Comparison of the three systems iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Which is better: Windows or Android? Better android windows phone 10
July 29, 2015. The software giant would like to see developers create applications for the mobile version of the new OS. But mobile developers themselves are not sure if Windows 10 will be worth the time they spend, as the market share of the mobile version of Windows is extremely small. According to market research company IDC, Windows only holds 3.2% of the smartphone operating system market. The share of Android, for comparison, is 79.4%, and iOS - 16.4%. As a result, developers may have difficulty monetizing their software products.
Arjun Kharpal's "Windows 10: Why app makers aren't impressed" on CNBC explores why developers are not happy with the Windows mobile platform, while highlighting the benefits of new Windows 10 features designed to make them easier. The new Windows 10 is compelling, but at the moment developers see mostly only a low market share for the mobile version of Windows. Of course, we are talking about the upcoming Windows 10 Mobile, since the market share of Windows for PCs is not only high, but truly gigantic.
Andreas Rasmussen, Managing Partner at Nodes, a mobile app company, told CNBC:
There is no demand for Windows applications, and the only reason is market share.
Mike Newman, founder of the acclaimed popular game FlowFree from Big Duck Games, notes:
Also of concern are the challenges Microsoft faces in its mobile business. Earlier in July 2015, the software giant announced plans to cut 7,800 jobs in its device manufacturing business, which it acquired from Nokia last year for $ 7.5 billion.
Codeglue co-founder of the popular Windows 8 mobile game, Rocket Riot, points out:
This is troubling. If their market doesn't grow and if Microsoft doesn't support it anymore, then the market won't come from anywhere.
Microsoft acknowledged its past problems and changed its strategy with Windows 10. The Redmond-based software giant is offering Windows 10 as a free upgrade for those who previously purchased Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1. In this way, the company hopes to increase the number of users of its platform.
In addition, Windows 10 has two such key features that developers might find attractive. The first one is called “Universal Apps”, which allows developers to write code just once, and as a result, it will work on different types of devices, both mobile and personal computers. Minimal modifications are required. Thus, it can become less visible to developers and ultimately to users who get the same set of applications for all their Windows devices.
De Jong says the feature is not as easy to use as Microsoft points out, but most of the developers CNBC spoke to believed it could save time by not writing completely different pieces of code for different devices.
"My Talking Tom" app developer Outfit7 told CNBC:
Our newest game, Mars Pop, was our first universal app and thanks to this feature we were able to save a lot of time during the development phase, and the game is available on both Windows and Windows Phone platforms.
The second feature is a feature introduced by Microsoft, which makes it easier for Android and iOS application developers to ensure that their software products are compatible with Windows phones. About Microsoft Representative. After all, developers usually have to write separate code for competing mobile operating systems. However, the process.
Developers welcome this Microsoft-provided feature, as do Universal Apps. Newman expressed his opinion on the matter:
This is actually interesting and will make it much easier for us in the future to port new applications and software updates to Windows.
Will Universal Apps and Software Portability from Popular Mobile Platforms Boost Windows 10 Mobile Market Share?
Electronics maker Apple deliberately instigated a war over the future of computers when it unveiled the first iPad. This tablet strikes a comfortable balance between ease of use, screen real estate and portability for handheld use. It wasn't long before Google and Microsoft recognized the importance of tablets.
For its part, Microsoft decided to investigate a new category before making a bet. Google responded to the iPad threat fairly quickly by releasing its Android Honeycomb operating system to run on third-party tablets. It took some time before Microsoft realized its mistake with the tablet category. The company changed course on all fronts by bringing its own Surface series of tablets to the world, as well as bringing Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 to tablets. New Surface tablets, as well as tablets from other manufacturers, are powered by, which offers a unified Microsoft vision of operating systems for laptops, desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
Windows 10 tablet:
Some people say that Windows 10 tablets and Android tablets are no different, they say they do the same thing in the end. These people are wrong; Google and Microsoft have a completely different view of tablets and their capabilities, so you need to understand the difference before deciding which tablet you really want to buy.
Windows 10: Differences
The differences between Microsoft's and Google's approach to tablets are immediately apparent, just look at the devices that are available on store shelves. Fearing Apple's dominance in the high-end zone, Microsoft has turned its energies into high-end tablets. In addition to the expensive segment, Microsoft and its partners are betting on universal devices, believing that the user wants one device that can do everything.
Android tablet: Google Pixel C.
Google takes a slightly different approach with Android. There are over a thousand different Android tablets out there, most of which are official and some are not. There are small tablets with 7-inch panels for users who only want to watch movies and read books. There are tablets with punchy performance in the Android ecosystem. For example, a tablet demonstrates high performance indicators.
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The quality of an Android tablet you get is only limited by the amount of money you are willing to spend to buy it. The open nature of Android and the constant need of hardware manufacturers to create the best processors for their tablets have made Android show brute force. For example, the latter runs on an 8-core processor, which means that there is practically nothing that this tablet cannot do. It also uses an AMOLED display with amazing resolution. This is an incredible technology with very deep blacks and vibrant other colors. 8-inch Galaxy Tab S2 entered the market with a price tag of 32,000 rubles.
Android tablet:
The rapid development of new designs is dictated by the fact that Android tablet manufacturers often take risky decisions, unlike other hardware manufacturers. The Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro, for example, offers users a 10.1-inch display and built-in projector for just $ 449 (£ 32,000). We recently reviewed the latest Lenovo tablet and ranked it among the best tablets for Android content consumption.
Android tablets can be very, very cheap. For comparison, the Lenovo Tab 2 A7 tablet costs about 6,000 rubles. It is powered by a 4-core processor and offers a 7-inch display. Android tablets come in a wide variety of colors, sizes, prices, and experience. Each supports Wi-Fi, some support mobile plans for constant connectivity, 3G and 4G.
Windows tablets, of course, also have some variety, but the number of offers from hardware manufacturers simply cannot be compared with Android. Instead, most Windows 10 tablets are focused on consumption and content creation. And you won't be able to fully achieve the same from an Android tablet by simply connecting a mouse and keyboard, they simply cannot provide the experience of Windows 10 and tablets on this operating system.
Windows 10 tablet: HP Pavilion X2.
Windows 10 tablet: Microsoft Surface 3.
Android tablets have the best features you can find and entertainment apps in myriad numbers, but they're still marketed as companions to other devices. Microsoft is willing to bet that you want to integrate your main computer into a tablet. Again, your choice depends on your operating system preference.
Android tablets vs tablets onWindows 10: Software
The hardware advantages of each platform are closely tied to their software.
Designed for work and play, Windows 10 on tablets uses a number of hardware tricks to try to find the right balance between effortlessly consuming media content and working with Word, PowerPoint, and presentations. You may have heard that Windows 8 hasn't heard about balance. You heard everything correctly.
Windows 10 uses other tricks to make the transition from laptops or competing iPads easier. Plugging in or unplugging the keyboard changes the system modes. When tablet mode is active, apps fill the entire screen and the onscreen controls get larger. Pressing the Start button will take you to a full screen menu, complete with auto-updating tiles. When tablet mode is off, the Start screen becomes the Start menu, and applications can be launched using the mouse and keyboard. Again, Windows Store apps work side-by-side.
