Why I Choose Windows Phone

It was in February 2014 when I bought my Nokia Lumia 925 (now Microsoft Mobile), the first Windows Phone I owned and by far my experience grows more amazing from time to time.

When we talk about smart phone, most people would immediately think about Android and iPhone never minding Windows Phone, BBM, the newly developed Ubuntu and Firefox OS for phone that both runs under Android OS and the ARA project of Motorola that I guess will be running an Android OS as well. Among these phone OS I can’t deny that Android and iPhone is at tight competition, both are widely recognize across the globe with a vast collections of apps on the app store. When it comes to build quality Android phones ranges from low end to high end, of course you’ll get less if you buy a cheaper one. While iPhone remains classy with their specs along with their OS. 

But how about Windows Phone?

Last February this year marks my first year as a WP user, particularly Nokia Lumia 925, and along the timeline of my usage, I’ve been through lots of frustrations to the point that I regret of spending my cash on such I formerly labelled as a “dumb phone”. The only reason why I bought it is my enthrallment of MS Windows since my first hand-on of Windows 98 and now that I’m running Windows 8.1. I was expecting of the same satisfying experience with the phone version so I considered of getting one. I don’t have any knowledge of WP that time that I made a research, read some reviews, and viewed some videos until I’ve chosen the unit I’d buy. What baffled me though is the build quality and indeed it’s quite impressive. However, on the early stages of my experience I was like “meh… WTF!” I was having issues on the user interface and later concluded that it’s not a friendly-user type of a phone, perhaps I’ve grown more familiar with the Android. I don’t have any choice but to deal with it instead of dumping it aside as if I could totally buy a new one but not WP. 

Then over the time I suddenly realize I’m lucky of getting a WP than Android or iPhone, not because I could play games on it or brag people on the social media about my life’s activity but because it has been very helpful with my job. For those who are not familiar with WP it comes with MS Office apps like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote. I’m a timekeeper by profession, responsible with the daily time record of each employee, the status of the warehouse inventory, and the work progress of the project. Surely there will be many note takings happening since I can’t bring the PC around with me. Instead of carrying a notebook and a pen, I managed to utilize my phone by using MS Excel app on WP, though other phone OS could have the same app but the functionality may differ since WP is able not just to view the file but to edit as well or create a new one with the same formats you’ll get on the PC version. With just a few tap on my phone I could easily update the records then email the files to my boss through my phone.

Another great feature of WP is the HERE app. With the kind of job I have, I expect to be relocated to different places and since I’m not familiar with the directions like how to get to the market, to the mall, to the beach resort, restaurants, convenience store, gasoline stations, bus terminal, and other establishments. I could just open the HERE City Lens and it automatically scans different establishments around the vicinity. How about planning to go somewhere yet I don’t know how long will it take me to be there? Well, there’s HERE Maps that can calculate the approximate distance from point of origin to the destination and the approximate time to consume. Same with if I don’t know where I am on the planet, I can just look it up on the HERE Maps which tells me where exactly I am. Another app is the HERE Drive, a voice navigation app showing the route to my destination and the speed limit of a certain area which alarms me whenever I exceeded the speed limit. All these HERE apps can work without either internet connection or mobile signal, all I need to do is to switch on my GPS on the background. 

I’m also thankful of having WP over Android or iPhone because I can’t overuse it. When it comes to apps, WP is at the tail end of the popular trend. I’m a gamer and because WP lacks popular gaming apps like CoC I can’t play with it on my phone which in turn I don’t have to recharge my phone several times a day that somehow preserves my battery and at least served the approximate life expectancy. Though Facebook is an official app but the development is kinda slow, same goes with YouTube and Instagram that remains BETA, Vine, Twitter, and the holy realm of 9Gag. Yet, they have alternatives and some may even overstep the official app. 

Taking everything into account, my experience with WP is excellent! Not because it’s better than the other phone OS but because it’s simple, smooth, and professional. Like what Joe Belfiore said that they aim to give phone user a much more “personalized phone experience” and WP truly serves its purpose.