Why windows telephone merits a second look
In the long term, the most important choice when weighing up a brand-new phone is whether to plump for iOS or Android. With BlackBerry chickening out back to the services and keyboard-toting handsets that made it a hit and home windows telephone scraping by way of on a sliver of market proportion, few users have taken the time to look past what Apple and Google (and its hardware partners) have needed to provide.
Yet, there may be an exchange in the air. Microsoft has a new CEO at the pinnacle of the tree, fresh ideas approximately how the business enterprise’s distinct homes have to slot collectively – and wi-fi, a massive remodel of its phone OS hidden in a ‘zero.1’ replacement.
Simultaneously, as the global marketplace share of home windows’ cellphones remains tiny (up to a few. two percent in 2013 from 2. the wireless rate in 2012), it’s making massive gains wireless in a few areas.
It’s now the quickest-developing phone OS in Europe, accounting for 10.1 percent of the marketplace, as an example, and outsells the iPhone in a few growing nations. What is extra, windows telephone eight.1 is ready to be driven out to customers, bringing an advanced interface, better apps, and a digital assistant to tackle Siri and Google Now.
With WP8.1 bringing some tremendous more capability to the table, Microsoft’s app store developing in scope and nice, and Nokia generating pinnacle-notch hardware, the time is proper to upgrade to Microsoft’s OS – or so we suppose. Do not consider us? Test those reasons below to peer how Microsoft has leaped ahead with its OS.
1. Stay tiles and customization
live tile home windows telephone
iOS has its icons and folders, Android has its widgets, but windows smartphone’s stay tiles beat them in phrases of flexibility and customization alternatives.
From the home screen, you may get a smooth, animated overview of your life – snapshots of your contacts, emails in your inbox, latest indicates on iPlayer, upcoming appointments, ebooks, web sites – it’s all in front of you immediately.
WP8.1 can feature wallpapers that fuse with the stay tiles and regulate the colors. The lock display notice-factions are wi-fi, particularly if your cellphone’s sat on the desk or the arm of a chair.
2. The brand new motion Centre
windows telephone motion center
The motion Centre is arriving with home windows smartphone eight. One brings the cellular platform’s notiwirelesscations up to speed with Android and iOS.
While Microsoft can be so past due to the birthday celebration that the caterers have long past domestic, it has sincerely learned from the quality (and worst) of the features provided on iOS and Android.
You may set up custom shortcuts in the motion Centre from Bluetooth to the digital camera app. Certain signals may be effortlessly previewed by starting the app in the query.
It doesn’t have the ability and capability to launch actions that the Android equivalent has, but it brings windows smartphones up to date inside the notiwirelesscation stakes.
3. Cortana
windows cellphone 8.1 Cortana
Microsoft has only been given into the ‘digital assistant’ game; however, the early symptoms factor toward Cortana being more than in shape for Google Now and Siri.
Scheduling appointments, checking flight instances, giving guidelines, and tracking new memories are inside Cortana‘s competencies proper from the off. No longer simplest that. However, she receives cleverer as you spend extra time together.
Bing powers everything of direction, and it’s on hand from everywhere. Cortana lets one paper over the cracks in the home windows phone’s multitasking capabilities in many ways.
4. Outlook, wireless and universal apps
Outlook and wireless windows phone apps
You may get entry to your Outlook emails and wireless on non-Microsoft platforms pretty much without problems; in reality, you can use various techniques and apps.
But, those titans of productivity are built-in and paintings nicely on home windows’ cellphones as quickly as you offer your Microsoft account credentials.
If you’re already heavily invested inside the Microsoft ecosystem, then the company’s cell OS is a natural subsequent step; as apps turn out to be widespread throughout telephones, pills, windows computer systems, and the Xbox, home windows telephone should make even extra fee.
Wireless is on the iPad now; however, while the chips are down, and you need immediate entry to your pivot tables, the windows smartphone is still the wireless bet – even though it’s still not quite cracked in the tablet market.
5. wireless. A consistent look
Consistent home windows smartphone layout
It is easy to spot a home windows cellphone app from away. The identical chunky buttons, elegant lettering, and design aesthetic cover everything from Spotify to fb.
When compared to the bizarre and amazing interfaces that pop up across iOS and Android, it is a welcome exchange to dive into a mobile platform that is constant and recognizable.
Even though it’s no longer to your taste, you need to take delivery of that home windows cellphone that has succeeded in bringing an uniwi-fied appearance to its apps and menus.
6. OneDrive
drive
The cloud garage platform (formerly known as SkyDrive) directly opposes iCloud and Google pressure and has masses to provide.
It combines wireless backup, photo control, and wi-file wireless enhancing, and the route is baked into home windows 8.1 too.
Even a Mac client may give it a Dropbox stage of ubiquity throughout computer systems, tablets, mobiles, and the net.
Its rivals all have their key features and benewiwireless as well. However, OneDrive is a maturing platform set to head when you signal into your telephone.
7. Camera technology
digital camera tech windows telephone
This is more down to Nokia’s engineering than something the home windows smartphone does, but there is no question that the cutting-edge Lumia handsets take amazing images.
The dedicated hardware button facilitates the Nokia seasoned Cam app, and the windows telephone experience proves that you should not settle for average snaps out of your cell.
And that’s not the case, as there are other capabilities in WP8.1 that we haven’t had time to mention, including the Battery Saver and c084d04ddacadd4b971ae3d98fecfb2a experience apps that assist you in getting more juice out of your handset and hooking up with open networks greater without problems.
And large motives why it shouldn’t…
It is not all peaches and cream at the windows’ cellphone farm of the route – we’re still talking approximately an OS that fewer than one in 20 humans are using worldwide.
So if our reasoning above has you charging out the door in your nearby phone emporium to buy the state-of-the-art Lumia, reflect onconsideration on those points before you snatch your coat:
1. Shifting may be an ache
Unless you start from scratch with a home windows phone (in case you’re 12 years antique, possibly) or are already closely invested in Microsoft’s other merchandise, transferring your records (emails, photos, contacts) from iCloud/Google may be a bind.
Lamentably, it seems that gadget is right here to stay, as none of the big gamers want to make it easy for customers to jump-deliver.
With some luck, wi-fiofwiwireless for iPad indicates an interoperable future, but we might dearly love to see a legit wireless Gmail consumer, for example.
97% of telephone customers are not on windows telephone (but), and switching wishes to be made simpler. Unluckily, Google and Apple want to place within the effort in addition to Microsoft.
2. The apps, nonetheless aren’t right
Speak to everybody at Microsoft, and they may be predictably bullish on how many apps are touchdown within the windows telephone keep every day. And to be fair, it’s miles a wireless quantity: 2 hundred 000 at the quit of 2013, and that’s still growing.
Add to that the reality that the interoperability within windows telephone is powerful, and you may make a compelling case for purchase.
But despite many bigger names still committing to the platform, the wireless is not there compared to iOS and Android. Use the likes of Spotify, FB, or Insta. You may see a tremendous decrease in overall performance, be it thru functions or widespread layout, whhat has to surely play into everybody’s thoughts that rely on their cell for social networking.
There are exceptions to the rule of thumb – Adidas MiCoach has an advanced design on home windows smartphones compared to its iOS and Android opposite numbers, as an example – so things may additionally trade within the future. Still, for now, you’ll want to be quite cool with an undulating app revel in case you get on the WP educate.
