Almost 2 months ago I did an upgrade from Windows Phone 8.0 to Windows Phone 8.1 Preview. More about that can be found HERE. At the moment there are multiple updates installed after the upgrade (which is 8.10.12397.895 now), but still there are issues left. In my case on a Samsung ATIV S device. Beside of the issues I'm still very satisfied with the new features. Let's have a look at issues solved already and issues left.
Issues solved:
-Battery drain, I'm doing over 30 hours per battery load now.
-Reboot when using Bing Music or Vision, seems to be working now.
-Share blogposts to Facebook, but Twitter cannot be found.
Issues left:
-When switching from camera to video and start video capture. Switch back to camera after that and the screen will be black. The device must be rebooted to have camera working again.
-Also camera is taken photos with Flash while disabled in photo settings. Oops!
-Multiple unexpected reboots when using my Phone in the car connected with bluetooth. Also during the day when not connected with bluetooth.
-Share blogposts to multiple apps like Twitter isn't working anymore.
-No Cortana can be used because I'm living outsite of US. (pity)
Overall experience
I really like the new start screen with way more Live Tiles then before. Also the Action Center, Notifications (per app), Agenda (advanced), and Background on start screen are all great. When using swiping for keyboard you can create messages way faster then typing it. No way I go back to Windows Phone 8.0 ever. Microsoft did a great job on new features in the Windows Phone 8.1 Preview!
Since April 14 it's possible to upgrade Windows Phone 8.0 to Windows Phone Preview. In my case I want to do this on a Samsung ATIV S, which I'm using for over a year now. Windows Phone 8.0 is still working great, but I like to see new features in Windows Phone Preview also. Let's have a look.
Prerequisites are download the app (Preview for Developers) and register as a developer to use a "developer unlocked" phone. This can be done with payment (publish apps in the MS Store) of free usage (create apps to use on your own phone). In my case I'm using the free register. Just create a Empty App and you will be fine.
Register as a Windows Phone Developer – $19 USD, and publish apps in the Store
Register as a developer with App Studio – Free, and create apps to run on your own Windows Phones
Download the developer tools to register and "developer unlock" your phone
If you meet the prerequisites above, download the Windows Phone Preview for Developers app.
During the Windows Phone Preview installation the device will be installing 3 updates, with a reboot after every update. There will be multiple versions used after each update. In my case they were as follows:
-Microsoft Update 8.0.10521.155 (small update)
-Microsoft Update 8.0.10532.166 (big update)
-Microsoft Update 8.10.12359.845 (big update)
After almost 2 hours waiting all updates were installed. None off my files, apps or settings were lost. I'm happy with the new OS and functionality. Why wait? Just install the new killer OS :)
Experiences so far:
-Battery drain solved by soft reboot. Still using more battery then before, but way better then before the reboot. Reviews mentions that it will take a few days before battery behaves as normal.
-New features: Live Tiles, Agenda, Action Center, Battery Saver, Data Sense, Background on start screen, More apps on start screen, Big photo on screen when calling, are all great. No Cortana can be used because I'm living outsite of United States (pity).
-Strange thing is however I cannot share blogposts to Twitter and Facebook anymore? Miss that one most! Also camera is taken photos with Flash while disabled in photo settings!? Oops! When using Bing Music or Vision the device reboots. Who cares?
-Overall experience is great. Still love the device and Windows Phone. Next time it will be Nokia instead of Samsung, that's all :)
Update (1):
Battery behaves as normal after a few days. I can do 24-30 hours on a full battery load again. Another great thing is Notifications + Actions in Settings. You can decide notification banners, notification sound and vibrate per app now! No annoying vibrations on WhatsApp anymore when having 100 incoming messages a day, just turn it off for a single app. Furthermore I love the new start screen with way more Live Tiles them before. When using swiping for keyboard you can create messages way faster then typing it. Do I need to tell more? Just install the update! :) For questions use comments.
