Recommended Posts

So, I ended up moving my phone back to Android. Windows Phone 8 is lacking some serious customization that I require.

I had the Lumia since late last year and here is my top list for Windows Phone 8/Lumia 920 (It wouldn't be fair to say things that either iOS/Android doesn't do, so I won't):

* VPN. This is a must for me and my work. Android and iOS have had it for years. This is a windows phone!

* Every time I use Pandora, if a Bluetooth device connects, it starts, if it disconnects, it starts again. So, I can pause the music. Get out of my car and my phone starts blaring whatever song was on.

* Pandora app doesn't work with my car (Chevy Volt)

* USAA application disappeared and I deposit checks with it.

* Finding an address is easier on Android for me. I simply say the address and it goes there. I don't have the same experience on the Window's phone.

* I feel very restricted when developing an application for Window's devices.

Good luck Microsoft. I wish you would open your platform up more. I feel like I am in jail. The same really goes for Windows 8. I think App permissions is very important and should always be part of the experience. But, to limit these permissions is a mistake. The coolest things really come from developers hacking devices.

So, I'm going back to developing for Android. I'll miss Visual Studio as it is a great studio.

For reference, I have developed some simple applications for both platforms that have some downloads. My most popular application was City Caller ID for Android. It was pulled due to patent restrictions. But, I still love that I could make an application that can do these things! This is simply not possible on Windows Phone or iOS.

http://phandroid.com/2010/02/23/lawsuit-city-caller-id-application-pulled-from-market/

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1153238-left-my-lumia-920-for-an-htc-one/
Share on other sites

Yeh windows 8 phone is fine for the average consumer who just wants to make calls/text, browse facebook and play angry birds

much like iphone

once you get used to custom roms and the cutomisability of android its very hard to go back

for example i tried a lumia 800 for a few months

I had to always use skydrive to upload my documents to the phone, why the hell couldnt i just do drag and drop from WINDOWS DESKTOP, i can do it on my android phone... same with music and video files, why do i have to sync with zune all the time /itunes with iphone.

I couldnt have individual volumes as you point out

i couldnt figure out how to have custom ringtone or text tone

i coulnt change the vibration styles for calls and messages ( a nokia from 2002 can do this...)

there was no way to set do not disturb times

there was no easy way to access airplane mode,and other settings (compared to the pull down notification bar in android)

there was no light notification for missed calls/texts, you have to turn on the screen to check

there was no easy file browser/explorer

lack of apps

these are just the thing i can think of right now

i felt very limited on the lumia,

good for you. complaining about certain features or limitations that existed and you knew about before you purchased the device is just a whiny thing to do. i hope you enjoy your malware,and info stealing apps, useless back button, the lag and choppiness,and horrible IDE compared to a world class one.

  • Like 3

Yeh windows 8 phone is fine for the average consumer who just wants to make calls/text, browse facebook and play angry birds

much like iphone

once you get used to custom roms and the cutomisability of android its very hard to go back

for example i tried a lumia 800 for a few months

I had to always use skydrive to upload my documents to the phone, why the hell couldnt i just do drag and drop from WINDOWS DESKTOP, i can do it on my android phone... same with music and video files, why do i have to sync with zune all the time /itunes with iphone.

i couldnt figure out how to have custom ringtone or text tone

there was no easy way to access airplane mode,and other settings (compared to the pull down notification bar in android)

there was no light notification for missed calls/texts, you have to turn on the screen to check

there was no easy file browser/explorer

lack of apps

these are just the thing i can think of right now

i felt very limited on the lumia,

Not sure how WP 7.X worked, but in 8 you can connect it to the PC and file browse the device to drag an drop items, like documents, videos, music, etc.

WP 8 can do custom ringtone, no text/mail/etc yet.

Airplane mode on 8 can be access via the settings app, or there's apps that can pin it right to the screen to get easy access (I believe NFC can do the same to open certain things)

The light notification, guess I'm a person who hasn't missed that since I had a Blackerry and switched to iPhone and now to Windows Phone 8.

