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loquacius posted:I'm not entirely sure Verizon was investing as much as they would have needed to to get some actual dividends out of this, honestly (see also: Samsung) Probably a dumb question, but one could still buy one of the new Lumias somewhere else and activate it on Verizon's network, right?
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Jul 24, 2015 00:22
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Charles Martel posted:Probably a dumb question, but one could still buy one of the new Lumias somewhere else and activate it on Verizon's network, right? Probably not. Verizon uses a different voice and 3g technology called cdma. Unless phones specifically have cdma modems which most unlocked phones don't, they won't work on sprint or verizon
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Jul 24, 2015 00:24
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CalvinandHobbes posted:Probably not. Verizon uses a different voice and 3g technology called cdma. Unless phones specifically have cdma modems which most unlocked phones don't, they won't work on sprint or verizon And currently CDMA is really only widespread in the US. Apparently it's also used in some parts of Asia, but it's not super common. If CDMA were popular elsewhere, you might be able to count on them doing what Apple does and just making the phones support both, but I'd bet that you'll only see them in GSM.
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Jul 24, 2015 01:26
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Yeah, amidst the news of two new phones, I feel like the bigger news that no one is talking about is essentially the nail in the coffin for Windows Phone and Verizon. It's a total scandal that Verizon gets to use their size to force manufacturers to essentially make phones specifically for their network, and it ends up causing issues like this. It's one thing when you have a successful platform like Android and iPhone where your carrier is less of a determining factor in what phone you're able to get, but for as long as Windows Phone has existed, the experiences for people on the different US carriers has been wildly different. I'm very thankful I switched to AT&T to get the Samsung Focus way back when. It's hard to believe that Microsoft's strategy is to tell two good phones on one of the four major carriers and expect OEMs to pick up the slack for the first time ever in the platform's history. I also wonder if Panos Panay getting promoted will mean a Surface phone is on the way, and if so when. I imagine the development of the original surface was 3-4 years in the making.
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Jul 24, 2015 01:56
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Jewmanji posted:Yeah, amidst the news of two new phones, I feel like the bigger news that no one is talking about is essentially the nail in the coffin for Windows Phone and Verizon. It's a total scandal that Verizon gets to use their size to force manufacturers to essentially make phones specifically for their network, and it ends up causing issues like this. It's one thing when you have a successful platform like Android and iPhone where your carrier is less of a determining factor in what phone you're able to get, but for as long as Windows Phone has existed, the experiences for people on the different US carriers has been wildly different. I'm very thankful I switched to AT&T to get the Samsung Focus way back when. It's hard to believe that Microsoft's strategy is to tell two good phones on one of the four major carriers and expect OEMs to pick up the slack for the first time ever in the platform's history. Better than the strategy from the last year and a half of selling zero good phones on zero carriers....
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Jul 24, 2015 03:02
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I'm curious, what would be the primary difference between a Surface phone and a Lumia? Just a more recognized brand (at least in the US)? The Cityman is going to be able to use the Surface's pen, which is already very Surface-y.
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Jul 24, 2015 03:03
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Mecca-Benghazi posted:I'm curious, what would be the primary difference between a Surface phone and a Lumia? Just a more recognized brand (at least in the US)? The Cityman is going to be able to use the Surface's pen, which is already very Surface-y. In about 3 versions, the Surface phone will be really good 
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Jul 24, 2015 03:42
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Chasiubao posted:In about 3 versions, the Surface phone will be really good But doing it required a full system rewrite, so oops, all the features you loved in the previous version have been removed
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Jul 24, 2015 04:24
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CalvinandHobbes posted:Better than the strategy from the last year and a half of selling zero good phones on zero carriers....  Unless you're say Apple, it's not like phone makers just go and make the devices and tell the MOs to sell them. They go to the MO, ask them if they would carry the device, the MO says "okay give me phone type X, make it special for my network, don't give it to anyone else and we'll order Y of them to sell." Deal happens, phones make it to the stores. Then people on forums go "god drat Phone Maker Z you're so loving dumb making phone X exclusve to that MO! You'd sell a ton on other MO also."