Windows users can run two apps simultaneously on the screen in tablet mode, which Android is still working on. There is also support for multiple users. Microsoft has also effectively addressed issues with mouse, keyboard, stylus, and sensor support.
Android on tablets
Android is a purely touch-based operating system. This is fine as most users want to interact with tablets for media consumption. Only the right size plays a role.
Several Android hardware partners have made changes to the operating system, offering things like the ability to run two apps at the same time. This is not the most universal solution, however, as the applications available in this mode of operation are quite limited. Android also offers multiple user accounts, so you can share games and apps with your child or spouse without a lot of setup. You get access to tons of apps as the Android store offers thousands of apps. Windows is still catching up. We must also mention that all programs purchased for tablets and smartphones are available on both devices. Windows 10 offers a similar solution, but few people have Windows Phone.
To make your choice easier, you can think of Android tablets as very large smartphones. They also offer simple tasks and switching between them. Read, watch and listen, these are the most popular activities for Android tablets. Content creation is better implemented on Windows 10 tablets.
Security is becoming an issue for Windows 10 tablets and Android tablets. In recent years, app developers have been targeting Google Play to deliver malware, just as they attacked Internet Explorer on Windows last year. Most tablet manufacturers include software on their devices to scan and catch malware. Windows remains a target for hackers, but the situation is less critical. Microsoft includes its own Windows 10 security software, Windows Defender, completely free.
Android tablets vs tablets onWindows 10: What to Buy?
Whether to buy an Android tablet or a Windows 10 tablet depends on your needs. Some do not need, because they are not going, to connect a mouse or keyboard to their devices. Android makes sense when users prefer a clean tablet experience.
For those looking to reduce the number of devices they use at home and keep their workplace clean, Windows 10 tablets are a good plan. Windows tablets offer desktop features and full-sized USB ports that you simply won't find on Android. Better yet, they boast mouse support, which most users won't appreciate until they try to change the formatting in the document. As with a laptop or computer, you have to decide what you want from your tablet and then make a decision.
Let's suppose that Android and iOS didn't please you, after which you noticed the third in the list of mobile operating systems: Windows Phone OS. In this article, we will tell you about the possible reasons for the transition, the advantages of WP8 over others, and in other articles, we will explain how to make the transition go smoothly and painlessly. However, we will also have manuals for switching to other operating systems - for the sake of completeness.
10 reasons to upgrade to Windows Phone
Undoubtedly, each OS has its merits and demerits, and the debate about and the disadvantages of Windows Phone has not abated since its introduction a few years ago. During this time, Microsoft's OS has taken a solid third place in the world OS rankings and continues to slowly move upward, leaving less and less chances for less successful competitors.
As for the target audience of this operating system, it can be roughly divided into two types: those who came into the world of smartphones just yesterday, and those who switched to it from other mobile OS for a number of reasons, some of which have become critical. That's about them, secondly, today we will talk. (note: the author of this article himself switched to Windows Phone several years ago, so this article partially describes his own experience).
Today we will talk not so much about the advantages of Windows Phone as such (we have already talked about them), but namely about the reasons for switching to it from iOS or Android. If you are tired of enduring glitches, brakes and an exorbitant appetite of Android or the closed and high cost of iOS devices - maybe it's time to consider something else? Although, of course, some reasons will overlap with the obvious advantages of the OS from Microsoft (just in case, we note that neither the author nor the editors are trying to ignore the shortcomings of Windows Phone, which, of course, it has, it's just a topic for another article) ...
Reason one: space
This is probably the least popular reason among geeks: here we are talking about those people who already know everything at the necessary level for themselves about the other two OS and want to try something new. This decision is supported, at least, by the fact that the ideology of the Windows Phone operating system differs from those of Apple and Google: both from the point of view of the user interface and work “inside”.
For such people, the transition will be given most smoothly, since everything new will be perceived with interest and as a reason to delve into. And if you have sufficient experience of interacting with different ecosystems, then there will be no problems at all. Although at first something may seem inconvenient.
Reason two: agony of choice
How many Android smartphones will you try to choose the right one? Hundred? Thousand? Tens of thousands? If you buy from a Chinese store, the latter will be the most correct; but even if you just go to the nearest hypermarket, then from the abundance you will have a "video buffer overflow", which smart sellers will not fail to take advantage of to impose on you a product that "must be sold at all costs."
The same can be said about app stores. Apple and Google are proud that their stores have more than a million of various programs, bragging about these numbers in every possible way ... At Microsoft, everything is much more modest: recently it was reported about 400 thousand applications in the Windows Phone Store, which is almost three times less than in each of the two other "stores".
In fact, for everyday tasks it is convenient and you can find almost everything. How is the required application installed in the App Store from Google and Apple? You figure out what you need from the application, and then you install one, the other, the fifth, the tenth, the twentieth (that is, literally 20) - until you finally find something that is really what you need. If you find it at all. Finally, the application you want may cost inadequate amounts of money.
There are several times fewer applications in the Windows Phone Store, so it's much easier to find something you need from this point of view: therefore, a smaller number is also a plus. Another plus - since there are quite a few smartphones and tablets on WP8, there are literally dozens of them, and the configuration is quite similar for most of them, it will be much easier to choose a device for yourself. The entire "gentleman's set" of applications (camera, readers, games, listening to music, watching videos, working with documents, etc.) on the Windows Phone platform is presented, and almost all of this is available by default on any WP-smartphone. Moreover, many programs are made even better than their Android counterparts, especially free ones. Let's say all decent audio players on Android cost money (especially those that can play music by directories, not just playlists), but there are many more free ones on WP.
Reason three: on WP, almost everything always works
With smartphones on Windows Phone, it is quite difficult to find an application that does not work specifically on your device. Difficult, but possible - and it would rather be an exception to the rule that you can “complain” about in the app store. The same can be said about the iPhone with iOS, but never - about Android. The closed platform from Microsoft also has its advantages compared to Android: it is much more difficult for a variety of slag to stake out a place in the sun.
In addition, Windows Phone already contains a fairly large number of functions (not only applications, as mentioned in the previous paragraph) by default, which require additional programs to be installed in Android. And they work as they should because they come as part of the operating system.
Reason four: dislike for Apple
Whoever says anything, but the ideology of the OS from Apple and Microsoft is similar in many respects (closed OS, careful selection of applications, high level of hardware compatibility, etc.). But for many reasons, Apple has earned both the love of its fans and the dislike (to put it mildly) of its opponents. Mostly for an unreasonably high price for both accessories and many applications.
Meanwhile, the whole world is sitting on Windows (everyone already knows about the share of this OS in the world), and with the release of Windows 10, Microsoft, which is going to unite all versions of its OS under one "roof", will make everything even more unified.
And yes, formally Windows Phone will cease to exist with the release of Windows 10 - that is (again - formally) this will be the same OS, with changes and additions, but it will be called (at least as it is known today) Windows 10 (Mobile ); in fact, everything will remain as it is, that is, normal.
