• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Windows Phone 7 |OT|

Status
Not open for further replies.
CoilShot said:
Anyone bought a windows 7 phone and switch from android phone? Just curious how different it is.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I used to have a Sony Xperia X10. God I hated that piece of shit. So glad I've got my HD7 now - its a vast improvement IMO. Sure I miss it being Mass Storage or Flash, but overall, its a much better device.
 
CoilShot said:
Anyone bought a windows 7 phone and switch from android phone? Just curious how different it is.
Click to expand...

I went from a iPhone 3G to a HTC Hero, and I would take WP7 over both.

iPhone - not a apple fan, but was the best going at the time. Loads of apps and games, easy to use.

Android - loads of customisable options, no games and open to tinker with.

WP7 - Refreshing new take on a mobile OS that syncs with all my email/social without any problems (so far) and with Xbox live on the go, its my dream phone really.

Just waiting for:

1. More apps in market place
2. Multitasking
3. Use Live points to pay for stuff
4. More skydrive integration
5. Battery %
 
HTC Hero -> Samsung Omnia 7 for me, I'm never looking back. The interface is just so much slicker, I was always waiting for the Hero to respond (granted it was running 2.2 even though it wasn't supposed to :lol )
 
MagniHarvald said:
HTC Hero -> Samsung Omnia 7 for me, I'm never looking back. The interface is just so much slicker, I was always waiting for the Hero to respond (granted it was running 2.2 even though it wasn't supposed to :lol )
Click to expand...
I completely misread that first line of yours as a mathematical statement... :lol
 
Firestorm said:
The day you give me $50 for $25 is the day I give up on Microsoft Points. That and the day you give me $1.25 for $0 and let me keep asking for it until you run out.
Click to expand...

None of that stuff has anything to do with points. I've bought plenty of PSN cards on major sales before and they have a £ value attached to them.
 
brain_stew said:
None of that stuff has anything to do with points. I've bought plenty of PSN cards on major sales before and they have a £ value attached to them.
Click to expand...

Well not in the US or at least not at my local FM stores they never put any cards that have real monetary value on sale or discount with coupon.
 
antiquegamer said:
Well not in the US oe at least not at my local FM stores they never put any cards that have real monetary value on sale or discount with coupon.
Click to expand...
Yeah. Very rare to get discounted PSN cards here.

And almost never are there promos online for "free PSN money" as there are with points. I've gotten thousands of points at no cost.
 
I made one of my own.... Ill post it when I get home (the phone will only upload a lower rezzed version directly). I took the I heart windows phone wallpaper and turned it into my phone wallpaper.

There are also some apps for wallpaper as well in the marketplace but I wasn't a huge fan of either app..... An app Id like to see made is one that takes the bing image of the day and sets it as your wallpaper.
 
Today I played with the Omnia 7 and I must say it's really awesome. The size is perfect and it's lighter and slimmer than I thought. I'm not a fan of the iPhone-ish home button, but the rest was really great. Damn ...
 
Brettison said:
What's a good site to go to for 800 x 480 wallpaper for the lock screen?
Click to expand...
I go to Interfacelift.com for my wallpaper needs. Lots of choices at many different resolutions. For this screen I just sorted it by the iPhone 4 resolution and cropped a little bit out.
 
I'm loving my Omnia 7 at the moment, another pain though is how slippery it is. The metal enclosure is very nice but it's like an ice cube. Far worse than the iPhone 4 and with no available decent cases.
 
Dazzla said:
I'm loving my Omnia 7 at the moment, another pain though is how slippery it is. The metal enclosure is very nice but it's like an ice cube. Far worse than the iPhone 4 and with no available decent cases.
Click to expand...

Totally agree, i thought it was just me with my dry hands :lol
 
Sat and played with an HD7 today in the O2 shop for about 20 minutes, was a joy to use. Walked down the street and came across another O2 shop and I had to use it again :lol I just can't get over how slick WP7 really is.
 
brain_stew said:
None of that stuff has anything to do with points. I've bought plenty of PSN cards on major sales before and they have a £ value attached to them.
Click to expand...
Much rarer here as putting a $ value makes most retailers consider it a gift card rather than a gaming accessory. Sony charges sales tax when you buy online rather than when you buy the card =\
 
Firestorm said:
Much rarer here as putting a $ value makes most retailers consider it a gift card rather than a gaming accessory. Sony charges sales tax when you buy online rather than when you buy the card =\
Click to expand...
Yeah must be different in NA verses EU. Cards that are just cash never go on sale like live points here. Plus MS always gives out points in giveaways. Look at the 200 points bing thing.
 
