• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Windows Phone 8.1 |OT| Update 1

B

brotkasten

Member
H3XAntiStyle said:
Man if WP8 had all android apps, or some way to run them, I'd basically never upgrade my phone. I'm really hoping that someday an app that doesn't get WP support is the outlier, not the rule.

Hopefully WP10 helps that, with universal apps. One app across effectively 4 platforms should help out with that, right?
Click to expand...

But then you'd get no Windows Phone apps and the Android apps running on Windows Phone would be outdated as well, because I doubt that they'd receive updates from the Play Store. Unless Windows 10 Phone Series ships with all Google Play services.
 
A

Astral/H3X

Member
I suppose that's true. I'll go with "availability" of apps.

The fact that Google apps like Google Music aren't on here at all is immensely annoying (even with some third party alternatives).
 
P

Poindexter

Member
brotkasten said:
Don't use Chrome. You're on Android, you have a gazillion alternatives like Firefox, Javelin, Dolphin or Opera.

On Android you can expand notifications. If you get two emails and it says just that, then swipe the notification down and you should get all subjects. If you have one and you swipe down, you get actions like delete on the lock screen. Super awesome.

With keyboards it's the same as with browsers. You don't have to use the default keyboard. Don't like it? Try SwiftKey, for example. It takes a bit until it gets your habits, so try it for few days, but then it can be pretty awesome. Gave it a try and still don't like it? Try an alternative. If you don't like the way it looks, you can pick a different skin as well. Some are free, some are paid.

The back button behavior is just a thing you're used to and it's actually a legacy behavior on Windows Phone, from the pre-Mango era, where it didn't have a multitasking view. On Android, try the app switcher. Again, it's something you have to get used to as well, but it makes sense and it's not as cumbersome to use as on Windows Phone or iOS.
Click to expand...
Thanks ! I'll look for those alternatives for the keyboard and browser!
 
J

J. Bravo

Member
I really hope this latest dev update fixes the email counter issue. Yet to be seen, but usually it fucks up early morning after I've gotten a shit ton of emails overnight. Nothing wrong yet, so I'm hopeful.
 
E

ElNino

Member
H3XAntiStyle said:
The fact that Google apps like Google Music aren't on here at all is immensely annoying (even with some third party alternatives).
Click to expand...
I can appreciate it that there apps you wish to have from Google (or anyone else for that matter) but I guess it's good that I don't really use many Google products other than search.

I used to use Google Reader a lot, but then they killed it. I have a Gmail account, but it is a distant third in my usage (behind Outlook/Hotmail and my ISP email).

J. Bravo said:
I really hope this latest dev update fixes the email counter issue. Yet to be seen, but usually it fucks up early morning after I've gotten a shit ton of emails overnight. Nothing wrong yet, so I'm hopeful.
Click to expand...
What issues are you having with the counter?
 
C

clav

Member
brotkasten said:
Don't use Chrome. You're on Android, you have a gazillion alternatives like Firefox, Javelin, Dolphin or Opera.

On Android you can expand notifications. If you get two emails and it says just that, then swipe the notification down and you should get all subjects. If you have one and you swipe down, you get actions like delete on the lock screen. Super awesome.

With keyboards it's the same as with browsers. You don't have to use the default keyboard. Don't like it? Try SwiftKey, for example. It takes a bit until it gets your habits, so try it for few days, but then it can be pretty awesome. Gave it a try and still don't like it? Try an alternative. If you don't like the way it looks, you can pick a different skin as well. Some are free, some are paid.

The back button behavior is just a thing you're used to and it's actually a legacy behavior on Windows Phone, from the pre-Mango era, where it didn't have a multitasking view. On Android, try the app switcher. Again, it's something you have to get used to as well, but it makes sense and it's not as cumbersome to use as on Windows Phone or iOS.
Click to expand...

I remember SwiftKey-like keyboards from Windows Mobile.
 
N

nan0

Member
You can now put Cellular Data into the Action Center and toggle it from there, no need to go into the submenu.
 
n64coder

n64coder

Member
Hmm, I got a notice that my developer account is about to expire:
Your Windows and Windows Phone Annual Developer Registration subscription will expire on Monday, December 01, 2014. To avoid a possible interruption of your service, please renew your subscription by Monday, December 01, 2014.


To renew your subscription, go to your Dashboard, click 'Subscription', and then click 'Renew'. To reach Customer Support, click 'More support options' in the footer on the Dashboard page.
Click to expand...

but when I go to the dashboard, it says "Developer accounts don’t expire. You won't need to renew your account in order to keep your apps in the Store"

Did something change where it no longer cost money to have a developer account?
 
juliushandle

juliushandle

Member
nan0 said:
You can now put Cellular Data into the Action Center and toggle it from there, no need to go into the submenu.
Click to expand...
I never understood the need for this. Isn't that what airplane mode is for? Do people not know you can still turn on Bluetooth and wifi while on airplane mode?
 
B

Bob Dobalina

Member
camajise said:
I never understood the need for this. Isn't that what airplane mode is for? Do people not know you can still turn on Bluetooth and wifi while on airplane mode?
Click to expand...
There are people in Asia that buy tiny data packages, this is likely targeted towards them and prepaid users worldwide.
 
