giving up

fits wrote: »

And the latest news that Here maps will no longer be supported is final nail in coffin.

This, on Windows 10 only. 8x phones will continue to have here drive available.

I am a big fan of Here Drive navigation and too was disappointed when I read about it. However, I have just finished using a Lumia 650 on trial with Windows 10, no Here maps - just Windows Maps for navigation, and to be honest Windows Maps is superior in lots of ways.

At the same time as the Here Drive announcement stopping on Windows 10 by Here, Microsoft made its own announcement that they are rolling out updates to Windows Maps with additional features becoming available and updates to the user interface.

I particularly like that Windows 10 maps introduces lane assist, alternate routes, reroute capability, satellite imagery view, and a few other tricks like repeat direction instructions by a screen tap if using voice assist. Overall, IMHO its a better product. In fairness to Here Drive which I am now back to using, it keeps everything really clear for hassle free [safe] driving. I gather that the Windows Maps update will make some positive changes with regards to this in Windows 10. Windows Maps is built on the Here platform so it feels familiar too.

I'm only offering that as words of consolation. In overall terms I think its a shame and a disappointment to see Here pull their product. A virtue was made of them not selling out (the company) to google or apple but being taken over by a European car manufacturer consortium, and stopping developing on Windows Platform kinda says "Guys, we are just the same as everyone else - we produce an apple product that is cute, and an android one that will run on any manufacturers device (Well, kinda) - to greater or lesser extents". I understand that they are commercial and that the market may not be as large but was disappointed to see the announcement as I thought their direction which they made a great plaudits of would keep them free minded and more widely available. Concentrating on these two platforms only, which are already crowded with navigation apps, may be a difficult sell even to a vastly greater market. They are probably now lucky that the car manufacturers consortium are propping them up, and are likely to continue to do so. Anyhow, who cares what I think (rhetorical folks, rhetorical )

Maps is one of the best things about Windows Phone! I wouldn't be leaving because of HERE leaving.

Nah, as much as there is frustration for me for what Microsoft aren't giving the wider market, I'm very happy with W10 on my Lumia 950XL. That said, I'm not a Snapchat using type, I just want three things from my phone (1) a good camera (2) "just works" (3) a good web browser, and I have all 3 of those.

Can't stand iOS as it's too static and bland looking, and I've tried Android numerous times over the years (including a couple of weeks ago with Cyanogen Marshmallow) and it is just too complex for my tastes, and I find Samsung's hardware really unappealing.

All that plus with a household of an Xbox One, a Surface, two Bands, and a W10 media server, W10 Mobile still makes the most sense for me in terms of interoperability.

On the verge of giving up now.

I've been waiting for the OS to catch up with the competitors since WP7 but the gap seems to keep growing rather than shrink, it's always a case of "just wait another few months, it will all be sorted when...."

But now it's crunch time, I currently have a 640 XL dual sim, 2 weeks ago I sent it for a warranty claim due to a burn in mark in the top right hand corner of the screen, a well documented problem with the 640 XL. After waiting a week I got a reply from the service centre with my three options.

Scrapping the phone would cost me nothing!

Having it returned to me un-repaired would cost approx €50 or

Have the screen replaced at a cost of approx. €150!

Needless to say I hit the roof and immediately replied with links to multiple examples of the exact same problem on both Windows Central and the Microsoft community.

A week later having had no reply I phoned the service centre today to find out what the progress on my claim was. "Nothing" was the answer. They then pointed out that the shell case on the phone was cracked implying that it it had been mistreated. Another common fault with the 640 XL due to the poor quality of the materials used, my suggestion that they could add the case to my warranty claim wasn't so well received either.

So now finally they are going to contact Microsoft for a decision on the screen.

If it is rejected I will be taking the "scrape for free" option never to purchase a Windows phone again....

It would be a pity because I do like lots about Windows mobile but the frustrations particularly with the browser, Edge hasn't done much to solve them, just make it a pain for me on a daily basis.