Reason five: speed
Thanks to the same closed platform, as well as Microsoft's strict requirements for the hardware configuration of each smartphone, the operating speed is always at a high level. The smoothness of the interface, launching programs, switching between applications, and other operations always go smoothly and quickly, which cannot be said about Android, which has long been tired of competing in the "better" interface features.
Finally, the main argument "for speed" is intelligent work with RAM, which automatically unloads rarely used or unused applications from RAM, giving priority to frequently used ones. This allows you to work comfortably both on a smartphone with 512 megabytes of RAM, and with 1 GB, not to mention two, which, by the way, is the ceiling - and not to say that it is not enough. Because even at 1 gigabyte everything flies, including games, and 2 GB is needed only for heavy dynamic races, shooters or The Sims.
Reason six: Metro UI
The tiled interface may not be the most convenient on a desktop with a mouse, since everyone is used to the good old Start menu, but it works great for touchscreen devices. If on iOS and Android the ideology of the interface is approximately the same (desktop - shortcut bar - list of applications), then the tiles of the main desktop and the second screen on the right with an alphabetical list of applications are actually very convenient.
Moreover, it cannot be said that the interface on iOS and Android is much worse) no, it is just different, someone may be more convenient there, and someone here. In general, not for everyone, but it is still very convenient to have tiles (three different sizes) of frequently used functions and applications on the Windows Phone desktop.
Reason eight: old devices do not work much worse than new ones
This can literally be called a knockout for Android smartphones, because three-year-old smartphones on Android are no longer capable of not only updating (for the reason called "the manufacturer does not care"), but even working correctly. Why? Because progress has not kept pace with Android's appetite, and 1 GB of RAM with 4 GB of built-in memory is not only not enough today, but frankly too little. Very little.
In contrast, HTC Mozart is one of the first WP-smartphones more than 3.5 years old, which is still absolutely functional today, even despite the seemingly ridiculous 576 MB of RAM and "pathetic" 8 GB of internal memory. Yes, Microsoft stopped supporting the seventh version of Windows Phone, rolling out the latest version 7.8 a year and a half ago, but even today you can easily find the right application that supports this version of the OS and even works without brakes. Again, the personal experience of the author of this article, who became one of the first owners of Mozart and still is.
To summarize, we can conclude the following: the basic needs of old smartphones on WP7.8 fully satisfy, and allow even a little more, if you don't get too carried away and don't install super-mega-3D games and "heavy" applications that require large resources. With The Sims and Asphalt 8, for example, Mozart and its peers are definitely not going to cope.
Reason nine: OEM navigation system
This will be a rather highly specialized plus, and it will apply, first of all, to Nokia / Microsoft phones, which are always supplied with a powerful standard navigation system HERE, which allows you to save a lot on separate navigators.
Maps are downloaded and work offline (and online can be turned on for information about traffic jams, and the system creates the route immediately depending on the current traffic load), there are voice assistants in many languages \u200b\u200b(and in Russian, yes), the interface does not slow down (like almost everything on Windows Phone), and maps are updated quite often. Perhaps for some, this will be a significant advantage. Since "Navitela" and others like them are no longer scolded only by the lazy. Very lazy.
Reason ten: no viruses
Unlike the desktop version of Windows and Android for a long time, there are no viruses in Windows Phone, and the reason for this is not only the low popularity of this mobile OS (the "Elusive Jack" factor), but also because it is quite difficult for them to get there. It's no secret that Android viruses penetrate primarily through fake apps and phishing mobile sites - and with Windows Phone, just like with iOS, this channel cannot be said to be popular.
In fact, both the closed source code and a reliable security system play a role here.
Not a reason, but a plus
One could attribute to the pluses the corporate "cloud" of Microsoft OneDrive, and free 7-15 GB of space, which are given to everyone; But this is no longer an argument today, since Apple, Google and many others can boast of such a "goodie".
And in the end I will tell
Of course, this OS has its drawbacks, but the advantages are quite significant, as it seems to me. Two and a half years ago I bought a Nokia Lumia 820: this is my second phone on Windows Phone, it is still actively used, a third battery has already been bought (due to the heavy load on the device by me), and I have no need for everyday Android for a long time. although there is a second Android smartphone and a Nexus tablet. But the main device is precisely this "three-year-old" Lumia 820 (and since its release, it will be already three years soon), which works just as quickly and well as after purchase.
Of course, something will change in the upcoming Windows 10 ecosystem, but as they say, wait and see.
This post is a personal opinion and experience of using different mobile OS from a site user.
First, I want to dot the i's. This material is not an overview or anything like that. This is the quintessence of the thoughts and impressions of an ordinary user who has used smartphones on three popular platforms: Android, iOS and Windows Phone, and, as a result, has chosen one.
Well, having explained what I want to tell, you can start.
QUESTION ONE: WHY NOT iOS?
I will say right away that my user experience on this platform is limited to just one device - iPhone 4. I got this device under the impression of the biography of Steve Jobs that I read before. Jobs was a very strong and peculiar personality, so I was curious what kind of beast this iPhone was. Plus, another of my colleagues had recently bought the same device and was very pleased with it and praised it. The first impression was (especially after the buggy and stalled Samsung Galaxy Y, from which my acquaintance with the world of smartphones began, but more on that later) - WOW, HOW COOL! Nothing slowed down, smooth operation of the system, nice appearance - all this created a very pleasant first impression. But, as it turned out, this external simplicity hides a bunch of pitfalls underneath:
- Stone number three - dances with a tambourine. When I bought this device, I had no idea how often I would have to perform dances with a tambourine and how often I would have to use a very "optimized" iTunes. After all, you can't just download music to your phone, you can't put your own melody on a call, you can't accept files or send them via bluetooth (except for photos). You can't even just transfer music from your computer to your phone without iTunes (the file system is so closed). In general, I really did not like it. Looking ahead, I will say that the jerseys got rid of these "no" and did the right thing.
- Stone number four is price. This is one of the main factors that keep me from returning to iOS. I believe that the prices for their devices are unreasonably high and I am not going to overpay a few hundred euros per brand. That is, in fact, all on this issue. Moving on to the next item
The stone number of times is the abundance of applications for this platform. I do not share these enthusiasm and statements that iOS has everything a person needs to fully use a smartphone. Maybe I was not lucky, but it just so happened that there were no applications that were necessary and suitable for me at that time (and one is still not there). For example, due to the specifics of my work, I constantly need an office, in particular, Excel, but it was not on this platform at that time, and analogues were not even close. Of course, now the office is present on this axis, but for me the train has already left, and I am not going to return for a number of reasons set out below.
Stone number two is uneasy simplicity. Jobs positioned the smartphone as a device that is extremely easy to use. But how do you, for example, such a "simplification" as the inability to pick up a call from a blocked phone? Or not being able to pin a contact to the home screen? Or programs constantly hanging in memory because the exit button simply minimizes them? And in this system there are such small flaws as a wagon and a small cart. They generally ruined my impression of the device and the platform as a whole.
QUESTION TWO: WHY NOT ANDROID?