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Jul 24, 2015 05:53
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Mecca-Benghazi posted:I'm curious, what would be the primary difference between a Surface phone and a Lumia? Just a more recognized brand (at least in the US)? The Cityman is going to be able to use the Surface's pen, which is already very Surface-y. For me it would come down to the build materials and quality and industrial design, being less plasticky and Lumia-y.
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Jul 24, 2015 06:34
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xylo posted:If the carrier doesn't order the phone, it's very hard to sell it on their network (doubly so when the carrier and the network locked from BYOD). My God, I feel so bad for our American friends. In the UK, most phones are just generic across all networks. Sure they stick on their own apps and OS updates generally go through them, but there's no vice-like grip the carriers have on consumers 
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Jul 24, 2015 11:38
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As a fellow Brit, I can agree. But isn't the whole American telecoms system just hosed beyond belief anyway? I'm looking at you, Comcast. Anyway, back onto Windows Phones - is there any real advantage the 735 has over the 640 that warrants paying an extra £7 a month for it? The only thing I can see is the OLED screen and the ergonomics, but I don't know if that makes it worth paying what will amount to an extra £168 on a 24 month contract!
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Jul 24, 2015 12:54
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WattsvilleBlues posted:My God, I feel so bad for our American friends. In the UK, most phones are just generic across all networks. Sure they stick on their own apps and OS updates generally go through them, but there's no vice-like grip the carriers have on consumers It hasn't been like that for years now. Very different carrier-specific phones are the exception these days. The LG G2 in 2013 had a special Verizon version with worse buttons and Verizon has gotten weird versions of Sony's flagship like 6 months after release, but that's all I can think of for a major flagship. Galaxy S5 (and 3 and 4 as well, I think), LG G3 and G4, Moto X 2013 and 2014, Nexus 5 and 6, HTC One M7 through M9, etc. They all are essentially identical across all carriers, except a carrier logo on the back and possibly some small tweaks (truly mind boggling ones though, like an AT&T variant letting you remove a brightness toggle from the notification pane and the T-Mobile version not). They might each use a slightly different modem to cover all the carrier's bands, but there's very little different in terms of anything user facing. It's nothing like the days of the Galaxy S, where each carrier had a quite different phone (Epic, Fascinate, Mesmerize, Galaxy S2 Epic Touch! lol).
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Jul 24, 2015 13:52
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I think most of that can be attributed to Android OEMs getting comparable amounts of marketplace clout to Apple and not having to take Verizon's poo poo anymore. WP does not have that luxury.
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Jul 24, 2015 13:54
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I'm going to be pissed if the new Windows phones aren't sold through Verizon, and don't even have a CDMA modem so that they can work unlocked. I travel for work so there's no way I'm going to leave the network that doens't drop calls and has the best data speed (phone also doubles as a hotspot). Maybe I should scoop up an extra Icon for when this one breaks or dies. Edit: Verizon has approximately 30% market share in the US. However, I found an article from a few years ago that said Verizon is planning to slowly roll off of CDMA entirely, and move to voice-over-LTE. Does anyone know anything about this? Ynglaur fucked around with this message at 15:44 on Jul 24, 2015 |
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Jul 24, 2015 14:01
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I don't understand why Cortana is country bound. Exactly which parts of the very useful features need the country instead of just the language toggle? Speaking off, are assistants really the next big thing? I only use it while driving. I love how Americans will moan and complain whenever the EU does another alleged anti competitive practices investigation as being anti American mega corp. Meanwhile back home they complain about the mega corps acting like poo poo towards the consumer.
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Jul 24, 2015 15:50
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loquacius posted:I think most of that can be attributed to Android OEMs getting comparable amounts of marketplace clout to Apple and not having to take Verizon's poo poo anymore. WP does not have that luxury. Yup, Samsung, HTC, Motorola can now get their flagships on all carriers. Although it was not always the case. Samsung basically had to produce a different Galaxy S2 version for each company. HTC had various flagship exclusive in the Lumia 900 generation (HTC one X for ATT, One S for T mobile for example). Since the S4, HTC One M7, Moto X generations though, the android carriers have been able to get it on all carriers. Sony is interesting because like Nokia it is trying to break into a market where it doesn't already have carrier relationships. Its only been able to get Verizon to carry a very modified (and mostly in bad ways) version of its flaghips. T mobile carried the Z3 but I think has discontinued that. Just shows how hard it is break into carrier stores.
