Windows 10 Mobile convert-to-be

[spiffus]

Howdy all,

I've been a Windows mobile device user for over 7 years now (started with a Lumia 920, now a Lumia 950XL), and I knew with Microsoft's clear disinterest (and recent official posting) with the platform, I'd be moving to Android sooner or later.

So. While I'm still open to considering various phones, I'm starting to narrow the field down. I was waiting for the new Sony phones at MWC 2019, but as groovy as they are, I don't know that they're quite what I want.

The two phones that have (currently) risen to the top of my list are the new Nokia 9 PureView, and the Sony Xperia XZ3. Both of them seem to have similar specs (camera notwithstanding), and while the Nokia has just been released, I'd love for some feedback from y'all.

For my features wish list, I don't think any one of them are must-haves, but if any particular phone lacks a number of them, it loses my interest. Most of the ones listed below are because I find them helpful and convenient, but they're not all requirements.

The features are, in descending order of interest:
Dual SIM
Qi wireless charging
Physical camera button
6" screen or thereabouts
USB-C
Expandable storage

It would also be nice to pay around $600 to $800 max, if possible, as I'm looking at getting it unlocked so I can use the second SIM slot when I go overseas (as I have done the past two years with my Lumia 950XL).

Thoughts? Are there some phones I'm missing from consideration? I've looked at the OnePlus 6T, but I sure have gotten used to Qi charging at home, but it's not the end of the world.

Thank you in advance!

 

[STARGATE]

Hello and welcome to the forums at Android Central!
I think you've done your homework and have a good understanding of the stuff you want/need from a phone.
I think the Nokia 9 will be a great phone.
Good hunting!

 

[belodion]

Welcome.

Something else to consider when choosing a phone, is whether you would prefer a pure Android experience, found on some phones, or the various manufacturers' modified versions of Android, on the rest.

 

[Javier P]

Welcome to the forums. If you don't mind missing wireless charging I'd go with the 6T, you'll get excellent battery life and fast charging for the trade.

 

[mustang7757]

Welcome to the forums!

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Between the Nokia and the Sony, I'd probably go for the Nokia. The Pureview camera seems pretty amazing, based on samples and first-look articles from MWC, and it'll probably be significantly cheaper than the Sony. A big consideration for me would be that the Nokia will have Android One, which means prompt and regular updates. Sony's update record has been pretty good, but their position in the mobile space has been somewhat precarious in recent years, and I'm always wondering if they're just going to stop making phones at some point.

 

[Ixia2]

Hello!

I've got the 950 XL dual sim at the moment, but it's on its last legs and I've just ordered the Nokia 9.

What I did do was buy a second hand, cheap Samsung off Ebay, just to see how I got on with Android, didn't want to blow a ridiculous amount of money on a phone, only to find that I hated the operating system.

I have two phone providers, so ideally wanted a dual sim, but just recently I've been taking two phones abroad, as my 950 has become unreliable and I'm just going to carry on doing this.

I had looked at various phones, but the camera is paramount for me. Plus USB-C and wireless charge. Disappointed by the lack of expandable storage on the Nokia, but I managed without it on the Nokia 1020, so sure I'll cope.

I also like the idea of the Nokia having Android One, so a cleaner OS. I'm a bit irked by some of the unremovable bloatware on the Samsung.

 

[Morty2264]

Welcome to Android Central! I would also look at Huawei phones, but I do agree that Nokia would be a great choice. The new one that's coming out is gorgeous and has a great operating system!

 

[JRF_1986]

Hello and welcome. I've had Sony phones before and liked the camera button. My Lumia 830 and Xperia Z3 were my favorite combo. Currently using an Xperia XZs as part of my daily drivers and love that it's as smooth and fast as my older Z3. I've wanted to buy a newer Xperia for a while now mainly for the added wireless charging and functioning fingerprint scanner (older US models didn't have then enabled). Personally, I'd go for a Sony because the Nokia doesn't have expandable storage and they have pretty great cameras.

 

[Almeuit]

Welcome to the green side!

 

[TraderGary]

Welcome!

 

[Golfdriver97]

Welcome to the forums!

 

[spiffus]

Thanks to everyone who responded; I appreciate your comments! I do have a friend who is going to be replacing his and his wife's older Motorolas soon, and he's pretty much landed on the Nokia 9 as a replacement. If that's the case, I'll ask if I can futz around with it to see how it feels (especially the camera). I'm surprised HMD/Nokia chose not to allow expandable storage. I'm sure there's a good reason for it, but it seems odd that a phone with that camera array only has internal storage.

Again, thanks to all of y'all for your input. It's given me some more things to think about.

 

[Morty2264]

Thanks to everyone who responded; I appreciate your comments! I do have a friend who is going to be replacing his and his wife's older Motorolas soon, and he's pretty much landed on the Nokia 9 as a replacement. If that's the case, I'll ask if I can futz around with it to see how it feels (especially the camera). I'm surprised HMD/Nokia chose not to allow expandable storage. I'm sure there's a good reason for it, but it seems odd that a phone with that camera array only has internal storage.

Again, thanks to all of y'all for your input. It's given me some more things to think about.

That's awesome - did you get a chance to check the phone out, OP?

 

[spiffus]

Howdy,

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to locate a Nokia 9 anywhere on the demo floor; it looks like Best Buy sells them online but can't be bothered to have one in store. We have to carry and display 8,467 models of iStuff, you know.

