Advice on choosing a Windows phone?

[Regert]

Hi!

I am looking at perhaps switching from Android to Windows Phone 8.1 and thought about asking if any Lumia is good by experience for my needs. Quite tired of Android being sluggish after a while and getting problems with the programs not responding to input.

 

Needs:

VPN capability (as good encryption as it can get, from 128 to Open VPN standard.) that doesn't crash the rest of the apps.

Email encryption (S/MIME)

If possible: MAC adress emulation.

Really good keyboard. NO program doesn't "see" keyboard input and you have to troubleshoot that.

Good for heavy social media (Facebook/Twitter/Youtube) use parallell with browser with a couple of tabs without programs shutting down or resuming when switchning between them.

OK to good battery time. At least 1 days heavy use but so that the battery won't be flat next morning.

 

I am looking at Lumia 925, 830 and the 1520. But 1520 is somewhat too big and to expensive.

 

Also: Doesn Quadcore really help with responsiveness and stability compared to dual-core? Is  2 GB RAM a must?

 

Cheers

Regert, Sweden.

 

 

[JustGeorge]

925 = Old. I personally wouldn't consider unless you get a really good deal.

830 = Probably meets most of your criteria.

1520 = Awesome battery life with good specs as I've been told. There are touch screen problems with this device. Phantom touches and swype issues. Seems to be a hardware flaw.

 

The 1520 is the only one I'd expect to get a full day's heavy use without a charge. The screen problems stopped me from buying it though. You could always get a spare battery for the 830 to swap out in a pinch. It supposedly gets good battery life already. You're not going to see much benefit from quad core on WP just yet, IMO.

 

If I were you, I'd buy one of those $39 635 models and take WP for a spin before spending the $$$ on a good phone. The OS is fine, but you may not like the app selection for what you do. From what I hear, Facebook app isn't on par with Android/iOS, and there is no official YouTube app. MetroTube is nice though. Someone else will need to chime in on the VPN and MAC stuff. I know WP now supports VPN, but I'm not sure its meets your requirements.

 

Should you decide to stick with Android, check out the Droid Turbo.

[Stokkolm]

925 = Old. I personally wouldn't consider unless you get a really good deal.

830 = Probably meets most of your criteria.

1520 = Awesome battery life with good specs as I've been told. There are touch screen problems with this device. Phantom touches and swype issues. Seems to be a hardware flaw.

 

The 1520 is the only one I'd expect to get a full day's heavy use without a charge. The screen problems stopped me from buying it though. You could always get a spare battery for the 830 to swap out in a pinch. It supposedly gets good battery life already. You're not going to see much benefit from quad core on WP just yet, IMO.

 

If I were you, I'd buy one of those $39 635 models and take WP for a spin before spending the $$$ on a good phone. The OS is fine, but you may not like the app selection for what you do. From what I hear, Facebook app isn't on par with Android/iOS, and there is no official YouTube app. MetroTube is nice though. Someone else will need to chime in on the VPN and MAC stuff. I know WP now supports VPN, but I'm not sure its meets your requirements.

 

Should you decide to stick with Android, check out the Droid Turbo.

With the 1520, the screen issues are a very minor annoyance. They've mostly been fixed with software updates, but yes, sometimes when I'm trying to scroll I get misclicks. I had to return do a warranty swap on my original as well due to the screen going crazy on me. This was most likely due to keeping it in my front pocket too much. I've been careful to only keep it in my pocket if I'm standing now and I haven't had any problems with the replacement unit that AT&T sent me.

 

Other than that, I've had nothing but a superb experience with the 1520, especially since Lumia Cyan. I can easily squeeze two to three days out of the battery with moderate to heavy use. I haven't tried out any VPN software on my phone as I don't really need to. I've looked into it a little bit and wasn't really able to find a good client in the app store though, so you might want to research that before jumping in.

[Regert]

925 = Old. I personally wouldn't consider unless you get a really good deal.

830 = Probably meets most of your criteria.

1520 = Awesome battery life with good specs as I've been told. There are touch screen problems with this device. Phantom touches and swype issues. Seems to be a hardware flaw.

 

The 1520 is the only one I'd expect to get a full day's heavy use without a charge. The screen problems stopped me from buying it though. You could always get a spare battery for the 830 to swap out in a pinch. It supposedly gets good battery life already. You're not going to see much benefit from quad core on WP just yet, IMO.

 

If I were you, I'd buy one of those $39 635 models and take WP for a spin before spending the $$$ on a good phone. The OS is fine, but you may not like the app selection for what you do. From what I hear, Facebook app isn't on par with Android/iOS, and there is no official YouTube app. MetroTube is nice though. Someone else will need to chime in on the VPN and MAC stuff. I know WP now supports VPN, but I'm not sure its meets your requirements.

 

Should you decide to stick with Android, check out the Droid Turbo.