Unlike the first point, the list of devices that I used on Android is not limited to one model, I will quickly list them:
Samsung Galaxy Y, Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S4, Huawei Y530, LG L7, Samsung Galaxy XCover, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, and a couple of GoClever tablets.
As you know, Android is very popular all over the world. It seems to me that the main reason for its popularity is very simple - EVERYTHING is possible in it. Indeed, EVERYTHING. From putting your own melody on a call to changing the system beyond recognition (like CyanogenMod).
Well, having written these lines, I thought hard, but what is all the same bad Android for me? Why not him? The system has a lot of advantages, almost all actions with it can be performed without much effort. And therefore, I will begin to answer the question posed by describing the advantages:
Firstly, the openness of the system played a role.With a smartphone / tablet, you can do anything you want, and initially, from the earliest versions, which cannot be said about Windows Phone. In practice, on our device we can do everything the same as on a computer. Transferring / copying files, installing programs directly (which neither Windows Phone nor iOS allows itself). And much more (and if you make a root, then in general ...).
Variety of software. The popularity of the system has resulted in the fact that the local store is full of the most different de .., sorry, software for every taste and color.
Variety of lineup. Almost all manufacturers produce Android devices. So, when you come to the salon, your eyes sometimes run up, but here you will always be helped by intelligent and "knowledgeable" sellers, as well as sellers well versed in technology, who are always ready to sell exactly what you need (in their opinion ).
Having dealt with the advantages, I will move on to the disadvantages:
The fact that you can do whatever your heart desires with the device can lead to unpleasant consequences, such as, for example, a virus infection. You can, of course, install an antivirus, but it's better to live without viruses at all, as owners of Windows Phone and iOS do. And in general, the closedness of the system (not complete, but the same as in Windows Phone) is the best remedy for crooked hands and the associated headache.
A huge number of programs does not mean the quality of these crafts. How much "slag" they have there! Plus, Google's disregard for its store. I often read in the reviews: “Don't download! Virus! "," This is not the program it claims to be! " and a lot like that. In general, this was one of the reasons for abandoning Android. And yes, they didn't have the programs I needed in my life (and some still don't).
System braking. Lord, how does Android slow down. And there are many reasons for this. For example, the "Back" button often does not close the applications, as it should ideally, but simply collapses them. Then, many manufacturers do not like the naked android, they come up with their own shells and launchers, which also loads the processor, especially the shells from Samsung, whose programmers are known for their curvature, only Microsoft coders who ruined Mail can compete with them;).
The disregard of manufacturers to update their devices. Regularly, in my opinion, only smarts from Google are updated, for the rest it is easier with the release of a new version of the system to update the model range than to deal with sending updates to existing ones, even if they support new versions.
Here are the main reasons why I don't want an android device at the moment. Therefore, I turn to the third point.
QUESTION THREE: WHY WINDOWS PHONE?
I have only one device on this system - my beloved 520. The most successful state employee, IMHO. So why did I choose this particular system?
It doesn't slow down. Everything works very smoothly. I don't see lags (only in some rather weighty games like Asphalt).
Native office support (which was not available in either iOS or Android at the time of Lumiya's acquisition). And this is very important to me at work.
The local store is small, but I found what I needed there (for example, the timetable for city transport, there was no such application for my city in other systems).
Finally, user-friendly mapping and navigation! It's a pity, of course, that it is no longer exclusive, but nonetheless.
Visual style. I love live tiles. A handy thing and looks better than iOS static or android widgets.
Of course, not everything is perfect in this system, and here's what I would really like to add to it:
The ability to set the ringtone yourself, without crutches in the form of connecting to a computer and without using third-party programs.
Synchronization with a computer "over the air" via WiFi.
To summarize, I want to say that I am not the most demanding user, all of the above was my personal opinion and personal impressions, but despite all its shortcomings and very little popularity, Windows Phone and its successor Windows 10 Mobile are all I need ... And I don't need any iOS or Android for nothing.
This material is difficult to write correctly. After reading more than a dozen reviews of mobile Windows 10, I came across approaches that differ radically: from the usual description of menus and their capabilities to an in-depth analysis of system codes from the point of view of developers and programmers. I wanted to approach this review a little differently, from different positions. Describe not only what the user receives today, but also where the development of the system can go, what ideas are embedded in it and what they can ultimately result in. One cannot exist without the other, and therefore, in addition to descriptive, specific points with illustrations taken from Lumia devices, I will need to deviate and describe what is not on this platform, but is present in the modern market. Why? The answer is obvious, the Windows 10 Mobile platform does not exist in an airless space, but competes for buyer's attention with systems such as Android / iOS. And only by understanding these differences, it will be possible to break out of the trap of the Microsoft worldview, which prefers to describe only what exists within their systems, and not pay attention to competitors.
Reasons for the emergence of Windows 10 Mobile - a clean slate for the third time
We are already living in the post-PC market where most web browsing is done from mobile devices rather than personal computers, be it a home system or a laptop. The irony is that one of the pioneers of this trend and the company that accurately predicted the course of events, but was slightly mistaken in the dates, was Microsoft. She never had a shortage of visionaries, people who could predict the development of the market and give accurate forecasts. The problem was in the execution of forecasts, their implementation in practice and the creation of a mobile version of Windows. There has always been one approach that can be called dominant within Microsoft, it has not changed in the last decade or more. The mobile operating system should be a copy of the desktop system and give the user a similar experience. So, when Windows Mobile appeared, users were convinced that it was ideologically the same system as on their computer, look, it even has a Start button! Many people bought Windows Mobile devices to realize that they are not in the least like their computers, they are in no way compatible with them or are almost incompatible and belong to a completely different class of portable devices. Nevertheless, at the dawn of the smartphone market, the role of Windows Mobile was quite serious, this system influenced the formation of Symbian, its ideology was considered by many to be promising.
But Microsoft made a number of serious mistakes by building a business model on cooperation with Chinese manufacturers that created Windows Mobile smartphones, the company launched a process of destroying its platform. Notable unit sales, programmers who rushed to create applications - everything whispered about the success of the undertaking. But the trouble came from the very Chinese who, in the battle among themselves, gave up on quality, as a result, the platform became associated with powerful but buggy devices. The same Symbian lost functionally, did not develop so quickly, but it was guaranteed to work. Windows Mobile became a kind of a cursed place inside Microsoft, there was no person who would present a coherent and detailed development plan. More precisely, there were too many such people, and each had their own plan of salvation. They, like in Krylov's fable, pulled Windows Mobile in their own direction. And the result was that the company suddenly realized that they were losing the market and could lose the race for the consumer. This was at the beginning of Android's growth, around 2009, when the system first showed its potential and it became obvious even to die-hard skeptics. And at that moment Microsoft's throwing began, which did not end today, the first zeroing of the company's mobile platform took place - the appearance of Windows Phone.
