Android or Windows Phone, Which Do I Keep?
So I’ve got a decision to make. Android or Windows Phone? My AT&T contract is expiring within the next month or so and I have to make a decision. No it’s not going to be a phone with a piece of fruit on it, I will never own an iPhone. I’ve got both a Samsung Galaxy S Captivate and an HTC Surround. I like both for different reasons, the main reason is the app selection I think. Sadly WP7 just doesn’t have all the same apps that Android does. I could wait and see as the same thing happened with Android and iPhone, the apps just weren’t there when Android came out. Time passed though and it’s come to a point where Android has a lot of great apps and games, some of which come out before they do on the iPhone. That right there tells me that Android has become a contender against the iPhone. I could hope that similar will happen with WP7 and that the apps will flow as it were, soon, but it doesn’t seem like it’s coming fast enough to me.
Right now I prefer the WP7 interface over Android, but I’m tired of swapping the sim back and forth between phones just to use an app or two. There’s a few other little gripes I have against both so those kind of even out, it’s just the apps that bother me. I can’t find the same things on WP7 as I can on Android. The apps I do use took a LONG time to get from iPhone to Android and if that’s any indication it’s going to be a long time before those apps hit WP7.
I got the WP7 phone to see how it worked, the interface and all of that and liked it and figured I’d get rid of the Captivate since I’ve got a couple Android tablets. Then time passed and I found couldn’t get the apps I wanted on WP7, and there was no idea as to when they would be released. I had the intention of just keeping the HTC Surround but I’m just not very happy right now. When it comes time to renew my contract and get a new phone, what do I do? What would you do? WP7 or Android?
Do you think WP7 is a contender against Android and iPhone yet? Or how long do you think it will be before we see a decent selection of apps for Wp7 like we do now for Android?
As far as WP7 and Xbox is concerned that’s just no issue at all for me as I’ve let my gold subscription expire and didn’t renew it. I’m sure the Xbox integration is now and is going to be a big part of the WP7 selling point, but that’s just not an issue for me anymore.
So part of my choice is keeping one of these phones now and then the next part is what do I get when I renew my contract? Considering I’ll be stuck with it for some time to come it’s a big decision I think.
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About The Author
Kristofer
I own Technogog.com, DragonSteelMods.com, ReviewTheTech.com and KristoferBrozio.com and I also write here on occasion of course.
If Apps are main reason for your, then go for Skyrocket. If you want greater performance phone then go for Titan.
Neither. But then I’m biased.
ditch the robot.
I love my Samsung Focus and WP7. Yes, I’m missing a couple big apps, but MS is paying companies to bring out the marquee apps. If you can hold out for 3-6 more months, you should be finally happy with your app selection. *cough* WORDS WITH FRIENDS *cough*
I just couldn’t understand what kind of apps that you guys can’t live without. I know that there are some apps that you can never replace but as long as its not the phone main capability I can always replace, subtitute or even not using it. Going back and forth for using apps is just not worth the hassle. Go with samsung focus s, it really offers the best experienced out of a mobile phone.
I’ll get a wp7 and stick with it. in time it’ll get more apps than android and apple.
As a phone developer I have been using Windows Phone 7 now for over a year and haven’t looked back. I am sick of apple and android has way too many root kits and security concerns. After that you have blackberry and WP7. Nobody wants to make an app for RIM so wp it is. Missing a big time app? PM me and I’ll make it.
Keep android if there is an app that is ESSENTIAL to you and it is not available on WP.
Ditch it if not.
Speaking from a perspective with no experience using Windows Phone I have grown weary of using my Android phone (G2). There is nothing striking or massively wrong with the expeience but everything added up has even made me contimplate paying TMobile’s etf to escape. First there is the obvious fact that Android really is a IOS clone, no matter what anyone says about functionality/structure, you are swiping different pages full of little squarish icons and opening apps (standard Android). Sure you can hide that fact but out of the box the OS is a rip off at heart. Second, no matter what anyone says about how unfragmented the Android scene is, the fact remains it took a year for me to get the most current update and I know I will not be getting another. Also the update introduced a plethra of new annoying bugs that will never be fixed, all because it really is not in HTC’s best interest to keep their old hardware current when they are releasing five new ones a year. This goes for every other manufacturer. The app thing is so over rated imho for so many reasons, but the main reason being its like digging through a dumpster. There are so many crappy apps ranging from poor to harmful to obvious rips. I personally use 10 apps consistently and most of them I can find on windows. I understand this is my viewpoint based on my experience with Android and most people will disagree but I thought it worth mentioning.
