Windows is often maligned, usually for good enough reasons, and unfortunately, the Windows Phone – more specifically the Nokia Lumia – is doing little to salvage that reputation. It’s easy to scoff at Windows phone users in a sea of Samsung Galaxies and iPhones, but do they deserve the backlash?
In a word: yes. Here are six reasons the Windows Phone is worse than you thought.
1.Windows and Google don’t get along. Like, at all.
The first wave of Windows Phone buyers had a decent experience. Gmail users didn’t have any problems synching their calendars or email accounts but all that changed on January 1, 2014. Because Windows and Google can’t agree on EAS (Exchange ActiveSync), Windows phones purchased after that date no longer sync with Google calendar. No big deal, unless you need to use your calendar for anything on the go.
Also read: Take your Best ever Smartphone Snaps with the Nokia Lumia 1020
2. It’s light, thin, and as fragile as a Faberge egg.
The Lumia’s screen larger than the iPhone’s but smaller than a Galaxy but what’s problematic is its thin, protection-light frame. Not only does the screen scratch ridiculously easily but it’s prone to breakage and cracks, many of which are hairline and difficult to detect until later.
3. The battery life is awful.
Unless, of course, you’re only talking on the phone in which case, why did you buy a smartphone with one of the largest digital displays on the market? The Lumia’s pretty screen is a battery-suck and when it comes to video playback it ranks near the bottom of the pack for battery life. Web browsing gets an okay score, overall, but if you’re planning on using your Windows phone for its online capabilities you better bring your charger.
4. You want apps with your Windows phone? Good luck with that.
Like it or not, Apple and Android more or less have a stranglehold on the app marketplace and Windows apps are an afterthought for most developers, at best. Sure, there are plenty of apps in Windows app store but if you want, say, a mobile Bloomberg app to help with work? Or maybe an Instagram app to socialize with your friends?You’re up the creek. Many of Windows’ available apps feel like cheap knock offs of their Apple counterparts.
5. There are no options for expandable memory.
If you want to absorb media with your phone to the point you need an external memory device you won’t find connectivity with the Lumia. There are no microSD cards or external storage devices that are yet compatible with the Windows phone.
6. The OS? It’s Windows 8.
Windows 8 does a lot of things right but unfortunately, the phone simply doesn’t deliver on many promises made about multitasking and intuitiveness. The screen lacks friction at crucial times and the apps themselves aren’t as easy-to-use, close, or assign as they should be. Windows 8 is notoriously buggy so the Windows phone is basically a giant roulette wheel at times, only playing along when it doesn’t matter much. If you need a phone that reliably does what you need it to do without bending over backwards with hacks and workarounds, this is not your phone.
If you like giant screens, decent camera quality, and an overall fast web experience in a phone (and little else) you’re on the right track with the Windows Nokia Lumia. If you’re looking for consistency or a little more technological bang for your buck? Look elsewhere.