 

OK. I checked out Droid Turbo. Geez. That's a Android phone on steroids. I actually have a Razr Maxx now. The battery there is good on paper, but I suspect it's getting worn and it seems expensive to have it switched for a new one.

 

Well, I'll have to check out the the Lumia 830. I didn't know it has a swappable battery - which is actually very nice and adds to the value of the phone.

 

The 925 is about just under $200 used here. The 635 cost about the same. No black friday deals here.

 

About the apps choice - I'm OK with less apps if they work good and are stable.

 

With the 1520, the screen issues are a very minor annoyance. They've mostly been fixed with software updates, but yes, sometimes when I'm trying to scroll I get misclicks. I had to return do a warranty swap on my original as well due to the screen going crazy on me. This was most likely due to keeping it in my front pocket too much. I've been careful to only keep it in my pocket if I'm standing now and I haven't had any problems with the replacement unit that AT&T sent me.

 

Other than that, I've had nothing but a superb experience with the 1520, especially since Lumia Cyan. I can easily squeeze two to three days out of the battery with moderate to heavy use. I haven't tried out any VPN software on my phone as I don't really need to. I've looked into it a little bit and wasn't really able to find a good client in the app store though, so you might want to research that before jumping in.

 

I see. That sounds good. However the 1520 is expensive. You can find used ones for about $400. The size is a bit on the large side but that maybe good - less strain on the Eyes.

Btw, how do the screens differ?

Some have TN, others IPS, others are AMOLED and Clearview? Which one is best in daylight?

[JustGeorge]

Both the 830/1520 (International version) have SD card expansion and QI wireless charging. Forgot to mention that earlier.

[Regert]

I looked at the Droid Turbo. It's realy impressive but it is unfortunately 1) too expensive 2) no one seems to carry it here. Seems like a US only phone so far.

[Dashel]

Get the 830 or the 925.

[techbeck]

Don't get a low end device if you can afford not to.   I bought the 530 for $40 on Amazon to have a WP to fool around with and use.  Slow and choppy in a lot of areas.

[Rippleman]

I picked up a 1320 for my dad. He absolulty loves it. Full retail is $250-$300 in the states. Seen on ebay for as little as $200. Battery lasts sometimes 3 days for him and that's NOT with battery saver mode on. 

 

note: its a less powerful version of the legendary 1520.

 

Over the weekend I picked up a 920. Very beautiful phone, always fast and everything instant. BUT horrible battery life. To last all day, I have to use it very sparingly. Will be getting rid of it tonight.

[Draconian Guppy]

Considered the HTC m8 windows version?

 

http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_(m8)_for_windows-6589.php

 

Also: Doesn Quadcore really help with responsiveness and stability compared to dual-core? Is  2 GB RAM a must?

 

Cheers

Regert, Sweden.

Where it matters is app loading time and in-app responsiveness, aside from that windows phone is butter smooth on 535 to 1520 on lumia

[+Warwagon MVC]

I would seriously recommend going somewhere and trying one out. For the longest time I was interested in a Windows phone until I actual tried it and then was like .. meh

 

So defiantly play with one first.

[neo158]

Don't get a low end device if you can afford not to.   I bought the 530 for $40 on Amazon to have a WP to fool around with and use.  Slow and choppy in a lot of areas.

 

I would say that a Lumia 630 would be the lowest I would go to for the OP. That's from experience, my mum uses one, as the performance is decent enough for the price.

 

OP, VPN and S/MIME support is part of WP8.1, so don't be too concerned if the phone you try doesn't have it straight away as WP8.1 is still rolling out to most devices.

[+Random Stranger Subscriber¹]

I would seriously recommend going somewhere and trying one out. For the longest time I was interested in a Windows phone until I actual tried it and then was like .. meh

 

So defiantly play with one first.

 

agreed.  after using one for a few days, i decided i am going to wait for some time, and try the next version. did not like 7, did not like 8, so i am waiting for next version.  it just does not feel right for me.

others i know found it a perfect fit for their usage.

[Regert]

Well, thanks for all the inputs. I have thought of now probably buying a used first, just to try it out.

Seems actually that either 925 or 1320 might be a good choice due to a quite fast dual-core. The 1320 also has a very big battery but it's fairly large.

For about $200 used it might be a good choice anyway. Even if it's a bit plasticky.

[Regert]

Well, have checked out the phones in  store.

I opinions:

635 & 835: seems ok. But 830 is a bit low on the specs considering the price.

930: Real nice but expensive, also I wonder wether a 2.2 Quad and a 2400 mAm battery will cut it all day? Good display.

1320: Very large. However not hard to hold. Maybe a bit heavy. However the display seems really good cosidering the price and there's not much pixelation. The battery is huge 3400 mAh.

