Settle the old argument - Apple, Android or Windows Phone

[AJB88]

Android for me.

I'm a long time (Since about 1998) Linux user.

My first "Smartphone" was an 02 stella (Made by HTC) with Windows Mobile, I quickly binned it off for a iPhone 3GS which was good but after having it a while got boring. Replaced it with a Galaxy S1 then 2,3,4 got bored of Samsung with all their bloatware and got a Nexus 5, and now run a HTC One M8.

I also run Chrome on Linux, ChromeOS on Chromebook, Chromecast, Nest thermostat etc etc so yeh I'm a heavy Google user. Google Drive is used alot etc.

I would put Apple 2nd, Windows 3rd.

[SeanyD]

budfox said:

In fact, my experience suggests that there isn't one with a battery life greater than two hours when being worked hard.

My first reaction to this statement was the same as others, like really? However I spent some time on my Lumia 925 yesterday, and you are absolutely spot on, using it continuously for around an hour, general wifi/surfing/email/forums/work etc etc, and guess what, battery life drained at a rate of 51% an hour. So well done, spot on.

[Mr Will]

SeanyD said:

budfox said:

In fact, my experience suggests that there isn't one with a battery life greater than two hours when being worked hard.

My first reaction to this statement was the same as others, like really? However I spent some time on my Lumia 925 yesterday, and you are absolutely spot on, using it continuously for around an hour, general wifi/surfing/email/forums/work etc etc, and guess what, battery life drained at a rate of 51% an hour. So well done, spot on.

I have to say that is terrible and certainly not typical. Every phone I've owned for several years now has been capable of a lot more than two hours continuous use.

[SeanyD]

Mr Will said:

SeanyD said:

budfox said:

In fact, my experience suggests that there isn't one with a battery life greater than two hours when being worked hard.

My first reaction to this statement was the same as others, like really? However I spent some time on my Lumia 925 yesterday, and you are absolutely spot on, using it continuously for around an hour, general wifi/surfing/email/forums/work etc etc, and guess what, battery life drained at a rate of 51% an hour. So well done, spot on.

I have to say that is terrible and certainly not typical. Every phone I've owned for several years now has been capable of a lot more than two hours continuous use.

The key is in the 'when being worked hard'. Normally sitting her on my desk with the odd text or email, it's discharge rate is ~3% per hour, which seems reasonable.

[Fastdruid]

SeanyD said:

budfox said:

In fact, my experience suggests that there isn't one with a battery life greater than two hours when being worked hard.

My first reaction to this statement was the same as others, like really? However I spent some time on my Lumia 925 yesterday, and you are absolutely spot on, using it continuously for around an hour, general wifi/surfing/email/forums/work etc etc, and guess what, battery life drained at a rate of 51% an hour. So well done, spot on.

Wow!

Again, I've had >3 hours of active use in 24 hours out of my S4 Active with ~20% of battery remaining.

Admittedly that's not "worked hard" but I find the biggest killer of my phone is "data", both Wifi and Mobile, on flight mode or with wifi and data turned off it will last a staggering length of time. I've now set timers to turn off wifi and data overnight, it means it loses ~1% overnight.

Related to that is signal, battery drain with a poor signal is massive, that's not immediately obvious either, eg when I've been working in London it's terrible, despite a solid signal I think the contention is awful and it seems to eat battery.

[Mr Will]

SeanyD said:

The key is in the 'when being worked hard'. Normally sitting her on my desk with the odd text or email, it's discharge rate is ~3% per hour, which seems reasonable.

Would turn by turn navigation with GPS and the screen on continuously on count? Everything I've had recently will do several hours of that quite comfortably. By contrast internet browsing, emails or playing movies barely makes a dent.

[BorkFactor]

I have an HTC One M7, and will be moving back to Apple once my contract expires as it annoys the hell out of me.

It is no doubt a better phone on paper than the Apple counterpart, but it is nowhere near as straightforward to use or as nice to use.

I have my eye on an iPhone 5s, think that is where my money will go.

[ZesPak]

Mr Will said:

Would turn by turn navigation with GPS and the screen on continuously on count? Everything I've had recently will do several hours of that quite comfortably. By contrast internet browsing, emails or playing movies barely makes a dent.

On the N5 or the Oppo F7a, GPS + bluetooth music + screen at full chat = ~30%/hour.

[Jonny_]

I've voted Android as that's what I currently use, but I'm becoming increasingly fed up of the instability (particularly browsers) and the way everything is plagued with intrusive advertising, and so quite fancy trying Windows Phone next.

Apple certainly have a distinct stability advantage, but I find their products are very dumbed-down and as the end user you're highly restricted in what you can do. Which probably helps with the stability, admittedly. The other problem, of course, is that the prices are extortionate given the rather ordinary hardware.

Never thought I'd consider Microsoft the lesser of three evils!

[poing]

Tough vote, I went for Apple in the end but it's close.

We use Lotus Notes at work so I fully understand where Jon1967x is coming from. Being the person that decides what phone the company uses this has caused me a lot of testing.

As such from a work point of view I currently put them in the order: (but this can change as OS updates happen)
Windows Phone
iOS
Android

From a personal point of view:
Android
iOS
Windows

I have various versions of all devices for testing and none are perfect but equally none are really bad any more. Apple got my vote because it's more rounded overall but it's a long way from perfect. I'm looking to replace my personal iPhone and waited for the 6, now that it's out I'm really stuck between a Windows phone and Android because I just can't justify the Apple price premium for my own usage any more, especially given how close they all are now.

[With these feet]

I went for Android, had a few of them over the last couple of years, 2 x Sony Experia mini (one for the wife 1 for me) with no issues. Wife has an SE something or other, does everything she wants. I now have a N4 that apart from me kicking it over a concrete floor and luckily it breaking the back glass not front, has bee faultless.
I find it so much easier to use than an iPhone, Google updates it regularly to the latest OS and its about to get the new "L" OS sometime soon. Not bad for an 18 month old phone? Im replacing my Macbook with a Chromebook later this week, will be interested to see how it interacts with the phone.