4 things Windows phone users will love about iOS 11 — and 4 they'll hate

By Dennis Bednarz
last updated

The upcoming iOS 11 is a huge update for Apple's mobile OS, and it brings a lot of changes that may feel familiar to Windows phone users.

The changes Apple will introduce in iOS 11 vary from design tweaks to new features, and the OS should be officially released in the not too distant future. But what would a diehard Windows phone lover think of all of these changes? Keep reading.

What Windows phone users will appreciate

1. iOS design

Windows phone has been known for its huge headers, mostly monochrome apps and other recognizable parts of "Metro", which was the design language used by Microsoft back in the day. When Apple first announced iOS 10, a lot of people made the obvious connection to Windows Phone after seeing the design of some of the system apps, such as Apple Music or News. With iOS 11, almost every system app follows the new (to iOS) design, and even some third-party ones, like Twitter, have started to do so. This should look familiar to Windows phone users.

2. iOS apps

No Snapchat on Windows

Windows phone has always been infamous for its lack of support from any popular app makers. iOS 11 offers virtually any app you could desire. iOS is said to have the highest quality apps on the market, because it's a platform developers often want to develop for thanks to its vast popularity in profitable markets such as the U.S. and Europe.

3. iOS smoothness

Apple is famous for optimizing its OS extremely well. iOS 10 absolutely flies, if you don't use ancient hardware, and iOS 11 builds upon that. iOS 11 is still in beta and has performance issues here and there, but the new animations introduced are full of depth and they run at full 60 frames per second (FPS), which older iOS versions have struggled with. This sounds a lot like the good old days of Windows Phone when there was amazing attention to detail and the whole OS felt alive.

4. iOS dark mode

With iOS 11, Apple secretly added a new "Smart Inverted Color Mode." This feature wasn't announced on-stage at its WWDC developer event, nor anywhere else, but it's present in the latest beta builds of iOS 11. What it does is invert your screen colors, but avoids inverting elements like images and icons. It's very similar to the true dark mode on Windows phones, and developers can easily code their apps for full compatibility to make sure elements that aren't supposed to be inverted don't look weird.

That's a lot to like, but iOS 11 is far from perfect, and a lot of Windows phone users refuse to switch for many different reasons. iOS 11 is unlikely to sway those people. This is why.

What Windows phone users will NOT appreciate

1. iOS design

Apple Music on iPhone SE

The design of iOS 11 may resemble Windows Phone's "Metro" more than ever, but taste is a personal thing and some people may hate it even more than older versions of Apple's mobile OS. iOS 11's design is not a total redesign like iOS 7 was but rather an update to what was already an established look. A lot of Windows Phone users stick with the platform because of its design, as they can't stand Google's Material Design or Apple's Human Interface. iOS 11's look may be even less appealing.

2. No default app switching in iOS 11

There is still no ability to switch the default apps in iOS 11. This has been a huge deal for a lot of users for the last 10 years, and iOS 11 hasn't addressed the issue. If you download a third-party app like Google Chrome, Outlook or ProTube, there is no way it can be set as a default app the task, for example. If you open a mail link, it won't take you to the Outlook app, but rather stubbornly redirect you to Apple's mail app. And that sucks.

3. No Live tiles in iOS 11

Windows 10 Mobile Home screen

Windows 10 Mobile Home screen (Image credit: Windows Central)

iOS 10 introduced a whole new system for widgets, with a cleaner look and more features. iOS 11 improved upon that with refinements, additional features, and a streamlined design. However, these are far from replacing the Live tiles that Windows phone fans have learned to love. While you can interact with them and they display information, they are not located on the main page on the home screen, which makes them very easy to forget. They are a poor use of space and generally feel like a "me too" feature.

