Related
Here's the thing...I am planning on making my next phone either the new Nokia or the Focus S pretty much whichever releases first. I came from a 3gs and now have a Captivate and I want WP7 users to tell me the top things they miss from their previous OS...whether it be Android or IPhone. I am pretty much trying to figure out what I am going to be giving up in the switch to WP7. Thanks for any replies and no trolls please lol.
I think in general you'll be gaining a very trouble free, polished, and well integrated experience, while giving up more customization and a giant marketplace. i think coming from ios and android the biggest things you'll miss are your apps, if you were a big app user.
Notifications. WP doesn't show your notifications in one place like Android or even a popup like ios. You have to have the app pinned the home screen. If you have a lot of apps this could get annoying
Sent from my T8788 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Oh and no google apps on WP. No Gmail no maps no voice. Not official ones anyway
Sent from my T8788 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
I know I lose words with friends but i'm sure there is a replacement of some kind in the app store plus xbox live integration will even that our for me (hopefully). Missed calls and messages are really the only important notifications I need. I do use gmail as my main email tho so will that cause any problems? Also how does bing maps compare to google maps? Nokia drive looks really nice if I go that route. What about any kind if visual voicemail? Any alternatives to google voice?
Gurgs said:
I know I lose words with friends but i'm sure there is a replacement of some kind in the app store plus xbox live integration will even that our for me (hopefully). Missed calls and messages are really the only important notifications I need. I do use gmail as my main email tho so will that cause any problems? Also how does bing maps compare to google maps? Nokia drive looks really nice if I go that route. What about any kind if visual voicemail? Any alternatives to google voice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You see icons/numbers for missed calls, messages, emails on the lock screen and on the live tiles and there are notifications for all of them.
You can use GMail with the mail client (IMAP), also Google Calendar works fine. I am not sure about Bing Maps in the US but here in Austria it's useless. But there is a good (free) unofficial Google Maps app. Visual voicemail is only supported by some carriers.
Gurgs said:
Here's the thing...I am planning on making my next phone either the new Nokia or the Focus S pretty much whichever releases first. I came from a 3gs and now have a Captivate and I want WP7 users to tell me the top things they miss from their previous OS...whether it be Android or IPhone. I am pretty much trying to figure out what I am going to be giving up in the switch to WP7. Thanks for any replies and no trolls please lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
abysmal support for instant messaging apps. That's my only gripe.
Words by post is the alternate. Its superior to words with friends imo
Sent from my T8788 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
I came from WM6.5. I miss the bluetooth support. WP7 does not have SPP, so no external bluetooth devices will work, only bluetooth headsets etc. I can't use my bluetooth external GPS. Since my LG has a really poor GPS, this really bites.
Other than that, I really like the WP7 experience now that Mango is out.
Big issues for me compared to IOS.
- Lack of apps. The big ones like Facebook have been ported, but little ones (like language learning apps and dictionaries) - forget it.
- Lack of games. Always playing with my ipod touch, never play with my WP7 phone. Not enough good titles.
- No audio scrubbing in music player. Can't fast forward properly or jump around in tracks - makes it useless to for playing podcasts/audiobooks. Still have to use my ipod for listening to language CDs.
- Poor support for podcasts imported from Itunes. They appear in random order, also much prefer itunes to zune.
- No way to backup a WP7 phone. If you lose your phone or have to upgrade your firmware, wave goodbye to all your save data, settings and sms messages. You'll also have to manually re-install all of your apps.
karan1203 said:
Words by post is the alternate. Its superior to words with friends imo
Sent from my T8788 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is words by post cross platform? WP7 -> iPhone? My wife has the 4s and that would be great...
Notifications, Swype (I like typing with one hand), screen orientation lock and LED flash light app.
Other than that, there are little limitations here and there that will probably be addressed in the future updates.
topkop said:
Notifications, Swype (I like typing with one hand), screen orientation lock and LED flash light app.
