Switching from Windows Phone to iPhone 4? Here's what you need to know!
How to make the switch from Microsoft Windows Phone (Windows Mobile) to Apple iPhone 4
iPhone 4 with its 960x640 retina display, easy-peasy FaceTime video calling, high quality 5 megapixel, back-illuminated camera that shoots 720p 30fps video, and the silky smoothness of iOS 4 convincing you to switch from Microsoft's Windows Phone (Windows Mobile) to Apple's newest handset? Worried about moving over your personal data like contacts, finding apps, getting used to the differences? Wondering where to get help?
Deep breath. We're here to help. Just hit the jump link for everything you need to know (more properly, everything the <a href=http://forums.imore.com/">TiPb iPhone Forums have taught us) about switching from Windows Phone to iPhone 4 and iOS 4.
(And yes, we've done Android, webOS</a, and BlackBerry switcher guides as well).
Windows Phone to iPhone - the paradigm shift
Sincerely, we don't think many people switched from iPhone to Windows Phone (and won't until Windows Phone 7 ships), though some of you may have had Windows for work, and many of you, old-school power warriors all, may have been Windows Phone users for years, eschewing the iPhone until its functionality caught up with its form. It's all good. We're back to the future now -- iPhone 4 and iOS 4. This is about getting you up to speed and ready to go.
Moving over contacts, calendars, and email
If you're heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, you probably use Exchange -- especially for business. Good news, iOS 4 can handle multiple ActiveSync accounts, including Exchange proper and Google Sync's implementation. Just tap the Settings icon on the Home Screen, tap Mail, Contacts, and Calendars, choose Exchange, and enter your credentials. If you're more casual and personal about your Microsoft Mail and Hotmail/Live Mail is how you roll, ActiveSync support is coming for that as well (and some users seem to have it working already).
If ActiveSync isn't to your fancy, you can tap Other and set up pretty much any POP3 or IMAP account you have in your collection, and MobileMe, Yahoo!, AOL, Hotmail, and anything else you can think of.
You can also load up any webmail account you like in the Safari web browser.
And you can access all of it in the new iOS 4 unified inbox and threaded email client. It's not the "best of breed" Exchange experience like Windows Mobile, and it's not WinMo Outlook, but it gets the job done.
What about customization, file system access?
Um... with iOS 4 you can change your wallpaper, both lock screen and home screen? Seriously though, the iPhone isn't about tinkering and customizing (except for Jailbreak, see below). It's not about working hard to make the phone the way you like it. It's about not having to work hard and the phone just working. Apple controls the experience, which will drive you control freaks crazy, but there's no such thing as a perfect phone so every advantage is matched by an equal and opposite disadvantage (and each of those varies by user).
Same deal with diving into the bowels of the file system. There isn't one -- at least not a user-facing one. You're supposed to spend your time using the phone and apps, not fiddling with directories and hierarchies.
With iOS 4 Apple is struggling towards file utility -- you can open documents from email, online storage, or synced via iTunes, but it's not where it needs to be yet.
Again, think 80/20 rule. For most people not seeing how the sausage made is a huge plus. For former Windows Mobile tweaking junkies, it will be frustrating at first.
Hopefully the modern UI, great web browser, and amazing apps will distract you long enough to get past the DTs.
Finding other apps (and games)
Windows Mobile had apps since before there was an iPhone. Fair point. But what Apple lacked in early deployment they've more than made up for with modern adoption. Make fun of fart apps all you want, but there's like a hundred of them. There's like a hundred of every app type and that means there's a huge chance that there's 5 or so amazing apps of just the type you want.
The power of the ecosystem, whether it's apps or accessories, is something you're just going to have to experience.
And there's even Bing (iTunes link) and Windows Live Messenger (iTunes link) to help make you feel at home. (Or at least in a familiar home that's been recently redecorated with a really slick user experience...)
When it comes to apps of all kinds, TiPb reviews several a week and we've got a whole iPhone Apps and Games Forum ready to help you out as well.
Root meet Jailbreak
Windows Mobile, especially HTC devices, seem so easy to root and cook ROMs for that, hey, even Phil and Malatesta can do it. (I couldn't).
