Looking for some Windows Phone advice =)

This topic was created by Thomas 4 .

[Thomas 4]

Looking for some Windows Phone advice =)

Good morning El Reg,

I could use a little guidance with regards to getting a new phone tomorrow. I've settled on Windows Phone 8 as my OS of choice (I politely ask that we refrain from discussing Android / iOS / Tizen / BB10) but I'm uncertain as to which type of Windows Phone I should go for.

My two front runners are the Lumia 820 and 920. I like the cheaper price, Micro SD and changeable covers on the 820 but the tank like quality of the 920, combined with the high quality camera is also a big draw. For those that have used either of them, I'd love to hear your experiences of them. The poor battery life on the 820 is a concern, the hefty price tag of the 920 is another.

The other alternative is the HTC Windows Phone but I confess I don't know much about them. Is the build quality likely to be the same as the Nokia phones? Is there a considerably better battery life with the HTCs?

I'm also free from the hellish clutches of Vodafone so now I need to decide who I'm going to leap into bed with for the next 24 months - Three or 4GEEOrangeWhatevertheHellTheyreCalled?

If anyone can offer me some advice with regards to these, I'd really appreciate it!

[metthuselah]

Hi i am Metthuselah ,can anyone suggest me the best windows phone? I cant bare the cost of the new nokia lumia .......

[I ain't Spartacus]

Nokia are doing Lumia phones at all price-points now. They've got the 520, 620, 720, 820 and 920 at everything from £120 upwards. So you ought to be able to find one to fit.

I had a Lumia 710 on WP7 - which was perfectly nice - but I've not really used WP8, so don't know if the new cheaper ones will be fast enough. I'd expect it though, as that was apparently one of Nokia's aims. I've seen a lot of disappointing cheap Android ones, so the Nokia's have got to be worth a look.

The 710 wasn't brilliant on build quality (it was OK for the £120 I paid - but cheap for the £300 it was launched at). But I think the first lot of Lumia phones were outsourced, whereas this lot are built by Nokia, so hopefully better. I can't be any more help than that, as I've not played with them. Although isn't there also a cheap Huawei, the Ascend according to a quick search. Not sure how good though.

[TeeCee]

....so don't know if the new cheaper ones will be fast enough.

As far as I can make out, having fiddled with a few, MS have been a bit cunning here. Rather than just letting the fast ones be fast and the slow ones annoying, what they seem to have done is vary the frame rate dependant on the hardware. So the navigation works at exactly the same speed across the entire range of hardware, but the more horsepower it has, the silkier it looks.

I suspect the amount of grunt you actually need is entirely dependant on what you intend to run on it by way of apps.

[I ain't Spartacus]

TeeCee,

Perhaps we have an advantage for not many apps being available here... Now WP8 can multi-task, there's less temptation to grind it to a halt doing so, as there's less shiny to run on it.

I was really impressed with the Lumia 710. It was cheap 'n' cheerful, but really nice to use. Unlike the HTC Wildfire it replaced, which was at a similar price new, when I upgraded, but still running the now 2-year-old Android 2.2! Sometimes OK, but often slow as a dog. A fat, farting, arthritic dog...

If only apps would be more disciplined about keeping their state when shut down, there'd barely be any need for multi-tasking on a phone. Despite many rude comments, I'm not sure WP7 was any worse than iOS at handling it. And whereas Android was superior to both and multi-tasks, it does mean that even on mediocre hardware Android can be very annoying. I'd like to play with WP8 and see how it's improved, but I've just got a new work iPhone 5.

I don't know what all the fanboyism is about. For different reasons I've liked using Android, iOS and Win Phone. They're all very good in their different ways.

[DaisyMichael_Techspert]

If you are not willing to buy Nokia Lumia then HTC One M8 is also a good option. It's some features may not be best in class but it can be a good alternative of Nokia Lumia.

[blooblood]

I have recently moved from Android to WP8 and use a Nokia Lumia 735. If you are going for a contract you should get a Lumia at a reasonable price. So far I a very impressed. I also like that the limited applications has meant less temptation to bloat my phone with niff naff and trivia.

Good luck.

[linkzhang24]

I am kinda want a new phone and i could borrow some advice from this post. Thanks.