Other than that, there are little limitations here and there that will probably be addressed in the future updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there only one choice for keyboard in WP7? If so how does it compare to stock keyboards on other platforms?
Gurgs said:
Is there only one choice for keyboard in WP7? If so how does it compare to stock keyboards on other platforms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is just 1 keyboard with Windows Phone 7.
I used to use Swype with Windows Mobile.
The keyboard for Windows phone 7 does have autmatic corrections and word suggestions. It ends up being just as fast as swype.
I have a quantum, which also has a real physical keyboard, which is nice when typing a long email.
No issues with the on screen keyboard. It works very well.
Aphasaic2002 said:
- Poor support for podcasts imported from Itunes. They appear in random order, also much prefer itunes to zune.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, podcast handling is one of the things I like in Windows Phone! I used to download podcasts using ITunes and using Zune to sync to the phone. There is an easier way.
Now I have the phone automatically download and manage the podcasts itself (without using a PC). The phone downloads podcasts automatically when it is plugged into power and connected to Wifi. I've set it to keep the last 5 episodes of each podcast - works great so far and less hassle than launching iTunes every day!
More details here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1286101
Gurgs said:
Is words by post cross platform? WP7 -> iPhone? My wife has the 4s and that would be great...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Words by Post is on WP, Android & iOS so yes.
Audio and Video Scrubbing. How this was missing in 2010 let alone 2011 just doesn't make sense.
Gurgs said:
I know I lose words with friends but i'm sure there is a replacement of some kind in the app store plus xbox live integration will even that our for me (hopefully). Missed calls and messages are really the only important notifications I need. I do use gmail as my main email tho so will that cause any problems? Also how does bing maps compare to google maps? Nokia drive looks really nice if I go that route. What about any kind if visual voicemail? Any alternatives to google voice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YouMail has an app called Magikmail that work as a Visual VM replacement unless AT&T gets its act together.
Bing Maps works very well for everything except a decent driving GPS, but a $5 app called Turn-by-Turn directions fixes that for me.
Missed calls and Messages- you'll have no problem at all with the very good notifications on the tiles for those, as well as the notifications on the lockscreen.
There are a few GV apps in the marketplace that work decently well.
Words with Friends alternatives- Alphajax and Words by Post
Other than that, I miss the LED notifications and being able to have a lastpass plugin for my browser. Overall, not really much that I miss from the other 2 options and a lot to like in WP7 over them.
---------- Post added at 11:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:49 PM ----------
Aphasaic2002 said:
Big issues for me compared to IOS.
- Lack of apps. The big ones like Facebook have been ported, but little ones (like language learning apps and dictionaries) - forget it.
- Lack of games. Always playing with my ipod touch, never play with my WP7 phone. Not enough good titles.
- No audio scrubbing in music player. Can't fast forward properly or jump around in tracks - makes it useless to for playing podcasts/audiobooks. Still have to use my ipod for listening to language CDs.
- Poor support for podcasts imported from Itunes. They appear in random order, also much prefer itunes to zune.
- No way to backup a WP7 phone. If you lose your phone or have to upgrade your firmware, wave goodbye to all your save data, settings and sms messages. You'll also have to manually re-install all of your apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some good points here. I have only found 1-2 apps that I miss, but won't argue there are some things I'd like to have.
Haven't been upset by the audio issue- FF and REW work just fine for me. What am I missing that's so amazing?
Podcasts? No way- iTunes is horrible. Zune isn't that much better. Why use either? Just have the phone do it without needing to sync to either? Way past the iOS paradigm here.
Somewhat agree on the backup. Zune does do a backup when you do upgrades, but I think there's no way to do it otherwise. Annoying. And yes, until the Skydrive API is really more available, there aren't good methods for saving app data... but when it is, it'll be better than the other 2, assuming MS doesn't screw it up massively.
Well the Focus S coming out in two weeks pretty much answers which phone i'm getting. And this thread makes me realize i'm not giving up much of anything to leave Android, not to mention not having to flash a new ROM on my phone every week to keep up with the times lol
I think that the only things i miss from Android are...