4. No universal apps

Windows 10 is famous for it's Universal Windows Platform (UWP). You code an app once, and the exact same app, without modifications, runs on all other Microsoft platforms, including Xbox, Windows 10 Mobile, and HoloLens. This is not the case with iOS. While some apps are labeled as "universal" in the App Store, they are far from Windows phone users are used to with Windows 10. These apps are only compatible with iPhones and iPads, and maybe Macs, if you're lucky. They don't run without modifications, and they need adjusting before being able to execute on another platform. And they generally resemble the old Windows 8.1 Universal apps more than UWP. If you're a Windows 10 user who uses apps like OneDrive, Groove Music or Edge, don't count on running the same apps on iOS, like you can with your Windows Phone.

Conclusion

iOS 11 is a huge leap forward for Apple's mobile OS, with features like the new Control Center, cleaner design and more. though it's not officially available quite yet. However, whether or not it's good enough for you to make the switch from Windows phone is up to you. Some of these features may not be as important to you as others, and there is definitely still a lot of room for iOS 11 to improve.

Learn more about iOS 11 on our sister site, iMore:

iOS 11 preview

Dennis Bednarz
Dennis Bednarz

Dennis Bednarz is a former writer for Windows Central and the guy behind ModMy. He has been a recognised member of the Microsoft community for years and owns everything from Lumia phones to Surface PCs. He occasionally likes to rant about Windows Phone and drink tea. You can go ahead and follow him on Twitter at @DennisBednarz