By and large, Windows Phone has become Microsoft's anti-crisis plan, a response to market conquest from iOS / Android. At the 2010 congress in Barcelona, \u200b\u200bthe company showed Windows Phone as an animated screensaver on dummies of future phones, no system existed, it had to be created in the coming months. We were all shown pictures that had nothing under them, and the choice of tools for developers, code for the mobile OS was chaotic, it was designed on the knee, just to have time to divide the pie in the form of end consumers. The only task that was set within Microsoft was to meet the deadlines; in a state of time trouble, the creation of the system could not be properly planned. The first devices of the Lumia series from Nokia had many problems, each of which was corrected in the course of the play, the most serious mistakes were corrected in the first few months of sales, and the "little things" were finished for another year or so.
But within Microsoft, already in the first months of the life of Windows Phone 7 on the market, there was an understanding that this system was not built correctly and that the core needs to be reworked, the transition to the source code, similar to the desktop version of Windows NT. In the future, this would allow creating the same applications for different branches of Windows, with minimal differences and effort. The decision was controversial, as the company's PR and advertising for the new platform promised that users would receive updates. But instead, a year later, the market received Windows Phone 8, and the enthusiasts and pioneers of the new system received version 7.5, in which they added external similarity with the 8th, but the key features were missing. Many people considered themselves cheated, as once again Microsoft zeroed out its mobile platform and started its life from a new point.
I want to draw your attention to the fact that all these years at Microsoft, the idea that a mobile system should be similar to a desktop OS has not disappeared anywhere. With perseverance worthy of better use, the company implanted in phones an interface that few could call successful, it was unusual (Metro UI in the original name or tile), but not the best in terms of ergonomics.
The change in management of the company, the lack of striking success in the Windows Phone field, the murder of the tablet version of Windows RT - all these events took place during the existence of Windows Phone 8.x. And they showed inside Microsoft a simple thing: the system that the company created is not viable without subsidies of iron when it is sold below cost and only therefore has 3% of the world market. Billions of dollars in marketing, the purchase of Nokia's mobile division - nothing made Windows Phone a success. The problems only got worse. And what was the next step? Microsoft did what they used to do - they decided to start life from scratch.
The advent of Windows 10 Mobile is a zeroing of the deadlock in Windows Phone 8.x, when the system did not receive any noticeable sales, and the few developers who wrote software for it constantly felt like outcasts. There is an opinion that those who are unable to create software for Andorid / iOS can write it for Windows Phone, where the quality of programs does not play a big role, since these programs are few and users are eager for them. Fish for bezrybe and cancer, as they say in our area.
Such a parameter as the cost of ownership of Windows Phone for the end user was noticeably higher than for Android / iOS, since in the absence of competition between the programs one could set any prices for them. For example, Microsoft paid for the development of the official Instagram client for Windows Phone, it was shown at one of the press conferences, and it seemed that this was the turning point when everyone would start writing for this platform. But it didn't work out. What's more, the official Instagram client for Windows 10 Mobile is still in beta in 2016! It lacks most of the settings available on other platforms, no support for working with video. The best alternative product 6tag does not know how to work with all filters, and you have to pay 119 rubles to work with video. This is just a small touch that shows the state of affairs with software for Windows Phone.
Microsoft realized that it had lost the battle for the mobile device market and moved into loss minimization mode. The arrival of Windows 10 Mobile is an attempt to take advantage of the key event of 2015, the release of the desktop version of Windows, which received the tenth number. Part of the success of Windows desktop was to kickstart and support mobile sales until the company came up with a new plan and zeroed it in once again to start from scratch.
In early 2015, when they showed Windows 10 Mobile, Microsoft told a very interesting thing - the launch of the system will take place later than the release of desktop Windows 10. Why? The answer was obvious - all efforts were devoted to the main product, and they would try to finalize it in a short time. Starting in October, after the launch of desktop Windows 10, most programmers will switch to revision of Windows 10 Mobile, and it will be brought to mind in a couple of months. Even then, these words confused me, it turned out that Microsoft lowered the priority of the mobile OS to the minimum.
But then they announced the Windows Insider program, which allowed anyone who wanted to become a beta tester of the mobile system. Fans of Windows Phone perceived this as a good attitude of the company towards them, pragmatists from business - as a reduction in development costs, shifting tests to the shoulders of end users. This always leads to negative results, since testing must be carried out within the company, and only then can they give an adequate result.
Unfortunately, the number of end-user innovations that were shown in early 2015 for mobile Windows turned out to be so scanty as to cause dismay. In my material, I described them and expressed my bewilderment how you can wait almost a year to release such an update to the market.
Already at the time of the announcement, the system looked archaic, and the speed of development of Windows Phone compared to other systems turned out to be slower. In fact, Windows Phone not only remained a catching up system, the speed of separation from it iOS / Android began to increase, over the past five years Microsoft has not been able to bridge this gap, or at least narrow it.
Initially, Microsoft plans to update almost the entire Lumia lineup to Windows 10 in November 2015, then the deadline was postponed to November, and then to early 2016. This is due to the fact that inside the company they realize that the current version of Windows 10 Mobile can hardly be called a beta version, it is unstable, has many problems and flaws, and even against the background of Windows Phone 7 is striking in the number of problems. The company could not help but release its flagships on Windows 10 Mobile, they were put into production, components were purchased for them. But at the same time, Microsoft is trying to minimize the damage from the launch of raw products as much as possible. Thus, the company does not distribute devices for testing if publications and journalists do not agree that they will not mention the disadvantages, but focus only on the positive aspects. However, no one warns Lumia buyers that the system is flawed and cannot be called out of beta.
Unfortunately, the classic situation for Microsoft is repeated, the company will not be able to develop Windows 10 Mobile in 2016, since all efforts will be spent on fixing errors and working on firmware. This means that Microsoft needs to minimize the number of phones sold, which the company has already officially announced, the 2016 lineup will be minimal and represented by several models. Removing hardware subsidies since there is no more competition for market share, why sell a crude product that will scare away users? And preparing for life from scratch, which will be the Surface Phone, although the name of this product can be anything.
It turns out that Windows 10 Mobile is another, another page in the history of Microsoft's mobile platform, which can be considered a transitory and temporary one. The company does not make any serious plans regarding this system, to some extent they want to forget it as soon as possible in order to start building the “correct” system for the new time. But many people do not know this, do not understand and can buy a Lumia smartphone. Let's take a look at the system itself and what it offers to its users today. Let's move on to describing the Windows 10 Mobile interface.
Windows 10 Mobile tiles and UI features
It's hard to deny the originality of the Windows 10 Mobile interface, the main screen consists of tiles of different sizes, you can choose a small square, a larger square, or a rectangle. You need to hold the tile for the icons to appear, you can also pin the tile to the screen.
The screen has a vertical orientation, that is, tiles must be scrolled down. You never know how many tiles you have in total, the screen can be conditionally endless. Considering that most of the applications you need can easily fit on the main screen, this does not cause any problems. You can place everything you need here.
Unfortunately, in the area of \u200b\u200bcustomization, Windows 10 is far behind modern platforms, you cannot customize the color of individual tiles - just choose a color scheme for everyone. This can be confusing for those who are not familiar with the system and are used to the fact that WhatsApp has a green icon. On my phone, for example, the default color for all tiles is blue, and the WhatsApp icon is the same color.
