Recommendable budget Mango?

[s44]

For a real tech noob, this seems like the OS to keep things the most simple and up-front. But are any of the current devices sufficiently solid under Mango to recommend? How's the Focus battery life been in real-world use? The HD7/HD7S battery/screen? (Why is HTC so cheap on battery capacity?)

I know there are some WP7 fans here...

 

[Doublejr]

I have a focus running mango. Excellent screen and decent battery life (Over a day with moderate usage, can kill it in about 6 hours with really heavy usage). I think they are close to free now with the new lineup coming out. Overall I like the phone a lot, does everything I need and is responsive for being a year old.

 

[tdawg]

The HD7 is nice and feels great in your hands. Next to another device, the screen may be worse, but on it's own in daily use, no complaints from me. The kickstand built into the HD7 is also a very nice touch. Combine an HD7 with a $49.99 plan from T-Mobile and I'd see it as a winner. Pretty sure you can get HD7's for dirt cheap with a contract.

 

[Deeko]

If you're on T-Mobile, I'd recommend the Dell Venue Pro over the HD7. Better screen (AMOLED), better battery life, keyboard. If you're looking at AT&T, the Focus is probably your best option, although the HD7S is no slouch either. They all run Mango just fine - in fact, better than they did NoDo. WP7 as a whole tends to get better battery life than other platforms, for what its worth.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Another vote for the dell venue pro. It's a great phone and I picked it up a few months ago for about $250 without a contract and practically free with a contract. Considering it's been out for a while it feels amazingly fast.

 

[drbrock]

not trying to troll. What advantages does a Windows phone have over a high end android or iphone other than price? I don't understand why people would choose that OS. My contract is up at the end of December and maybe Windows is something to look into.

 

[SunnyD]

not trying to troll. What advantages does a Windows phone have over a high end android or iphone other than price? I don't understand why people would choose that OS. My contract is up at the end of December and maybe Windows is something to look into.

None other than better "Microsoft" integration. I'm already regretting getting a Dell Venue Pro, and it hasn't even been a week yet.

Well... TouchDevelop is kinda cool, but outside of that, it's a resounding "sucks." The phone itself is good, the OS isn't terribad (it's fast and smooth), but the app market blows balls. That last part really kills it.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Physically it's a mix of an android based phone and an iphone imo. You can get different looking models of the phone such as android based phones but you can expect almost identical levels of performance and smoothness from every phone like an iphone. It's also a very stable platform and its marketplace has pretty much an app for any of your needs. While it isn't as customizable as an android phone it still does anything most users will need and feels as good if not better than an iphone while doign it. Personally for me I was interested in what it would be capable of and it has amazed me greatly especially considering the price.

 

[s44]

This isn't for me (I'm getting the Nexus), it's for a total tech noob who shouldn't be spending $200-300 for a contract-locked phone period. The fewer things a noob can/has to mess with, the better. Even the iPhone's all-app-launcher isn't as simple as WP7's basic tiles.

I think the Venue Pro keyboard is a bit too power user for this WP7 virtue, though... It's for those running it for work for the MS stuff.

 

[SunnyD]

This isn't for me (I'm getting the Nexus), it's for a total tech noob who shouldn't be spending $200-300 for a contract-locked phone period. The fewer things a noob can/has to mess with, the better. Even the iPhone's all-app-launcher isn't as simple as WP7's basic tiles.

I think the Venue Pro keyboard is a bit too power user for this WP7 virtue, though... It's for those running it for work for the MS stuff.

If this friend/colleague of yours has $200-$300 to spend on a "contract locked" phone, I'd be more than happy to sell my Dell Venue Pro in that price range without a contract.

 

[tdawg]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the Venue Pro had a wifi bug where it wouldn't hold a connection. Has that been fixed? I've always loved the design of the Venue Pro and if everything's working great on it, then I'd suggest that phone as a nice alternative to the HD7.

 

[Deeko]

not trying to troll. What advantages does a Windows phone have over a high end android or iphone other than price? I don't understand why people would choose that OS. My contract is up at the end of December and maybe Windows is something to look into.

1) As was mentioned, better integration with other Microsoft products (Office, Zune, XBox, SkyDrive, Exchange)

2) A unique UI that's extremely fluid and responsive

3) More integration with the OS itself - viewing Facebook and Twitter feeds right in the People hub, for example, is a lot nicer than using a separate app

4) My Venue Pro has the best battery life of any smartphone I've had in years

None other than better "Microsoft" integration. I'm already regretting getting a Dell Venue Pro, and it hasn't even been a week yet.

Well... TouchDevelop is kinda cool, but outside of that, it's a resounding "sucks." The phone itself is good, the OS isn't terribad (it's fast and smooth), but the app market blows balls. That last part really kills it.

Meh, the market is fine for me. Pretty much the only Android app that I want and can't have on WP7 is ESPN Fantasy Football, and the browser is good enough that I can always get that online anyway.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the Venue Pro had a wifi bug where it wouldn't hold a connection. Has that been fixed? I've always loved the design of the Venue Pro and if everything's working great on it, then I'd suggest that phone as a nice alternative to the HD7.

Dell pushed out a firmware fix awhile ago that fixed the wifi crashing issue awhile ago, if that's what you're referring to.

 

[RedRooster]

I have an Optimus 7 and love it. The metal back makes it feel a little more hearty than my old 3GS, and off contract they're one of the cheaper ones because of the smaller screen I would imagine, compared to the HD7 or Focus.