I’ve been using an iPhone for the last two years: I started with the iPhone 4 and switched to the 4S when it came out last year… you could say I’m a bit of an Apple fan girl! However when my contract came up for renewal last week I just couldn’t see myself getting the iPhone 5 (let’s be honest it’s not that much different from the 4S), I wanted something completely new with completely different software, so I plumped for a Windows 8 Phone – the HTC 8X.
I’m sure a few of you are screaming ‘Why didn’t you choose Android?!’ – simple answer is I already have a Nexus 7 tablet, so an Android phone wouldn’t be too much different to that, plus I’m not the biggest Android fan. It’s like I have the full collection now though: an Apple Mac, Android tablet and Windows phone. So with this in mind and with it being Windows week over on our Facebook Page, I thought I’d share my experience of moving from Apple to Windows and which I prefer.
Look
In my opinion, the HTC 8X looks so much better than my old iPhone 4S, It’s a lot lighter and just feels a nicer in the hand. This is because of the curved design of the 8X whereas as my boyfriend always used to say my iPhone was a bit of a brick. I chose the blue 8X and I think the colour really adds to the design and adds character to the phone – a clear HTC 8X case is definitely in order so that I don’t cover up the blue. The display of the 8X seems to be a lot brighter than my old iPhone too and I like not having a button on the display also.
Display
This is the area where Windows Phones fall down for a lot of people….. lack of apps. The main apps that I use are available, such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and IMDB but it’s a shame that a lot of shops and banks don’t have apps for Windows 8 and that you can’t get Instagram on there. Also there aren’t too many games to choose from either and when you do have games many are linked to Xbox Live: for me I use my Nexus 7 for games so it’s not a big deal, but for others this could be the downfall of the 8X. Therefore for apps, the iPhone definitely wins.
Camera
Both phones use an 8MP camera so should perform the same, however so far I feel that the iPhone has the edge. I have a bit of a shaky hand when taking pictures and this never really used to be an issue with the iPhone, but it seems to be a problem on the 8X. I liked how the camera could be accessed when the phone was locked on the iPhone which you can still do on the 8X with the dedicated camera button on the side, instead of having to use the touchscreen. This button can then be used to take the photo or you can simply tap the screen, so on ease of taking a photo – it’s neck and neck.
Music
Being a Mac user this is where I had the biggest issue. In order to put music on my 8X from my Mac I had to download a Windows Phone app on the Mac app store. However my Mac needed to be updated to Mountain Lion first so it took a good 4 hours before I could even consider syncing my 8X. When I finally got to syncing the phone it was extremely easy and I could even put my iTunes playlists onto the 8X, which I didn’t think would be possible, so it was a nice surprise.
When listening to music, the 8X has Beats audio built-in which I’ve found really does make a difference. The music is definitely louder and feels fuller than that of the iPhone. You don’t even need to turn the volume up half way and your ears feel like they might explode. On music, the 8X wins.
Overall
In my opinion the HTC 8X is a lot better than the iPhone 4S: it’s faster, has more RAM, a better display, is lighter and is better for listening to music. The iPhone will always win when it comes to apps but I’d like to think that as Windows Phones become more popular, developers will start to make more apps for them.
The overall experience of moving from Apple to Windows was seamless too (minus my small Mac hiccup); it doesn’t feel like there’s anything I could do on my iPhone that I can’t do on my 8X which is great. However the best thing about the move is that I now have a phone that I’m having to learn how to use – everything is brand new and it’s put the fun back into getting a new phone!
I like your approach. Having all of the OSs means that I don’t have to give anything up. I think I’ll switch back to the iPhone. I love my Windows 8 PC and if I get an Android tablet my collection will be complete.
I just switched to the 8x from a blackberry(yesterday actually), and i love it. I’m stoked to get it home and play with my xbox with it,and to mess around with some more stuff when i actually have time. Luckily, i only run windows at home, other than my linux box which is simply that, a linux box(it has arch, and won’t ever have music on it). My laptop, running windows 7 will almost undoubtedly cause me less issues with media sync etc than my blackberry did. I was also smart enough to get a case and screen protector. I liked this review, and i’m glad that apple bias doesn’t show here.
I think I may have to change back to Android for my next phone, or WP if the apps have improved. I want to have that Newness, and exciting stage of learning everything again!