The Windows Phone Surprise
After making our eldest daughter put up with a “Samsung Galaxy Y” smartphone for the last 18 months, I finally made good on a recent promise, and replaced it with something better.
I wouldn't say the Galaxy Y was slowthat would do the word slow too much justice. Glacial would be a better word. Crippled, or knobbled would be better words. I'm not going to get started about mobile phone hardware manufacturers turning out handsets with two generation old software installed. In truth, it was her first phone, and the deal had always been that if she could look after it for a year or so, we would get her something better.
She looked after it.
So. There I waswaiting outside Build-a-Bear while the kids not-secretly-at-all put together a soft toy for my birthday (yesyou read that rightthey have apparently made a “web developer” bear), and turned my back on the store to make them feel better. This resulted in my gaze being met with the glass frontage of Carphone Warehouse, and thoughts of our eldest's phone jumping into my head.
A few moments later I was in the store, looking at the SIM Free price of the various mobiles. I had been reading online reviews of the various handsets, and found myself returning to the Windows Phone handsets again and again. Having owned iOS, Android, and Blackberry devices before, I had a pretty good idea about all of their modelsbut had no clue about Windows phones.
Nestled down at the foot of the display was a Nokia Lumia 520the same model I had read a disparaging review about a few days before. Curiousity got the better of me, and I had a play with itswiping through the display, and entering and leaving the various apps. I was stunnedeven though it was the entry-level Windows Phone handset, it was faster and smoother than my phonea Samsung Galaxy S3 (which cost many times more than the Lumia 520).
I bought it.
During the evening I installed and configured the usual suspects on the phoneFacebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a few other bits and pieces. We synced her Google account, and signed her up for a Microsoft account to have a look at Outlook.com.
I hate to say this (because I have long sat on the Microsoft fence), but I loved the Metro interface on the phone. It made sense. It worked. The integrated “People” app was smooth, fast, and intuitivethe integrated messaging centre too. Ohand the battery life has been stellar.
I have perhaps another year to go with the Galaxy S3 before it gets upgraded. A few weeks ago my future choice of phone would have been a no brainera Google Nexus 5, or some such equivalent. Now I'm not so sure. Microsoft have been throwing billions of dollars into a hole in the ground to make Windows Phone, and it appears they have made something pretty spectacular.
I wonder how long it might take for the views of the general public, and perhaps more importantly the tech journalists to become less prejudiced against Windows Phonebecause from what I saw, it is mightily impressive.