•Tethering (new phones have it though, and possibly my HD7 via an update)
•TV Listings for Android (how is it that there is not a single app that can display all my US/Puerto Rico channel listings with shows and times? no... not a show tracker, i mean a full TV Guide)
•Adobe Flash (slow, buggy, laggy... but i could watch anything on the web )
•USB Mass storage (although i wonder why? come to think of it, i dont use it that much)
Still, the good FAR exceeds the bad here and my next phone will still be WP7 for sure!!! Titan or Focus S maybe (why TMO gets the crappy one???)
Google is probably holding back with Google Now, not wanting to scare people away by releasing too many features too soon that show just how much it knows about us. Here are my ideas:
1. Send to Now – As you browse the web or read a book, you could highlight words or people’s names to Google Now so it loads up information about them for you to read through later.
2. Photos – when you take a photo of a landmark, Google Now could load a card with information about the landmark. I think Google Goggles already does this but now would be a better platform.
3. People – when you take or scan a photo of a person or their business card, Google Now could load up a card in the background with their LinkedIn or G+ profile.
4. Things – scan a barcode or object and Now loads up information (price, retailers etc) about it. Again, just like Goggles but better.
5. Rules – Google could let us write rules to trigger cards. For example, I could ask Now to pop up a card reminding me to take my groceries from the fridge in my office when I start my car (connect to my car’s Bluetooth) at work on a Friday evening. I already kind of do this with an app called Automate It by the way – it’s similar to Tasker.
6. Networking – Google Now could load profile cards of people nearby who have opted in to the networking feature.
7. Second Screen – Google Now when prompted could listen to what’s playing on your TV and offer more information about the programme. It could even offer links to purchase products advertised on TV or radio.
8. Related Articles – As you browse the web, Google Now could build up a list in the background of other articles related to those you have read and you could later review the list at your leisure - rating, reading and/or discarding the suggestions as you see fit.
9. Conversations - This one is a little scarier than the others and I’m not sure I would opt in to it myself, but Google Now could listen in on your phone and email conversations and provide related information – links to products you discussed or articles about concepts or news mentioned. As I say, I think I’d pass on this one.
10. Custom Cards – Google could let retailers or even websites build custom cards that are loaded when you check-in to their stores or visit their websites. These cards could include special offers and promotions, best-selling items etc. I imagine Google could even charge businesses for such a service if it were so inclined.
In all of this it would be important that they are opt in only – opt out wouldn’t be good enough. Also, Google Now should always remain non-intrusive but perhaps one should be allowed to set which cards should pop up as notifications, cause the phone to vibrate or simply load in the background. I might want a reminder to trigger a notification by the way but for others I may be happy to ignore or review at my convenience. By the way, I haven’t seen or used Google Now yet so if I’ve completely misunderstood how it works or could work, this is my excuse.
Oh and I apologise in advance if this is not the right forum – I couldn’t immediately find a better one and I see others have posted about Google Now here too, I guess since the G Nex is one of only two devices with it on at the moment.
What are your ideas for Google Now?
How about more integration with GAPPS? (I'm looking at you Calendar!)
anton2009 said:
How about more integration with GAPPS? (I'm looking at you Calendar!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't Calendar already integrated? I see reminders for my calendar entries in Now. Don't know about setting events via Now though, since it isn't completely functional in German / other languages than US english.
On topic, OP has some great ideas! Hope to see some of the less scary integrated
Really? I thought reminders were only within the alarm app... I will have to double check...
anton2009 said:
Really? I thought reminders were only within the alarm app... I will have to double check...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see a reminder for this evening right now, it's definitely integrated
there was a interview with matias, and he confirmed that there is calendar feature, only reading from it.
there isn't any feature to create a calendar entry from NOW. but he emphasise that the API exist and all down to developers.
maybe hinting that its possible for 3rd party developer to write some custom card that can be installed?
