Android or windows?

[sophie_george]

I want to buy a nokia lumia 625 but some of my friends say not to bcs its a windows phone. Are android phones actually better than windows phones? Is it true that they have better apps n all?

 

[Bateluer]

I want to buy a nokia lumia 625 but some of my friends say not to bcs its a windows phone.

Windows Phones have their strengths. If you want to test drive the OS, a brand new Lumia 521 is under 70 on Amazon right now. The OS and apps will be the same regardless of which Windows Phone you use, if you don't like the 521, you won't like the 625 or flagship models either.

Are android phones actually better than windows phones?

Android phones run the full gamut; from utter crap to drool worthy flagships. Windows Phones, by contrast, have their hardware relatively set by Microsoft. HTC, Samsung, Motorola, LG, and so on are free to stick whatever uber parts they can get their hands on into their Android phones.

Is it true that they have better apps n all?

The biggest Achilles heel of Windows Phone is its app store; its complete and utter crap. Its 90% scams that are only allowed in to inflate the WP app count.


The 625 seems like it got middling scores from critics, though more positive scores from users.
http://www.engadget.com/products/nokia/lumia/625/

If you're looking in the ~200 dollar range, you can get some very nice Android phones as well, so don't feel like you're forced into Windows Phone simply because of budget restrictions.

Edit - I think I cleaned up some of my spelling/grammar errors. Late night posting.

 

[mikeford]

I would only consider a windows phone for the extreme low end clearance deals like $20 for the Nokia 521 that have popped up from time to time.

 

[sophie_george]

thanks a lot for all the advice!

 

[mmntech]

I've never used Windows Phone myself. I do like 8.1 on tablets though.

As was already brought up, Windows Phone just doesn't get anywhere near the app support iOS and Android do. It's just not even on a developers' radars. If you're new to smartphones, that may not make much of a difference. If you're coming from iOS or Android, I'd check to see if your frequently used apps are available first.

 

[arod]

wp does have most of the big name apps but they regularly lag behind the others.

That said I don't find that I use that many apps anymore... I actually use 10-15 on a daily basis. To me the whole app situation is overblown.... there are plenty of interesting apps on each platform and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. For me windows was the best choice because in my opinion the core os is better than android or ios and to me that is more important than having thousands of extra apps.

 

[zokudu]

I've had a Lumia 920 for 2 years now and just ordered and iPhone 6. There are a lot of things to love about the device but at the end of the day the app gap exists in the US and there's nothing we can do about it. Even apps we do have like Instagram, Mint, or Whatsapp are awful compared to Android or iOS. The only developers who can seem to manage quality apps on the platform are Microsoft and a few 3rd party developers like Rudy Hyun (He has several apps for snapchat, instagram, vine, secret and tindr that are pretty decent). Even some of the Microsoft apps are bad (Skype).

It's kind of sad really because internationally Windows Phone is doing great and you can see in places like the UK, Italy and India where it is ~10-15% market share local services are making good quality apps, but here in the United States it's just a losing battle and I doubt even if it reached 8-10% market share people would even bother developing for the platform.

 

[iwajabitw]

Lumia 1520 here.

 

[Ravynmagi]

I'm a long time Android user that got a Nokia Icon (929) a couple months ago.

I think that if you like the Nokia 625, you should go ahead and get it. Nokia makes great phones, even their budget phones are impressive. So the hardware will definitely not let you down.

Android does have a big advantage when it comes to apps, there are a lot more and of better quality. But I've been able to do about 95% of the things I do on Android with my Windows Phone (only real snag is no acceptable audio book app). Often the quality of the app isn't on par with Android, but it gets the job done.

If apps are important, you might want to consider Android. A Moto G is a good budget phone for Android users. But if you just want a good quality phone, aren't too concerned about lots of apps, just browsing the web, playing music, videos, some games, then a Nokia 625 is a nice phone.

 

[TripleThreatTLT]

I just returned an LG G3 and picked up the HTC One M8 for windows. Overall I don't find there's that much I miss app wise. Sure it sucks not having the Yahoo Fantasy Football app, but at the end of the day its just little things like that. Overall I'm happy with Windows Phone.

 

[Crono]

Android vs Windows Phone is options vs simplicity.