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Jul 24, 2015 16:43
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Can we talk about the part where there's Qi AND a removable battery? Hell the ecosystem may not be as viable but hardware feature wise that's a big step forward (backward?)
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Jul 24, 2015 16:59
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DarkMalfunction posted:As a fellow Brit, I can agree. But isn't the whole American telecoms system just hosed beyond belief anyway? I'm looking at you, Comcast. The 735 does have wireless charging, if you're into that. I don't think the 735 has a glance screen and it has a slightly worse battery. I don't really see the need to pay that much extra for it, since you may as well kick in some more cash at that point and get an 800 or 900 series phone.
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Jul 24, 2015 17:29
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Ynglaur posted:I'm going to be pissed if the new Windows phones aren't sold through Verizon, and don't even have a CDMA modem so that they can work unlocked. I travel for work so there's no way I'm going to leave the network that doens't drop calls and has the best data speed (phone also doubles as a hotspot). Maybe I should scoop up an extra Icon for when this one breaks or dies. You and me both. I'm fine with my Icon for now, but it would be nice if I had Windows Phone upgrade options down the road. Even though the fiancee is adamant about having Verizon since she's had it forever and is convinced that their network has the most coverage, I'll start up an account on my own on AT&T if I have to. Windows Phone 4 lyfe.
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Jul 24, 2015 17:30
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Darth TNT posted:I don't understand why Cortana is country bound. Exactly which parts of the very useful features need the country instead of just the language toggle? Location based reminders are really nice. I miss that feature weekly. I thought Cortana telling me when to leave in order to miss traffic was helpful too. Basically, if you have a poo poo memory or are unorganized, Cortana is handy. Otherwise it's a gimmick at best. I read an article about the U.S. high speed internet infrastructure. Apparently we are paying a lot more than most other countries, but at the same time we have heavily invested into the actual lines and most of Europe hasn't. The article I read said that 5G phones are going to be faster in the US compared to the UK which will not notice a significant advantage over 4G. Comcast is doubling their internet speeds again just to compete with Google and Verizon, and where I live, the city provides WiFi of 100mbps for $45 per month in select areas. So maybe we're getting better. Edit: Not the original article I read, but it does touch on similar points. http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24528383 Edit 2: This article contradicts the first, which I think was NY Times. This says the US is terrible as far as 4G goes. http://www.zdnet.com/article/the-state-of-lte-4g-networks-worldwide-in-2014-and-the-poor-performance-of-the-us/ wookieepelt fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Jul 24, 2015 |
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Jul 24, 2015 17:47
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edit: I don't know what happened here.wookieepelt posted:Location based reminders are really nice. I miss that feature weekly. I thought Cortana telling me when to leave in order to miss traffic was helpful too. Basically, if you have a poo poo memory or are unorganized, Cortana is handy. Otherwise it's a gimmick at best. Anyway, that's what I use Cortana for as well because I am what you describe.  Point is that in order to use it I have to set my phone for either America or UK. Why? Why not just set language to English?With Cortana coming to desktop and Google Now having been integrated in Google search for a while now I wonder how many people are going to use it. I can't imagine it being faster than simply typing. Darth TNT fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Jul 24, 2015 |
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Jul 24, 2015 17:58
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AT&T finally has the 640 as a GoPhone. Gonna grab one and drop my post-paid SIM into it, someone said that would work. My aging, barely charging 920 can finally be retired.
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Jul 24, 2015 18:33
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Chasiubao posted:AT&T finally has the 640 as a GoPhone. Gonna grab one and drop my post-paid SIM into it, someone said that would work. My aging, barely charging 920 can finally be retired. It'll work just fine. Walmart has them as well for the same price.
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Jul 24, 2015 18:54
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Having just gone from a 520 to a 640 it is a big step up and not just the screen size. It is just that much quicker, no more resuming and all round what I need from a smart phone (talking, texting, email and web browsing).
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Jul 24, 2015 20:26
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Darth TNT posted:edit: I don't know what happened here. Even typing out a reminder on the desktop to be reminded later would be insanely useful. There's also the multi tasking bit too.