195 Comments
  • I personally have a larger "do not like" list than what you have. Haha
  • The dark mode is a huge improvement, but lack of headphone jack, back button and SD card slot are huge problems for me. I cannot stand my wife's iPhone for these reasons mostly along with many others. At least I'll be able to look at her iPhone in dark mode without my eyes hurting during the evening or while she's driving at night.
  • There is absolutely no issue for not having the back button if you know the gesture to perform this action. Back button has become annoying to me. Lack of headphone jack: I have an iphone 6s, so I don't care, I still have that jack.
  • It's only the iPhone 7 that lacks a headphone jack though. I had one for awhile, but gave it to my wife and bought an iPhone SE instead. It works great. Force Touch sucks, btw.
  • 4 things iPhone users will love about windows phone:
    (1.) A physical camera button
    (2.) Qi wireless charging
    (3.) Micro SD card slot
    (4.) A camera that has more MP.
  • 4 things Iphone lovers will HATE about windows phone.. 1.  It's a dead platfrom 2.  Apps are either non available or Leaving at a fast pace 3.  No new hardware available for purchase at ANY service provider 4.  Flakey OS problems that should have been rectified 2 years ago but are still persistant. 5.  Its a dead platform!  
  • True enough!!
  • That was funny. Why the down votes?
  • Because trolls are dishonest.
  • Because 1.  It's true....and 2. the fanbabies in here cannot handle any truth about windows mobile and the direction its gone.
  • I find it hilarious that people don't realize by now the "Windows Phone" doesn't exist anymore. The mobile platform will be full Windows 10 on ARM and for the record there are hundreds of millions of iPhone and Android users that use Windows 10 daily.
  • Note the trolls downvoting you over things that are not only FACTS, but facts that MICROSOFT created.
  • woo...fanchild downvotes!
  • 5. A place to plug in your headphones. Haha
  • Some WP may have more MP, but that doesn't necessarily means the cameras are better
  • Some WP may have more MP, but that doesn't necessarily means the cameras are better
  • Even the Lumia 640XL I'm using performs better than my brother's iphone in imaging. Just don't want to brag about L950s or my oldie L925.
  • No, it doesn't. The 640 camera SUCKS. It's not even close to as good as the iPhone SE, 6S or 7 series cameras. Not AT ALL. I wish that weren't true, but it is.
  • well your brothers iphone camera is BONKED then....My iphone is NOT as good as my 1020 was,  BUUUUTTTTT it is 90 percent as good,  and way faster....
  • Your brother's iPhone is broken.  I've got an L925 as well.  I pull it out occasionally and am amazed by how bad it looks compared to iPhone.  Not worth bragging about in my opinion.
  • Well, the high-end lumias have always had the best cameras for their time.
  • Yep,  meaning they beat the iphone 5s.!
  • True, but they are better than most. Of course, this is assuming people shoot their 950 at 8mp (so using pixel doubling) and not at full res. Pixel count is about marketing, but Lumia designers were not fools.
  • No, but Lumia marketers sure were.
  • No other smart phone camera could touch the old Nokia 1080 camera, Not even now. Plus the low light caplabilities on the Lumia is in a league of it's own. 
  • The 1020 camera was awesome. Unfortunately, it was also slow as ****.
  • yep...the 1020 produced the BEST photos I have seen out of any camera.....but action photos were not happening with it,  it was just toooo slow.   
  • Well, I'd stipulate that the 1020 produced the best photos of any PHONE camera (and really, any of the cheap point and shoots, too). It can't touch a real DSLR with quality glass on it, but then, nothing else really can either :D
  • But You would never use the 1020 in place of a DSLR,  However,  as a camera that you have on you all the time,  It was a great one.   I use Fuji cameras and they produce amazing photos,  and the 1020 has similar quailties in their images,  the way colors are handled etc.   
  • You know, that physical camera button was only available on certain WP models. Lumia 630/635? Not there. 730/735? Not there. HP Elite X3? Nope. Same thing with the other features you listed. Really, you just listed things that used to be common in mid to upper range Lumias.
  • You forgot the 520, it was a beast......... [***whistleing***]
  • Also iPhones can use the volume button as a camera shutter button. And the headphone volume control as well.
  • True. I'm not sure when that started. IOS 8 or 9 maybe? What's bizarre is that Lumias DON'T.
  • With iphone you have literally hundreds of photo accessories to use.  There is one "camera grip" for the iphone that has shutter, zoom, etc buttons all built into the grip.  It's like the 1020 camera grip on steroids.   VERY COOL!
  • At the start, with Windows Phone 7 and through to early 8's, things like camera buttons were REQUIRED hardware. Eventually Microsoft did a very stupid thing and eliminated their standards so that OEM's could just dump a Windows phone ROM onto an Android device and call it a day. It was pretty much all downhill from there.
  • Always found that button annoying, always hit it accidently and start the camera app by accident.
  • What do you have for hands....baseball gloves?  I have NEVER hit my camera button on the 1020 accidentally.....
  • 1. Hasn't been true for years now, except on the top end models. Was better when it was a mandated part of all Windows phones. 2. Very few models ever had this. 3. Some models had it, some didn't. Kinda iffy. 4. Some yes, some no. But even at that, MP isn't everything. The iPhone camera is faster. A LOT faster, than even the fastest Windows phone ever was.
  • That's cute, Windows Phone as a platform is slowly losing all relevance due to being put in maintenance mode and no new hardware is actively being developed for the OS. I'm sure most iPhone users would continue using iOS devices, as at least those are flourishing due to developer support and continued iterative device releases!