If you want to get into the root jail of your iPhone, you need to break it -- hence, Jailbreak. That's also the only way to side load apps outside the iTunes app store -- via the Jailbreak app store, Cydia (or Rock). Now, if you don't understand what any of this means, just skip along to the next section, we'll be there waiting. If you're a diehard themer and patcher, you'll want to keep your eyes peeled to our Jailbreak coverage, and more importantly -- our Jailbreak Help Forum, and Jailbreak Apps, Games, and Themes Forum.
No. More. Keyboard. Or. Stylus.
No front facing QWERTY like the Treo Pro. No side slider like the Touch Pro. No "Pro" appended physical hardware keyboards of any kind. Apple hates buttons and keyboards are nothing if not homes for dozens of buttons.
We kid. Apple prefers the flexibility of a virtual keyboard, and they do flexible keyboards better than anyone in the business. Seriously. Multitouch capacitive interface of any kind on glass can be a transformative experience.
Apple likes their keys virtual so they go away when you don't need them (without creaking, oreo'ing, popping batteries, or coming to the rescue when virtual keyboards just won't do). On the plus side, if you're multilingual or international, the iPhone keyboard can easily be switched to any alphabet, script, stroke, or pictographic symbol you want to use. It can also become optimized for numbers, games, or pretty much anything you (technically, a developer) can think of.
Best of all, if you really miss your physical keyboard, with iOS 4, you can tether up a Bluetooth one and knock email -- and yourself -- out.
As for the stylus and resistive screen, well you can get a stylus if you really want to (cold weather users especially), but resistive screens have gone the way of the dodo. (Nature selected them for extinction, not Apple). And yes, you can input Chinese just fine with a stubby finger on iOS, thank you. (There's a built in input method for that).
Okay, about iTunes
iTunes doesn't run as well on Windows as it does on Mac and with an iPhone you're stuck with iTunes for OS updates, and for local sync if that's the way you want to go.
Performance is a pain point for many, no doubt. Functionally however, it keeps getting better. It does so much now, we're actually a little surprised it's still called iTunes and not iSync or iStuff.
Buh-bye platform, hello product
Which brings us to the nut of it -- Microsoft is all about platforms, Apple all up in products. It's a huge difference. Most users appreciate the flexibility of platforms but just want their products to ship on time and work. You can, ideally, do anything with a platform and that's a blessing and a curse. With a product, again ideally, it does what it does well.
For every one of the frustrations you'll face in leaving Windows Phone and coming to iPhone you'll experience one or more moments of -- don't laugh -- childlike wonder. iOS is a modern mobile operating system with the best user experience in the business. Apple worked on it for years while every other player in the game slept on the sidelines and it shows.
It won't do everything your old Windows Phone did, but what it does it will do incredibly well and while Microsoft is just now readying version 1.0 of their new Windows Phone 7 platform, Apple is only 8 or so months away from releasing their iOS 5 product in beta.
More Windows Phone to iPhone help and information
If you haven't already, check out our complete iOS 4 feature walkthrough. There's an incredible amount of stuff in iOS 4 and you can save yourself some serious time cribbing off of us.
If you need help, or have a story to share, check out TiPb's iPhone forum.
And if we forgot anything or just plain got something wrong, let us know and we'll add it or fix it.
There are 30 comments. Add yours.
Danny, I have the incredible and I can tell you have not had any screen sensitivity issues with my phone. I use the car-dock so there are plenty of times where I am not holding my phone and am able to navigate through various options without any issues. I have read of this issue but have not personally seen it. Android is #1
brindy maybe if you are lucky you were one of these people. http://www.tgdaily.com/mobility-brief/50293-apple-cancels-some-successfu... have a great day
Reto, my bad where are my manners…please send me your full name, address and mothers maiden name and I will cut you a check for $199.00. Thanks.
You are absolutely correct with all of your comments. It is like the iSheep are mad because their phone is now in second place. Jobs is now copying Android. However J.G. is correct. The iPhone will have glass. J.G. please let me know the first time you drop your phone on the concrete. Let me know how that works out for you. J.G. can you also tell me how I can view and transfer my data to my iPhone without iTunes? What if my friend doesn’t have iTunes but I want to give them an mp3? What do I do? With my Incredible I simply plug it to any computer and I have full access to my hard-drive/memory card. How J.G. do I get my files off of my iPhone without iTunes? How?