[edit] Just had a mail to say that they will after all replace the screen under warranty. So I guess I'll be hanging on to Windows at least until my next scheduled change of phone.

have only really used WP as a smartphone, getting frustrated but from what I hear the grass isn't any greener on IOS or Android?

Looks like one of the bigger tech bloggers that focuses on all things Microsoft (Mary Jo Foley) has switched from Windows Phone to Android, going for a Nexus handset.

Admittedly she has the Lumia Icon (a Verizon-only handset) because she is with Verizon and that won't be getting Windows 10 Mobile - although she doesn't like Windows 10 Mobile in it's current state, she preferred WP8.1. She reckons she could be tempted back by a Surface phone, if such a thing ever saw the light of day.

They need to fix the OS before they worry about releasing the next batch of phones. Get windows 10 workable on current mobile devices then come out with the new shinnies. Microsoft have really hurt themselves with the current batch, it did seem like there was a trend upwards with 8.1 and it was starting to become a mature, everyday mobile os but the damage of windows 10 I think has pretty much killed the lumia brand.

Inquitus wrote: »

I am calling it, "Windows Phone, time of death, 18:00GMT, Friday 22nd April.

Only 2.3 million devices sold in the last quarter, it will never recover from that. Sad to see this as the end of the road for the once great Nokia tradition, they had a couple of chances to embrace Android along the way and no doubt have saved the company, but alas made bad choices, Symbian, Windows Mobile, at every turn.

In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti!

http://www.engadget.com/2016/04/22/microsoft-mobile-timeline/

I think that's a slightly incomplete timeline on actual windows mobile life.
But regardless, yes. They had a chance with Windows Phone 7 to put a **** laod of resources into it and get it off the ground, while Android was still in its infancy.

Then they screwed up by not updating and implementing features taken for granted on iOS and Android for a very long time

And their shift from 6.5 to 7 and then to 8 with abandoning all the apps and all the users with EOL hardware was a nail in the coffin.

Considering those users who did have WP7, were the only advocates of the OS and no one else actually liked it...

Starting to have massive issues with my 640 XL now. Really losing the plot, its actually becoming unusable.

Sound stopped working randomly so the alarms didn't sound but popped up on the screen. Reboot fixed it.

I don't use the facebook app, cos its so bad so use ie instead on the mobile site. It formats it weird so its pretty unreadable, anyone else with this issue? Its infuriating. Example attached

Kamili wrote: »

Starting to have massive issues with my 640 XL now. Really losing the plot, its actually becoming unusable.

Sound stopped working randomly so the alarms didn't sound but popped up on the screen. Reboot fixed it.

I don't use the facebook app, cos its so bad so use ie instead on the mobile site. It formats it weird so its pretty unreadable, anyone else with this issue? Its infuriating. Example attached

Add your reply here.


I get the same carry-on with FB on my L830.
T

Kamili wrote: »

Is it me of has the FB issue just gotten worse over the last few days? Normally,a refresh would clear it, but its not working...

Getting tired of the constant bugs.

Too be fair, Facebook on windows phone has been a mess since windows phone 7.

When I say Facebook I am referring to the app and the website from my experience on it on Windows Phone 7 and WP8.

I was a big supported of Windows Phone 7.5 and 7.8 but since then MS has been too focused on pushing Windows 10 and trying to make it a universal system.

Tbf I can see where they're coming from; but at the same time I think they caused more damage to Windows Phone by forcing so many updates in such a short period of time. I loved how 7.5/7.8 just worked. It was fast, fluid and bar the bugs you'd see on nearly every phone I was quite happy with it.

The reason I switched? Like most people - the lack of apps. It's a shame that Google didn't want to support the service and others barely release an app and don't follow through with updates. Variety and choice is phone OS is a great thing but those arguments, in conjunction with the changes MS are forcing on WP I reckon the three horse race will eventually be down to two.