Lack of apps, I guess it depends on what you are missing. Honestly out of the 181 applications I have for my iPhone, I used maybe less than 10 on a regular basis. Everything I need to do on a daily basis I have on my Lumia 928.

Is this a rant post or what?

Why does everyone need to make a post when they change what product they use? Don't let the door hit you on your way out.

I am a huge Microsoft fan. I don't think I am alone here. I was able to get 5 other people to switch to the Lumia 920 just based off the camera. Of those 5, two already went back to Android also. (Just an FYI)

I posted because I believe it is important that Microsoft see why they weren't able to keep me on their phone platform. Especially a die hard MS fan who used Windows 8 from last BUILD conference.

good for you. complaining about certain features or limitations that existed and you knew about before you purchased the device is just a whiny thing to do. i hope you enjoy your malware,and info stealing apps, useless back button, the lag and choppiness,and horrible IDE compared to a world class one.

I'm assuming by his post he's not some brain dead user who just installs things randomly so I think he'll avoid malware etc.

I have a SII Skyrocket, and I have no lag or choppiness and my back button is far from useless. You could always address his very clearly stated issues...

* VPN. This is a must for me and my work. Android and iOS have had it for years. This is a windows phone!

* Every time I use Pandora, if a Bluetooth device connects, it starts, if it disconnects, it starts again. So, I can pause the music. Get out of my car and my phone starts blaring whatever song was on.

* Pandora app doesn't work with my car (Chevy Volt)

* USAA application disappeared and I deposit checks with it.

* Finding an address is easier on Android for me. I simply say the address and it goes there. I don't have the same experience on the Window's phone.

* I feel very restricted when developing an application for Window's devices.

Good luck Microsoft. I wish you would open your platform up more. I feel like I am in jail. The same really goes for Windows 8. I think App permissions is very important and should always be part of the experience. But, to limit these permissions is a mistake. The coolest things really come from developers hacking devices.

So, I'm going back to developing for Android. I'll miss Visual Studio as it is a great studio.

For reference, I have developed some simple applications for both platforms that have some downloads. My most popular application was City Caller ID for Android. It was pulled due to patent restrictions. But, I still love that I could make an application that can do these things! This is simply not possible on Windows Phone or iOS.

http://phandroid.com...ed-from-market/

- I honestly don't understand why Microsoft didn't do VPN instead of useless features such as Rooms and NFC

- I haven't had problem with Pandora but then I don't use it over bluetooth. Is that an app bug or API limitation? What do you mean it doesn't work with Chevy Volt? (bluetooth profile?)

- Nokia needs to enable voice commands in their HERE suite asap. I agree with this (although Google maps is next to useless if you lose signal where HERE maps shine. I think offline is much better with HERE which is more important than voice)

- Not sure what you mean by "I feel very restricted". You can always work with XDA community to work outside of what Microsoft allows, right?

Edit: To add to my "useless features" rant, these features need to be implemented before they do anymore fluff

- Notification management (with or without a center). For example, I use whatsapp but I don't want it to bother me with push notifications. Customize notification alerts for sound and/or display.

- Multitasking - fix it. I don't care if the apps are capable or not just ****ing fix the primitive multitasking.

- Different sound controls for ringer, music etc. It simply amazes me they haven't done for nearly 3 years now.

- Basic customization such as custom alert sounds is missing, why?

- Not sure what you mean by "I feel very restricted". You can always work with XDA community to work outside of what Microsoft allows, right?

- I like being able to load non-market applications by allowing it in a settings area. Yes, I am a developer. But this is a pain in the butt when I want friends to beta my stuff. I have done the email beta thing on the Microsoft Store. Just is not as easy as emailing an apk for them to try.

- I can mess with the OS internals on Android.

Honestly though. My biggest gripe as a developer. DirectX is not the most fun to program in C++. I like to make indie games in my spare time and Android has a better basis for them. I'm not a programming team with crazy resources. While I know things like Monogame help (although just getting the game to do landscape is a challenge), it is not the best solution yet.