I'm seriously contemplating getting a WP now. Few questions though. Forgive me if these questions have been asked before, I have the links in the OP opened up in tabs so I may even find the answer to some of these in the next few days as I read them. But here anyway

  • Is it possible to take screenshots?
  • How much visual customisation can you do on the OS aside from changing the order of the tiles?
  • How capable is the browser on forums like GAF in terms of rendering?
  • Are you able to create groups in Contacts, and send messages to them (e.g. SMS) via that Group as opposed to forwarding messages?
  • I know there is no unified Inbox, but what's it like managing two email accounts in there (e.g. GMail and Hotmail)?
  • Do any of the phone feature the ability to restrict them if they are lost/stolen? HTC have an ad where you can ring your phone if you can't find it, even if it's on silent. That's pretty cool. Do the HTC devices on WP have that feature?
  • I use an Adroid atm with the Sense UI, and I love how the Widgets have live data ready on screen. But on WP, or on iOS, you need to open the application first before you can see any of that. For those who have come from operating systems like the Sense UI and iOS, how has the adaptation been to something, which on the surface, seems like it needs more user input to get the required info
 
Meus Renaissance said:
I'm seriously contemplating getting a WP now. Few questions though. Forgive me if these questions have been asked before, I have the links in the OP opened up in tabs so I may even find the answer to some of these in the next few days as I read them. But here anyway

  • Is it possible to take screenshots?
  • How much visual customisation can you do on the OS aside from changing the order of the tiles?
  • How capable is the browser on forums like GAF in terms of rendering?
  • Are you able to create groups in Contacts, and send messages to them (e.g. SMS) via that Group as opposed to forwarding messages?
  • I know there is no unified Inbox, but what's it like managing two email accounts in there (e.g. GMail and Hotmail)?
  • Do any of the phone feature the ability to restrict them if they are lost/stolen? HTC have an ad where you can ring your phone if you can't find it, even if it's on silent. That's pretty cool. Do the HTC devices on WP have that feature?
  • I use an Adroid atm with the Sense UI, and I love how the Widgets have live data ready on screen. But on WP, or on iOS, you need to open the application first before you can see any of that. For those who have come from operating systems like the Sense UI and iOS, how has the adaptation been to something, which on the surface, seems like it needs more user input to get the required info
Click to expand...

1. No screen shots (interesting idea tho)
2. You can change the tile colors, the background can be black or white, and you can set your lock screen wallpaper
3. GAF renders fine, but we all use the secondapp cause it's just easier
4. Not totally sure what your asking here? I know I can send an SMS to multiple people at once and not just forward the message to people individually
5. Not sure as I just use gmail despite having a live id and a hotmail account (I also have a comcast e-mail but I never use that unless I have to)
6. There is a feature in the OS called "Find my Phone" under settings. There are two settings every once in a while or a lot in which it pings your location to your live id. Then if you can get to a computer and log in to your live id you can map, ring, lock, or even erase your phone (assuming it has service of course).
7. Actually there ARE live tiles in WP7. There just aren't a ton of them. So it is a feature that's doable, but the tiles have to be programed for it. Not sure how hard this is to do in the XNA kit.
 
Meus Renaissance said:
I'm seriously contemplating getting a WP now. Few questions though. Forgive me if these questions have been asked before, I have the links in the OP opened up in tabs so I may even find the answer to some of these in the next few days as I read them. But here anyway
Click to expand...

I don't have one (yet) and haven't read every review ... but I'll answer what I can.


Is it possible to take screenshots?

Currently only in debug mode

How much visual customisation can you do on the OS aside from changing the order of the tiles?

  • Background can be black or white
  • Theme color (tiles, links, etc) has a variety of choices
  • Most anything can be moved, removed or 'pinned' to the home screen. That includes contacts, pictures, links, apps, whatever. It's really quite analogous to a Windows desktop
  • Lock screen wallpaper

How capable is the browser on forums like GAF in terms of rendering?

While it doesn't have flash or HTML 5 support, it seems to function quite well from all reports. Overall it doesn't seem to be a weak link at all, and in terms of motion (scrolling, zoom, etc) it is as capable as iOS (ie. better than Android)

Do any of the phone feature the ability to restrict them if they are lost/stolen? HTC have an ad where you can ring your phone if you can't find it, even if it's on silent. That's pretty cool. Do the HTC devices on WP have that feature?

  • Ring while silent
  • Locate on a map
  • Add a lock/password to the phone, and place an actual text message onto the screen ("please return to xxxx", etc)
  • Wipe

I use an Adroid atm with the Sense UI, and I love how the Widgets have live data ready on screen. But on WP, or on iOS, you need to open the application first before you can see any of that. For those who have come from operating systems like the Sense UI and iOS, how has the adaptation been to something, which on the surface, seems like it needs more user input to get the required info

WP7 supports live tiles on the home screen. The intent is so you can get info from a quick glance, without opening apps unless necessary. The lock screen also has some live info (email counts, message counts, etc).
 