I would love to be able to teach Google Now how to pronounce my name, placenames in my area etc. so that dictation works better.
Having said that, I find the accuracy of the dictation to be outstanding for most other things. I love GN!
There are so many possiblilities to this feature. I can't wait to see how it evolves over time. I actually use it quite a bit more than I thought I would. It makes a simple task so much easier, such as setting an alarm! Being able to set calendar appointments would be amazing though!
qwer23 said:
I see a reminder for this evening right now, it's definitely integrated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think they're referring to that you can't use now to create a calendar event. If you want it to remind you of something, it can only set an alarm for you.
Music, it should tell you when an artist you like has a new single or album coming out, and if they are going to be playing a show withing X miles of your location. Or have just announced a tour etc.
Media, it should tell you when a new movie or video game is being released and give ratings for it and such.
I like idea number one, maybe adding in a dictionary for certain words, although that may be part of what your talking about.
That's one of the nice things I like about reading books on my Ipad. You can highlight a word in a book you're reading and, it will define the word.
WiredPirate said:
Music, it should tell you when an artist you like has a new single or album coming out, and if they are going to be playing a show withing X miles of your location. Or have just announced a tour etc.
Media, it should tell you when a new movie or video game is being released and give ratings for it and such.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well for the concert notification, I stumbled upon an app called song kick. Which will scrap your Google music and pandora ( maybe something else too) and email you when an artist you liked or own content from is touring near you.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
It should show a card every monday, wednesday, friday morning when I first unlock my device with the day's XKCD comic and the mousover text.
Keeping tabs on movie releasedates would be nice too. Google "The dark knight rises" and on the release day it shows up on a card with the theatre times for your cities movie theatres.
Connect with (Google) TV to give you a tvguide card when your watching tv.
Shows a card with directions to the nearest florists on your anniversary
BrianDigital said:
Well for the concert notification, I stumbled upon an app called song kick. Which will scrap your Google music and pandora ( maybe something else too) and email you when an artist you liked or own content from is touring near you.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will check it out, thanks!
WORPspeed said:
Keeping tabs on movie releasedates would be nice too. Google "The dark knight rises" and on the release day it shows up on a card with the theatre times for your cities movie theatres.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent idea. The more media related info the better imo.
One more feature I'd like to see is the ability to send a time or location based reminder to someone else. The person can then choose to accept the reminder or not. I suspect Apple will do this soon if they haven't already. The reminder could then appear in Google Now along with any notes the sender included.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Integration with Tripit.
Integrate with Tripit directly to send reminders of all the little tripit events you have, check-in, check-out, flights, etc.
I want there to be an actual notes app for which Google Now can create a note and save it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
A card to nearby news!
Hello everyone,
I was spoiled using the jailbreak tweak SpeakEvents on iOS. Trying to get the same features on SG3.
Best features were:
- Speak the time every 15 minutes
- Every email and SMS: speak sender AND subject
- Phone calls: Speak caller name
- Speak Calendar events notifications
- Bonus: Speakevents was able to autodetect language and choose correct TTS voice accordingly.
So far, I tried using Voice Notify for the SG3. It speaks ALL notifications (you can disable apps you don't app of course). Somewhat nice but does not do all the above.
Any help?
Also, is there a way to get the driving mode working reliably? Seems like a piece of garbage to me that seldom ever works... Enabled yet never speaks anything...
Using
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...251bGwsMSwxLDEsImVrYXdhcy5ibG9nc3BvdC5jb20iXQ..
since Gingerbread times and I am very pleased with it.
shorty1483 said:
Using
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...251bGwsMSwxLDEsImVrYXdhcy5ibG9nc3BvdC5jb20iXQ..
since Gingerbread times and I am very pleased with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That works even better than speakevents for iOS. THANK YOU!!!!!!!