Last month I received my new mobile phone for the next 2 years. After using Android for the last years, both 2.x and 4.x versions, it was time for something different. Because I'm using iOS already on my iPad, my choice was fallen on Windows Phone 8. This also because colleagues who are using Windows Phone 7 are still happy after using the device for over 2 years! When looking for a high-end Windows Phone 8 device you have the choice between Nokia, HTC and Samsung. For me it was Nokia Lumia 920 or Samsung ATIV S to choose from. After many sleepless nights (LOL) I decided to order the ATIV S. This because of the larger display, better battery and less weight. For me it was the better choice. Let's start the review!
Samsung announced their Windows Phone first last year, but released it last at all. This probably because Samsung wants to sell Android (Galaxy) phones as much as possible, and Windows Phone is just a second choice. Nokia on the order hand are selling Windows Phone devices as much as possible. When you go for good support or multiple device choices, Nokia is the better choice here. For me I was looking for something new, looking at price and specifications, Samsung is the better choice. ATIV S can be ordered for over 100 euros less than Lumia 920. ATIV S has a larger 4.8 inch Super AMOLED display, a 2300mAh battery and is just 135 grams in weight. Last but not least ATIV S has a replaceable battery and SD-card. ATIV S has a physical start button (to unlock the device and go to the start screen) and can be used 2 days on a single battery load. Not bad I guess :)
Enclosed an comparison between HTC 8X, Lumia 920 and ATIV S:
For me Windows Phone 8 OS is a relief, I really think it's a very good OS. It' s very fast, looking good, handy in usage, live tiles are just great, supports integration with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and offers something new! There is a good search option for installed apps, much settings to configure (more then I thought actually). Bing integration is nice for a daily random wallpaper, Microsoft apps like Office, OneNote, Internet Explorer, Xbox, Skype, Lync and Skydrive are all in place. There are less apps available when using Android, but for most apps there's an alternative app available. More apps are coming every day! The persons tile shows contacts with all information available, like Mail, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn data. Photos and videos can be saved in the cloud (Skydrive) immediately.
I think I like my new phone more then earlier phones, just because of Windows phone OS. That's definitely a compliment to Microsoft! When Windows Blue is released later this year (look HERE for more information about it), Windows Phone will be even better I guess. Hope you like my review, and think about a Windows Phone device yourself. For questions about Windows Phone just use comments below. Samsung ATIV S: a lot of phone for your money!
Last week I found a great review on Samsung ATIV S mobile phone. Besides of Nokia and HTC, Samsung is the third vendor with a Windows Phone 8 device. Because of the business kind of look and great specs this is the device I want. The device will be in January for sale in the Netherlands. In Europe the pricing will probably be 549 euro.
Samsung was the first manufacturer to officially announce a Windows Phone 8 device, but has since been suspiciously quiet about its plans. Plagued by delays and a missed launch period with HTC and Nokia, Samsung’s carrier deals, release dates, and exact pricing haven’t been forthcoming. Microsoft rarely mentions the company's devices in marketing materials, and it feels like Samsung's Windows Phone 8 efforts have been all but forgotten.
Source: Samsung Ativ S review
Searching on the web I found the
specifications for Samsung ATIV S with Windows Phone 8. Here it is:
A Windows Phone 8 comparison between HTC, Nokia and Samsung phones can be found HERE also.
Delayed till 2013: The ATIV S could be delayed to begin January for Europe! The ATIV S uses the same display as the Galaxy S III. Because the Galaxy S III is extremely hot at the moment. Samsung could have decided to move back the ATIV S for public release because of production switch in build and materials.
After unveiling two big Windows Phone 8 powered devices, Lumia 820 and Lumia 920, Nokia has announced a budget Windows Phone 8 device for the masses. Nokia unveiled Nokia Lumia 620 at Paris on December 5 with a price tag of $249 only. This made us all aware that like Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8 devices can also have budget models.
Lumia 620 is the third and most affordable Windows Phone 8 device by Nokia. With its price tag, it will be a highly competitive smartphone. Lets take look at the smartphone.
