From Mango to Apollo: The HTC Windows Phone 8X on the Daily
by Dustin Sklavos on January 28, 2013 12:01 AM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
- windows phone 8
- Windows Phone 8X
- HTC 8X
What's Missing
While Windows Phone 8 keeps everything you loved about Windows Phone 7 and 7.5, we're still unfortunately dealing with the same chicken and egg problems that WP7 had in terms of apps. When I started using the Dell Venue Pro, it was pretty clear I'd at least lost a few things switching over from the Android-based LG Optimus V. The lack of good turn-by-turn navigation (and no clear recommendation on a replacement for WP7), no official Pandora app (when even BlackBerry had one), no alternative browsers, and a lot of social games that were available for iOS and Android. The Dell Venue Pro wasn't even able to operate as a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Over time, some of these problems have been ameliorated. Just about all modern smartphones can function as a Wi-Fi hotspot now (the HTC 8X included, of course.) The recently added Nokia Drive+ Beta still needs traffic information, but at least we have useful turn-by-turn navigation now. Third party apps have been mostly available to pick up the slack for missing services, and Microsoft's increased push with WP8 seems to be gradually yielding fruit. Zynga may have produced crappy ports for WP8, but at least they're there now.
Gaming itself does seem to continue to be a sore spot for Windows Phone, though. Users get a handful of high profile titles (I was surprised Final Fantasy was available), but nothing as high rent as the games available in Tegra Zone for Android. Nobody's going to be playing Grand Theft Auto III on their Windows Phone anytime soon, but they can if they get an iPhone or Android phone. EA has thrown us a bone here and there and heaven help you, you can get your Angry Birds fix, but unless you're happy with just games like Wordament (like I am), this may not be the platform for you.
Frankly, the problem is that while I feel like Microsoft has done an excellent job of trying to tap into existing ecosystems, they're nonetheless having to build their own from the ground up. Android and iOS are both mature with a lot of software and services to their credit, but Microsoft's had a very hard time getting and keeping all of its different services under the same roof. This past year they've been heavily condensing their branding, doing away with Live and Zune and folding entertainment features squarely under the Xbox banner, but the damage is done.
Microsoft may be wearing the prettiest dress, but they're still late to the party and there's a lot of catch-up to do. I think they can do it, because this is Microsoft we're talking about, but those of us willing to either migrate over to Windows Phone 8 or just jump in as our first serious smartphone investment are unfortunately going to have the unenviable task of providing the chicken that will hopefully start laying app-flavored eggs.
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ananduser - Monday, January 28, 2013 - link
"Gamers for example are forced to use windows because of DirectX. MSFT refused to follow open standards."What a load of bull. DirectX was a tremendous effort on MS' part that had them derided by the game outfits of the 90s. Like Apple feels that it has a responsibility towards its users to create imessage, facetime and airplay so is MS responsible towards its users to create a gaming API(keep in mind OGL was built with CAD in mind not gaming).
Office/Exchange are just the best in their market segments.
Furthermore with Windows you're locked within software not sotfware AND hardware like with Apple. I would happily pay Apple for OSX and iWork to run on my PC but unfortunately I am forced to buy another set of redundant x86 hardware to be able to run said software. Vendor lock-in is significantly more atrocious if it's Apple's style.
RevLuck - Monday, January 28, 2013 - link
I noticed the Lumia 920 battery info seems wrong, It's not removable.I've been using Lumia 920 for about two months now and love the phone, coming from Android, the tiles fit me lot better than widgets. Easy, consistent and you can fit lots of info in one view. While there are still features that I miss from Android, I don't think I could go back.
For me, the two features that really stand over X8 are the wireless charging and super sensitive screen. Twice in few weeks I've been freezing my fingers off trying to use phone outside before realizing I can just put the gloves back. After getting used to the wireless charging its the kind of convenience I would probably find hard to go back on. I guess I'm lazy :)
I pretty much thought both features as gimmicks when I bought the phone, but now I hope my next phone will have them too. I just wish the charging pad prices would go down, the current price point is pretty ridiculous.
shompa - Monday, January 28, 2013 - link
I hate that people still thinks its great dragging files back and forth in explorer. That is 1970 thinking. A good OS should make it so you never have to see the filesystem.How should a person with a huge library do? I have had over 40K songs in my library since 2002. In "Windows" thinking I should drag and drop the stuff I want.
No.
The computer should do the work for me.
Give me songs, rated 3 stars and above, that have not been played for the last week.
Smart playlists.
It amazes me that people still 11 years later don't use playlists, automatic syncing and so on. This is typical Windows thinking. So 30 years after the fact.
boozed - Monday, January 28, 2013 - link
Wow. Hate's a pretty strong emotion to feel towards someone... Especially people whose only crime is that they want to be able to do things a certain way.If I wanted to be churlish I'd have said "...they can do things for themselves." instead, but I won't.
madmilk - Monday, January 28, 2013 - link
You can use rsync for syncing and playlist files (duh) for playlists.Or you can wait for the music management software you're using to suddenly come out with a craptacular update (cough iTunes and Winamp), and then wonder what the hell you're going to switch to.
piroroadkill - Monday, January 28, 2013 - link
I could do exactly that, with smart playlists, using my player (J River Media Center), but you know what, I don't bother.I prefer exposing the files and doing it manually.
karocage - Monday, January 28, 2013 - link
"How should a person with a huge library do?"You should probably either continue using the Zune client with WP7.5 or the new desktop client for WP8. Using Windows Explorer would be a pain for that.
dragonsqrrl - Monday, January 28, 2013 - link
"If you're one of the precious few people who invested in Windows Phone 7 and 7.5 like I did, Windows Phone 8 is going to feel pretty lackluster initially, if not even capable of engendering a mild feeling of resentment. Windows Phone 7 was a rough draft and a product with no real future the moment it left Microsoft, and they knew it."Microsoft did the exact same thing to Zune HD users, otherwise known as Windows Phone 7 beta testers. Anyone who owned or followed the news about the Zune HD a couple years ago should know what I'm talking about. And lo and behold they've done it again, although the situation with the Zune HD was far more severe. And this is why I didn't get a WP7 device, and I won't be getting a WP8 device. Microsoft has proven itself time and again to screw over its customers and early adopters in the mobile market for the sake of its grand mobile development plans.
I'm actually a little surprised Microsoft repeated this behavior twice, but now there's no doubt in my mind that it's systemic. They essentially use their customers as nothing more then beta testers, and each revision of their mobile platform is nothing more then a brief, unsupported, unadvertised stepping stone to the next thing. I'm sure not supporting or investing in a new platform saves a lot of money, initially, but eventually this kind of behavior is going to catch up with Microsoft in a big way, if it hasn't already. They're probably losing a lot of potential and once loyal customers.
karocage - Monday, January 28, 2013 - link
I'm still trying to figure out what I got screwed on as a WP7.5 user. All my apps I bought would still work and be useable on a new WP8 phone so....? They didn't give me a new free phone? This is asserted in the article multiple times without ever laying out what the tangible harm is. And neither did you here.steven75 - Monday, January 28, 2013 - link
You lose out on any apps made for the WP8 APIs, obviously.