )

[allen]

I don't know a wasp from a yellow jacket from a hornet, so thanks for clearing it up! They've been invading my house for about 3 weeks now. One managed to sting me, I've killed a couple dozen...

[superboyac]

So how am I supposed to update the actual Windows Phone 8 OS?  I heard some things about bugs being fixed today and I have no idea how to update the phone.

[allen]

I'm not aware of any phone updates, but if there are/were it'd be under settings -> phone update. Nokia updated a bunch of their apps today (open the market, should be an "update" option on the bottom to update updated apps).