10 Things Windows Phones Do Better Than Android Phones

Alright, alright, calm yourselves, keyboard warriors, we know this is something most of you would probably not agree with because let’s face it, with over 80 percent of smartphone market share in the world, the Android mobile operating system leads the rest of the competition by a mile.

Perhaps because it is the OS adopted by many leading brands of smartphones, fragmentation becomes an issue that plagues Android-powered phone. Here is a post by Azzief Khaliq that argues for and against the effects of Android OS fragmentation you should check out.

Here, the Windows Phone’s fast and user-friendly OS plus its integration with Microsoft-linked products has given many users, particularly who work a lot with Windows products, a reason to consider the integrated mobile platform. On the surface, it offers the same functionality (and perhaps a bit more) as do other platforms but these are 10 features that you may find better on a Windows Phone than on an Android.

1. Quality Build Phones With Exceptional Design For Everyone

The biggest ammo to join the arsenal of Windows phones has to be Nokia’s partnership. With phones ranging from $180 to $425, sporting screen sizes from 4″ to 6″, Nokia has plenty of choices not just for the budget-conscious but also those are looking for a powerful, sleek phone, for instance like Nokia Lumia 1020 with 41 megapixel camera sensor and Full HD video. You definitely can get good value for your money if you just keep your eyes open for a good alternative phone, rather than stop looking once it isn’t on a “popular” OS.

2. Gorgeous Apps

Although the Windows App Store lags behind the Play Store in terms of quantity, what counts with apps is the quality and so far Windows phones have the basic necessities covered. Windows Phone is not an open source platform and Microsoft has a stricter criteria set than Google about which apps and games can populate their respective marketplaces.

As a result, the app store responds with superior and better apps, and cleaner options, than what Android apps can offer. They are consistent, gorgeous, minimalistic and in many cases, look better than they do on Android. I’d suggest you take a look at 6tag (3rd party app for Instagram), Spotify, Skype, and Facebook.

3. Seamless Email And Social Media Integration

Windows Phone with its mission to build an end-to-end product experience for its customers, has a soild built-in social media integrated hub that they use; it’s very smooth and fluid. The People Hub gets updates from social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Rather than opening individual apps one by one, all your friends’ status updates and notifications can be viewed within the People Hub.

Facebook integration on Windows Phone also makes it better than Android when it comes to tagging pictures. It also allows you to use your phone contacts as tags. You can switch between Facebook chat and normal text messaging with your contacts on Windows Phone.

4. Microsoft Integration and Support

Those who are used to Microsoft’s service and software would be glad to know Windows Phone works well with Microsoft products like Outlook.com. OneDrive Skype, Xbox, and OneNote. Unlike Android, Windows Phone comes with free Office in the OS itself. The mobile version is handy for on-the-go professionals. You can view and edit, Excel, PowerPoint and Word documents straight on your Windows Phone. It also integrates with OneDrive and users can save their compatible files on Microsoft’s cloud storage service.

5. Consistency Across All Devices

Android comes in so many shapes and sizes, so performance and quality are always a question. Windows Phone however works well on all levels of devices from the entry-level Lumia 520 to the high-end Lumia 1020 without any noticeable lag whatsoever. The minimalist design approach is applied at all Nokia’s Lumia range of devices and known for best build quality.

6. Customizations on Lockscreen

Windows Phone allows you to check out your notifications from your lockscreen. Not only you can change Background pictures in Lock screen settings, but Windows Phones also allow the integration of live apps on the lockscreen. Some of the better app integrations are Bing and Facebook. Bing displays the Bing Picture of the Day while Facebook displays photos from your albums.

You can also choose from photos of yourself or create a selection of photos to be shown on your lockscreen. Another cool thing that you could do is to configure the lock screen to display artist information when playing music.

7. Play your XBox games on Windows Phone

If you own an XBox, Windows Phone has the perfect XBox integration to help you get the most out of your games, even on low-RAM devices. Microsoft has worked hard to integrate Xbox functionality, meaning you can work with your console avatar to gain points, check your Gamerscore, message your friends and see your avatar.

Despite Android having more games, Windows Phones get Xbox games such as Asphalt 8: Airborne, Jetpack Joyride, Six Guns and FIFA 14 for free. All of the games run smoothly; even on the low end Nokia Lumia Phones, playing games is a breeze.

8. Versatility of Live Tiles

Windows Phones allow users to pin whatever they want and how they want. Instead of widgets, each app on your home screen acts as a Live Tile. They give you a quick glimpse of what’s going on in each individual app. We can see the time and weather via the weather tile and notifications from Twitter, WhatsApp, SMS and email all from the main screen.

Widgets on Android are their own separate entities and their customized looks as designed by their developers. These designs thus can hardly mesh together aesthetically, especially without any form of standardization. Tiles, on the other hand, blend in and complement the overall aesthetic perfectly and they also change dynamically.

9. Offline Maps Integration

Windows Phone have HERE Maps and HERE Drive integrated to its Lumia range, basically Nokia’s alternative to Android’s Google Maps. It comes with full offline capabilities. Some Android smartphones such as Galaxy S4 also has offline navigation in Google Maps, but while Google Maps only allows you to download small areas of offline maps, you can download maps of countries with the Nokia Lumia Phones and navigate across the country without a data connection while driving.

10. Ever Expandable Storage

Most Windows Phone, even the entry level ones have 8GB of internal storage and supports a microSD card of up to 64 GB. The free 7 GB cloud storage from Onedrive makes it even better. This reduces the need to fall back on third-party online storage solutions, which may come with compatibility issues. OneDrive lets you backup content to the cloud, Windows tablets, PCs, and of course the Windows Phone.