Meus Renaissance said:
  • Is it possible to take screenshots? I'm not aware of any way, but I'm sure this is coming. Developers already have a tool similar to this, it seems.
  • How much visual customisation can you do on the OS aside from changing the order of the tiles? You can change the colors of the tiles, the order (as you mentioned), but that's just about it.
  • How capable is the browser on forums like GAF in terms of rendering? Hmm, I haven't tried anything other than the Secondapps GAF app, which works as well as it did on my 3GS. But no complaints about the browser so far. It scored low in a number of tests, but similar to the review consensus, it's a pretty slick and usable browser
  • Are you able to create groups in Contacts, and send messages to them (e.g. SMS) via that Group as opposed to forwarding messages? Not that I know of
  • I know there is no unified Inbox, but what's it like managing two email accounts in there (e.g. GMail and Hotmail)? Sorry, I only have one email account
  • Do any of the phone feature the ability to restrict them if they are lost/stolen? HTC have an ad where you can ring your phone if you can't find it, even if it's on silent. That's pretty cool. Do the HTC devices on WP have that feature? Yes, Microsoft has a free "Find My Phone" feature that can ring, lock, erase, or map your phone's location. You can do this from your Live account.
  • I use an Adroid atm with the Sense UI, and I love how the Widgets have live data ready on screen. But on WP, or on iOS, you need to open the application first before you can see any of that. For those who have come from operating systems like the Sense UI and iOS, how has the adaptation been to something, which on the surface, seems like it needs more user input to get the required info. Actually, WP7 has "Live Tiles" which some apps are starting to utilize, which display information on the tile itself. The only third party I have that utilizes this so far is Weatherbug, which displays the weather on the tile itself, as opposed to having to go into the app. Several other stock apps have this functionality.
Click to expand...

My responses in bold. Hope this helps!

EDIT: Raistlin doesn't even have a WP7 phone and he has great responses :lol
 
vangace said:
Just scored the Samsung Focus from Amazon for $49 but it won't arrive until December 1st. Now l can get rid of my iphone.
Click to expand...

You can probably fetch around $200 on Craigslist depending on the model. I was gonna do that, but my girlfriend wanted it :-\
 
vangace said:
Just scored the Samsung Focus from Amazon for $49 but it won't arrive until December 1st. Now l can get rid of my iphone.
Click to expand...

Woah didn't know the Focus was that cheap right now! Fuck it's $50 even if your on a family account and not the primary line. Damn I would have waited if I had know that shit.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. One last question and this focuses on Contacts. When importing them, does it mesh all your contacts into one? E.g. Facebook friends with phonebook contacts?
 
Meus Renaissance said:
Thanks for the replies guys. One last question and this focuses on Contacts. When importing them, does it mesh all your contacts into one? E.g. Facebook friends with phonebook contacts?
Click to expand...

All of your Facebook contacts are added by default, but you can actually instruct it to only merge with existing contacts. I love it. Unfortunately, I don't think it gives you the option to exclude Windows Live contacts.
 
Mr. Snrub said:
All of your Facebook contacts are added by default, but you can actually instruct it to only merge with existing contacts. I love it. Unfortunately, I don't think it gives you the option to exclude Windows Live contacts.
Click to expand...

This, along side the copy/paste and 640x480 always being the default video recording preset just baffle me. It's like you buy a full furnished mansion, with even the fridge full, and then they tell you the toilet is outside in the garden
 
These are my rankings based on having used all of the devices:

User Interface Look:
1. WP7
2. iPhone
3. Android

Apps:
1. iPhone
2. Android
3. WP7

Multitasking:
1. Android
2. iPhone
3. WP7

Customization:
1. Android
2. WP7
3. iPhone

Email (stock):
1. Android
2. iPhone
3. WP7

Social:
1. Android (all major apps plus widgets)
2. iPhone (all major apps)
3. WP7 (lacks Twitter, but better integration of FB)

Lock Screen (stock):
1. WP7
2. Android
3. iPhone

Gaming:
1. iPhone
2. Android (not for long, will likely be #3 next year)
3. WP7

Browser (stock)
1. Android
2. iPhone
3. WP7

Notifications
1. Android
2. WP7
3. iPhone

Calendar App (stock):
1. WP7
2. iPhone
3. Android

Picture Viewer (stock):
1. WP7
2. iPhone
3. Android

Voice Command Integration (stock):
1. Android
2. WP7
3. iPhone


Major services associated:
WP7 Zune, Xbox Live, Windows Live, Office
iPhone-iTunes, MobileMe
Android-Best version of Google Maps and Gmail




Blackberry: LOL
 
Meus Renaissance said:
Thanks for the replies guys. One last question and this focuses on Contacts. When importing them, does it mesh all your contacts into one? E.g. Facebook friends with phonebook contacts?
Click to expand...


edit - beaten
 
Meus Renaissance said:
This, along side the copy/paste and 640x480 always being the default video recording preset just baffle me. It's like you buy a full furnished mansion, with even the fridge full, and then they tell you the toilet is outside in the garden
Click to expand...