Does this confuse people who are used to WhatsApp being green? Definitely. But this also creates certain difficulties for software developers, when advertising and promoting your application, you cannot achieve the uniformity that you expect. Why was it done in Windows? Apparently, they thought that the icons might be too colorful. Or they just didn't have time to do it, I don't know. But the fact remains that you will not be able to customize everything for yourself. And the experience of other systems and the huge world outside Windows should be forgotten - here the icons will be in the color that you have chosen or for you.
In the "Options" section you can also choose to show more tiles or less, this setting adjusts the same size. There is a choice of wallpapers and transparency of tiles, interestingly, compared to Windows Phone 8.x, wallpapers appeared both on the center screen and in the list of applications.
Now an amazing moment, which remains a mystery to me. In desktop Windows, many functions have been duplicated in different menus so that the user can change the parameter in a matter of seconds. In mobile Windows, everything is different, to change the wallpaper, adjust the color of tiles, you need to go to the settings (this section is called "Options"). Not very logical and not very convenient. But, apparently, the developers proceeded from the assumption that it is not necessary to adjust the color of the tiles and wallpaper so often. There is a certain logic in this.
Unfortunately, switching more / less tiles mode confuses the grouping of tiles on the screen when there are many. They unexpectedly line up not in three vertical rows, as before, but in two. It is possible that this glitch will be removed in the future, but it looks strange, the system does not remember the previous state.
Many tiles are animated and show information, for example, a mail tile scrolls the headers of new messages, there is a circle with the number of new messages. It is quite simple and informative, but this approach is rather an exception. In most cases, information is displayed chaotically, and there is no system in it, that is, you cannot assess at a glance what you missed or what happened. For example, news shows headlines, changing them one by one. Something similar was in widgets at the very beginning of the development of Android, then the system evolved, but this did not happen in Windows.
I do not presume to evaluate how the tile looks for the end user, you can get used to it and even love it. Evaluation of UI design is a matter of taste, here everyone will have their own opinion. I would like to dwell on how this UI manifests itself in work.
In standby mode for phones with AMOLED screens, it is possible to display information from certain applications, for example, a calendar. White inscriptions are brightly lit on a black background, for example, it may be a message that your friend has a birthday. You are free to choose the applications that will display information here. Plus, icons of missed events and time are shown.
This work of the screen is convenient and allows you not to take the phone in hand to see what was happening while you were doing other things. In the blocking mode, when you have not yet entered the device, you can see information from other applications, for example, Twitter - as a rule, this is one entry. Therefore, we can consider it more of a design element than something useful and truly helping to navigate the flow of information.
The vertical orientation of the interface is due to the fact that the list of applications (swipe to the left) is better displayed this way. You see applications sorted alphabetically, there is a search bar at the top or a selection of letters, then you can jump to a specific section. The irony is that for users outside the United States using two languages, the alphabet goes like this - first the local layout, then the English.
That is, English is almost always on the second screen, it turns out that you need to scroll the screen and only then select the desired letter. Ergonomics show up in such little things, and in Windows 10 Mobile, it is lame on all four legs. Feeling like Microsoft's army of programmers was working on separate features and applications, but there was no chief architect to explain and show how all of these pieces should work together.
At the top of the list, the latest applications that you have installed on your device are shown.
By analogy with Android and iOS, Windows 10 has a curtain for notifications and quick activation of certain functions. You pull the screen down, 4 icons appear, each of which you can customize to your liking, choosing what you need from a list predefined by the manufacturer. You can expand the icons, then a 4x4 matrix will appear, but in the large matrix for three new rows it is no longer possible to select functions, they are determined by the manufacturer.
Notifications in the curtain are grouped by program, you can disable their display here for each application. For SMS / MMS there is a quick response from the shutter, you just need to type a text, and you can immediately send it.
Some notifications do not make any sense, for example, after a system update, this is reported in the shutter. Clicking on a notification doesn't show any information, meaning it's a dead end. There are a fair number of such messages, and why they are needed is decidedly unclear.
Those who use the phone actively and lack space on the first screen can create folders for icons, just drag one icon over another and they will be grouped in a folder. When you click on the folder below, a window opens with all the icons, but there are no labels with the names of applications. But you can name your folder.
The vertical orientation of the main screen and the menu plays a cruel joke with the phone, because modern devices can work in landscape orientation, this is how you watch videos. For example, I start watching a video, but I don't want to look at the credits, so I want to pull the scroll bar and fast forward the video. The slider is at the left edge, but instead of rewinding, the curtain comes out. Why? It's simple, it is tied to the vertical UI, and the curtain does not change orientation - landscape orientation in the video player, vertical in the curtain. Brain blow!
It remains to say that the buttons are made on-screen, and to call them, you need to pull from the bottom up. In many applications, they automatically disappear and do not take up screen space. But in some cases, for example, when calling video playback from another application, they remain on the screen and are constantly on. Which also raises questions.
The buttons are as follows - return back (long press the list of recent applications), the central house from Microsoft (exit to the main menu), search.
In a short line about multitasking, in the last running applications only seven windows are shown, from the list you can close them individually or all together.
For me, the last seven applications are an anachronism, since I'm used to displaying dozens of applications, even if some of them have long been unloaded from memory and will take time to launch (which is almost always invisible). Moreover, on Windows 10, even "running" applications sometimes require state restoration, and this takes the same time as on other platforms. The restriction is stupid and annoying.
In every phone, important information for me is the battery charge, not only its graphical display, but also the percentage, and I would like to see this information in the status bar, choose the option of such display (available on almost all Android smartphones, as well as on iOS) ... In Windows 10, to see the percentage of the battery charge, pull the shutter down. It's pretty damn inconvenient. And then someone will quite rightly say that I am finding fault and you can estimate the charge by the icon. Of course it is. But I would like to get the same convenience that I see on other systems.
In general, I have a distrust of how various progress bars are shown in Windows 10, they were written by some schoolchildren. This is best illustrated by downloading apps from the Microsoft App Store. For example, you have an application that is 10 MB, downloaded about 8 MB, how much do you think the loading indicator will be filled? Common sense dictates that this will be about 80 percent, visually the same story as with the battery. It's a shame, but usually it's half! I specially experimented, and it turned out that almost always the loading indicator lags behind what the system shows in the same window. How it can be, I do not know - the feeling that Windows 10 scoops information about the boot with a long delay and does not immediately show it in the graphic element.
Now a nagging that you can safely ignore. When updating the system software, gears spin on the screen, one larger and one smaller. Exactly the same arbitrary display of progress below them. But it finishes off with a trifle that is contrary to common sense, the gears do not mesh with each other in any way. They spin in the air, each on its own. Finding a more accurate metaphor for Windows 10 Mobile is difficult, as the company did.
All markers are different in taste and color, but Windows 10 Mobile is distinguished by numerous irregularities in the interface, which were laid down at the design stage of Windows Phone. The system is saved by the lack of a large number of applications and users who can be called "heavy", those who squeeze every last drop out of modern smartphones. Compared to Android / iOS, Windows 10 Mobile has much more limited customization options, starting with widgets and ending with other aspects of the system. A matter of taste, but for me this is an indicator of predetermination, lack of flexibility in the system. It cannot be customized for yourself, although in the same Android you can change literally any element of the system.