Conclusion

While Android offers greater app flexibility, Windows Phone offers great potential, better integration over more platforms and fluidity. With the changing smartphone market, the world needs a solid platform that has quality and the potential to develop into a full range solution, that spans across mobile, desktop and the cloud. The strategies are already in place, and if Nokia and Windows Phone can weather the storm, they may one day be able to unseat Android from its iron grip of the smartphone OS market.

Android vs. iOS vs. Windows Phone: Which is Best for Business?

The best business smartphones have sharp displays, high-quality builds and long battery life. But there’s a lot more to a smartphone than hardware. Ultimately, what makes a phone great for business is the software it runs on. There are three major operating systems available on smartphones today: iOS from Apple, Android from Google and Windows Phone from Microsoft. Each offers a distinctive spin on the smartphone experience – but which one will make you most productive in the long run?

Apps

When it comes to smartphone satisfaction, ultimately it’s all about the apps. All three major mobile operating systems can cover your basic productivity needs, but there are big differences when it comes to the number and variety of apps available.

Android: In terms of sheer scope, the Android app store – dubbed the Google Play store – rivals the iOS App Store, with more than 1 million apps available. That includes everything a business user needs for taking notes, balancing a budget or viewing and editing documents. There are some small discrepancies; apps sometimes debut on iOS first, and iOS retains some notable exclusives. For the most part, however, the overall quality and availability of apps on Android and iOS is about equal.

iOS:It’s hard to top Apple’s App Store when it comes to app support and availability. It can match almost every offering and Android and Windows Phone, and some popular business software, such as the Kashoo accounting app, are exclusive to iOS.

Windows Phone: The Windows Phone Store is perhaps best known for having a much smaller selection of apps than competing platforms – about 100,000, compared to selections of more than 1 million on Android and iOS. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a Windows phone app to cover all the needs of business users. If you’re looking for a good calendar app, or a popular productivity app such as Evernote, you’re likely to find it. The Windows Phone Store is also growing fast. But for now, if you’re loyal to a particular mobile app or service, make sure it’s available on Windows Phone before committing to the platform.

Features

Baked into each mobile OS are unique features that will give business users a boost.

Android: Android offers Google Now, an intelligent personal assistant that can help business users stay on track and never miss a call or meeting. The service works by monitoring your activity within the Google ecosystem and pushing relevant notifications to you as they’re detected. In practice, the service can notify you of traffic delays, weather, upcoming appointments and much more.

iOS: The iWork for iOS apps are fully integrated with Apple’s desktop iWork applications, letting users view and edit documents seamlessly on multiple devices. The latest iteration of iOS also adds features such as AirDrop, which lets users share files with a single tap, as well as a revamped email app with the ability to add auto-sorting mailboxes and view PDF annotations.

Windows Phone: Windows Phone is the only mobile platform with Live Tiles, which update in real time to display relevant information right on your home screen, ensuring you never miss a message or meeting. The platform’s biggest draw for business users, however, is its full integration with Microsoft Office.

Security

Security is a top concern for business users who handle sensitive information, such as private client data, on their mobile device.

Android: It’s easy to side-load an unapproved app on an Android phone by downloading and installing the application from a source other than the Google Play store. Google is also more relaxed about which apps it allows to appear in its app store, and the fragmented Android landscape makes it trickier to patch vulnerabilities. In most cases, however, your files should be secure if you stick to apps from trusted sources only.

iOS: Apple’s iOS is a highly secure mobile operating system. It’s virtually impossible to install apps from unofficial sources — at least without a concerted effort– and all apps are reviewed and approved before they become available to download in the App store.

Windows Phone: On the security front, the Windows Phone platform is comparable to iOS. All apps are reviewed and approved by Microsoft, and unlike on Android there’s no need to consider dedicated anti-virus and anti-malware software.

Phone selection

Each of the three major platforms runs only on specific smartphone models.

iOS: It’s easy to pick an iOS device, because the operating system is found only on the iPhone. Currently, Apple sells just three version of the iPhone: the flagship iPhone 5S, the fastest and most feature-packed model; the midrange iPhone 5C, which comes in a variety of colorful cases; and the lower-end iPhone 4S. Power users can opt for the 5S, which packs a fingerprint scanner for added security in addition to powerful hardware; meanwhile, the 4S is still speedy enough to satisfy a business user on a budget.

Android: What the Android platform offers that competitors do not is a huge selection of unique phones. This is a big plus for power users who wish to select a smartphone with a very specific feature set, but it can be tricky to navigate through dozens of mediocre devices. Consider sticking to top-tier phones such as Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3, Motorola’s Moto X or LG’s G2.

Windows Phone: Windows Phone comes on just a handful of smartphone models. The most popular are the phones in the colorful Nokia line from Nokia, but several other models are available from manufacturers, including HTC and Samsung. Business users who want a well-rounded phone can consider the Lumia 925, while those who want a big screen can check out the Lumia 1520.

Conclusion:

Ultimately, Android, iOS and Windows Phone have a lot in common, and each provides a solid platform for business users to run the apps they need. But each also has one-of-a-kind, productivity-boosting features. Windows Phone boasts a user-friendly interface and handy features such as Live Tiles. Android is the most customizable, making it a good fit for power users. Meanwhile, iOS offers a simple but powerful interface that’s backed up by the best overall selection of apps.