crisp, shiny ** Windows 8 ** Phone from Verizon

Monday, February 4, 2013

Remember those amazing photos that I was able to capture on our family trip to Disney World, armed with the new Windows 8 phone from Verizon Wireless?

Haven't had a chance to look at them yet?
Go ahead...check out the pictures...I'll wait....

I loved the photo taking capabilities of the Windows 8 phone

I LOVED the camera. 

I cannot tell you how nice it was to not be lugging my SLR camera around, and still get some FABULOUS quality pictures.

One of the things I LOVE about this phone?
The ability to have all of your pictures automatically uploaded to the 'skydrive'. The skydrive is a safe and secure place on the interwebs that this fancy little phone sends your pictures (if you want it too!) just as soon as you have taken them.

HEEEEELLLLLOOOOO piece of mind!
So great to see you!
And time saver? Where have you been all of my life! So nice to have you here!

I snapped a couple of screenshots, by simply holding down the power button and the home key.  Those screenshots uploaded to the skydrive (because that is how I have this phone set up.)  I logged into the skydrive, simply right clicked on the photos in my skydrive account, clicked on 'embed', & it gave me an HTML code.
Viola! I can put it here in the bloggity blog!
No hunting for where it is saved on my computer when I want to share it with you guys? YES!

(These next three pictures are actual screenshots of my Windows 8 phone, saved to the skydrive and embedded to this here blog post.)











                         My (un) trusty old Droid X - on the left. New Windows 8 phone on the right.


The new Windows 8 phone is slim & sleek. I'm happy to report, that it has stood up to my usual wear and tear...getting tossed around from pocket to purse to center console to countertop...with nary an issue. It's also withstood the real test - being handled by our 6 & 7 year old kids! 

Which brings me to another GREAT feature of this phone:  KIDS CORNER! This is where you create a child–friendly space within your phone, where kids can only access only the apps, music and videos you permit.  Have you ever had a kid access things you didn't want them to and let's say, hypothetically, delete some photos on accident? Or maybe an app that you have had on there?

Two reasons this phone ROCKS? The above mentioned skydrive, & Kid's Corner.

This phone is bright, brilliant, and FAST. That's important to me.
This phone is doubling as my camera, and my video camera.

On our recent trip to DisneyWorld - after waiting an hour!! to meet Merida from Brave, Hailey literally had 60 seconds (maybe less!) to meet her. I used this phone to ::tap::tap::tap:: out pictures...and was able to get an amazing series of shots...AND, I deleted the ones that didn't turn out! Pretty cool, being able to get consecutive photos from a cell phone no?

Hockey practice, swimming lessons, family vacations, or even out shopping and snapping pictures of gift ideas, I need my phone to be both camera and video camera for all of these things and more - this phone is the answer. This phone fits that bill.

Want to see a sample video I shot at Epcot? We didn't get a place to view the fireworks - we simply stopped what we were doing when the Illuminations show began - and I grabbed this 1 minute video - not too shabby in the dark on a cell phone right?


Here's what I don't love however...
I don't use my phones for calling features...I use them for texting, tweeting, photographing and facebooking - to name the major things.

At the end of the day, when I've been running around all day...and I sit down and unwind, I like to check in on my social media apps.  The Windows 8 phone does not allow me to go back more than a very limited time frame in either my twitter accounts or my facebook account.  So, if someone has posted the funniest cartoons they ever saw x 10, and clogged up my stream with it - that's all I can see. It only goes back the last, oh, I don't know - 25 or so posts? Or maybe it's time frame - an hour maybe? It's not very far, that much I do know.

Why is that? I have tried to find something in settings to change this, and if it's there, I'm not seeing it.

Sure, it's not important if I miss something - but maybe I want to go back the last 4 hours of Facebook and catch up on the goings on of my friends and family while I'm sitting in the doctor's office or the airport gate area.
I also can't 'share' my photos via the Facebook App or the Twitter App - I have to first open said App, then add a photo...not always easy if I have multiple vary similar shots on the phone. How do I know which is the best one? I like being able to have it open on my screen, and simply 'SHARE' it - I don't want to have to hunt & peck through all of my pictures for the one I want to share. I have yet to figure out a way to fix this either...

So, there you have it -
I love love love this phone many reasons ~ but the limited social media thing?

Deal breaker for me.

I'm willing to bet there's another phone with a strikingly similar camera somewhere out there for me to get my hands on - that WILL allow me to go back farther than this one does.  Incredible 4G perhaps?


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1 comments:

MommyLisa said...

Ugh. Thanks for posting. I want a phone that does the camera, like you share here, but then can do the social media. I totally think iPhone takes great photos, but the whole "James Bond" shuttery thing it does limits how fast you can operate. Hate that.

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