File system - where are my files?
Microsoft has a lot of experience in desktop development, but for their mobile OS they borrowed a lot from iOS and did it mindlessly. For example, the thought never leaves me that by taking Apple's approach to the file system, Microsoft has shot itself in the foot. The device has an explorer (file manager) that shows the following folders:
- Video
- Documents
- Downloads
- Images
- Ringtones
- Music
And nothing else shows. Absolutely. For example, if you decide that it's 2016 and you can download a torrent from where you can download videos, music or something similar to your device, then get ready for the first surprise. By default, the torrent client will download everything to its own folder, which is not visible from the file manager. You won't see these files! They can only be viewed from the torrent client! It was 2016 ...
Let's remember how it works on Android, you upload files anywhere, and in the player they become visible immediately, you don't even think about where they are saved. You just press a button and start watching or listening to them. Voila. In Windows 10 Mobile, this is an impossible operation, something from the distant future.
Further more. You may have a dozen video players, but only the one preinstalled on the phone will open from the torrent client. Surprise! The “Video” application cheerfully informs that “videos copied from a PC will be shown here”. We live in a post-PC world, what kind of computers are you talking about? I want to download videos to my device directly and be able to open them with regular means and without dancing with a tambourine.
But that's not Microsoft's way, is it? If you think video is a lucky exception, then forget it. The same story is with ringtones, do you remember the folder of the same name? Accordingly, the file must be in it, otherwise you will not be able to select it, you simply will not see it. How you could have shot yourself in the legs like that, I don't know. But those people who believe that such an approach is convenient, I have doubts about the adequacy. These are unreal dances with a tambourine, and out of the blue.
Microsoft Edge is the fastest browser on the planet
With Internet Explorer, Microsoft did not work out, a heavy legacy of the past, bad karma and a loss to its main competitor in the face of Chrome. The solution was found in Microsoft's simple way, it is necessary to rename the "unsuccessful" product, and after that it will become "successful". This is how Microsoft EDGE was born, the latest generation browser that shares the same icon as its predecessor.
Microsoft has followed the Blackberry path and is competing in virtual parrots, citing benchmark data that prove EDGE is best compatible with HTML5, faster than the competition, and in a word, a work of art. I would add contemporary art, since the browser has no advantages over its counterparts in the face of Safari or Chrome.
Let's start with simple and straightforward things, this is the browser UI. At the bottom of the page there is a line for entering the address, as well as searching. On the left - the window icon, it never displays the number of windows that you have "open". In Chrome, you can always see how many windows you have, which is nice and useful. For example, when I reach 70-80 windows, I close them by order, usually I have 10-15 working tabs.
By double tap, the page and the text on it are adapted to the screen, in one column. Unfortunately, this does not happen very quickly, even on simple pages. The second disadvantage, seen on different devices (Lumia 550/950/950 XL), by default, when adjusted to the width of the screen, the font becomes small, not very readable. The feeling that the developers forgot about the complaints in the 8th version of the system and simply did not give a damn about all subsequent fixes. Here again it is shallow and inconvenient to read. You can adjust it by hand, but this is an unnecessary action.
Unfortunately, the browser is slow to render pages, it is impossible to call it fast. And this happens with any site, there are no exceptions.
When you visit the page again, it should load again! The phone does not keep the cache, which creates certain delays, and if you do not have a network, then it is impossible to view the page. There is a very convenient function "Reading List", you leave pages for later, they have a large icon, a short description. Probably someone will decide that the pages in this list are saved in the phone's memory and can be called up even without the Internet? But this is not so, on the plane I looked at the splash screen that there was no connection. What is the deeper meaning of the function is not very clear to me. Additional bookmarks and nothing more.
Favorites usually, you can sync it with your Windows 10 desktop PC, which will delight the users of this system. But there is no way to sync with more popular browsers.
Search engines for Russia have Bing, Yandex is the default, but no Google. This is surprising, since in the outside world EDGE masquerades as Google Chrome, rather than introducing itself under its own name. This sometimes leads to very funny consequences, for example, when you call a link from the Windows 10 system application on your phone to download MS Outlook, the Play Store opens in the browser with the corresponding Android application. The mistake is very rare, but revealing and funny.
Unfortunately, no one, except Microsoft, develops decent browsers for Windows Phone, you won't find Chrome or Safari here. As a consequence, in the absence of alternatives, you will be bound to that browser. One hope is that it will someday be finished, increase performance, add a data cache. At the time of this writing, the EDGE browser is also one of the most power-hungry applications, it drains the battery with a bang. Fans of the system from Microsoft are already coming up with options for how to avoid this, for example, you can prevent the browser from running in the background or manually close it after work. Conveniently? It's Windows!
Microsoft application store, cost of programs and their capabilities
The design of the app store has been redesigned in the style of the previous version of Android, there was a rejection of tiles in each of the views, now it's something in between. Again, this is a taste that does not deserve attention, another thing is the quantity and quality of applications, as well as their capabilities.
I'm used to the fact that on Android / iOS you can find many programs that perform the same functions, they differ from each other both in terms of capabilities and design. If in the past on Android many programs were crooked from the point of view of following the wishes in design from Google, then last year this has hardly been observed. They all look roughly the same style and are perceived the same; on iOS, Apple has achieved this from developers much earlier.
The state of Windows 10 and third-party programs can be characterized simply: some in the forest, some for firewood. No uniformity can be traced even remotely, program settings are randomly scattered across different menus, as well as the size of fonts, the arrangement of elements and other "little things" differ. All together creates a feeling of a messy system, you never know and are not sure how the application that you download from the store will look like.
Historically, it turned out that third-party developers, both large companies and small players, did not want to create software for Windows Phone. Microsoft had to pay to adapt existing programs, but MS realized very quickly that they would go down the drain if they gave everyone money for it. The path was a dead end. Moreover, the complexity of programming for Windows Phone caused rejection among developers, plus a small number of users, most of whom are not ready to pay for applications, since they use phones for calls and SMS, but not as modern smartphones. All this created the conditions when the struggle for the number of applications in the Microsoft store began, when it was necessary to catch up with other systems. And this led to disastrous results, the store turned into a garbage dump that lives its own life, different from the life of the entire planet.
So, in the store you can find programs that were created on the knee in a couple of hours to show you how to program! For example, this is one of the video players that I stumbled upon by accident. And the creator is not at all shy about this and added this information to the description of the program.
But these are flowers, berries begin at the moment when you are trying to find something, a search in the application store almost never gives an adequate result. The descriptions of the programs are so crooked that many of them drop out of the search, you will not be able to find them unless you know the name exactly. Not cool.
Despite the fact that there are program charts, there are not many interesting software in them. See what the top 10 apps look like on Android, iOS, and Windows 10 Mobile and see the difference.
Windows 10 Mobile
Let me give you a simple example from life. I like to play various games on the road, preferring the widespread Tower Defense genre. There are more than a dozen excellent games on iOS / Android, on both platforms they coincide almost entirely, and the total number of toys in this genre is estimated at a hundred something, if not more. How many games of this genre are on Windows 10? Exactly one, according to a Microsoft store search term.