J.G. this link is for you (you’ll have to scroll to the bottom)…here you will see a comparison chart of the first iPhone vs. the Nokia E70. Shocking I know…but I am interested to know your thoughts and feelings about this comparison. Because surely you were an iSheep lover from day one. http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=iphone
...hey Rene, why do you keep posting numerous articles about switching to iPhone? nobody wants to switch to your glitch infested device..
Rene, do me a favor.. can you just paste this article below on this site.. it will be far more informative than anything I've seen here:
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/109896/5-big-blemishes-for-...
Dear Apple/Steve Job lovers: Please tell me what makes the new Apple iPhone better than the Evo? 1. Battery life 2. You have more apps because iPhone has been around longer… what else?
you still have failed yet again to tell me why your iSheep is SO much better than the HTC Androids. I can give you a number of reasons why the Androids is SO much better than your iSheep.
Open Source coding The ability to view Flash Better front and rear camera Video conferencing (WiFi is not needed) Fully customizable Widgets Snapdragon processor The ability to hook my phone to any PC and obtain data on my hard drive (iTunes sucks) The ability to increase my hard-drive by adding a new micro mini memory card The ability to change or upgrade my battery by simply removing the back of my phone…wouldn’t that be neat if you could do the same on your CRapple? Oh wait you can’t Jobs will not allow you too. You have to pay $80 and mail it into Apple. Should I go on?
Now I would like to see your list J.G. just one time tell me why I should throw my HTC away and buy your iSheep CRapple iPhone with the one iMonkey button.
J.G. Remember your post about how strong the iGizz Glass is supposed to be? Remember…if you don’t go back and re-read. Anyway here is a little video you will be interested to see. Just remember you can’t really talk about a product until it is released. You can now retract that statement. http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/24/iphone-4-drop-test-yields-results-video/ Also please don’t speak on your iPhone on your left ear…or you will have dropped calls
I am sorry, I forgot to include my proof. I will not cut and paste just provide you a link to enjoy at your leisure…there is a video for this one as well. http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/24/some-iphone-4-models-see-signals-drop... How come you didn’t tell us about this issue 2 days ago? Oh wait you couldn’t becuase they didn’t post this issue in any articles. Myself being left-handed is cause me great pain if I was an iSheep lover. Thankfully I am not. Enjoy your defective phone and your dropped calls. Dortio.
anyway, back to the next greatest thing.. remember that amazing screen you talked about.. well you might wanna double check that comment as well after this article.. again, it seems like your boy Stevey is gonna be busy playing damage control with all these glitches..
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/23/poll-is-your-iphone-4-retina-display-...
Makes me laugh that people buy this crAPPLEhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37899765/ns/technologyandscience-wireless/
@Dorito:
Makes me laugh that iPhones haters have nothing else better to do with their lives than to Google Apple related sites and troll the comments/forums.
On-topic:
I'm sharing this with my wife as she is currently an HTC Touch (original Touch). Thanks Rene Ritchie!
Justin, if you want to read more funny and truthful posts here is another site your wife will enjoy. Be sure you read all four pages. Enjoy, i will not charge you for this Entertainmenthttp://www.tipb.com/2010/06/21/switching-android-iphone-4/comment-page-1...
What is going on with these ghost posts? Its like post that is not on topic with the article? o.O?
Justin, enjoy your yellow screen! Maybe Steve will tell you to not look at the phone if you email him about this problem? What do you think? Enjoy your new phone with the one iMonkey button
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37899765/ns/technologyandscience-wireless/
HTC Evo the only phone with 4G is a better phone than you iPhone
Dorito, if you hate apple and iPhones, that's great, but not everyone feels as you do. Nobody is forcing you to get an iPhone, and if your android works for you, that's great. You don't have to sit on your computer thinking of witty responses to say, it's just stupid. I highly doubt you even own an iPhone, let alone an iPhone 4, so how can you sit here bashing it? Don't diss it because of things you read online, most are isolated and rare. Just like the evo's glass separation. Give it a rest and have fun with your android, and if you hate apple so much, don't waste your life on apple websites.