Windows Phone is the future. Get a Nokia lumia 800 or the HTC titan, I can guaranty you, you won’t regret that decision for a second.
i have a lg optimus 7 from 1 year ago and I accept in the beginning was really frustrated because of the many functions was not there, but after mango all is much better I no wanna change my phone for other is not wp7, if i change i wanna the lumia 800 o the HTC titan, but go to Android or iPhone after have the long experience whot windows phone? Naaaa neve, lees when i know come important updates like Skype integrated in the system… Apps? That come in a close future…
Well I have an iphone but plan on switching to Android this summer. Why not give ICS a shot on your Captivate when it becomes available? Not sure how long it will be but those CM guys should have something in a month or two. I would think your thoughts on ICS should weigh heavily on your decision.
Get one of the second generation Windows phones. No doubt. I had the Focus and was very happy with it. Love the Titan. The screen is a pleasure. I can’t imagine what apps you’d be missing that you couldn’t live without until they are developed for Windows Phone. I feel like I have everything I need (but I’m not a gamer).
Well I don’t do much gaming anymore on my phones, I use my tablets for that. Once you’ve used a tablet for gaming you don’t want to use your phone anymore…
The apps I’m not seeing on WP7 are for my Synology Nas box that allows me to access it while away. Then there’s for my security system, I can view the cameras while I’m away. I could access it via web browser but that would require more work and it’s not the same as the app.
I also don’t see anything for Epson printers yet that allows you to print from your phone (it’s not a big deal but it’s nice to have).
Sure there are long work arounds for my NAS box like using the web browser to access the box, but it’s time consuming and not much fun on the small screen.
I also don’t see TeamViewer on WP7 yet either, I don’t use it often but it does come in handy for quick and easy remote access to my computer if need be.
I also don’t see FireFox on WP7 yet, the main reason I have it installed on my phone is that it syncs everything, bookmarks etc. I don’t even use FireFox anymore as my PC browser i use Chrome, but I import bookmarks etc so I can sync with my mobile devices. As far as I know as of now you can’t even sync internet explorer with wp7 yet? (I could be wrong that may have changed but last I looked you couldn’t) so that’s not a way to get my bookmarks over either.
So I don’t know, I like WP7, but it’s missing so much as of now…
I use Tonido to access everything on my NAS and CloudFox to sync Firefox with the my Arrive (old 1st Gen device like yours). I also use Send to WP7 and Back Burner for PC-to-phone and vice-versa URL management. There are already several remote desktop apps out there but I’m waiting for LogMeIn (though this is not a big deal at all). Have you poked around in AppFlow or searched the web marketplace for solutions to your app issues? I have to agree with the rest of the crowd that Android is not the better choice, especially considering the speed the manufacturers have been abandoning older devices on that platform. Good luck whatever you decide.
Considering the growth of the WP7 marketplace compared to how fast any other app store has grown in the past I would assume by late 2012 the apps will be nearly irrelevant. Although I don’t know what apps that you can’t live without but personally switching from IOS I couldn’t be happier with my WP7. I got the Focus for free with a promo and now I have passed that on to my GF and I got the Titan for $.01.
Android being the only big name OS I haven’t owned though I can’t speak much for it other than using friends devices. WP7 interface is easily the best out now and the phone that will have the most growth in the next couple of years.
Supposedly 92%+ of most popular apps are already on all devices. And developers have HUGE incentive to dev for WP7 in the facts that WP7 devs are making 2-10 times as much on their WP7 apps over IOS/Android apps. Also microsoft/nokia have a lot of pull with apps coming out from new developers and old ones alike.
I vote WP7
Android is not your OS for long term (2 years) period. Well, unless your ok with having an obsolete phone on the software side anyway. I have the Tmobile G2 and it took nearly a year after release to recieve the Android update. This is not acceptable to me. Not to mention all the irritating bugs the update unleashed upon my experience that will never be fixed. I understand why too, these manufacturers are releasing mutilple phones a quarter and it boils down to a conflict of interest to their bottom line to keep the old ones up to date. It takes time and money to do that and goes against the mentality of getting people to buy their new phone. That is my take on Android anyway. I’m tired of the static icons filling a page (read IOS clone) and the constant security threats. Yes I know I can mod Android and do whatever I want with it but my usage has changed with my son and I just want something that doesn’t take time to work for me. So I guess it depends on what you need.
I have the same dilemma. I will rather use my Samsung Focus,
but because a couple of Apps that are not available in WP7, I’m using the GS2.
Every month brings out a lot of new WP7 apps –increasing rate of release. The companies who supported both Apple and Android, are now now releasing WP7 apps.
Ease of use wins. The majority of mobile phone users are NOT smartphone users. They will be won over by ease of use and cost, not by hard to use technical features. WP7 has the edge here.
WP7 for sure.
Android sucks
(now let the robo-fans come… I’m sure they will).
I am too confused as to whether Android or Windows is better after reading so many opinions from this page, but one thing I am certain- both better than the stupid iPhone