Good, we surely don't want WP twisted up for people like you who want to treat your phadlet like a mini-PC.

VPN, lol.

The HTC one is not a phadlet. Most of my complaints have nothing to do with me wanting it to be a mini-pc. Although, I do have to RDP to a server occasionally, which WP8 does okay through an RDP gateway. My Lumia was actually very close to a mini-PC with a Windows 8 kernel and all.

As a corporate user. VPN is important for getting to intranet statistics. We have several servers that have no business being on the outside network. I like to be able to use these internal sites just like I did on Android.

So, I ended up moving my phone back to Android. Windows Phone 8 is lacking some serious customization that I require.

I had the Lumia since late last year and here is my top list for Windows Phone 8/Lumia 920 (It wouldn't be fair to say things that either iOS/Android doesn't do, so I won't):

* VPN. This is a must for me and my work. Android and iOS have had it for years. This is a windows phone!

* Every time I use Pandora, if a Bluetooth device connects, it starts, if it disconnects, it starts again. So, I can pause the music. Get out of my car and my phone starts blaring whatever song was on.

* Pandora app doesn't work with my car (Chevy Volt)

* USAA application disappeared and I deposit checks with it.

* Finding an address is easier on Android for me. I simply say the address and it goes there. I don't have the same experience on the Window's phone.

* I feel very restricted when developing an application for Window's devices.

Good luck Microsoft. I wish you would open your platform up more. I feel like I am in jail. The same really goes for Windows 8. I think App permissions is very important and should always be part of the experience. But, to limit these permissions is a mistake. The coolest things really come from developers hacking devices.

So, I'm going back to developing for Android. I'll miss Visual Studio as it is a great studio.

For reference, I have developed some simple applications for both platforms that have some downloads. My most popular application was City Caller ID for Android. It was pulled due to patent restrictions. But, I still love that I could make an application that can do these things! This is simply not possible on Windows Phone or iOS.

http://phandroid.com...ed-from-market/

Whatever!!!!

While WP could use multiple volumes. There's is a few things to keep in mind here, 90% or more of users don't care, in fact they don't understand multiple volumes. and look how horribly it works on android, I get annoyed on my phones at times as certain parts of the volume can only be adjusted in the right place, and the game keeps switching between phone, media, system and game volume modes.

The HTC one is not a phadlet. Most of my complaints have nothing to do with me wanting it to be a mini-pc. Although, I do have to RDP to a server occasionally, which WP8 does okay through an RDP gateway. My Lumia was actually very close to a mini-PC with a Windows 8 kernel and all.

The kernel doesn't make WP8 any more of a mini PC. only the shell and API's on top of the kernel can do that.

- I like being able to load non-market applications by allowing it in a settings area. Yes, I am a developer. But this is a pain in the butt when I want friends to beta my stuff. I have done the email beta thing on the Microsoft Store. Just is not as easy as emailing an apk for them to try.

This would make it very easy to distribute a virus. They kinda want to get rid of this virus friendly image.

The one thing that REALLY annoys me about Android is that for what ever reason they decided to combine the Notification with the Ringtone volume and made it one. I HATE THAT. When I sleep at night I like to have my notifications get muted but I still want to get phone phonecalls. I've gone in and unselected the "link notifications and rintones" under sounds but that didn't separated them.

I am thinking about doing the same thing. The podcasts support sucks, and thats what i use my phone for the most.

Podcast support will expand to other markets with the next update. If that's the only problem you have with it then I'd say you should wait instead of doing a total switch.

I'd have to have a long list of issues to think about switching but I don't. I paid for my 8X unlocked upfront and expect to keep it for at least 2 years.

good for you. complaining about certain features or limitations that existed and you knew about before you purchased the device is just a whiny thing to do. i hope you enjoy your malware,and info stealing apps, useless back button, the lag and choppiness,and horrible IDE compared to a world class one.

Useless back button? I think it is very useful.

Instead looking around the application for a back button, why not have a universal back button then works on everything?

"lag and choppiness"

He is switching to a HTC One, not some random China phone/tablet.