As I mentioned above, many free programs from other platforms are not available on Windows 10 or have severely reduced functionality. For example, the same Instagram is in beta, there is no support for videos and many effects, as well as editing tools. In the alternative and best client 6tag, you will have to pay 119 rubles for the ability to work with video.
The main complaint about the software for Windows 10 Mobile is that it has no alternative, there are no different versions of programs. But even more depressing is the fact that the software itself is extremely simple, to match the system. By the standards of the modern OS world, this is a kind of stone age. I tried to remember at least one program that on Windows 10 Mobile would be superior in its characteristics to similar software on iOS / Android, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not do it.
Moreover, MIcrosoft considers their own operating system to be so poor and limited in capabilities that they create software for their services primarily for iOS / Android, this is the trend of the last year. Interestingly, software for other people's systems is the first to receive functions that will appear on Windows 10 Mobile in a year or will not appear at all. That is, a natural question arises, what is the advantage of the operating system from Microsoft, if all branded services are available in the best quality on iOS / Android? For Microsoft fans, this fact is very painful, they try to come up with many excuses to shield the company. But all I see here is that development for other systems is so much easier that even at Microsoft they prove it with their software. What could be the best Windows 10 Mobile anti-ads?
And this is another indirect indication of where the company is heading and why it is going to abandon the current version of the system in favor of regular Windows 10 running on Intel processors.
Microsoft Outlook - mail on the top ten
Many of my friends like MS Outlook on a personal computer so much that they install some version of Windows on their MacBook and use their mail in this environment. Outlook Anywhere did not inherit all the features from its elders, but it did not become an ugly duckling either. The mobile version of MS mail received the ability to attach files from OneDrive, other programs, but not from the file system, which is actually not there for the user. The engine has added formatting of letters, as in MS Word, which is not bad, many HTML pages open in the MS EDGE window. There are even gestures when you can swipe certain messages in the menu and configure an action for them (check the box or archive - this is the default, or you can set other actions). There is a combined mailbox, but there is no filter system, which may upset someone. But there is a good integration with the calendar, when events can be entered into it with a few taps. Another thing is that there is simply nothing unusual or distinguishing this program from the standard GMail mail on Android.
Online and offline navigation, Maps Here
For me, the quality of navigation is measured not only by the drawing of maps, but also by the number of POIs by which you can search for certain objects. In Here, the number of points that are available both online and offline is not very large, and their relevance leaves much to be desired, the same Google Maps is a cut above. In the US, I used the Here navigation for a week, compared it with Google Maps, and all the time I realized that without such insurance I would often miss when stores are open, where they are located, and the routes would be far from optimal. The main reason is that cards can be improved when a large number of people use them, but here it simply does not. The only plus is the ability to download maps of different regions for offline navigation (free of charge).
Universal apps, or UWP
Microsoft has decided to fight the lack of quality mobile apps by creating a Universal Apps Platform (UWP).
Developers with a minimal number of changes can create their own applications for different devices, and the user gets virtually the same application on each of the devices. Conveniently? Certainly. The problem here is exactly the same as before. Many developers of software for the desktop version of Windows are not represented in any way on mobile platforms, which means that they cannot be the source of such software. But those developers who are active on iOS / Android will almost never create applications for Windows, since they do not see this market. Isolated cases of universal applications show that they are created either by Microsoft independently or by large companies. As a rule, such applications are not too complicated when it comes to third-party developers.
All sorts of things and some impressions
It so happened that Microsoft began to actively release its key applications for iOS / Android, for example, this concerns the office suite, that is, now these applications are more functional on other platforms. Amazing? Not that word. And there is no reason to get them within Windows 10 Mobile, except for the cost of the subscription, which may differ in the future, now it is zero everywhere. I don't see much point in describing this software, it is well known.
As well as stop at MS Groove, TV and Movies, the applications "News", "Finance". They are all standard and familiar, they have both positive and negative features, but they cannot have any decisive influence on the choice of the system.
Almost two months with the Lumia 950, a few updates to the OS in that time, and a conclusion that many won't like. The system remains crude. It comes to the unimaginable, the Photos app (album) suddenly starts consuming energy like crazy, about 7% battery per hour. For half a day, the phone discharges to zero, and at the exit I have only irritation. The error is well known, documented, and they promise to fix it in the near future, in a month or two.
I like the fact that now at least you can get the GMail phone book, pull up contacts from the cloud from Google, no crutches are needed. But I absolutely do not like the fact that applications live an independent life, and the system is assembled from separate bricks that they did not bother to bring to a common denominator.
Of the funny, but typical for Windows 10 Mobile errors, I can remember the alarm clock. If you miss your alarm in the morning and don't touch your phone, then the next morning you will know you missed it twice. That is, first you will be shown a new alarm clock, and then the missed old one. This does not fit into my mind. The system does not replace with a new event something that has already passed and has not received a user response. I don't care what happened to the alarm clock yesterday, I already missed it, and I don't need it. Why show it a second time? Moreover, the alarm is set to the same time throughout the week.
Another point, which is very annoying, is the constant suggestions to restart the phone, since he believes that the SIM card or its settings have changed. No changes were made, and after the reboot everything starts over. The glitch is floating, it happened that he was gone for a week, and then he again manifests itself and annoys.
The system turned out to be very crude, moreover, many things that worked in Windows Phone 8.1 are missing or work incorrectly here. And this is a clear step backward, which cannot be corrected in any way. For example, for the "People" bookmark, all social accounts associated with a person's name were removed, now they cannot be viewed from the bookmark, as before.
This system is perfect for budget devices from which they call, write SMS, sometimes use other functions. But you cannot call it a full-fledged and modern platform for a smartphone. Of course, everyone here can have their own opinion, but even after waiting a couple of months from the start of sales of the Lumia 550/950/950 XL, I did not wait for a stable version of Windows 10 Mobile and fixes for minor and serious bugs. The reason is that the system is not being actively developed and has already been de facto abandoned, it is a living dead. Of course, many of its elements will form the basis of the next version, today the Windows build numbers do not differ in any way between the mobile and desktop versions, in the future the unification will be even greater. It was possible to delve into individual details, but this is not necessary. What is described above is enough to assess what Windows 10 Mobile is capable of and what it cannot do and will never learn. At the moment, the demand for Windows 10 Mobile smartphones is at a historic low for Windows Phone, sales of three Lumia models are so low that with the same Lumia 950 they give the Lumia 550 completely free of charge. And here it should be noted that the devices have normal hardware, but everything rests on the system itself, which the market and consumers on it did not accept. And there is simply nothing to add to this, the share of Windows Phone in the world fell by 1 percent and continues to decline. This is not even the category "Others", but less. In the first quarter of 2016, third place after Android and iOS, oddly enough, will take Tizen, sales of one and a half months speak about this with all clarity.
P.S. Reviews of Lumia 950/550 will appear in the next few days, in which I will focus on my impressions of the hardware and the devices themselves.
