Windows Phone 7.5 review: Ready, set, mango
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- AnonD-26093
- LqC
- 13 Oct 2011
I've used every single modern mobile OS (so no, I've not use BB OS or a recent Symbian build).
Windows Phone 7 is in my eyes the best of all, even if it still lacks apps.
(For the record, I've own an iPod Touch 3G, Palm Pre 2, Samsung Galaxy S II, and Samsung Omnia 7)
The GUI is far better (especially on native apps), it's far smoother than any other mobile OS, on relatively old hardware, this thing is really optimized (naturally, it only runs in 3 different CPUs), it's the inverse of Android (which lacks any kind of decent kind of optimization whatsoever, Android manufacturers merely combat this by pushing the hardware specs).
The Email app is first class, at least equal to those of its peers. The messaging app is a lot better than those of Android and iOS, the deep service integration is unrivaled by any of its peers, for example, the People Hub simply and utterly crushes anything the competition has to offer (in the same category of course).
The tile interface it's pretty good, it seems like the best of both worlds, since the tiles can be animated as well as informative -not to mention you pin pretty much anything to it now- it basely takes the best of the icon approach and the best of the widget approach without causing the lack of information the first suffers from, and without causing the unintuitive mess and clutter Android calls its homescreen.
The Apps are gorgeous, fast, consistent, integrated, everything Android apps aren't (native or not). The multitasking interface is only matched by WebOS design, without, thankfully, using WebOS approach to multitasking (what of many of you call "true multitasking"), but instead they opted for a more battery efficient iOS-model.
Office support is absurdly better than iOS's and Android's.
I'm always rendered confused by some journalist comments, for instance, BBM and iMessage are completely uninteresting and uncalled for [not to mention limited], I'm a lot happier using two (far bigger) services, which also happen to be cross platform, namely Windows Live and Facebook (Gtalk would be a nice addition to an already strong offering).
I'm a mathematician, and I'm especially into physics, so, I like experiments, I would bet my kidney that (unbranded devices, without people having previously experienced any modern OS, and assuming no relevant knowledge about the companies or the OSes) people would choose a WP7 or iOS device more than 70% of the time, with Android fighting for the remaining 30% with WebOS (I'm not against Android, in fact, I'm a Linux user, and I've contributed code to KDE, as well as some bug fixing, I'm really into open source, but Android still feels amateurish, which of course it isn't).
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- Anonymous
- IVJ
- 13 Oct 2011
Grumpy Git, 11 Oct 2011"Version 7.5 however brings things that will appeal to... moreNot sure why is there a big issue with USB sync with outlook.. Especially with Corporate users when they have Exchange support. Business users to my knowledge only rely on USB sync when they can't get Exchange to work. Otherwise its all sync OTA. Also I use to have issues with the lack of USB sync.. Until i move to "whatever cloud" based and never looked back. USB sync is just antiquated compared to the speed, accessibility, mobility and reliability of cloud syncing. Or to be more precise, OTA Exchange sync.
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- Mika
- 08V
- 12 Oct 2011
I dont like it!
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- Anonymous
- jaG
- 12 Oct 2011
izik, 09 Oct 2011tiles = boringIcons are exciting,refreshing,glance and go,modern etc? ...lol
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- Vinkis69
- 3Jn
- 12 Oct 2011
Wp7:- no flash support,no skype,browser is really shit,only few settings,programs like ebay or facebook work really slow and freez alltime,its not a smart phone its a shit phone,better buy a simple Java based phone witn more options in menu.i got htc hd7 wp7.5 mango.so trust me its better to use my old galaxy s or sony ericsson t715...
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- Anonymous
- TIA
- 12 Oct 2011
Grumpy Git, 11 Oct 2011"Version 7.5 however brings things that will appeal to... moreMate not sure quite what you're on about, but syncing via USB? really? Even the old Windows phones linked up through OWA to Outlook. If you want a Blackberry solution, go buy a blackberry. Just remember that you'll have every bit of you're mail go through their datacenter
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- Grumpy Git
- gIy
- 11 Oct 2011
"Version 7.5 however brings things that will appeal to businesspeople, ..."