All that's left for me to do is find an app that will tell me the time using TTS every 15 minutes
I know neither are perfect but when I give a local phone command like play music or a certain song S- Voice usually does it automatically. Google Now just always wants to search the web or make me scroll to a (tiny) button and choose what I want to do. Any tips to getting Google Now to "get a little smarter"?
I don't get Google Now yet. I mean I have it, I just don't "get it". The cards kinda put me off, so I haven't taken the time to explore what it really does for me.
I liked being able to press the search button (which my S3 doesn't have ) and Google Voice Search would pop up and I'd tell her (yeah, her) to do something and she would do it (usually).
Google Now seems a bit more complicated.
I've been using Google Now for a while now and I've found it to be very convenient. I love the fact that it will remind me when my favorite football (soccer) team plays a day before on the days I forget. It's pretty awesome IMO how it gives me an ETA for my commute to and from work without having to look up anything. It also does that for any place I look up (Store, Company, etc) with a shortcut to navigate. I was skeptical at first but it has found it's way to integrate into my everyday life.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
I looked into it a little bit and I've come to the conclusion I don't lead an interesting enough life for Google Now to be useful. I (more often than not) know where stuff is around me, I have apps that tell me the weather and my teams' scores, and public transit is pretty consistent for me.
So there you go.
I can't really get the hang of either of them. Can either of them place phone calls or open apps?
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2
There both agreviting. I mean try telling it to send a text message, damn thing just twist your words. It's making me think my spoken English was recently learnt through rosettastone. I end up arguing with it....
Sent from my SGH-I747M using xda premium
I use Voice Search (not Google Now) because the cards put me off.
Usually I'm looking to do something specific and I don't need a bunch of cards coming up.
I found that S-voice was less accurate and slower than Voice search for everything. VS will make calls, search, search phone, send texts...etc.
I hated on S-voice that it had to repeat back what it was doing....make sure that's what I wanted and then do it....the process took longer than VS by 3X.
bud951 said:
I know neither are perfect but when I give a local phone command like play music or a certain song S- Voice usually does it automatically. Google Now just always wants to search the web or make me scroll to a (tiny) button and choose what I want to do. Any tips to getting Google Now to "get a little smarter"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
N95
Ditto here. I did find personalized recognition under settings so you can try that to see if it helps, and IIRC, you can choose the apps that it has access to.
I pretty much only use the (new offline) Google Voice search/commands, too, and ignore the Google Now cards, because they're not useful often enough in NYC. Weather and extreme weather alert cards are nice, but the subway and commute stuff doesn't really help me, and I don't give a sh1t about the new movie & sports cards.
Maybe more user-relevant cards from apps will show up in the future, though.
(Still, S-Voice sucks.)
The fact that google now doesnt have full control over the apps yet is the kicker. I think it will be able to do this and then it will be the king. But for asking google search type things its better than S voice, but S voice can control the apps....combine the abilities of the 2 with the speed of Google Now and it will be great.
wiz4769 said:
The fact that google now doesnt have full control over the apps yet is the kicker. I think it will be able to do this and then it will be the king. But for asking google search type things its better than S voice, but S voice can control the apps....combine the abilities of the 2 with the speed of Google Now and it will be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google voice is the best of both worlds...it has app control and it's fast on voice searching.
It's S-Voice without the annoying slowness and GNow without the stupid cards popping up.
wiz4769 said:
The fact that google now doesnt have full control over the apps yet is the kicker. I think it will be able to do this and then it will be the king. But for asking google search type things its better than S voice, but S voice can control the apps....combine the abilities of the 2 with the speed of Google Now and it will be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't part the problem that Google Now uses DIFFERENT commands to do things? (I just updated to the v7 version and I can set a time with the same prhasing as S Voice, but it actually sets an alarm for 10 minutes later vs S-Voice's bringing up the timer part of the clock.)
In S Voice you would say, "set a timer for ten minutes" and it brings up the stop watch and asks you to start it. (mine usually times out before I can say 'start')
In Google Now you say, 'set a reminder for ten minutes ' and it does set the alarm for the time.
