Microsoft: buy a Lumia 950 XL and we'll give you a Lumia 950 for free

[crossy]

Now that is interesting. How many MS services do you use, crossy? My one concern about the Android/Windows integration is just how much you're divesting everything through both Google and MS; one of my current uses of both their services is to separate out the various different communications I get between work and leisure, and I'd be keen to avoid mashing all of my stuff together again...

At the moment I've got the whole Office suite (minus Visio and Access) on the (Lenovo) Android tablet. I don't use Exchange, instead I do have a Hotmail account. I actually prefer to use OneDrive rather than the Google alternative. Outlook seems to have no issues with multiple accounts, in my case an SMTP 'work' account and a whatever-it-is (auto setup) Hotmail one. I can even get a unified inbox that shows both, or work with them individually. And it's the same deal on the iPad.

I've certainly done work on the desktop before then uploaded to OneDrive then continued minor edits on the tablet (Word and Excel only, no patience to do a PowerPoint). Like I hinted at, my phone and tablet have become an extension of my desktop - just as Microsoft intended I guess.

[Dayks]

If this is a "fire sale" then I'm a bit sad, as I thought the mobile Windows was actually pretty good, certainly made Android look like a bloated pig on the low end devices.

However I won't be rushing out to get this deal, (assuming it comes to the UK) because there's no benefit to me. Microsoft's Android utilities are so good the "seamless integration" advantage of Windows Phone is lost because I can get that same experience on a Samsung Galaxy or LG phone/tablet. And those have a full range of apps. iOS is also pretty good - I use Outlook as my email client of choice on my iPad, OneDrive is also pretty decent, although not as good as the Android version imho.

Darn, never thought I'd be in position to fan boy Microsoft mobile software.

I won't touch onedrive or outlook for android again despite getting it free from work, they managed to half my battery life and nothing I could do would stop them from running in the background and while the phone was on standby.

Sure they worked well enough, but I like having a long battery life and not having to charge daily.

[lumireleon]

I have used all the three top phone operating system and each has its weaknesses meaning there is no perfect OS but because I use windows a lot having a windows phone companion is rock solid because it enables me to share files, APPs and settings easily

[globalwarning]

I just want to point out that Samsung had a BOGOF deal on the S7 recently through Verizon, a really, really new phone, and no one even batted an eye. These are how old now? How is this even a story? Click bait much, Hexus?

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Things like G+ and Hangouts don't have apps on Windows Mobile - even iOS supports them.

[GazP172]

You can get a unofficial Hangouts client for Windows Mobile. I used it for about a month before jumping ship, its not as good as the official App on my new phone but it did the job fine.

[Luke7]

There has been no mention yet of whether or not the Lumia BOGOF promotion will be extended to other regions, but would you actually be interested if it were available to you?

Do either of them have a physical qwerty keyboards? No? Then no sale for me.

Dreading the day my Q5 finally karks it...

Wahey! Another Q5 user!

I agree, the Priv is expensive (read as: "I'm cheap") and BB have been going backwards again recently, sad to see after they recovered themselves in terms of the tech gap, even if their reputation never recovered.

I quite like the idea of Android on BB hardware, can't wait till they make the equivalent of the Q5 with Android tbh (here's hoping). Though this may be due to my age, I'm fed up of my friends asking me "do you have app X, Y and Z" - each time being a no because of BB10 lack of native apps. Don't get me wrong, BB10 has many features that make me laugh at iOS and android, for example, listening to youtube and locking the device without the playback pausing (come on guys its 2016! you shouldn't have to install an app to fix that!). Oh, and I absolutely love how gestures work on BB10.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

You can get a unofficial Hangouts client for Windows Mobile. I used it for about a month before jumping ship, its not as good as the official App on my new phone but it did the job fine.

It wasn't that great when a relative used it though and in the end they switched to Android. Its a shame since the Lumia series are great for photography as smartphones go,IMHO OFC.

[peterb]

Things like G+ and Hangouts don't have apps on Windows Mobile - even iOS supports them.

Does anyone use G+ and hangouts? I've always regarded them as bloatware, which I can't remove.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Does anyone use G+ and hangouts? I've always regarded them as bloatware, which I can't remove.

Most of the people I know??

[Myss_tree]

Surely it would make more sense to half the price of both phones rather than charge full price with BOGOF.
I use a 640XL and like it a lot and had high hopes for the 950XL but its way to expensive for the quality of the hardware, if it was half its current price then i would definately consider having one.
I do agree that Microsoft do need to urgently address the app store.

[nitro912gr]

I'm not sure why those phones aren't more popular, many people aren't actually affected from the missing apps.

I want my next phone to be a winphone, the platform is really mature and in lower cost devices they perform way better than the androids of the same price. Also I already use facebook only from mobile website, because their app is crap in android anyway (and kill my resources in me LG L90) and I don't use it anymore and the others apps I use exist in windows phones already.

(Really I don't understand as well, why there people out there bushing the winphones for not having a lot of apps, apps that they don't use in their anroid phones anyway...)

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I'm not sure why those phones aren't more popular, many people aren't actually affected from the missing apps.

I want my next phone to be a winphone, the platform is really mature and in lower cost devices they perform way better than the androids of the same price. Also I already use facebook only from mobile website, because their app is crap in android anyway (and kill my resources in me LG L90) and I don't use it anymore and the others apps I use exist in windows phones already.

(Really I don't understand as well, why there people out there bushing the winphones for not having a lot of apps, apps that they don't use in their anroid phones anyway...)

Most of the important apps that almost everybody I know uses are not supported on Windows Mobile. Even Apple supports them and is one of the reason I didn't get a Nokia Lumia 1020,when they were £150. Great camera - one of the best to ever grace a smartphone but it is that lack of support which negates half the reason I want a smartphone.

MS have only themselves to blame.

[nitro912gr]

Understandable, but there are a lot of people who are not gonna need anything else than what is already available in the winphones.
Winphones cover their needs and they are faster than their counterparts on android space, yet those people buy cheap laggy androids, just in case that they are gonna need something that is not available in windows.

I don't get it, not at the price range I look at myself, that is the entry range with phones around 80 to 200 euros.

I mean I find it really stupid that people can't judge what is good for them and just follow the hype like "omg android have millions of useless apps, I do need an android phone!"

[directhex]

I wish MS would do a compact flagship - but they aren't, so I got an iPhone SE

[maxp779]

Windows is a dying platform. No way would I adopt it over something Linux based like Android.

The last stronghold windows has (and the only one it ever really had) is the desktop and it'll take a long time to disappear from that but Linux has become pretty decent over the past 15 years. Combined with the fact mobile is eating away at desktops marketshare I can see windows disappearing eventually. Average Joe will have his iOS/Android tablet. Gamers with their desktops will have Linux as an option if vulkan takes off. Businesses will probably stick with whats familiar but some may give Linux a shot eventually since its free.