I did see the Sony Xperia 10 and 10 Plus in Best Buy stores to demo, as well as the XZ2 (which was not on but at least present to view and touch), and an XA2 Ultra. The Xperia 10 Plus certainly was nifty, but I still would rather get a flagship-type model.

The T-Mobile store I visited had a OnePlus 6T to test, and one of the employees has the 6T herself and showed it to me and was essentially an advocate for the device. It certainly was nice, and I'm still considering it as an option. However, after viewing multiple side-by-side videos, and reading lots of reviews and seeing comparison videos and photos, I'm still leaning towards the Xperia XZ3. I see the International version with dual sim and 6 GB of RAM is around $600 on Amazon, so once I get clearance from the wife that we have the funds available, I think I'm going to get it. I hope.

 

[Morty2264]

Howdy,

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to locate a Nokia 9 anywhere on the demo floor; it looks like Best Buy sells them online but can't be bothered to have one in store. We have to carry and display 8,467 models of iStuff, you know.

I did see the Sony Xperia 10 and 10 Plus in Best Buy stores to demo, as well as the XZ2 (which was not on but at least present to view and touch), and an XA2 Ultra. The Xperia 10 Plus certainly was nifty, but I still would rather get a flagship-type model.

The T-Mobile store I visited had a OnePlus 6T to test, and one of the employees has the 6T herself and showed it to me and was essentially an advocate for the device. It certainly was nice, and I'm still considering it as an option. However, after viewing multiple side-by-side videos, and reading lots of reviews and seeing comparison videos and photos, I'm still leaning towards the Xperia XZ3. I see the International version with dual sim and 6 GB of RAM is around $600 on Amazon, so once I get clearance from the wife that we have the funds available, I think I'm going to get it. I hope.

That's so awesome! Keep us posted on what you decide!

And that's really nice that a sales rep was rocking a OnePlus 6T and recommended it - it's nice to see some "not mainstream" phones being used by reps.

 

[spiffus]

So I pulled the trigger last night and ordered the Xperia XZ3. It should arrive on Tuesday. Now for the next step in the adventure, which is relearning a phone OS and trying to determine the best apps in each category to use. On Windows Phone, I got used to a small selection set. With Android, I'm going from famine to feast! But I'll definitely be lurking these boards and asking questions as needed to help try and figure it all out. I'm definitely looking forward to receiving the phone and seeing what all it can do.

And Morty2264, I agree with you that is was really nice to have a sales rep using a non-Samsung, non-LG device. Those are definitely great phones, but having a sales rep who is a user and passionate advocate for their non-mainstream phone is a good thing. I got tired of asking about the Sony, OnePlus, and Nokia phones at various places, and getting told, "Oh, just get a Samsung/LG/whate'er, they're super awesome". I have no doubt they may well be super awesome; they're just not what I was looking for. So meeting a OnePlus advocate who could show me what she liked about her phone really helped a lot. I hope that becomes a thing.

 

[Morty2264]

So I pulled the trigger last night and ordered the Xperia XZ3. It should arrive on Tuesday. Now for the next step in the adventure, which is relearning a phone OS and trying to determine the best apps in each category to use. On Windows Phone, I got used to a small selection set. With Android, I'm going from famine to feast! But I'll definitely be lurking these boards and asking questions as needed to help try and figure it all out. I'm definitely looking forward to receiving the phone and seeing what all it can do.

And Morty2264, I agree with you that is was really nice to have a sales rep using a non-Samsung, non-LG device. Those are definitely great phones, but having a sales rep who is a user and passionate advocate for their non-mainstream phone is a good thing. I got tired of asking about the Sony, OnePlus, and Nokia phones at various places, and getting told, "Oh, just get a Samsung/LG/whate'er, they're super awesome". I have no doubt they may well be super awesome; they're just not what I was looking for. So meeting a OnePlus advocate who could show me what she liked about her phone really helped a lot. I hope that becomes a thing.

Congratulations on purchasing your Sony Xperia X3! Sony is a stellar company and I have not doubt that that is a phenomenal device! Enjoy it and post unboxing photos if you like!

My recommendation for apps is when you see an app that interests you on Google Play, look at how many downloads it has. Reviews are important too, but keep in mind that users are sometimes more likely to post negative reviews than they are to post positive ones. Usually, if an app has tens of thousands or millions of downloads, it's a safer bet than an app that may have a smaller download frequency (not always - but it's something to consider). And yes, feel free to ask us! A lot of threads here are dedicated to launcher apps, weather apps, themes, etc. ... You'll have your pick and everything will be fine!

Yes, I too am super happy that that sales rep was using a non-mainstream phone. I loved my Honor 8 because it was different and unique. Yes, Samsung and LG phones and iPhones are great; but just because they are popular or mainstream does not mean they will be the right fit for everyone! I too hope that more sales reps follow in this direction.

 

[STARGATE]

Congratulations on your new phone @spiffus
I agree with Morty, I also ask you to post pictures and/or video of your unboxing. It's just such a joy everytime someone has a new tech toy!

 

[spiffus]

Congratulations on your new phone @spiffus
I agree with Morty, I also ask you to post pictures and/or video of your unboxing. It's just such a joy everytime someone has a new tech toy!

Will do! I'm excited about it arriving next week. I'll definitely share the joy of the unboxing here!