The hardware is much closer now on both platforms than it used to be, with nearly identical specs except for the bleeding edge of new phones. Nokia's phones, though, tend to have superior cameras than other phones at the same price points - you get quite good value or "bang for your buck" even with the low end Lumias. Android phones above $300 can have very good cameras, but you find consistently better cameras on the Lumias below that point. On the higher end, only recently does Android have any phones that come close to the 1520/Icon, and nothing really matches the 1020.

The real downside of Windows Phone is that Google hasn't put any of it's apps on Windows Phone. This isn't a huge problem if you just need email, since the default mail app can sync with Gmail, but if you use apps like Hangouts, the unofficial apps don't have all the features or even work properly. Also, if you are used to specific apps from other smartphones, you may find that some of them aren't available on Windows Phone. For the most part, all the major ones are (Facebook, Spotify, Kindle, Pandora, Speedtest, Waze, etc), but the store isn't as large as Android's or iOS. It's a similar situation to where Android was a few years ago compared to iOS, but the situation is improving as new apps are being released all the time. You can find apps to do what you need for most things, though, especially if you are a new smartphone user and don't need for things to behave exactly the same way as they do on iOS or Android.

What makes Windows Phone worth it is the OS itself. The UI is simple but elegant, smooth, and easier to use than the other mobile OS'. It's more locked down compared to Android in that you can't flash ROMs or root the device, but I find it's also demands less resources, and slows down less when installing a lot of apps or over time, which can still be a problem on some Android phones (but less so with newer/higher end hardware).

I'm very much a "power user", but I prefer Windows Phone most of the time to Android, and think overall a better option than it or iOS. I've had a bunch of Windows Phones so far (Dell Venue Pro, HTC Trophy, Lumia 710, Lumia 920, Lumia 521, Lumia 1520, and now a Lumia Icon) and not one of them has been bad. I've owned a few Android phones in that time as well (most recently the HTC One M7, LG Optimus F3, HTC First and the HTC One M8), and they've been fairly excellent, as well. I wouldn't hesitate to go Android if you need more options and apps, but if you want a device that just works well for photography, internet browsing, music, etc and don't need to heavily customize your OS, go with Windows Phone.

The Lumia 625 should be a decent phone, especially given its price. And microSD support is now (strangely enough) better out-of-the-box on Windows Phone than it is on Android (since KitKat), since you can quite easily install apps straight to microSD without any fuss, so you don't really need a lot of onboard storage. Manufactures tend to skimp on storage unless you fork over a lot of cash, so I think that really gives an edge to Windows Phone for their phones with microSD slots, like the Lumia 625.

 

[mmntech]

wp does have most of the big name apps but they regularly lag behind the others.

That said I don't find that I use that many apps anymore... I actually use 10-15 on a daily basis. To me the whole app situation is overblown.... there are plenty of interesting apps on each platform and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. For me windows was the best choice because in my opinion the core os is better than android or ios and to me that is more important than having thousands of extra apps.

Same here. I don't use my phone as much as I used to. My tablet is just better at pretty much any task I'd want a mobile computer for.

I wouldn't mind giving Windows phone a whirl but my own company's app (which I input data into) is only for iOS and Android. So it kinda limits me when doing QA on my work.

 

[senseamp]

Android is to phones what Windows is to PC's. iOS is to phones what OSX is to PCs. There isn't really room for #3 between the two.
Windows Phone is not a bad OS, just like WebOS was not a bad OS, but it is pretty clear at this point that it failed to reach critical mass. I would be open to buying a WP device and giving the OS a chance, but only if it was possible to root it and install Android if I change my mind, as was the case with HP Touchpad. Then it would be a no risk proposition.

 

[shortylickens]

It depends on what you need.

There's actually tons of good apps and you can probably do anything you want on Windows Phone 8. Its mostly lacking in games, but for productivity you would be fine.
You can check all forms of email, calendar, to-do list, and cloud files from Windows Live Mail, as well as most of them from Google.

I think windows GPS navigation is inferior, BUT, Nokia has very good navigation and is included on all their Symbian phones as well as Windows Phones.

