Lumia 928 on VZW

[Comdrpopnfresh]

I've been holding out on getting a smartphone; I despise Apple products, and didn't see much compelling me to get a smartphone. I also have VZW, so the carrier-exclusivity is a factor.

I am gravitating toward WP8, but the specs for the Lumia 928 seem a bit poor compared to some of the other devices on the market. Is it still a high-performing device for WP? Does WP make better use of hardware than other platforms? Is it still a good device that will provide years of good use? Thoughts?

 

[MichaelBarg]

I've been holding out on getting a smartphone; I despise Apple products, and didn't see much compelling me to get a smartphone. I also have VZW, so the carrier-exclusivity is a factor.

I am gravitating toward WP8, but the specs for the Lumia 928 seem a bit poor compared to some of the other devices on the market. Is it still a high-performing device for WP? Does WP make better use of hardware than other platforms? Is it still a good device that will provide years of good use? Thoughts?

Windows phone has always been reviewed to run well on lower spec hardware. The internals are basically the same as the Lumia 920, so you may want to take a look at that. IMO though the real answer to this question will come on Tuesday. Nokia has a big media event in London, where presumably they will announce their next major release. If it blows the 928 away I'd be pretty wary of getting it myself - and I have been waiting seemingly forever for a Windows phone on Verizon that I liked. At this rate I may well end up with a Note III or something similar.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

Windows phone has always been reviewed to run well on lower spec hardware. The internals are basically the same as the Lumia 920, so you may want to take a look at that. IMO though the real answer to this question will come on Tuesday. Nokia has a big media event in London, where presumably they will announce their next major release. If it blows the 928 away I'd be pretty wary of getting it myself - and I have been waiting seemingly forever for a Windows phone on Verizon that I liked. At this rate I may well end up with a Note III or something similar.

Good to know- I thought the upcoming announcement was the official release of the 928... I would prefer something with a quad-core chip inside. What's the prospect of the 928 or any soon-coming windows phones being upgradable to Windows Blue/ 8.1?

 

[Crono]

MichaelBarg is correct. Windows Phone isn't comparable to past versions of Android where throwing faster hardware into a phone will give you better OS performance - Windows Phone is pretty much smooth out of the gate on low to high end hardware. There isn't much differentiation in hardware because of how Microsoft dictates and limits spec ranges to manufacturers. Microsoft is closer to Apple than Google in this regard, with the advantages and drawbacks of a guarded ecosystem.

A quad core CPU in a WP8 phone like the Lumia 928 might benefit some demanding apps, maybe, but there isn't a lot of proper multitasking or many very demanding apps that aren't more graphical in nature, aside from some benchmarks.

Blue/8.1 is for desktop. I haven't heard anything about what the WP equivalent is yet. The "blue" designation is supposed to represent the new changes coming to desktop (Windows 8), tablet (RT), and phone (WP8), but the phone OS changes are behind the desktop changes as far as I can tell.

I wouldn't hesitate getting a Lumia 928 if you know you want a phone with a good camera. It's essentially a Lumia 920 but with a Xenon flash. Windows Phone 7/7.5 has held up fairly well, I still use my old Trophy occasionally even though it's 2 years old. Doesn't feel sluggish, and I have a HTC One to compare it to. Windows Phone scales better with lower resolution screens, it gets really easy and comfortable to use the live tile system with hubs.

Just know the advantages and drawbacks of Windows Phone especially if you don't like Apple and are an Android fan. Windows Phone isn't like the old Windows Mobile, which really was as customizable as Android now is (custom ROMs and tweaking was old hat for WM long before Android came out). The word "Windows" in "Windows Phone" is very misleading because there aren't actually any windows in Windows Phone, lol. They should have named it Tiles Phone. It's great, though, if you want a phone that... uhh... "just works".

 

[pantsaregood]

Throwing a faster CPU at Windows Phone isn't inherently beneficial. When I moved from HTC Titan to Lumia 920, the experience was largely unchanged. Some poorly coded sites would render less quickly on the Titan, but the experience was nice regardless.

The Lumia 920/928 are high end hardware, and they perform as such. The biggest advantage over WP7.x hardware is the ability to run native code.

As for the "blue" update, you can expect it to hit all WP8 devices. Microsoft will support the initial release of WP8 for 18 months. Any subsequent "major" releases will renew the lifecycle.

Essentially, a "major" release is something like WP7 to 7.5, where a minor release would be WP7 being updated to NoDo.

 

[s44]

They should have named it Tiles Phone. It's great, though, if you want a phone that... uhh... "just works".