Yeah, the camera settings not saving is such a pain in the ass, borderline unforgivable.
 
Brettison said:
Uh there is an official Twitter app for WP7?
Click to expand...
Yeah, and it's getting updated to use live tiles. If anything, that should move WP7 to either 2nd or 1st on his list since it effectively matches the top criteria.


"Android (all major apps plus widgets)"

(live tiles = widgets in terms of closed app info functionality)





Mr. Snrub said:
EDIT: Raistlin doesn't even have a WP7 phone and he has great responses :lol
Click to expand...
:D I am excite

Seriously though my excitement is getting out of hand. I keep F5'ing Dell's website every 5 minutes so I can order a Venue Pro the minute it's available :lol
 
Can anyone confirm whether WP7 supports concurrent talk and data ... at least with providers that have the capability (basically all non-CDMA providers)?

I've seen pictures with the call info - not and incoming call, but a current one - as toast on top of the browser. That leads me to believe this is supported?

HTCSurround-0057_575px.jpg
 
Raistlin said:
Seriously though my excitement is getting out of hand. I keep F5'ing Dell's website every 5 minutes so I can order a Venue Pro the minute it's available :lol
Click to expand...

Yeah, he really needs a new phone. You should take a picture of the crusty piece of shit you have now. Then maybe you'll respond to txt messages.
 
Raistlin said:
Can anyone confirm whether WP7 supports concurrent talk and data ... at least with providers that have the capability (basically all non-CDMA providers)?

I've seen pictures with the call info - not and incoming call, but a current one - as toast on top of the browser. That leads me to believe this is supported?

HTCSurround-0057_575px.jpg
Click to expand...

Yeah at least on AT&T you can. I'm pretty sure that's a carrier thing, and not a phone thing.
 
CrankyJay said:
Yeah, he really needs a new phone. You should take a picture of the crusty piece of shit you have now. Then maybe you'll respond to txt messages.
Click to expand...
It's sad ... really.




Brettison said:
Yeah at least on AT&T you can. I'm pretty sure that's a carrier thing, and not a phone thing.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the confirmation. Yeah, it's based on the tech employed by the carrier. AT&T and T-Mobile should be good then (Sprint and Verizon are hosed with CDMA).
 
VanMardigan said:
These are my rankings based on having used all of the devices:

User Interface Look:
1. WP7 (best default interface for sure)
2. Android (Can be made to look AND function better than the others. Though most phones tend to be a vomit mess of random widgets by default).
3. iPhone (probably the worst of all and in dire need of updating. It's almost like ONLY having the app drawer as my interface on android - blegh).

Social:
1. Android/WP7 (incredible facebook integration including contact FB updates and "widgets")
3. iPhone

Gaming:
1. iPhone
2. Android/WP7 (Android may not even hold here after this year)

Picture Viewer (stock):
1. WP7
2. iPhone/Android (you can even argue that Android is number 1 what with complete picasa and dropbox integration; assuming we're using the stock nexus gallery)



Major services associated:
WP7 Zune, Xbox Live, Windows Live, Office
iPhone-iTunes, MobileMe
Android-Best version of Google Maps and Gmail




Blackberry: LOL
Click to expand...


I agree with most of that. Made some changes above.
 
Just got a Focus from amazon.com. The deal was hard to pass up. Fifty dollars!

I'm a big news junkie. What papers/mags/sites have apps so far? Is there an NYT app yet? I'm psyched to read shit on that beauty of a screen.
 
PG2G said:
Anyone working on any apps? I'd love to help out on something but I don't have any ideas at the moment.
Click to expand...

I'd love for someone to make a vent client. Their is an open source client for Linux called Mangler that they also got working on Android. Love for something like this on WP7.
 
Brettison said:
I'd love for someone to make a vent client. Their is an open source client for Linux called Mangler that they also got working on Android. Love for something like this on WP7.
Click to expand...

Had no idea what that was so I just took a look. I don't think any VoIP apps will be possible until Microsoft opens up sockets
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

  • Poll
Windows Phone: 15 years later, Microsoft’s greatest mistake
2
58
2K
JDF replied
Blown out windows screenshot due to HDR. Fix?
5
293
Ocean Dweller replied
Oscars 2026 |OT|
2 3
149
2K
DKehoe replied
Movies You’ve Watched Lately | OT | - 2026
|OT| Social  12 13 14 15 16
784
9K
DKehoe replied
Microsoft Deprecates Legacy Printer Drivers on Windows 11
News 
19
420
Futaleufu replied
Top Bottom