One and a half months later, here are my experiences:

I acquired a Microsoft Lumia 640 XL from a Safaricom shop. It came preloaded with Windows 8. Immediately after connecting to the WiFI, there popped a notification on the availability of Windows 10 as an upgrade. I upgraded and I didn't get to experience Windows 8.

Migrating the contacts from Google were quick and easy. The idea was to export the contacts as a VCard and import into Outlook online. The contacts then sync with the phone, just as Google Android does.

Cortana (Microsoft's version of Google Now) refused to work with the locale being Kenyan so I use US locale. I was careful to choose time zone settings to Africa/Nairobi though, since emails that have just come in were reading that they were sent, for example, 8 hours ago.

The Apps

Outlook app is able to sync all my email from Google, outlook etc.

I am not a gamer therefore I will not comment on this

WhatsApp, Telegram, Duolingo and TrueCaller are all the third-party apps that I use that are available on Windows store. No love lost.

In my opinion, OneNote is a superior replacement to Google Keep and it has a better way of managing notes.

It has inbuilt Word, Excel, Access and Powerpoint therefore office productivity is as good as it gets.

The good

I have a Garmin Nuvi and there is an app that needs to be downloaded if one needs to use it with an Android phone. Interestingly enough, it worked with the WP without that app, and all I did was pair them up using Bluetooth. In fact, the phone prompts that it has detected a navigation device and that it recommends switching to "Driving Mode" where it mutes all notifications except voice calls (which it routes to the Garmin) and SMS messages (which it asks whether it can read them out to you). Indeed it will read them if you choose so, all this via voice prompts.

I find the interface interesting and the fact that I can access my common apps right on the home screen is good, with no need to going to the app drawer all the time.

Battery life is two days with normal usage. Three days with Wifi, data and bluetooth switched off. More with battery saver mode on.

The irritating

SIM applications (M-PESA) menu kept crashing until I realized that it is stable when data or WiFi is switched on.

Cortana search keeps crashing randomly so a guaranteed way of searching will be through the browser (Microsoft Edge)

Sometimes the screen gets non-responsive for a few seconds in the phone has been continuously on for a couple of days. Like a typical Windows machine, a reboot resolves this.

The internal storage is quite low, but an SD card comes to the rescue well.


Sent from Mail for Windows 10


Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2016 19:38:12 +0300
To: skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke; lusiola@gmail.com
Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] Windows Phone 10
From: skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke

He he, Jimmy, you already concluded he is likely to be disappointed?

No remote possibility his expectations may be exceeded?

On 7 Mar 2016 08:41, "Brian L via skunkworks" <skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke> wrote:
Windows phone is not yet dead (maybe I'm in denial) 
Windows phone 10 is supposed to support windows universal apps so hopefully killing the "missing app" theorem
There is also project astoria and project islandwood aiming at porting apps from ios & android still on although the android one seems to have been cancelled.
The other issue you might get is lack of diversity, there are very few windows phone choices available.

On Sun, Mar 6, 2016 at 11:58 PM, Kennedy Kairu Kariuki via skunkworks <skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke> wrote:
Whatsapp will misbehave on windows phone. Depending on the phone also the screen/pad starts acting up...Stick to android

You will not get most of the apps e.g. Instagram just been made available BETA, LinkedIn app acts up....etc


Kind Regards,

Kennedy KK

Mobile: +93 799 99 4235 / +254 721 69 9119
Home: +254 20 528 3207
Skype: k.kairu
Gtalk: kkairu


On Sun, Mar 6, 2016 at 7:49 PM, Arthur Buliva via skunkworks <skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke> wrote:

I should say that indeed this point keeps popping up whenever I look at comparisons online. But nobody seems to mention exactly what apps these are...

On 6 Mar 2016 17:46, Okechukwu <okechukwu@gmail.com> wrote:
Biggest issue with WP is lack of the apps you are used to in Android, otherwise if you can live with that, then make sure also you chose a high end WP since most basic one have lots of performance issues

./Ok3ch

On Sun, Mar 6, 2016 at 5:02 PM, Arthur Buliva via skunkworks <skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke> wrote:
Am looking at changing ecosystems from Android to Windows.

I have used Androids for a while and they get the job done. I also have an Android tablet which really doesn't give me any added advantage than a big screen phone, in my opinion. I'd rather go for a Surface.

I have not used WP before therefore I am a newbie in that aspect.

Now, this is not meant to start a fanboy war, but what I would like to know from anyone experienced in both ecosystems, what's your preference and why.

I am not a gamer, in fact games are the first to get uninstalled in my phones. Notes, email, calendars, occasionally skype or whatsapp are my primary uses.

Talk to me
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