Heh. Yeah, although if you use Google services a lot it just doesn't integrate as well as Android or even iOS.

Since OP doesn't have a smartphone now, I presume he won't much mind the apps/games that aren't on WP8? Or maybe that's the stuff he wants by diving in.

 

[dagamer34]

When Samsung still manages to screw up the Galaxy S4 with stuttering, despite having 4 Cortex A15 cores running at 1.6Ghz in their Exynos 5 Octa, you quickly learn that the quality of code has a FAR bigger impact than the hardware being used (within reason).

As such, regardless of the device you use, you will NEVER need to worry about performance on a Windows Phone. Ever. Don't even bother thinking about it. It shouldn't be your concern. Even if you like to tinker with operating systems, it's a phone, not a computer!

If it's your first smartphone, the Lumia 928 will be a great option. An easy recommend.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

Heh. Yeah, although if you use Google services a lot it just doesn't integrate as well as Android or even iOS.

Since OP doesn't have a smartphone now, I presume he won't much mind the apps/games that aren't on WP8? Or maybe that's the stuff he wants by diving in.

mainly just web access away from a desk/laptop, usability between WP and my laptop running 8. Def. attracted to the camera on the 928. Hope the 928 has a mSD port... has that bee confirmed yet? I have a very good 32gb mSD with a high speed rating... currently being wasted in my Samsung u370. Now I feel shame for even specifying what I carry in my pocket.

 

[notposting]

No micro-SD slot. Just the 32GB storage, plus whatever online stuff you have.

Nothing to indicate the AMOLED screen won't be a Pentile one...though at that resolution it may not matter. I will be checking the phone out in store, might finally upgrade from my Trophy.

 

[Skurge]

I can't speak for wp8, but lumia 800 has a smooth UI, but nothing more. The lack of ram meant nothing was ever kept running in the background. Every app I would switch to would reload. Very annoying. Stuff didn't start up very quickly either. Although smoother than my gnex. It was slower in the things that mattered.

Lumia 928, being about the same spec wise as the iPhone 5, I can imagine those issues are no more.

Biggest issue would be the apps. Google basically don't care. Even the "Google app" is just s web short cut.

IE had some issues in wp7, but it should be fine in wp8.

 

[bearxor]

As mentioned, WP and iOS are very similar in that they're very optimized for the hardware they run on. Only compare hardware between the same OS.

Having said that, the 928 seems to essentially a repackage of the 920. If it was me, I'd wait on a refresh this fall. Hopefully we'll see fancy quad-core S600 chips in the next gen Windows Phones and Verizon will be able to get a flagship level phone instead of having to wait.

 

[notposting]

I have no problem with things running in the background on my HTC Trophy, fwiw. Granted, if you want to multitask, you need to hold the back button (just opening an app again from menu/start will start the process from scratch).

edit: the main thing drawing me to the 928 is the camera(s). The Trophy cam is so utterly inept...ugh.

 

[luv2liv]

i had difficulty with WP. to do a simple task like seeing how many contacts there are on the phone, i couldnt. so i gave up on WP altogether. i wont lie, the Nokia lumias are nice! especially how the original nokia 900 could hammer nails into 2x4. finally a phone that doesnt need a stupid case

 

[spdfreak]

I had a Trophy and just bought a Lumina 822 off ebay so I could keep my unlimited data but get 4G. I bet I didn't roboot my Trophy 5 times in the 2 years I had it. Super stable and never slowed down or stuttered like my friends Android phones- which I wouldn't use if you gave me one. The 822 is a really nice phone and takes good pictures (8MP and Carl Zeiss lens). It's as big as I can tolerate since I carry it in my pocket. The 928 is freakin huge. The OLED screen is excellent and Nokia generally has some nicer included apps (Nokia Drive, etc) than say HTC. I don't really use many apps so the fact that WP8 hasn't caught up to Apple or Android doesn't make much difference to me. I like the usability and smoothness of WP- it syncs everything seamlessly with Office on my home computer and I use it as a hotspot for internet at the house now. 10X faster than the ATT dsl I had.
Since you don't have to worry about keeping unlimited data, you might want to look at the 822 since they are free with a 2 year contract. They also have a mSD slot if that matters to you. Gives you an extra 64GB of storage if you need it.

 

[s44]

Having said that, the 928 seems to essentially a repackage of the 920. If it was me, I'd wait on a refresh this fall.

Come on, you know Verizon better than that. If Nokia introduces a general refresh within six months, Verizon won't carry it because they just started selling the 928 now.