K

killer rin

Member
Uuugh. Why does Xbox Music suck so much.

I decided I would give it another chance and loaded it up on my PC, but half of my albums dont have album art. I can't manually add it in, and the only way to fix it is to have them automatically search the store and replace the albums meta data. These songs are foreign songs (or songs I downloaded off of Newground Audio). I already took the time to translate them into English or Romanji so I can read it. I dont want to go back to not being able to tell.

I wanted to try and switching over so that I can maybe get tighter integration with the app on my phone.. maybe put all my songs on OneDrive so I can get them from anywhere, but I guess I'm going to have to continue sticking with Zune :\
 
L

lastflowers

Banned
Lone_Prodigy said:
Does the dark theme use less battery power than the light theme? It should, right?
Click to expand...

depends on what type of screen you have. (IIRC) AMOLED screens use less battery power when a pixel is turned off. I think all others has no impact, because the power is in the panel behind the pixel.
 
A

Astral/H3X

Member
lastflowers said:
depends on what type of screen you have. (IIRC) AMOLED screens use less battery power when a pixel is turned off. I think all others has no impact, because the power is in the panel behind the pixel.
Click to expand...

AMOLED and regular OLED, but yeah. If not one of those two panels, don't worry about it.
 
B

Bob Dobalina

Member
I have a question for you guys. I'm on an earlier build of the dev preview than Lumia Cyan to take advantage of Bluetooth tethering without T-Mobile implementing their tether check, but I made the mistake of updating Network+ on accident and that made the phone differentiate between phone data and tethered data.

If I do a reset on the phone, will that restore the network+ version that shipped with this old dev preview update or will it download the latest version from the store upon booting?
 
M

mrklaw

MrArseFace
Had a surprisingly good in-car experience. Did a quick cortana check on a postcode, which brought up a mini map and my location. I hit 'voice guidance' and it kicked off the normal Here maps.

The big difference is that cortana read the directions through my car bluetooth telephone - so I was listening to the radio, and she'd automatically call (car answered automatically), she'd read out the next turning, and then hang up and the radio came back on.

Pretty much as good as a properly integrated nav system, only I don't have proper bluetooth audio on my car.
 
digita1alchemy

digita1alchemy

Member
My wife recently broke her Lumia 920 and wants another Nokia/MS Windows Phone but is having problems deciding on a replacement. She wants a higher end unlocked phone with a camera as good as or better than her 920. She hates huge phones so the 1520 is out. The Icon is perfect, but we're on ATT and moving to Cricket soon, so it won't work. Importing an unlocked 930 seems a little too pricey (unless I am missing some great deal somewhere). The 830 seems okay, but overpriced what what it is and the camera and screen seem iffy. The 1020 has an amazing camera but seems a little dated for a new purchase at this point.

So we're kind of stuck. Is there anything good on the horizon? Any current deals I am missing? I thought about giving her my current 920 while we wait for a better option, since I am planning on jumping to Android anyway.
 
K

KageMaru

Member
digita1alchemy said:
My wife recently broke her Lumia 920 and wants another Nokia/MS Windows Phone but is having problems deciding on a replacement. She wants a higher end unlocked phone with a camera as good as or better than her 920. She hates huge phones so the 1520 is out. The Icon is perfect, but we're on ATT and moving to Cricket soon, so it won't work. Importing an unlocked 930 seems a little too pricey (unless I am missing some great deal somewhere). The 830 seems okay, but overpriced what what it is and the camera and screen seem iffy. The 1020 has an amazing camera but seems a little dated for a new purchase at this point.

So we're kind of stuck. Is there anything good on the horizon? Any current deals I am missing? I thought about giving her my current 920 while we wait for a better option, since I am planning on jumping to Android anyway.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately it looks like we won't be getting any new flagships until the release of WP10 or whatever they call it.

Not sure what you're willing to spend but here's an unlocked 930 for $439.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNCVNEQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Also I've read that people have gotten the icon to work on at&t but not sure how exactly.
 
H

hadareud

The Translator
Got my Moto E today.

Very pleasantly surprised by the hardware, it's very well built and even though it's a bit generic, I really quite like the design.

It's snappy throughout the interface, though apps lag and judder like fuck (see https://vine.co/v/OrH3PW6j7QA, Facebook is even worse but I won't vine that for obvious reasons), not something you'd see on low end WP hardware. Nice screen, horrendous camera. You don't expect much from the camera for the price, but you get a less than that, imo (pretty sure that the 620's camera is better than that).

Checked out some of the apps, and while they are generally more feature rich, the judder destroys any advantage, I think.

The keyboard is god awful. I tried SwiftKey and I'm not really impressed by that either, particularly its design is very, very ugly.

One thing that's fantastic in Android is the LastPass integration. That's something Microsoft need to look at and enable going forward. There needs to be more options for integration.

Overall, I don't think you can moan considering the price and I think on high end hardware Android can really shine, when all the judder and lag is (hopefully) removed. I had a few app crashes as well (the store crashed several times), don't know if that's hardware related. From a UI point of view, I still think it's fairly messy, but when you're used to it, you can live with it. No L update for the E yet though, maybe it's a bit better there.

