In an interview with a developer last week, I went through my usual routine: introduced myself, got my list of questions ready and asked if I could record everything so it would be easier to do a write-up later.
The developer looked at me curiously. “Why?”
The dev wasn’t asking why I’d record our interview – he’d done this many times before as well. Rather, he was looking at recording device of choice: a brand-new Nokia Lumia 640 XL.
Like most everyone else, the developer just couldn’t understand why I’d be using a Windows Phone in 2015. The question, I assume, is because he thought I’d lost my mind.
My decision to go back to Windows Phone wasn’t one I made lightly. I’d dug an old Lumia 940 from a cupboard at work a couple months back simply to see how the Windows Phone 10 technical preview performed on it.
The answer? Not very well. The build itself was shocking and the phone, a thick piece of plastic approaching its fourth birthday, could barely keep its charge. Curiosity mostly sated, I kept the phone charged sporadically and updated the preview build whenever the Fast track pushed something out.
Strangely, things got better. By the time I was ready to head off to E3 in June, I was seriously considering using the phone full time. A couple huge bugs and aforementioned battery time kept the phone in the drawer. When I got back to Australia, I updated to the very stable build 10166, and with that, decided I was once again ready. I dropped $250 for the Lumia 640 XL and the rest is history.
Now, that answers why I had the phone, but why would I go back to Windows Phone itself? Simple: it’s actually quite good.
Let’s address the elephant in the room straight away: apps. Or, rather, a lack of apps. I honestly haven’t noticed. I’ve Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Spotify, Netflix, Dropbox, Kindle, Skype, a NAB banking app, an RSS reader, Podcast player, WordPress to update Stevivor on the road and 1Password to make sure I can access everything with my randomised password fetish; basically, I have everything I used on my iPhone. The one real exception is Snapchat, and let me tell you, (<sarcasm>) I’m simply gutted about that (</sarcasm>).
The only apps I miss are related to my Nike+ Fuelband. Even then, a third-party app called Run+ provides the same functionality as Nike’s Running app when I hit the track. I’ve resorted to syncing my FuelBand to my PC to solve the other problem. Apart from that, the only things I don’t have any longer are Facetime and iMessage. Skype easily fixes the first problem and Facebook messenger the second.
Windows Phone 10 brings with it a new Store and new Outlook Mail and Calendar apps, and they’re fantastic. Integration with things like OneNote and OneDrive across my work PC, my home PC and my Surface mean I can free up valuable Dropbox space for work and make OneDrive my personal backup tool. Its preview OS further refines its Live Tile system so that a quick look at your Start Screen can provide more information than a simple notification screen… though there’s that too with one downward swipe.
The one thing I’ve noticed since changing phones is that I use this one less. Live Tiles help, but it’s also because I’m actively trying to keep my head from being buried in a display screen at all times in the day. That said, I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t acknowledge that a lack of pages and pages of apps helps too. I don’t have a dedicated app for Footy Tips, so if I get bored during the day, I’d have to actually go into Microsoft Edge and login with a username and password. I realise that won’t delight some, but for me, that’s perfect. I need to enjoy the real world.
Oh, and I might as well address the second elephant in the room: this isn’t about Gamerscore. I picked way more Achievements up from The Witcher 3, Rare Replay and Halo: The Master Chief Collection from any of the phone’s 200GS offerings. That said, Xbox integration is damn fine on my new phone.
While my Lumia 640 XL might not be the powerhouse that an S6 or iPhone 6 may be, I definitely win in the ‘value for money’ category. $250 for a phone that’s four months old seems like a dream. Though, I did splash out $100 AUD more for a 128GB microSD card as the phone itself only has an 8GB capacity. Ultimately, my biggest surprise comes from a phone that can make it through a demanding day without worrying about charging it every couple of hours.
So there you have it. Have I lost my mind? No. Would I be as enthusiastic with Windows Phone 8.1? Decidedly not. Will Windows Phone 10 bring all its claiming it will, like iOS and Android app ports and fluid integration with Windows 10 PCs and tables? Time will tell… but I’m going to have fun finding out.
Microsoft did not pay for Steve’s Nokia Lumia 640 XL and did not pay for this article. Do you have more questions? Fire away in the comments, below.
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