 

[bearxor]

Come on, you know Verizon better than that. If Nokia introduces a general refresh within six months, Verizon won't carry it because they just started selling the 928 now.

I would presume, hopefully, that the 928 would just slide into a lower cost/free bracket and that Verizon would offer a newer device at the flagship rate.

The main catch seems to be that Verizon isn't in a hurry to stock phones running OS's they don't think will sell along with their requirement that they carry devices unique to them. I don't know, I'd hold my breath for it this year but, if they follow the same pattern, you may just have to live with always being six months behind on Verizon with regards to WP.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

I would presume, hopefully, that the 928 would just slide into a lower cost/free bracket and that Verizon would offer a newer device at the flagship rate.

The main catch seems to be that Verizon isn't in a hurry to stock phones running OS's they don't think will sell along with their requirement that they carry devices unique to them. I don't know, I'd hold my breath for it this year but, if they follow the same pattern, you may just have to live with always being six months behind on Verizon with regards to WP.

I think I am ready for a smartphone. So I am closer to pulling the trigger on the 928 than I was when I started this thread. I guess my only concern is if within 3 months a quadcore, 802.11ac variant of the hardware I am looking to purchase will release on my carrier. I tire of the general hardware refresh cycle- you can't have both best price and somewhat future-staving hardware: there will always be something better, and the price is only good when that is already markedly he case. That in mind; I am the type of mobile consumer that only considers purchasing a new device when my 2-yr eligibility is lifted. So: will this phone still be as useful/relevant for the next two years for its use/purposes (not necessarily specs/benchmarks) as it will be upon release in a few days? The $99 doesn't bother me- the fact that I am upping on a data plan may lead to the dealer reducing the upfront cost, and if not; even then, the new monthly data costs outweigh the hardware cost.

 

[Crono]

So: will this phone still be as useful/relevant for the next two years for its use/purposes (not necessarily specs/benchmarks) as it will be upon release in a few days?

As far as I can predict: yes.
I think because of how Windows Phone is designed you don't feel left out if you don't have the latest update, or wish you had another GB or two, or more cores.

So long as the OS is smooth enough, the features are good, and the phone is constructed to be durable, you should be good for two years. The Lumia 928 is the phone I would bet on to last 2 years without feeling compelled to upgrade like you might on Android or iPhone every 6 months when a new generation of phones are released.

 

[bradly1101]

Since I keep my hardware for a long time, I make sure it has a replaceable battery.

 

[darkewaffle]

Looks like May 16th is the release for it on VZW according to DailyTech

I've been meaning to upgrade my phone for a while but was never really that interested in any of the WP phones on verizon. Definitely want to take a look at this one, though I might hold out for whatever they announce tomorrow if it's compelling and on Verizon.

 

[s44]

As far as I can predict: yes.

Well, to the extent WP itself will be useful/relevant at that point. That's the real unknown.

 

[Compddd]

I have a Nokia 822 and the lack of apps is what bothers me most.

 

[bearxor]

As far as I can predict: yes.
I think because of how Windows Phone is designed you don't feel left out if you don't have the latest update, or wish you had another GB or two, or more cores.

So long as the OS is smooth enough, the features are good, and the phone is constructed to be durable, you should be good for two years. The Lumia 928 is the phone I would bet on to last 2 years without feeling compelled to upgrade like you might on Android or iPhone every 6 months when a new generation of phones are released.

Well, to the extent WP itself will be useful/relevant at that point. That's the real unknown.

Yeah, I mostly agree with Crono. It's not going to stop making phone calls, or browsing the web or anything.

On the other hand, support for the platform could just die. If Microsoft's history means anything, they could just drop support for WP8 when the next version is released, like they did for 7.5.

There's still a lot of unknowns and not a lot of track record where WP is concerned.

 

[dagamer34]

Yeah, I mostly agree with Crono. It's not going to stop making phone calls, or browsing the web or anything.

On the other hand, support for the platform could just die. If Microsoft's history means anything, they could just drop support for WP8 when the next version is released, like they did for 7.5.

There's still a lot of unknowns and not a lot of track record where WP is concerned.

Eh.. changing the Windows kernel which prevented updates will only happen once. It's like Android phones jumping from 2.x to 4.0: few phones ever made it.

 

[poofyhairguy]

It's like Android phones jumping from 2.x to 4.0: few phones ever made it.

Um, almost every Gingerbread-era flagship Android phone eventually made it to ICS. Even weaker ones like the Thunderbolt.

Good try though.