All that said, I think that for the low end, WP is a superior choice. Yes, your app choice is more limited, but at least the apps are useable.

Will play around with it some more and bore you with more impressions in due course.
 
K

kharma45

Member
My plans to get a 735 might be curtailed. All grades at work now are getting iPhones (goodbye my Nokia 301!) so I'm going to go for the 6 Plus I think. Not until January so might see if I can get a very cheap 530 or something. They were £15 not too long ago, although iirc that was just a Black Friday deal.
 
F

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
Re: Lumia 830 camera quality. Here are some full size images that show quite well what the Lumia 830 is capable of.

TmpDRIe.jpg
Click to expand...

This particular picture (reduced and recompressed by Imgur, because fuck you, PQ) stands out. I've taken my 920 to plenty of concerts and it's a bitch and half to take a good picture with all the crazy lights and whatnot.

Whoever claimed the Nexus 5 had better picture quality is crazier than a bag of wet cats.

Given that there's no real 1030 in the pipeline, I may end buying a 830 as a stopgap when the price comes down.
 
H

hadareud

The Translator
Having used the Moto E a bit more, I'm really wondering what Project Butter achieved. Yes the UI is nice and smooth for the most part, but almost every single app isn't, at all.

If it is indeed butter, it's butter with bits in it. And not the good kind of bits you'd put in butter, like garlic, parsley and a bit of paprika. More like gravel, screws and quite a lot of cinnamon. You like cinnamon? So do I. But within reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyk7utV_D2I
 
J

JaggedSac

Member
hadareud said:
Having used the Moto E a bit more, I'm really wondering what Project Butter achieved. Yes the UI is nice and smooth for the most part, but almost every single app isn't, at all.

If it is indeed butter, it's butter with bits in it. And not the good kind of bits you'd put in butter, like garlic, parsley and a bit of paprika. More like gravel, screws and quite a lot of cinnamon. You like cinnamon? So do I. But within reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyk7utV_D2I
Click to expand...

I'm hungry now.
 
n64coder

n64coder

Member
I just got a year subscription to Office 365 for Home. After installing it on my PC, I go to my Windows phone and entered my Live username/password to access 365 but it gives me an error:

Something's wrong. We encountered a problem and couldn't complete this task.

Am I doing something incorrectly?
 
A

Ade

Member
n64coder said:
I just got a year subscription to Office 365 for Home. After installing it on my PC, I go to my Windows phone and entered my Live username/password to access 365 but it gives me an error:

Something's wrong. We encountered a problem and couldn't complete this task.

Am I doing something incorrectly?
Click to expand...

Where exactly on your phone are you going to do this?

Office is built into Windows Phones.
 
n64coder

n64coder

Member
AdyCarter said:
Where exactly on your phone are you going to do this?

Office is built into Windows Phones.
Click to expand...

I bring up Office on my phone. In the Places view, there's a link for Office 365. I select that and it says:

Setup your Office 365 account on your phone to access your Office documents.

I select set up and enter my account name/password.
 
n64coder

n64coder

Member
I think this Microsoft Answer explains it best. Office Mobile is built-in to Windows Phone so there's nothing more to add/get.

I guess the Office 365 link is just for people with 365 at work and want to access their documents on the company server.
 
H

hwalker84

Member
SlickShoesRUCrazy said:
What was wrong with the 1+? I'm thinking of buying one to ride be over until high end win10 high end phones launch
Click to expand...

It's Android. Take that as you will. While it was my favorite Android device i've ever purchased I'd much rather have the money back in my pocket and be back on my 1520 which I never got rid of.
 
D

Dick Justice

Banned
Did they make changes to how bluetooth works from Win 7? I'm currently dual booting this along with 7, and for some reason, I can't get my bluetooth dongle to pair with my Dualshock 3 via Xinput, even though it works fine on 7.
 
T

Tomcat

Member
hadareud said:
Having used the Moto E a bit more, I'm really wondering what Project Butter achieved. Yes the UI is nice and smooth for the most part, but almost every single app isn't, at all.

If it is indeed butter, it's butter with bits in it. And not the good kind of bits you'd put in butter, like garlic, parsley and a bit of paprika. More like gravel, screws and quite a lot of cinnamon. You like cinnamon? So do I. But within reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyk7utV_D2I
Click to expand...

There is no project butter it's all smoke and mirrors lol

Recently I updated my nexus 7 to lollipop. Big mistake. The tablet is unusable. Too much lag everywhere 😠
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Windows 11’s new gamepad keyboard lets you type with an Xbox controller
4
492
Magic Carpet replied
Microsoft rolls out Windows 24H2 update
2 3
124
8K
rodrigolfp replied
Microsoft Build will detail ‘next generation’ of Windows on Arm and new AI features
2 3
100
8K
StereoVsn replied
[The Verge] Microsoft is now in a handheld gaming PC race
2
79
6K
MisterXDTV replied
Controversial Windows PC Feature "Recall" Being Delayed
14
1K
Neon Xenon replied
Top Bottom