Have you considered buying a Windows Phone? Let me guess…probably not. That’s understandable. After all, when they were first released, they lacked the apps we needed and the integration across a wide range of services that we demand. But times have changed and the Windows Phone has evolved over the years to become a truly worthwhile competitor to Android and iOS. Of course, most people don’t know this. They wrote Microsoft off after they first released their phones and haven’t looked back.
That could be a mistake, though. Today, the Windows Phone is more powerful than it has ever been and offers a wide range of features that are perfect for the home or the office making it a definite worthwhile choice when you are shopping for a new smartphone. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at several of the benefits of choosing a Windows Phone so you can begin to understand how the platform has evolved and what it offers to consumers.
A Beautiful Interface
Admittedly, this is somewhat subjective, as some users prefer different interfaces over another. In my opinion, though, you will be hard pressed to find a phone interface out there that is as clean and easy to use as the Windows Phone. The tiles are large and easy to access across your screen and you can even utilize live tiles to get instant information without having to open the app. If you love flat and clean interfaces on your devices, the Windows Phone is definitely the way to go.
Integration with Cloud Services
In today’s world, you need access to cloud services, and many of us need access to multiple cloud services in order to work. While in its early days the Windows Phone was very Microsoft-centric, today things have changed. Now you can access all of your cloud services whether they are from Microsoft or not and they all easily integrate into your phone to provide an easy to use interface that is fast and very effective. Whether you need to connect to Dropbox or Google Drive, you can easily do that using a Windows Phone and the interfaces for these connections is, quite frankly, beautiful and meshes perfectly with the look of your Windows Phone.
OneDrive
Speaking of Cloud Services, we need to mention Microsoft’s own cloud storage service known as OneDrive. Microsoft has taken what others in the industry such as Dropbox and Google Drive and taken it up a notch. When you sign up, you get 15 GB of storage for free and access to the online versions of Office. But, if you happen to sign up for Office 365, for a very low monthly fee you get access to all of the full versions of Office plus 1 TB of storage on the cloud. This is more than enough for you to move your entire digital life online. Add to the fact that it seamlessly integrates with the Windows Phone, and you have the tools you need to easily access everything whether you are sitting at your computer or traveling for work.
Seamless Social Media
You can’t deny how much social media has weaved itself into the very fabric of our lives. Today, it is hard to imagine not using social media on a regular basis. On a Windows Phone, your Facebook or Twitter fascination can continue as the operating system seamlessly integrates with these platforms. At the same time, you can also install beautiful apps that will even give you updates via the live tiles function about what is going on. Get tweets, see the latest status updates without even having to open the app. On top of that, most of the entire phone is integrated so you can post to your favorite social media channel easily without having to install a bunch of third party apps if you don’t want to.
Enterprise Integration
In the early releases of the Windows Phone, there was very little, if any, enterprise integration. This proved to be a huge mistake for Microsoft, but one they were not afraid to remedy. Microsoft took a big hit not offering enterprise integration when the Windows Phone first launched, and it is undoubtedly hurt their market share. Today, however, things are much different. Your Windows Phone will integrate perfectly with your organization giving companies the security they desire along with the performance they need while their employees are traveling down the road. If you are a company looking for a new phone to provide your employees or if you are a worker than can bring your own device, then the Windows Phone is a strong option that gives you maximum integration.
Windows 10
While we are still waiting for Windows 10 to come to smartphones, Microsoft has confirmed that it is, indeed, coming. While we can expect some differences, there is no doubt that Windows 10 is one of the best operating system releases we have seen and maybe even the best in the history of Microsoft. It is stable, advanced and pretty. It is also the easiest to use of all their operating systems. While some things will be different in the Windows Phone version of the software, you can still expect it to be one of the most powerful operating systems designed for phones ever to hit the market, and this reason alone makes the Windows Phones worthy of a second look.
A Growing App Store
To be fair the Microsoft Store doesn’t have anywhere close to as many apps as the iOS App Store or the Google Play Store. However, the overall quality of what is there is much better, if you ask me. Most of the apps are beautifully designed and are designed to work well across a wide range of devices including the Windows Phone and even Windows 10. This means you can access the same apps with the same interfaces across all your devices. While there may not be as many, Microsoft is actively working to remedy that situation by providing ways for people to begin their coding journey so they can create their own apps. What does that mean to you? It means that you will be seeing a lot more apps hit the Microsoft Store in the future, while the apps you do have access to are usually of pretty high quality.
Kids Corner
We all know the allure a smartphone has for our kids, but giving your child full access to your phone could be a bad idea. I know my daughter has deleted an app before on me and she is only one! On a Windows Phone you can setup Kids Corner, which is an area specifically for your kids that allows them to access only those apps that you deem kid friendly. This area keeps the things your kids do separate from your important apps so you don’t have to worry about them diving into places they shouldn’t or rearranging or deleting apps that you really need.
Outlook and Office
Speaking of apps, you can now get Microsoft Outlook to power your mobile email as well as the entire suite of Microsoft’s Office products right on your phone. Sure, these are also available for Android and iOS, but remember these apps were designed originally to run on Microsoft’s operating system. That means they run better and look better on your Windows Phone than they will on other devices. Whether you are a home user looking to create a document here and there on the go or an enterprise worker that needs to do serious production as you travel for work, having these integrated into your phone will help you get the job done.
Cortana
We have all heard a lot about Cortana recently. The digital assistant that got its inspiration from the Halo video game series first began to appear on Windows phones and now has even made it to the desktop versions of Windows 10. This voice activated software can help you schedule tasks, perform searches, and much more. If you need an easy hands free way of organizing your life then Cortana is the way to go. So far it is light years ahead Siri and any offerings from Android, although you can expect them to play catch up. For now, if you need a digital assistant, then Cortana is most definitely your best option of all the different options out there from iOS and Android.
Final Thoughts
When you think about a Windows Phone, most people automatically think that they just won’t provide what you need to get the job done and they can’t compare to offerings from Android and Apple’s iOS. I’m not going to lie, in the past that was true. The first Windows Phones were light years behind the competition and Microsoft failed to court the enterprise customers due to a lack of compatibility.
However, things have changed. While the Windows Phone still only enjoys a very small market share, it is really one of the best phones out there just waiting to be discovered by a host of users. As you can see, there are many benefits to using a Windows Phone today especially if you want to use your smartphone for work. So, the question becomes, why haven’t you given it a try? If you are in the market for a new smartphone, don’t ignore phones running Windows just yet. Give them a try. You could find they provide you exactly what you need.
What do you think? Do you like the Windows Phone or do you prefer to stick with an Android or iOS smartphone at home or at the office?