Absolute rubbish! Until there is proper USB synching with Outlook instead of any cloud rubbish, WP7 will NEVER be a serious proposition in the business world. BlackBerry still rules the enterprise market. As for the multitasking, the old Windows Mobile platform from several years ago right up to 6.5 had far superior multitasking capabilities.
- R
- Rohit
- vIb
- 11 Oct 2011
So Sensational Product...
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- NokiaUser
- TC%
- 11 Oct 2011
Does the email client support rich-text formatting?
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- AdamBoy64
- Fv4
- 11 Oct 2011
When I see a Nokia WP7 phone with a physical keyboard and a nice big screen, I'll be interested.
I've liked my experience with Android, but I can't say I'm 100% set on it though.
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- Anonymous
- mfY
- 10 Oct 2011
@mark
true but I was writing it on my GF's Phone and the long texts made the phone a bit sluggish and hard to view whole message.
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- Mark
- 0pr
- 10 Oct 2011
@mfy6
You know, you could have put all that in one post. Just sayin'.
As for me, this looks interesting and encouraging given the improved OS tied to Nokia's excellent hardware. Looking forward to the phones that come out.
As for apps, no-one really cares once you have the twenty or so that are in common use. It's the same as PC software - millions of apps of which a handful are used.
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- Shay
- pJu
- 10 Oct 2011
Still no equaliser support in the Music Player = FAIL!
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- all about the apps
- mfY
- 10 Oct 2011
Its funny how when an OS doesn't have alot of apps, fans are touting "It's not about the apps, they aren't that important... its about the OS" Then when the apps starts to amass they start yelling "ooohh we have now surpassed xx thousands of apps... so there!"
:-D
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- Funny!!! (and sad)
- mfY
- 10 Oct 2011
"Speaking of apps, two tech giants (Microsoft and Nokia) are hard at work to attract new developers to build even more apps and introduce even more services to the platform." Ha!!!
I had the Nokia N900 and in all the time I had it, OVI store stayed the same... EMPTY of new apps! save for a couple of christmas wallpapers.
And Nokia is looking more and more like a dying giant... and how many developers are willing to board a sinking ship!?
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- icrosoft windows Pho
- mfY
- 10 Oct 2011
indows phon
e 7 is a no
t so smart p
hone that lo
oks like a d
umb phone :-D
Bland, borring and hard to see text in brightly colored tiles... yuck!!! And it seems like they have sat down and studied (and copied) what made iOS popular... back in 2007 :-D
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- simple user
- Sve
- 10 Oct 2011
The KEY: "things are being done the iOS way"
as usual MS neglects OS core and goes to improve UI... (not that they were not successfull, but took them 20+ years).
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- Anonymous
- PEn
- 10 Oct 2011
Windows Phone 7 is not a geek phone. Its not an Apple phone. It is a phone for someone who wants a phone that works like a phone. Which is? Keep connected. Its not about the apps (although its nice to have). Its not about the hardware (although it would be nice to have dual cores). Its not about the being able to do everything every phone in existance is able to do (although it would be an added bonus). But its meant for someone who want everything in pre defined location (hubs), presented in a no fuss way (tiles). The People Hub in WP7 is equivalent to the native contacts application of other phones + the Facebook app + twitter app + linkedin app + messaging app. In WP7, there's only one. Same goes to Music and Videos. Same goes to pictures.
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- Anonymous
- ub6
- 10 Oct 2011
Moni, BD, 09 Oct 2011I still now haven't get 7.5 Mango update on my HTC 7 Mozart... moremango update still not available in india as well.
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- Anonymous
- MJn
- 10 Oct 2011
You call that multitasking??? Its more like Windows 1.0 all over again.