There are days when I can't help but really want to switch phones. It's an itch. It's a habit that I fell into many years ago and can't seem to break. It comes in handy these days, because it usually means I've tried everything at least once -- and sometimes even twice. However, at the same time, it can prove to be frustrating when a certain mobile operating system keeps calling my name, begging me to adopt it sooner rather than later.
It seems like a long time ago when I wrote about BlackBerry being the underdog, and how I was still rooting for them. And neither one of those points has changed since I wrote that article, but I think I'm beginning to root a bit louder for Microsoft. The Redmond-based company may not see itself as an underdog in the purest sense of the word anymore, but there's no doubt that it still has a pretty big hill to climb before many people consider it a legitimate competitor to Android and or iOS.
And the reasons that I'm rooting for Windows Phone are a bit different than the reasons I'm rooting for BlackBerry, but not by much. BlackBerry needs apps, and so does Windows Phone, but that's not really why I'm over here in the corner waving a Windows Phone flag. I use a lot of different services that Microsoft owns every single day, from Office products to the Xbox 360, and I believe that the experiences linking those services, through the official mobile applications, should be better on Windows Phone than on other platforms.
But it's not. Not really. There may be a bit more functionality baked into the Windows Phone-based versions, like in Office, but the reality is that the iOS-based app just runs better, and in my opinion, even looks better. The same can be said for the Xbox SmartGlass app. I prefer to use it on iOS, but not because I want to use it on iOS -- but because I've just had a better experience there, rather than using it on a Windows Phone-based device.
And I could go on and on about gaming (which I've down, it seems, for years) and how it should be better on the platform directly connected to Xbox LIVE, but I won't.
Instead, I want to focus on a new reason why I want to switch to Windows Phone, and what may be the reason I do it after all: the Lumia 1020. At first, I wasn't on board with this particular handset. The camera is borderline a gimmick, I thought, and considering nothing else changes about the phone, mobile OS wise, what was the point? As Anna articulated, Windows Phone is still Windows Phone, huge camera or not.
But the more I hear about the Lumia 1020, the more I'm beginning to want to just say, "Whatever," and go for it. The more I want to scratch that itch. Why? *Because* of the camera. But, also, the rest of the rumored specifications. Thanks to a new leak yesterday, it sounds like the Lumia 1020 will offer up 32GB of onboard storage (like the Lumia 920), 2GB of RAM, and come in white, black or yellow. The camera will also snap photos at 32MP and 5-megapixel 16:9 photos at the same time.
This is where you might say, "But, Evan, it's still Windows Phone in front of that huge camera," and you'd be right. That's the only reason I haven't just outright decided to do it, and why I'm still sitting on the fence, unsure of my future plans with this particular device. I want to want it, but considering I know -- based on previous experience -- that I'll just get frustrated with certain aspects of the mobile operating system, is it a practice in futility?
But that camera! The camera has become one of, if not the most important feature for me when it comes to my smartphone, so I feel like this device is just yelling at me, trying to convince me that it's a perfect choice for my needs. And it very well could be. I guess I'm just going to have to wait and see how it feels in the hand, and how the camera works in real time, before I'll be able to make a final decision.
What do you think about the leaked information regarding the Lumia 1020? Have you made the jump to Windows Phone already? If so, do you plan on staying on the mobile platform's camp and pick up the 1020? If you haven't switched (yet), do you think you might for this device? Or do you think the camera's just a gimmick, and Windows Phone still isn't the OS for you? Let me know!
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