new phone. I went with Windows.

[houston]

I was offered an early upgrade with Verizon to upgrade my iPhone 4. I took the Robert Frost approach an bought a Nokia Lumia 928. it's a Windows 8 phone. I have been an Apple guy for a few years and now I jumped the fence and got the phone the Verizon staff loves to ignore. It has fewer apps but still had the ones I like. I am in love with this phone. The sales dorks did everything in their power to dissuade me and send me home with a wreched Galaxy 4S. I thought they were going to make me sign a release form.

[devlin]

I have the 4S and think its great. Just interested in why you say it's wretched.

[houston]

I was a bit harsh, Devlin. I find the Android phones to be cluttered and tedious to work with. The 4S has so many features that it makes it the flagship smartphone right now. I just don't like Android. Iphones are heralded for their simplicity and the Windows phone is even simpler. I am stoked. Does this mean I am simple?

[edoz]

How much time have you actually spent on Android recently? If you find it cluttered, I can't see how Apple's "drop all your apps on the desktop" approach doesn't drive you nuts.

[houston]

How much time have you actually spent on Android recently? If you find it cluttered, I can't see how Apple's "drop all your apps on the desktop" approach doesn't drive you nuts.

I had folders for my apps with my iphone. I had the Motorola Razr maxx, it took away any enthusiasm form Android. Has it gotten better?

[roseyscot]

I had folders for my apps with my iphone. I had the Motorola Razr maxx, it took away any enthusiasm form Android. Has it gotten better?

that's like saying, "i was riding a surly long haul trucker with 650 wheels and it sucked, so i gave up on steel bikes." i'm a long time android user, working for a company with iOS apps, and i can tell you:

1. motorola android phones are rubbish
2. 90% of our staff use android phones despite writing iOS code all day long
3. i've never used a windows phone, and have no intention of doing so

and you can have folders with folders that have their own folders on your droid if you want. root it, you'll get rid of the verizon bloatware and be much happier

[edoz]

The thing about Android is that if you don't like the way it works, there is more room to customize it than any other mobile os. And it has gotten a lot better in the last few versions.

[houston]

I did not know any of this. The customizing is what frustrated me about Apple. There were mandatory icons on the home screen that served no purpose but to take up real estate. I also don't like icons all being the same size. I can make my Windows phone look like the desktop was designed by a scandanavian architect.

What I find frustrating about cell phone purchases is the lack of helpful information. When you walk into a store, they tell you about all the free apps that Android has. That's it. I use about 10 apps and they happen to be free no matter what OS I am using. Then they kind of sneer at you if you like Apple products. After that, they laugh at the Blackberry and Windows phones. When I explained why I didn't like my Android, they just stared at me and looked offended. I probably should have come here first.....although I am really liking my Windows phone, even more than my iphone. And another thing, is it possible for phone stores to do anything quickly?

[Tristan]

And it has gotten a lot better in the last few versions.

Versions 2.x were pretty clunky but 4.x is a huge improvement.

Every time I use an Apple device I'm left confused. To me they're not just intuitive at all. Where is the 'back' button on an ipad? The launcher on the desktop OS seems like a great way to hide all the things I want to use...

Hey, horses for courses. Glad you're stoked with your new phone - I'd love to give a Surface a go.

[roseyscot]

I did not know any of this. The customizing is what frustrated me about Apple. There were mandatory icons on the home screen that served no purpose but to take up real estate. I also don't like icons all being the same size. I can make my Windows phone look like the desktop was designed by a scandanavian architect.

What I find frustrating about cell phone purchases is the lack of helpful information. When you walk into a store, they tell you about all the free apps that Android has. That's it. I use about 10 apps and they happen to be free no matter what OS I am using. Then they kind of sneer at you if you like Apple products. After that, they laugh at the Blackberry and Windows phones. When I explained why I didn't like my Android, they just stared at me and looked offended. I probably should have come here first.....although I am really liking my Windows phone, even more than my iphone. And another thing, is it possible for phone stores to do anything quickly?

glad you like the new phone, but I'm not the least bit surprised you had sucky experiences at Verizon stores.