@dorito get a life troll. I had one of your so called #1 androids called the evo. And returned after 6 days. Choppy slow os that needs alot of work, a battery that lasts me 5-6 hours and it has more bugs than a homeless guy. Android is far far from being first in anything. Except for maybe coming out with a new phone every two weeks that is better than the last one that came out. Another question is if you love android so much. Lol why are you on a apple blog???? Do you have split a personality and this is your apple loving side? Go troll on crackberry or something. Get a girl. Or a good porn mag. Seriously grow the f up.
I personally loved the Window based mobile phones before the iPhone was actually introduced in the market. Being frequent flyer the most essential application for me was to keep a record of all my travel plans at one place. Iphone comes with some brilliant apps in this regard which i found missing in windows mobile. I can certify myself as the happiest person to shift from windows mobile to an amazing iPhone!
Why is Doritodroid got the first like 9 posts under the article? If it's to prove how in fashion it is to hate the iphone 4 cause it's made by apple, we all know, and it's getting really boring.
I got the iphone4 and it's a really nice upgrade. My past phones were the original Droid, which couldn't even go from screen to screen without stuttering, and an iphone. I don't hate Android for that, as it was the Droid with the 500mhz processor. But the original iphone had a 400mhz processor and ran smoother.
Regardless, there are plenty of reasons besides the apps and battery life to consider a iphone4, (although the battery life is huge) IE the underground software scene for it (also inspiration for alot of the features that do get put into the official iOS) Gyroscope, the camera (in before OMG 8vs5!)The High res display etc.
I do think eventually most of the Official App differences will normal out as an open store is more attractive to dev's. It's honestly a good thing.
let me make this clear to all you really really dense apple haters, and droid haters:
two platforms in the mobile space, with different ethos - is a good thing for us. It will keep the innovation coming, it will keep google and Apple on there toes, and we will benefit with cheaper more powerful higher quality devices.
Please stop being idiots.
Dorito, I'll bite
are you in a jealous raging fit because the both the commercial mobile software devs, and the underground ones focus on the iphone so much harder? Does it pain you that you can't unlock your droid, take it to the UK, buy a sim from a vending machine and be able to share that 3g via wifi? 15 min off the plane? Cause my iphone 3g (not s) did that. 2 years ago and this year.
Does it pain you i can use my iphone4 for 2 days without charging it? Or stream actual 720p from other mac's to it, using either vga or component out? How's streaming 720p on 802.11g? Ohh.. yeah.. you can't.
I haven't even seen a decent performing, usable vnc client for droid yet.
//end return fire troll rant
Is Dorito a Googloid or Microsoftie!!!
See this video and you'll see the Evo is better! I love you iSheep and how you follow your boy Steve! In Steve we trust! Just not to fix our antenna.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdZ5_V0C5HM
I've been a long time Windows Mobile user.. Thinking of going either Android or iPhone way.. I think day by day, I'm leaning towards the iPhone!!!!
BTW, I just switched to Mac five months ago and I'm lovin it!!! :)
I use the so there are plenty of times where I am not holding my phone and am able to navigate through various options without any issues.
I haven’t even seen a decent performing, usable vnc client for droid yet.
What a cute article, cute catch phrases, cute digs on various companies and products. Cute. Cute. Cute. And, bonus!, there was actually some useful information buried in all the cuteness. Could somebody write a non-cutesy synopsis for those of us that have something useful to do with our time. (troll not intended)
This is a really good site. I'm delighted I came across it. I'll be back to check out other posts sometime.
Hello many blessings, I hope that the grace and favor of God be abundantly in their lives, I love the passion and love with each of you in this ministry to serve God. I have a great desire and I wonder if it may be possible, I would like to communicate with Israel something personal in my ministry. I'm from Venezuela, and my desire is to make plans and purposes that the Lord has placed in my life, I hope your answers, blessings and greetings. Jhuliam
Passive income sure is the way to go! So many people get home from work and plunk themselves in front of the TV for hours, and then go to bed. Imagine what they could accomplish if they turn off that TV and build some passive income!