Microsoft: Switch to iOS or Android because Windows 10 Mobile is ending

[p858snake]

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/01/microsoft-windows-10-mobile-support-to-end-so-use-android-or-ios-instead/

[dcwhitworth]

Wow, we have until December ? :-D That's great news !

[LeMarchand]

I heard this news over the weekend. Not unexpected, but still gutted.

 

Have had to reset my phone twice over the last week: the first time to fix a problem with making/receiving calls (also fixed Cortana) and the second when my SD card died shortly after. (Apparently some cards have a safety feature of preventing write actions when they have reached their stated maximum rather than risk corrupting existing data). I was pleasantly surprised at how little manual work I had to do. Not going to be much fun to do everything manually, and that's assuming they don't start pulling apps from the store .

 

When my 640XL gets unusable, it will be an Android as I have an intense dislike of the Apple cult. (As opposed to a deep mistrust of the Google one!). Probably one of the up-and-coming (?) brands and a sub £200 large screen model.

[dcwhitworth]

I had a look round recently and decided I rather liked the iPhone SE mainly because of the price. I intensely dislike both Apple and Google, but at least Apple has the advantage of not having a fragmented platform that manufacturers can do what they want with and all the inherent security issues this brings along.

 

I don't really want a whole load of apps, maybe just a few basic mainstream ones but I can live without them if needed. What I really dislike is the stupidly inflating size of phones these days and the equally stupid assumption that I'm happy to pay more for my phone than for my PC.

 

Of course now I find Apple have discontinued the SE as of late last year, only stupidly expensive iPhones now available.

[LeMarchand]

at least Apple has the advantage of not having a fragmented platform that manufacturers can do what they want with and all the inherent security issues this brings along

 

Good point about the security, but it's Apple. I appreciate that they've done a lot to improve the design of mobile UI, but they're far too closed off for my liking.

 

I don't really want a whole load of apps, maybe just a few basic mainstream ones but I can live without them if needed. What I really dislike is the stupidly inflating size of phones these days and the equally stupid assumption that I'm happy to pay more for my phone than for my PC.

 

Same with the apps; I'm struggling to think of one that I would really want on my current phone. Maybe a decent "scan the barcode and check Amazon and/or eBay for price" type one, a navigation option that factors in traffic better and, now that Bookviser won't let me sign in, one that allows me to continue reading on my Windows tablet and vice versa. My wife would like me to be able to install stalking/Family Tracking app Life 360.

 

Anyway, MS are really hammering the nails in the coffin and have announced that they're killing off Wallet. Not that the NFC worked in the UK, but I'd just decided that I'd try it for store cards. Back to Stocard it is, then.

[LeMarchand]

Well, I have swallowed the Google pill. It's only been a week, so still getting used to the way things work. Appalled at some of the permissions some apps and Google claim to need, and finding ad/free replacements for some of my apps has been a challenge. I'm still sticking to my dislike of the "messiness" of the system at the moment.

 

My 640XL is now in the kitchen (sim-less) providing music via Spotify while I am cooking and still retains email/Calendar/To Do/Weather/Plex and a few other bits and pieces. I was hoping to hang onto it as my daily driver for a bit longer, but there were signs that the SD card was on the way out - so I thought it might be time for the switch.