I don't have a HTC One but so far I tried out it is very smooth. Smoother than the S4 (I9505) for the UI but gaming the S4 does better.

Both are devices that you would not call it laggy or choppy.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • And the fact that the majority of people from Poland are white European Christians while the people you are complaining about in post after post are not is just a coincidence... Every sentence in your post I am replying to is racist nonsense. None of it is actually based on any facts whatsoever. All immigrants are seeking a better life too. It's literally the only reason they would risk everything and leave their homes, families, and homeland. They are working and contributing to the economy too, as you even admit. They get the same benefits your partner did AND that YOU are eligible for as well. That is one of the key things of the EU and a mark of a civilization. That is the definition of a society where everyone is given a chance, treated equally and fairly, and is judged by the content of their character, not their different skin color or which version of ignorant superstitious nonsense their parents lied about as children. Racists around the world said the same things about the Irish and Jews and Poles (like your partner) and...every other immigrant movement over the centuries. What's your family's heritage, by the way? Were your ancestors lied about with racist fearmongering crapola by self-entitled locals the same way as you are now? If someone like that said the same things about all people from Poland, like your partner, would they be right? Or would you want them to judge your partner based on who they actually were, not where they just happened to come from?
    • Again, this is an irrelevant attempt to attack the messenger. The truth does not require any justification.
    • Removed the blue and underline as you did not post a link. This would also  be considered spamming.
    • Why it's almost impossible to produce a smartphone in the United States by Hamid Ganji If you look at the back of some Apple products, you can see the famous phrase “Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in China.” This phrase appears on products from one of the largest smartphone brands in the United States. These products are designed in the U.S., but their manufacturing takes place in China, India, Vietnam, or even Brazil. But why can’t Apple, as one of the largest American tech companies, produce its iPhones on U.S. soil? The idea for this topic came to me after the Trump Foundation launched a smartphone called the T1 and claimed that it was designed and built with American values in mind. However, this claim did not last long, as it was revealed that Trump’s phone was actually a rebranded HTC U24 Pro, with only a gold case and minor internal component changes. You see? Even a phone that is supposed to represent American values is manufactured in China. With a gross domestic product (GDP) exceeding $32 trillion, the United States is currently the world’s largest economy, while China ranks second with around $20 trillion. On the other hand, the United States is by a wide margin the global leader in various technological fields, and American companies spend hundreds of billions of dollars annually on research and development. From Apple and Google to Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and others, American tech and industrial giants lead their foreign competitors in many sectors. The United States also has no shortage of smartphone brands. Apple, Google, and Motorola are among the major brands in the smartphone market, collectively holding a significant share. However, the vast majority of their products are manufactured outside the United States. So why is it that the world’s largest economy, home to the most advanced technology companies and industrial powers, cannot produce a smartphone on its own soil? Let’s explore this question together. Even threats to impose tariffs won’t work After Trump entered the White House as the 47th President of the United States, his administration adopted strict tariff policies. One of these policies was the imposition of a 25% tariff on smartphones manufactured outside the United States. Trump said he “had a little problem” with Apple CEO Tim Cook over producing smartphones outside the U.S. So he thought that threatening a 25% tax on imported phones might force Apple to bring manufacturing back to the United States. “I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Image via The White House Although Apple currently manufactures some of the iPhone’s chips in the United States with TSMC's help, it still shows no willingness to shift full iPhone production to the country. At the time, renowned Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote on X, “In terms of profitability, it’s way better for Apple to take the hit of a 25% tariff on iPhones sold in the US market than to move iPhone assembly lines back to the US.” However, manufacturing a smartphone in the United States is not as easy as it might seem, and many technical and economic barriers are involved. The lack of necessary manufacturing hubs There is a clear reason why many companies prefer to manufacture their products in China. China has established itself as the main global manufacturing hub for international companies, and over the past few decades, large contract manufacturers have emerged there, allowing companies like Apple to outsource production. One such example is Foxconn, which also manufactures some Apple products in India. Building the infrastructure required to produce smartphones in the United States would require tens of billions of dollars in new investment. Factories