1. They get higher commission for selling certain phones
2. Think of the typical employee they are hiring. Know any other industries where you are likely to have a poor sales experience? Bike shops and car dealers perhaps? Just like bike shops and car dealers, there are plenty of exceptions out there, but I'd say with confidence, the majority of the cell phone stores are staffed with...well, they're poorly staffed
3. They get higher commission for selling certain phones

[houston]

Based on yesterday's experience, Samsung pays some serious commission. They must give huge bonuses on cases and accessories too. They are like drill sergeants telling you to go pick out a case while you wait for them to activate your phone/leave for lunch/give each other toejobs. Piss on those turds. I got my case and other crap on Amazon for 1/3 of the price.

Do you Samsung people use the Qi wireless charging pads? My phone has this and it makes we wonder how I ever got along without it.

[Saab2000]

I have a Motorola Droid RAZR. Tomorrow I am eligible to switch. I'm always looking for phone things. But I might try to beat the corporate thing and stick with mine for a while. It still works....

That said, i'm not an Android guy for the exact reasons Mr. Houston mentions. It's tedious. It's cluttered. It's not very intuitive. The one thing that rocks is Google Maps and the associated navigation. I will give it that.

I'm likely to go back to an iPhone when the time comes. I'll look at Windows phones though too.

What I have heard is that pure Android is actually pretty decent to use. That is available on the Google Nexus and on the T-Mobile network. I'm with Verizon. If I just try one out at Verizon for a month I might do that. These companies like Motorola and Samsung fill up their phones with so much bloatware and and modify Android so much that it becomes a PITA to use. I don't like it. Apple phones come with a number of apps I don't use but at least they're not paid apps like the NFL app and other stuff like that.

I'll check out Windows. I'm surprised that with the might and money of Microsoft that they haven't been a bigger force, trying to get their OS on a few major devices.

[jjmstang]

I have a samsung S4 and it's rooted. A great phone once you get rid of some of the bloat and freeze ( with Titanium Backup) some of the silly apps that samsung installed. There are plenty of Android forums to help you out with anything you need. Here are a few :
Android Forums
Android Forums & Windows Phone Discussion @ xda-developers
DroidForums.net - Android Forum

Apples are for eating

[Saab2000]

I have a samsung S4 and it's rooted. A great phone once you get rid of some of the bloat and freeze ( with Titanium Backup) some of the silly apps that samsung installed. There are plenty of Android forums to help you out with anything you need. Here are a few :
Android Forums
Android Forums & Windows Phone Discussion @ xda-developers
DroidForums.net - Android Forum

Apples are for eating

I've read tons of phone forums.... I'm a lurker, not a contributor at those places. The cycling forum world is far more mature and civilized.....

I love eating apples too, but I'm typing this on an Apple and enjoy all my Apple devices. They're seamless and work very nicely for my needs. Having had Motorola phones in the past I had really had high hopes for my Droid Razr. What I will say in its defense though, is that it has been a rugged handset. I have no protective case or covering and it looks nearly new. And I use it a lot. It is certainly a quality built piece of equipment and I really do appreciate that. Seeing all those iPhones with shattered screens it is nice to know that my handset is durable.

[Philster]

I admit that I'm an old suit, but I really miss BB. I tried the 10 and it drove me nuts. I have an iPhone now. Meh. Why did those Canadians get so fat and happy?

[devlin]

I must admit that I went the S4 for it's performance and screen res. There is alot the phone can do but I don't use. I leave all the installed apps and bloatware on the apps screen and only have what I use on the home screen. I came from a Motorola Defy, that was a great phone if only a touch slow and in the end the screen a little small. It was a bloody tough phone though. I did try and root it but I didn't have much success with that and ended up just using it standard. I'm led to believe the processor was wound right down on that phone to fit it with it's market placement. I plan to root the S4 but haven't looked into it yet. I have never found the iPhone setup easy to use and it's utilitarian look on the screen bugs me. I use my S4 for email, texting, quick internet lookups, some quick snaps when I'm out and about and recording Strava. I rarely make calls on it. I can do a 5-6 hour ride with the music on and Strava/GPS running and still ahve battery left. Love it.

