Windows Phone - Pleasantly Surprised!
Technorati Tags:Apple, Nokia, Lumia 900, Windows Phone, Android, Cell, CostCo, iPhone, Microsoft
My new Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone
I have not written in a while about technology so this weekend I got myself focused on a new phone upgrade. My iPhone 4 is now 2 years old, and I thought I would re-evaluate where I am with mobile technology, and see where I come out.
In 2009 I completely bought into the Apple situation, and I was not dissapointed nor dissatisfied. I enjoyed the engineering, clean lines and seamless operation of the Apple product lines. Apple makes a great system, and clearly has the consumerism angle cornered for general technology use. Anyone that is considering a new phone and does not want to have to deal with a lot of technology setup - the iPhone is for you. The only downside to the iPhone is the size of the screen, Apple could really do something on making their screen larger. Perhaps that is where a possible iPad 7" may fill that gap, if Apple thinks that is an option, but will it also have a phone?
Enter the Windows Phone: Nokia Lumia 900.
I spent some time clarifying my mobile technology needs, along with what financial hit my wallet could handle. I found myself with a new take on my mobile direction due to being a heavy Microsoft user, who crunches financial and technology data constantly, as well as wanting to have as little cost impact as possible.
A major part of the decision was financial. I did not want to pay for an "upgrade". Gone are the days when you would get a "free upgrade", all of the cell/smart phone providers want you to spend that $149 or $249 for a new device. From several AT&T stores I went to, as well as on-line, there was no "free upgrade" to be found. I had my eye on the new Samsung Galaxy Note™, but at $249 to upgrade to it - I decided to pass. The iPhone 4 still has a lot of great features, and at the end I would have been fine staying on the iPhone 4 for as long as it would take to find a "free upgrade".
I decided to stop into CostCo, after I saw their flyer that has advertised a bunch of mobile phone deals. I asked "Where has the free upgrade gone?", and I was pleased to find a free Smart Phone upgrade! It was the Nokia Lumia 900, which from AT&T costs $99 to upgrade to, but CostCo has a special on, a no cost upgrade if you are eligible. That just made my day! It also comes with a mobility package for CostCo customers that includes another mini-usb connector cable, charger, screen protectors and two different cases (that actually fit!). In addition to the 30-day money-back guarantee - I could always return it - but it was free anyway. I could just re-activate my iPhone if I really found the Nokia Lumia 900 un-bearable. I was not dissapointed.
For a free phone upgrade I am certainly pleased! The interface at least for me is intuitive, and very easy to navigate. As with the iPhone, I am used to "killing" all of those applications that stay running in the background. Not with the Windows Phone - There really is no reason to close application as the use of resources is negligible. If you just want to - you need to keep tapping the back arrow until all apps are closed and you are back on the start screen. That works really well, and I have not found anything that really slowed down the phone.
It is very fast as well. Compared to my iPhone 4, the new iPhone 4s as well from other 4G capable new phones I have tried it compares very well and in fact exceeds the performance of some. I think I am getting good value for a free upgrade, getting comparible speed and memory for $0.
The IE experience is very smooth. Rendering is not jagged or full of stops. It could be the Verizon Mi-Fi I have (upgraded to the LTE 4G last year), but even when my iPhone uses the Mi-Fi, I found myself waiting around a lot - in some cases, not even rendering. I usually would be forced to close my Safari application down, and restart it - but even then, the Safari experience is not the same. My iPhone 4 is running iOS 5.
Do you also use Microsoft Office? I have a hotmail account and I was surprised at how well it fully integrated everything I have, including access to the SkyDrive all onto this device. Immediately upon activation (just like with the Apple exerpience with iCloud or MobleMe) every contact I had in Hotmail, and all documents on my SkyDrive were immediately available. The better part of this was NO translation software between the Phone OS and applications and the regular Microsoft Suite of products. I quickly uploaded some large spreadsheets from my laptop to the SkyDrive and then immediately opened them up on my Nokia Lumia 900 - they opened flawlessly, and quickly. The Wi-Fi is a key determinant in that (heavy upload and download), so I would suggest that you have a large data plan, or invest in a separate Mi-Fi or Wi-Fi connection system to enable that experience.
The graphical experience along with the multi-media and the camera is a big upgrade. the 4.3" AMOLED screen is bigger than the iPhone screen, and it is much brighter. As far as Cameras go, it is a Carl Zeiss optics, 8 MP main camera, dual LED flash, Auto Focus while the 1 MP front camera for video calling is super clear and very responsive. All around it is impressive.
I have seen some deals for this phone from AT&T and directly from Nokia for $49 if your eligible for an upgrade. I think if you can find a retailer that is offering a "free upgrade", then this Nokia would be a great value for that price, launch you into a new and interesting platform, and keep your Windows documents, Excel spreadsheets and Live accounts all at your fingertips.
All I have to say is that I am pleasantly surprised. No, it is not the "perfect device", but I doubt I will find that anyway.
Good luck everyone with your 2012 mobile purchases. I have certainly found mine.
Reach out to me if you have any questions.