would need to be built, essential manufacturing equipment would have to be installed, and, most importantly, a skilled workforce capable of operating these systems would need to be recruited and trained. The United States currently lacks the core infrastructure needed to manufacture smartphones, and for this reason, many companies prefer to outsource production to Chinese contractors rather than spend tens of billions of dollars to build that infrastructure, which is significantly more economically efficient. Additionally, building such infrastructure in the United States could take up to a decade, ultimately leading to a significant increase in the product's final price for consumers. Shortage of trained labor in the U.S. compared to China Decades of serving as a global manufacturing hub have allowed China to build a massive talent pool in the production sector that is almost unmatched worldwide. Today, if a company chooses to manufacture its products in China, it can be confident that the workers involved in production have years of experience in their respective roles and are capable of producing high-quality goods with minimal errors. Even if we assume that tens of billions of dollars were invested in building smartphone manufacturing infrastructure in the United States, finding skilled workers would remain highly challenging. Apple CEO Tim Cook visiting the iPhone 6 assembly line in China in 2014. Image: Tim Cook on X In a 2015 interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Tim Cook said the main reason Apple isn’t producing in the US is a lack of skills. "China put an enormous focus on manufacturing, in what you and I would call vocational kind of skills. The US over time began to stop having as many vocational kinds of skills. I mean you could take every tool and die maker in the United States and probably put them in the room that we're currently sitting in. In China you would have to have multiple football fields,” Cook said. Also, in 2017, at the Fortune Global Forum in Guangzhou, Cook once again emphasized the importance of highly skilled Chinese workers. “China has moved into very advanced manufacturing, so you find in China the intersection of craftsman kind of skill, and sophisticated robotics and the computer science world. That intersection, which is very rare to find anywhere, that kind of skill, is very important to our business because of the precision and quality level that we like. The thing that most people focus on if they’re a foreigner coming to China is the size of the market, and obviously, it’s the biggest market in the world in so many areas. But for us, the number one attraction is the quality of the people,” Apple CEO said. Higher labor costs in the United States Producing almost any product in the United States is more expensive than in many other countries, and one of the main reasons is the higher cost of labor in the U.S. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median weekly earnings of full-time workers in the United States were $1,235 in the first quarter of 2026. Meanwhile, the average annual salary in China's private sector in 2025 was RMB 71,590 (US$9,961). In many parts of the world, the weekly wage of an American worker is equivalent to several months of income. Another important factor to consider is that in the United States, the workforce capable of working on a smartphone assembly line is highly specialized and therefore commands higher-than-average wages. According to an estimate by Bank of America, producing an iPhone in the U.S. is technically possible, but “iPhone cost can increase 25% purely on higher labor cost in the U.S.” However, this 25% increase applies only if final assembly is performed in the United States while components are still sourced from China or elsewhere. In this case, the price of a base iPhone would rise from $799 to around $1,000. But in another scenario, if Apple were to produce the required components for the iPhone within the United States, production costs could increase by more than 90%. Trump’s dream for a “Made in the USA” iPhone might never come true In a free-market capitalist economy, one of the primary responsibilities of any CEO is to maximize profit. Using Apple as an example, Tim Cook’s role is to maximize the company’s profits so that it can fund research and development for new products and invest in areas such as artificial intelligence, while also keeping shareholders satisfied. Therefore, it is entirely understandable that Apple would choose not to bring its manufacturing back to the United States and instead keep production in countries where labor is cheaper, and products can be manufactured at a lower cost, thereby maximizing its profit margins. What is your opinion about manufacturing smartphones in the United States? If you are an American citizen, would you be willing to pay hundreds of dollars more for a smartphone made domestically in the USA? Let us know in the comments.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Conversation Starter
      jessse3334 earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Reacting Well
      JuvenileDelinquent earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • One Month Later
      Excellence2025 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Excellence2025 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      flexorcist earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      506
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      196
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      153
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      72
    5. 5
      FloatingFatMan
      65
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!