 

I can buy either a mint condition 1320 with a memory card or a 930 good condition but with a crack in the glass (right corner) for about $210. Which would be a better choice? Is it possible to run the 930 in dual-core mode? For me the battery run time is really important.

 

VPN seems to be implemented, but it's a bit unclear with standards can be used. Would be nice if OpenVPN was supported.

[jakem1]

If it helps, I have a 930 and have no trouble getting through a full day with heavy use and 3 mail accounts constantly syncing and lots of apps running in the background. I usually have 30% or more of my battery left at the end of the day.

[neo158]

Well, have checked out the phones in  store.

I opinions:

635 & 835: seems ok. But 830 is a bit low on the specs considering the price.

930: Real nice but expensive, also I wonder wether a 2.2 Quad and a 2400 mAm battery will cut it all day? Good display.

1320: Very large. However not hard to hold. Maybe a bit heavy. However the display seems really good cosidering the price and there's not much pixelation. The battery is huge 3400 mAh.

 

I can buy either a mint condition 1320 with a memory card or a 930 good condition but with a crack in the glass (right corner) for about $210. Which would be a better choice? Is it possible to run the 930 in dual-core mode? For me the battery run time is really important.

 

VPN seems to be implemented, but it's a bit unclear with standards can be used. Would be nice if OpenVPN was supported.

 

If battery life is important to you then I would say the 1320 seems like the better option, jakem1 in the above post has given his usage of the 930 though so it's up to you. As for VPN I'm not that clued up on it TBH so if someone else on here knows more about it then they should be able to help you more than I can.

 

This page has more information on WP8.1 VPN support: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/dn673608.aspx

[Regert]

If it helps, I have a 930 and have no trouble getting through a full day with heavy use and 3 mail accounts constantly syncing and lots of apps running in the background. I usually have 30% or more of my battery left at the end of the day.

 

OK. That sounds fine. :)

 

 

 

If battery life is important to you then I would say the 1320 seems like the better option, jakem1 in the above post has given his usage of the 930 though so it's up to you. As for VPN I'm not that clued up on it TBH so if someone else on here knows more about it then they should be able to help you more than I can.

 

This page has more information on WP8.1 VPN support: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/dn673608.aspx

 

Well it surely seems like that when you look at the specs.

 

Well this is what I have done:

 

I found a 930 for about $200. It's a bit scratched but works well. And I also found a 1320 that was a bit below tht price. Since I wasn't sure about buying a new smartphones the usual way - i.e paying a bit every month, I bought both ones to do a comparison.

Both have a bout 6 months of use.

 

So far:

Screens: Very good on both. The 930 doesn't have glance for technical reason (wrong panel type). Both screens work wonderfully in bright weather outside.

Build Quaility: Well it's very good on both. Can't complain.

1320: Slippery backside. A bit of a design miss. Needs to be used with a extra case of a cover that isn't slippery.

930: Since it's all aluminium it's quite even more slippery. My RAZR MAXX is really good there, the kevlar/plastic backside has alot of friction.

VPN: Openvpn and PTPP isn't supported so one has to do with alternatives that support IKEv2 and LTPP.

Email: Well it sees the stock apps work fine.

Reception: Now this is somewhat interesting. I noticed that the 1320 seems to have better sensitivity jumping between different reception mode (GSM/E/3G/LTE) and it seems it's reception works in areas where the 930 loses connection.  What I don't like is that one can't choose which modes the phone should use (i.e say 3G but not GSM etc).

 

 

Now the problem so far is actually migrating my sms/texts to the new phone.That seems to be really a challenge.

 

I'll try an use them a bit more Before I conclude about the battery time.

[jakem1]

I'd forgotten about how slippery my 930 felt when I first got it.  You do get used to it but it takes a while before you find a way to hold it without worrying that it will slide out of your hand.

[Regert]

I'd forgotten about how slippery my 930 felt when I first got it.  You do get used to it but it takes a while before you find a way to hold it without worrying that it will slide out of your hand.

 

 

Btw, does your 930 drop some battery at the start from full charge?

My Lumia get's a bit warm while browsing, but otherwise it drops about 7-12 % in the first hour then it seems much more stable.

Now ofc it's a used phone, but not by much (5 months).

 

Cheers

/Regert

[George P Global Moderator]

I know people here want high end phones but news is MS is releasing a Lumia 638 in India. It's basically a 630 but with LTE and 1GB of RAM instead of the 512MB of the 630/635.  I really wish they'd bring it to more markets, I think it'd be a good seller.

[Regert]

I know people here want high end phones but news is MS is releasing a Lumia 638 in India. It's basically a 630 but with LTE and 1GB of RAM instead of the 512MB of the 630/635.  I really wish they'd bring it to more markets, I think it'd be a good seller.

 Indeed, a good, or several good medium tier phones would be nice.

1 GB ram seems to be fairly a minimum today with big screen resolutions and lot's of apps running in the background.