What I LOVE is that Google Now can look at my calendar and where my next appt is and tell me (in advance) how long it's going to take to get there, reminding me to leave. This of course requires that you put the information into the location portion of your appts.
There's a set of 2 vids on Youtube with Google Now's 67 commands and search types.
http://youtu.be/fHkhp6BwnGo and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8ePUYp6HPU&feature=share&list=ULh8ePUYp6HPU
Lol man! i think you are alone in this one!! google now is so much better to anything else!! it really knows you!!
kjpedro said:
Lol man! i think you are alone in this one!! google now is so much better to anything else!! it really knows you!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 Google Now hands down
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Can someone explain me how Gnow works and what it can do never used it
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
I never use neither of them.
I hate Google Now throwing all the sports thingy wasting my battery, memory, and data.. Though, S-voice don't spend any data, I feel like it's wasting battery and memory.
I'll use G-Now/S-Voice when phone can stay up for 3days with heavy usage
Question: What's the name of that add-on to Goggle maps that voice the turns more clear and better
Back in the Android 2.1 and 2.2 there was an add-on to the Google Maps the enabled to voice of the navigate to pronounce the turns and streets more like a person. Every time you flashed a 2.2 rom or 2.3 rom and installed Google Maps, there was a service agreement banner that popped up and then gave you the option to update the Google map with an add-on that enabled the voice to sound more human.
so if you were to make a 10 mile commute in the city, the voice would prononce the streets as they sound and give you the turn by turn directions more fluidly.
Now with the Galaxy S4 phone, the Google Map voice is lacking the fluid personal voice. The voice is just god awful. sounds like a zombie that is giving you the directions and names but not the turns as fluid as before.
If anyone remembers that name of the add-on or a link to it, I would be much appreciated.
I didn't know there was such a thing! I am curious to find out what it is now! I noticed that the navigation voice is pretty awful at pronouncing street names myself. Would really enjoy a less robotic sound myself.
serendipityguy said:
Question: What's the name of that add-on to Goggle maps that voice the turns more clear and better
Back in the Android 2.1 and 2.2 there was an add-on to the Google Maps the enabled to voice of the navigate to pronounce the turns and streets more like a person. Every time you flashed a 2.2 rom or 2.3 rom and installed Google Maps, there was a service agreement banner that popped up and then gave you the option to update the Google map with an add-on that enabled the voice to sound more human.
so if you were to make a 10 mile commute in the city, the voice would prononce the streets as they sound and give you the turn by turn directions more fluidly.
Now with the Galaxy S4 phone, the Google Map voice is lacking the fluid personal voice. The voice is just god awful. sounds like a zombie that is giving you the directions and names but not the turns as fluid as before.
If anyone remembers that name of the add-on or a link to it, I would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it is trial and error....
Monkz said:
I didn't know there was such a thing! I am curious to find out what it is now! I noticed that the navigation voice is pretty awful at pronouncing street names myself. Would really enjoy a less robotic sound myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess their are some options under the Language and input as to chose the Text to speech options.
The options are either Samsung or Google and then it a tweaking of the speech synthesis and it is trial and error....
Do you mean the navigation add on that comes with maps? That speaks turn by turn with s natural voice
serendipityguy said:
Question: What's the name of that add-on to Goggle maps that voice the turns more clear and better
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Imho, the Samsung TTS engine woman's voice is much better sounding, and was updated. The Google TTS is, well, not very good.
thatsupnow said:
Do you mean the navigation add on that comes with maps? That speaks turn by turn with s natural voice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes . . .
Pinan said:
Imho, the Samsung TTS engine woman's voice is much better sounding, and was updated. The Google TTS is, well, not very good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I do agree, after sampling the two voices with the Voice engines it was clear that the Samsung was the winer of the two.
Please read forum rules before posting
Questions and help issues go in Q&A and Help section
Thread moved
Thank you for your cooperation
Friendly Neighborhood Moderator