| News | Features | Interviews |
| Blog | Contact | Editorials |
| What's up with Windows Phone 7's networking performance? |
| By Thom Holwerda on 2012-05-02 21:56:48 |
| A few days I switched back to Windows Phone 7.5 as my main smartphone operating system. Why? Well, because I can. I like to change things up every now and then, and blessed as I am with an iPhone 3GS (currently pulling duty at my best friend as her portable gaming device), Galaxy SII with CM9, and an HTC HD7, I have the luxury of doing so. Now that I'm back in the neat, tidy, and straight-lined arms of Windows Phone 7 - three long-standing issues really break the illusion, which all come from one source: the networking stack. |
|
| Swype |
| By Modafinil on 2012-05-02 22:04:51 |
|
> And, that keyboard. Ah, the Windows Phone 7 keyboard. It's so much better than the competition I can hardly believe I managed to do without since November 2011. I can't live without Swype for Android, have you tried it? http://beta.swype.com/ |
 - Score: 3 |
| RE: Swype |
| By Thom_Holwerda on 2012-05-02 22:07:35 |
| I hate Swype. |
| - Score: 3 |
| RE: Swype |
| By superhyper on 2012-05-02 22:10:05 |
| Swype is very nice once you get used to it, but there seems to be a wicked learning curve (at least for idiots like me.) I've started trying to use the version in MeeGo more and more though. |
| - Score: 3 |
| I agree - I really like WP7.5 too |
| By gsyoungblood on 2012-05-02 22:43:16 |
|
I also have a variety of phones, though on Verizon. I have a Droid Incredible, Galaxy Nexus, and an HTC Trophy. My order of preference: MIUI rom on the Incredible, WP7, and Galaxy Nexus (though I'm enjoying the MIUI launcher on the Nexus right now). I keep thinking I'm going to go back to the WP7 phone except that I like the larger screen and form factor of the Nexus over the 3.5" candy bars (Incredible/Trophy). WP7 is a great phone with just a few minor issues, though my issues differed from yours; mostly lack of auto column width/rendering when zooming in/out on browser and lack of voice commands during navigation. |
| - Score: 1 |
| Correction |
| By kragil on 2012-05-02 22:50:20 |
|
As a geek, you owe it to yourself to at least go to your nearest phone store and play around with the N9.(if you can) For the the buttomless bigger screen on the N9 makes all the difference. The Lumia 800 is weird looking.(to me it looks unsymmetrical and ugly when the screen is lit) |
| - Score: 6 |
| Comment by Drumhellar |
| By Drumhellar on 2012-05-02 23:25:23 |
|
Thom, it may not be an issue with WP7.5 itself. My Lumia 710 connects via WiFi in less than 4 seconds. |
| - Score: 2 |
| Comment by sagum |
| By sagum on 2012-05-02 23:26:53 |
|
I don't have the HD7, but I do own the LG e900 and I'm not having the same problems you've having with that phone. My wifi is connected pretty much all the time while under the lock screen, that or it connects quicker then I'm able to see or detect via using web browser. The only things I can suggest is to check out the power saving options as it can turn wifi off and such while inactive. Also does the same problem persist if you use a different wifi router? I'm using a D-Link 615 with DD-WRT firmware. But I've not had any problems with BT's homehub, 2 different Netgear routers and an old Le Fonera (stock). Also, the market place is very poor. You're best off using one of the community apps (bit of a catch 22 I know) to find the good stuff, such as Appflow. Hopefully the price of the Xbox live games come down as well, like they have done with Angry birds but I have a feeling they'll still be at a premium. |
| - Score: 1 |
| Comment by sagum |
| By sagum on 2012-05-02 23:31:44 |
|
"As a geek, you owe it to yourself to at least go to your nearest phone store and play around with Metro. " To be honest, they'd be better off if they tried the Windows live 'Into' app on someones Windows Phone. It'll give them a more interactive demo of just how personal the phone becomes when you see it with your own life being displayed and updated on the screen. That there is something that is hard to describe to someone until they've tried it for themselfs and I think thats one of Microsoft's hardest things they have to sell. The Windows Phones I've seen in store have been dull and lifeless with no personal information set up on it to show it 'alive'. Even when I did get to see one of the employee's phones, the information presented on it that he was so ecstatic about ment nothing to me, it wasn't MY life I was seeing, it was his. Edited 2012-05-02 23:35 UTC |
| - Score: 2 |
| WiFi |
| By n4cer on 2012-05-03 00:11:28 |
|
Like other WP 7.5 commenters, I also don't experience any WiFi issues. I have a Dell Venue Pro, and it connects in about 4 seconds. This could be a driver or firmware issue. It may be worth inquiring about this issue with other users of your particular model phone (e.g., XDADevs). |
| - Score: 2 |
| Comment by kaiwai |
| By kaiwai on 2012-05-03 01:19:12 |
|
Since you've imported it from the US I was thinking on this quote: > I'm the only person in my small hick town who can't get a 3G connection in this little piece of nowhere (cross-phones, I can't hold a 3G connection here even though everybody else can. It's creepy as heck). I would be interested to see what the supported frequencies are for the device and whether your carrier uses 2100 and 900 - and since you live in 'in the sticks' whether the 900 frequency is used for such locations hence. Regarding those other phones, I assume they can't maintain a 3G connection because those other phones can support 900 and 2100 3G where as your HD7 may only support the higher frequency. In New Zealand we have 850/2100 used by Telecom for 3G, 900/2100 used by Vodafone for 3G where some end users have seen the cross over of being able to use 2100 but soon realise that the 2100 coverage in the case of Telecom is something that is extremely rare in favour of using the lower frequency of 850 to gain greater coverage and penetration of buildings. In the case of Vodafone they use 900 in rural areas and on the coast for marine based services. Regarding the policy - I do agree there needs to be some sort of slider so that one can control the aggressiveness of the power saving policy. There is a weigh up between performance and power saving with the vast majority I'm sure wanting it to be left up to the handset vendor but equally there are times where one should at least have the freedom to over ride the defaults. Edited 2012-05-03 01:24 UTC |
| - Score: 2 |
| News | Features | Interviews |
| Blog | Contact | Editorials |