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Jul 25, 2015 00:10
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Uthor posted:No, stop it. Bad Microsoft. Shumagorath fucked around with this message at 00:58 on Jul 25, 2015 |
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Jul 25, 2015 00:55
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Rumour has it that the iPhone 6S and 6S plus are getting 1080p and 2k screens respectively. That pretty much removes the last remaining barrier to iOS adoption for me. Never would have imagined it a year ago, but I think the great windows phone experiment is drawing to a close for me.
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Jul 25, 2015 01:24
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Any way to move the MS Auth App to a new phone without just disabling 2FA on all my accounts first? I've searched but I haven't found anything.
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Jul 25, 2015 01:47
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I don't think there's a good way to just move it over, but you don't have to disable 2FA if you have both phones available; just log in using the old phone and associate the new authenticator app.
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Jul 25, 2015 08:21
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Went to the Microsoft store while I was in Boston to see if they had any 640s. They didn't  . And neither did any of the T-Mobile stores in the area, which annoyed me. But I did get to play around with the 640 XL and it's not that bad a phone. It's a little weird to hold compared to the 1520 (The edges are sharper and not as curved as the 1520 is, IMO.) but the screen seemed fine, and the speakers were okay too. Beyond the whole App situation, it seems like an alright phone at a okay price. But I could not justify getting a locked phone on a carrier I'm not on for $250, just for development and to mess around with.
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Jul 25, 2015 21:11
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ElrondHubbard posted:The 735 does have wireless charging, if you're into that. I don't think the 735 has a glance screen and it has a slightly worse battery. I don't really see the need to pay that much extra for it, since you may as well kick in some more cash at that point and get an 800 or 900 series phone. I don't use my phone that much through the day, but my 735 can last three days on a charge. That was a massive improvement over my previous 620. The performance difference with 512 MB vs 1 GB of RAM is also impossible to understate. Yes, it lacks Glance, that's a definite negative. However, I got mine at a really good price, and in a neat, toxic green color.
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Jul 25, 2015 22:30
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So far I'm pleased with the 640. Only thing that is annoying is the speaker being on the back, so if I'm listening to a podcast and toss my phone down, I have to remember to place it face down.
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Jul 26, 2015 00:20
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That's sadly really common on a lot of devices. The one think I like from the iPhone 6 is that now there are shitloads of devices with speakers at the bottom or, like HTC who are the only that care a bit about sound quality, place stereo speakers at the loving front of the phone. My wife's HTC 816 (not even a good mid-range phone) has amazing sound quality.
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Jul 26, 2015 01:47
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So I'm really loving glad I have a Band, because I can barely hear notifications when the phone is face up, and would've missed a few otherwise.
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Jul 26, 2015 06:47
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So Health and Fitness has been utterly incapable of functioning this week, crashing either when I try to pause after 35 minutes, crashing spontaneously in my pocket after an hour, or crashing on resuming after about 75 minutes. Microsoft Health doesn't do anything if you don't have a band. I just want a GPS tracker/calorie counter for when I bike. Help?
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Jul 26, 2015 17:38
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I think MS Health works with Motion Data?
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Jul 26, 2015 19:27
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Chasiubao posted:I think MS Health works with Motion Data?  Unless it just shoehorns all of that into the step/calorie counter, I don't know.
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Jul 26, 2015 19:47
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Tanith posted:So Health and Fitness has been utterly incapable of functioning this week, crashing either when I try to pause after 35 minutes, crashing spontaneously in my pocket after an hour, or crashing on resuming after about 75 minutes. Microsoft Health doesn't do anything if you don't have a band. I just want a GPS tracker/calorie counter for when I bike. Help? Look at Hike and Bike, not sure if it does calories as I don't use that. Edit, no to calories. wormil fucked around with this message at 02:23 on Jul 27, 2015 |
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Jul 27, 2015 02:14
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Yeah the 8XT had Sound by Dre or some crap but it sounded pretty rad for a cell phone. The 635 in contrast has some sort of "sound hole" on the rear fabricated from discarded payphone handsets. You have to blare it in the direction of everywhere except where you are, in order to hear it through the sound hole. Stupid.
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