 

[sequoia464]

Depends on what your budget and time-frame are, but the Lumina 830 is due out in a couple of months. Looks pretty interesting; 5" screen, http://www.wpcentral.com/hands-on-affordable-flagship-lumia-830

I have a 920 currently, prefer it to the android phones I have used, think I'm in the minority though.

 

[at80eighty]

I use an iPhone primarily, but bought a Lumia 520 to toy around with. it's running WP8.1

The OS is wonderfully fluid and simple. i'd go so far as to say that I prefer it over ios.

the issue as stated lies in that apps are far fewer than what you will get on android (most major apps exist now, iirc) - the clincher for you will be how app-centric will your phone use be and are there any major ones you potentially cannot do without

 

[maxi007]

i bought Lumia 525 , belive me i am hating this now , everytime new app launched for android after 4-5 month windows will get or may not get . And same for app updates .
if you are just UI and design lover , can go for lumia or other windows phones
if you are hardcode mobile user then go to android

 

[pcsavvy]

I had the 928 and just recently traded it for an Icon. I like how it just works out of the box and syncs with my Microsoft account so any apps, games, or documents will sync on my new phone. The only downside so far is a few apps that worked on the 928 won't work on my Icon but only a very minor hiccup for me. If you are not app heavy user or have a fondness for iphone then a windows phone makes a nice alternative. No matter what price range you buy at you get a good phone. Whereas with Android a low-mid end phone can be crappy. I prefer the Nokia's since they have more useful software and little bloat ware on their phones.

 

[Rustican]

The Lumia line of Windows phone hardware is excellent. Durable as well for the polycarbonate bodies that can hold up to abuse.

The interface is clean and straight forward. The Lumia 635 will come with Windows 8.1 which is the latest release giving you good customization options, Notification Bar and Cortana. User experience has always been smooth on Windows phones even on the lowest cost handset.

The application comparison between windows phone and Android is overblown. Major party applications like Twiter, Facebook, Instagram and others are available on Windows. For applications that don't have official support independent developers have filled the gap.

Here maps and Here drive are excellent map and gps guidance applications. Here Drive also has the advantage of working with out a network connection because the maps are downloaded to your phone.

The down side is that new applications go to Android or iPhone first due to the larger market. The more successful ones take time to propagate to Windows. There are always going to be junk/scam applications in any environment. The biggest security target right now is Android because they hold the largest market share.

There are also no official Google apps for Windows Phone. Goggle has been fighting a quiet war with MS on this front going as far as forcing MS to take down an excellent YouTube application Microsoft developed on their own.

Third party developers have stepped in here as well with metroTube, Gmail Free, gMaps. You can also link in your google account natively to Windows Phone as well.

I would recommend giving the Lumia 635 a go if you are looking for something unique and different. I would say that the Windows Phone's greatest strength is the smooth user experience. Android will still have more apps, but for the apps i care about Windows Phone has me covered.

 

[Denly]

Long time WP user and still on 7.8 with Nokia 800. Do I want to upgrade? Sure. Do I need to upgrade? Depends.
Everything I need for as a smartphone is there, news app, email, reddit app(baconit is awesome), MAP(Nokia's map app), weather, utilities app(translator, converter, photobucket, onedrive..etc) are all there. I rarely use it but I am fine with people hub as social media stuff.
Of the 3yr I had the phone it lockup maybe twice and I have never need reset it.
Camera button is awesome
If you want a phone that just work and work(can't remember how many 5ft drop I had) with min learning curve? Go WP.

Will likely pickup a 925 or 830 for cheap later this yr.

Yet it bug with with no bank app and no kijiji app but I have ipad for that.

 

[maxi007]

The Lumia line of Windows phone hardware is excellent. Durable as well for the polycarbonate bodies that can hold up to abuse.

........

yeah i agree with you in the point of smoothness. and windows also takes less RAM , even 256 ram is good for loading WP8 , where 1GB is necessary to load Jellybean .

But think you have hardcore processor and gaming spec PC but no game available for your platform .??

My final word is you can go with Lumia , as lots off app coming in future .
if you want instant app updates,Android

 

[Strk]

If MS and Google would play nice, I'd probably have a WP phone, but they don't want to, so Android for me. However, I think for the lower end of the spectrum, there are some nice WP8 phones. You do have that Moto G that is pretty nice for Android though.