If the Windows phone is working out then it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks really. It doesn't mean anyone is superior to anyone else. I ahven't played with one so I have no opinion really.

[edoz]

The thing about Android is, that you're getting the version of Android that the manufacturer of your phone installs on it. Each one is slightly different, and there are pros and cons to each. Phone store wankers won't really tell you much about this. If they do, it's just be the buzzwords they were taught in the last sales meeting.
"Vanilla Android" as it's called, is what's straight from the devs at Google. It's usually smoother and easier to use because there isn't an overlay from the phone manufacturer. Another option, if you're willing to do some research and take some risk, is rooting your phone ( hacking it to gain supreme control) and installing whatever custom OS you find that suits your fancy. There are some really good ones out there, and it's like night and day compared to the OS that came on your Android phone.
All that said, I've had good times on HTC's Sense and Samsung's Touchwiz versions of Android. They're smooth and customizable enough to satisfy most people. You can also download different launchers from the Google store, that basically replace the front end overlay and allow further customization.

[Mike Mcdermid]

Ive never been happier with my phone and it runs windows but not because its windows more that the nokia hardware is robust and doesnt quit or reset itself or drain the battery in 6 hours if i use the internet and if i plug it into a computer it doesnt need itunes or a load of 100mb download to get a photo off it

The iphone was fantastic providing you didn't actually wish to call anyone or try and do anything other than the way apple dictate to you, theres only so many dropped calls to your service provider telling you to update the software to the latest only to discover you still cant have a decent quality phone conversation, que more calls to service provider who eventually said to take issues to my local apple store as it was not their crappy network who replaced it with an equally dire experience providing phone which was just as bad ..goldfish bowl and round and round springs to mind though its not unique everyone who opted for the apple phone in my ex employer had voicecall issues

Android i have only had cheap handsets as they were expendable ..they did work though, cant say im a fan of having an app to tell me the length of my underarm hair or that i can customise loads of things to make it mine which seems to be the mindset its aimed at...they do just work though and continue working

I used to love blackberry until they went off the reservation with their crazy ideas of what i need in a phone email calls and internet access with solid reliability were awesome ...dunno what they were thinking

[lukasz]

The thing about Android is, that you're getting the version of Android that the manufacturer of your phone installs on it. Each one is slightly different, and there are pros and cons to each. Phone store wankers won't really tell you much about this. If they do, it's just be the buzzwords they were taught in the last sales meeting.
"Vanilla Android" as it's called, is what's straight from the devs at Google. It's usually smoother and easier to use because there isn't an overlay from the phone manufacturer. Another option, if you're willing to do some research and take some risk, is rooting your phone ( hacking it to gain supreme control) and installing whatever custom OS you find that suits your fancy. There are some really good ones out there, and it's like night and day compared to the OS that came on your Android phone.
All that said, I've had good times on HTC's Sense and Samsung's Touchwiz versions of Android. They're smooth and customizable enough to satisfy most people. You can also download different launchers from the Google store, that basically replace the front end overlay and allow further customization.

What are some good custom OS these days? I've been on MIUI on a Nexus S for a few years as it seemed the fastest then but I need to refresh this thing as it has gotten slow and bloated with use. Probably in the next year I'll buy a new phone (whatever model has just been replaced so I can buy it cheap on ebay) but this thing isn't dead yet damn it.

[edoz]

What are some good custom OS these days? I've been on MIUI on a Nexus S for a few years as it seemed the fastest then but I need to refresh this thing as it has gotten slow and bloated with use. Probably in the next year I'll buy a new phone (whatever model has just been replaced so I can buy it cheap on ebay) but this thing isn't dead yet damn it.

I've been running Liquidsmooth 2.8 on my Galaxy s3. Google just released 4.3 and there's already a Cyanogenmod version (CM10.2). Everything seems to be pretty stable and there are nightly updates, so I'll be trying it out pretty soon.
I ran the Hyperdrive rom for a while, and liked it, and a guy at work really likes the Paranoid rom.