Nokia Lumia 620 press pictures
(all colors):
Searching on the web I found the specifications for Nokia Lumia 620 with Windows Phone 8. Here it
is:
Another search shows browser benchmarks (Sunspider and BrowserMark 2), where Lumia 620 beats the Galaxy S III:
In Europe the pricing will
probably be 259 euro. The 620 will be released in January in Asia and the Middle East. Then comes the phone to Europe, but exactly when is not known. The Lumia 920 and 820 are in the Netherlands in January in sales.
Last week I posted a few mobile phone comparisons. One for iOS, Android and Windows Phone, and one for Nokia Lumia phones. This time I want to post an Windows Phone 8 comparison for HTC, Nokia and Samsung phones. As for now Google's Android and Apple's iOS are most popular, accounted for 85% of all smartphones shipped in Q2 2012. Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 made gains, but BlackBerry OS and Symbian lost ground. It's time for Microsoft now to make a big step towards Google and Apple, with Windows Phone 8.
At the moment both HTC, Nokia and Samsung announced mobiles Phones for Windows Phone 8. Searching on the web I found a good comparison which includes them all. Here it is:
Nice to see all Windows 8 phones in one overview, don't you think? The HTC 8X, Lumia 920 and ATIV S are the high-end Windows 8 devices. The HTC 8S and Lumia 820 are mid-level devices. A comparison by size can also be found on the web. Here it is:
Now we must wait another month (till November) for release and pricing. Can't wait to have a Windows 8 phone myself! :)
AT&T announces last week the Nokia Lumia 920 is exclusive, and will be launced in November with the Lumia 820. The Lumia 920 will be available on AT&T exclusively according to the carrier. This in red, black and white colors, and through online orders in yellow and cyan colors. The Nokia Lumia 820 will be available in black only, but AT&T will stock additional colored shells. There's no word on pricing or exact availability for both models, but AT&T says they'll be available in November.
Nokia Lumia 820 press pictures (all colors):
Nokia Lumia 920 press pictures (all colors):
And pictures from the Cyan version too:
Searching on the web I found a
comparison for Nokia Lumia 920 vs Lumia 820 with Windows Phone 8. Here it is:
In Europe the pricing will probably be 649 euro (Lumia 920) and 499 euro (Lumia 820) at Vodafone, T-Mobile and O2/Telefonica. More on this later when final pricing is available.
Update 8-1-2013: The Nokia devices are available for pre-order in The Netherlands. The final pricing will be 599 euro (Lumia 920) and 499 euro (Lumia 820). The Lumia 620 will be just 259 euro. Nice to see that the Lumia 920 will be priced 50 euro less then expected!
Update: Have a look at Nokia Lumia 620 specifications also.
Within a few months it's time to order a new mobile phone again. At the moment I have a cheap Samsung Galaxy Ace phone with Android installed on it. Not that Android isn't good, but the Operating System performs pretty bad on it. It crashes all the time and it's very slow. Also there's too little free memory available on it to install a lot of apps. Time to have a good comparison now, and don't order a phone quick because a lot of colleagues have ordered it also :) Let's have a look.
At the moment the most popular phones are:
- Apple iPhone 5 (iOS 6)
- Samsung Galaxy S III / HTC One X (Android 4.0)
- Nokia Lumia 920 (Windows Phone 8)
These high end mobile phones are all really fast and have enough free memory available on it too install a lot of apps. Searching on the web I found a ultimate comparison, for the most popular phones including BlackBerry 10 (without specifications). Here it is:
There's also another comparison which contains the most popular phones, except the HTC One X is missing. Nice to see that the Nokia Lumia 920 has wireless charging built-in. Here it is:
Based on above comparison(s) and other news I found on the web, I'm very curious about the Nokia Lumia 920. It will be available November 2012 in Europe, so it's not yet available at the moment. It's time for a change and Windows Phone 8 is most likely the winning one for me! Question is, will it be the black, white, grey, yellow or red one :)
Expect more on this topic soon!
