The Best Windows Phone in 2017

Alright, I’ll admit; that title is somewhat clickbait. It’s 2017, for crying out loud. There are no good Windows Phones to use in this day and age.
Now, before you react, let me explain; I love Windows 10 Mobile. I absolutely love it. Especially since the devices has become cheaper and cheaper- at one point, I had three Lumia 640’s and the Lumia 650, just because they were so cheap.
But that cost- or lack thereof- was also a grim warning, one that clearly expressed the state of Windows 10 Mobile: the platform was dead.
And what was worse, Microsoft wouldn’t admit the loss. The company continued to pump updates (still does) to the devices, despite not bringing any of the fantastic Windows 10 features to the devices. Just recently, Microsoft separated Windows 10 Mobile from the main branch of Windows 10 updates; now Windows 10 Mobile devices update under the Feature2 branch, while the rest of Windows 10 remains under the Creator’s Update, leading to the Fall Creator’s Update this…fall.
But Microsoft is “dedicated” to continuously “updating” the mobile platform, for lack of a better term; Feature2 branch will maintain security updates and bug fixes. You’ll see- if you do a Google search- that articles pop up daily, some proclaiming Windows 10 Mobile to be dead, and others maintaining the platform hasn’t died just yet.
In my opinion, the platform is dead, but no one wants to admit it. I barely want to; as I said, I’ve had an undying love for Windows 10 Mobile. There are features that Android and iOS just can’t compete with, small details that just make Windows 10 Mobile shine (I personally loved being able to have my cellular data turned off and still receive MMS). But it definitely has its struggles, the lack of an adequate app selection only being the first. For as much love as I’ve had for it, Windows 10 Mobile (nor even Windows 10 itself) never felt “complete.” It never felt as polished as iOS, and was always a bit glitchy.
And maybe that’s a part of why it failed. Who wants a device that feels half-baked when the iPhone exists? Who wants to use Cortana while Google Assistant is around?
So that’s what I want to talk to you about. Many people loved Windows 10 Mobile. Many are looking forward to Windows’ rumored Andromeda OS- the perceived Windows 10 Mobile successor, perhaps utilizing that full Windows 10 experience on ARM processors?- but are languishing in Microsoft’s current mobile wasteland. What should they do? What, pray tell, is the best Windows Phone they should be using until Mircosoft decides to to get their shit together and release a worthy update, a new device, or a statement?
It’s 2017; let’s look at what users can use to complete their Windows 10 ecosystem.
The iPhone:

Granted, many Windows 10 Mobile users probably just threw their laptops on the ground. And while they are picking them back up, let me explain. In lieu of a decent Windows 10 Mobile device in the last 12 months, Microsoft has been pushing a lot on their connections to the other two mobile platforms: iOS and Android.
iOS is actually a very capable platform to utilize with Windows 10, as all the major Microsoft apps (Word, Cortana, OneDrive, Outlook, etc.) are available via the App Store. Microsoft even developed some exclusive features, such as the “Continue On PC” shortcut that sends whatever you are working on to you Windows 10 desktop or laptop, and updates to SwiftKey that will bring copied text from your phone to your PC.
Sure, Apple is a walled garden, meaning Windows software will never work with iPhone as well as Apple’s own apps; OneDrive won’t work in the background, for example. But harware-wise, the iPhone gives phones like the Lumia 940 a run for its money.
As far as the OS itself, while you can’t do anything about making it appear more like a Windows phone, or enable Cortana to replace Siri, iOS gets consistent updates, most like Windows 10 Mobile; the latest security and bug fixes, and so long as your device is semi-current, iOS will continue to get the majority of the new features provided to the newer models and the iPads.
Speaking of money, however, iPhones aren’t cheap; unless you get them on a contract or subsidy, you are looking at spending at least $400 for the lowest model. If you are someone, like me, who loves buying a $10 Lumia, that’s a steep price to pay.
Android:

Of course, if you want a device that can more match the Windows 10 Mobile features 100%, Android is the platform you’d want to go to.
Also including the majority of Microsoft software, there are a few added benefits to Android that Apple can’t compete with. Android allows Microsoft software to take over the device more; you can even supplant Google Assistant with Cortana, if you want. Microsoft makes a home screen launcher for Android, and you can even find third-party launchers that replicate the iconic metro tile functionality (and some even include features that Microsoft hasn’t added to their own devices).
Samsung even has a special “Microsoft Edition” of the Galaxy S8 that is sold in Microsoft stores, coming with Microsoft software pre-installed.
While “Continue on PC” and the SwiftKey keyboard features will also be available on Android, the Cortana app has the added benefit of connecting your Android phone to your PC, providing your notifications on your Windows 10 PC, even allowing you to respond to texts.
While the iPhone is potentially more likely to get the latest feature updates to existing Microsoft apps before Android, Android is more likely to get features that the walled garden won’t accept. Features that truly turn your Android into a Windows Phone.
Android OS, however, does not always get the timely updates. Android is a unique bug; Google will put out an update, which then has to go to the OEM’s for tweaking, and then generally hits the carriers for further modifications, before finally hitting devices. Updates like the recently announced Android Oreo, while available for the Pixel phones, may not reach the likes of my Moto E4 until next year, if at all. Android has gotten better at security fixes; that said, it is still in the hands of the OEM’s and carriers to push updates, and therefore many Android phones get left behind.
Android phone prices, and quality levels, are all over the map, however. You’ll find phones like the Galaxy S8 and the Google Pixel that are as expensive as the iPhones, and you’ll find brands like the Moto E4 that cost as low as $60 on a prepaid network. Of course, not all Android phones are equal; like the Lumia series, you’ll get what you pay for, more or less. But if you are used to a Lumia 640 or 650, like me, the Moto budget line is a great place to go.
Windows 10 Mobile:

Of course, you could always stick it out with Windows 10 Mobile. Just because Feature2 branch is separate from Windows 10 as a whole, that’s not barring Microsoft from dropping a new feature or two into the Mobile OS. And, hopefully, the rumors of Andromeda OS and a potential new Windows 10 Mobile device floating around Redmond will become something tangible.
The OS gets timely, nearly weekly updates, generally for bugs and security, so even if the devices get left behind feature-wise, Windows users have always seen an update schedule almost as consistent as that of iOS.
Windows 10 Mobile isn’t dead; it is still completely useable, and completely alive on existing devices. And, granted, the devices are super cheap right now. Prepaid services, like Cricket, have been know to offer lower end Windows phones as low as $.99 (when in stock).
Conclusion:

There is no perfect replacement for a Windows 10 Mobile device. And that’s the problem that fans like me are going to come to in the next few months, or at least until Microsoft announces something definitive. And while their lack of a clear solution is frustrating, there are good directions to go towards.
The best Windows Phone in 2017 is not an iPhone, or an Android phone, or even a Windows phone. If you find yourself in the less than 1 percent still using the platform, you have to ask yourself a few questions:
What do you want of your phone? Do you want a premium device like the iPhone, or do you want the most Windows integration in said device, the sort of integration that Android offers? Or do you want the purest Windows experience, the likes of which you won’t get on any device other than a phone running Windows 10 Mobile?
There will, of course, be tradeoffs wherever you go. Live in Apple’s walled garden, and limit the connection between your phone and your PC; go all in with Android, and place the Microsoft film over Google’s OS; or sacrifice potential new features for the true experience of the Windows 10 Mobile OS.
I’m sorry for the click-bait title. There is no new Windows Phone, for now, and there is no clear “best” device for 2017; if anything, being a Windows 10 Mobile user in 2017 can be a difficult decision. I personally bounce back and forth between all three providers; I don’t want to settle for iOS, I don’t want to deal with the lackluster performance that Android can provide, and I don’t want to constantly worry that tomorrow, Microsoft will put a definitive end to my OS.