  • What Windows phone users will appreciate 1. iOS design What Windows phone users will NOT appreciate 1. iOS design :/
  • Fully intentional.
  • Made sense to me
  • Absolutely nothing to like from iOS design, I'd rather have a CLI (Command Line Interface) phone than that. (have some fun and laugh a bit, install MS-DOS Mobile app on your Windows Phone :-)
  • Another trash article.
  • Actually Microsoft is possessed with a Precious Stash (Nokia Mobile Unit)..
    But they dont have the key to operate it.. I believe still Windows 10 mbl can do wonders if MS thinks of it seriously with good strategy and Marketing..
  • Totally agree.
  • There is nothing of Nokia left.  When they canceled WP development they fired everyone and wrote down the whole thing as a loss.
  • What Windows phone users will not appreciate:
    1. It is Apple iOS. (Do we need another reason to hate it?)
  • Ios is the only alternative to Windows I can recommend when people ask.
  • Even though Android can be heavily customised iOS is what I would use as my second choice. I use my phone mostly for banking, email, calls and some Facebook messenger so it works for me. I will replace my 950 in mid-late 2018 so see what's about then. It will either be the new phone from MS or iPhone 9 lol
  • For me it depends on the person. Basic, normal, phone users are fine with an iPhone. They are pretty much usable out of the box, though they have way more customizability than people give them credit for. It's all buried in settings.  For the more technically oriented, I'd suggest a higher end Android, from Google, Motorola, HTC, even Samsung if you must. Those folks benefit from the ability to make the device their own. My main device is my 950XL, and I think it blends those options reasonably well. It is usable out of the box for the average user, but has enough flexibility that I can personalize it if I want to. I have a Pixel and an iPhone 6s, and I will grab the Pixel before the iPhone for those things I can't do on the Lumia (banking, loyalty cards, etc)  I personnally prefer the fingerprint reader on the back of the Pixel vs the iPhone's placement.  Between these devices, the camera goes Lumia, Pixel then iPhone. iOS has some nice software functionality. The Lumia has it in image quality however.
  • It really depends on the audience. If it's an "average joe", then yeah, iOS. If it's a tech savvy person, they'll be happier with Android.
  • iOS is too confusing. Android with SquareHome is much easier for people to get used to. Its really the setting that are confusing on iOS.
  • Shaheed....get the hint.....Microsoft is DONE with mobile.   That's what these articles are trying to get across!
  • They won't listen.
  • Windows 10 Mobile as it currently exists now, I feel Microsoft is really done with it...Though fans just don't want to come to terms with it. As it is just a steaming pile of failure due to not capturing the mindshare of consumers and not fixing the critical issues that made the experience lackluster.
  • I don't see how UWP is a pro for Windows Mobile. UWP is not even that popular among windows devs. There are only a handful of apps that support UWP.
  • And at that, a lot of the UWP apps available on PC mysteriously aren't available on mobile. Makes me wonder just what they think the word "universal" actually means.
  • ios has fifty shades of Gray design.
  • The "will not like" are the deal breakers. Especially, the inability to change default apps. At least in Android you can pretty much ditch all the Google apps and replace them with Microsoft apps. Since there is no way I would ever buy the over priced trash that Macs are not being able to sync all my devices is also a no go.
  • At this point, Android is clearly king among mobile OSes.  It is 1) fast, 2) fluid, 3) flexible, and 4) functional. WP, with Continuum, gets decent marks for 3, but that's it. iOS is 1, 2, and 4, but still suffers from NIH syndrome.
  • NIH == ? Naked Introverted Human syndrome Nagelum Indugolo Hydrosa syndrome Night Induced Hyperactivity syndrome
  • Not invented here.
  • Windows is fast, fluid, flexible and functional.
  • LOL
  • fanbaby kool aid drinking at it's finest there Giddora  
  • Not anymore. 10 Mobile is ass. 8.1 was the last great version of Windows' mobile version.
  • The only thing that 10 brought for me was the office apps. The thing that it took away that I liked were photobeamer, beamer, mix radio and Here maps, although the last two weren't Microsoft's fault.
  • Truly. W10M is horrific.
  • Android still won't release Contact management to 3rd parties.  Outlook for Android lists contacts from your configured accounts, but won't let you add or modify
  • Dennis apple fanboy on Windows central. By the way android is more better for Windows converters
  • I hate Apple though. I only like two products from them, that's iOS and macOS. Everything else is just plain bad. I have my devices filled with Microsoft and Google products and services. Apple as a company is shameful
  • You are right, but I find them to close and frustrating that you have to pay so much money to buy iPhone or mac for them. Arrow launcher and next lock screen for me and you have a full Microsoft experience, if you have to convert.
  • Are we still complaining about Apple prices? You can get a Macbook from $999 to over $3000. Guess what Surfaces cost. You can go as low as $650 right now, but that's a M3 with no keyboard. Get a comparable i5 with keyboard and you start at $1000 and can spend well over $3000 as well. XPS 13 2-1s start around $1K, as do HP Specter 360s. Kind of hard to compare WP to iPhone since you can't buy a current one. My 950XL was over $700 when new and HP X3s list at $799 at HP (they are reduced, naturally, as are 2 yr old iPhones). An new iPhone can be had for $649, and every carrier will offers a 2yr interest free loan. Priced any Samsung flagship phones lately, S8, Note? Lot of things you can dislike Apple for, but pice for comparable quality/specs, isn't one of them. I'm not sure they ever were all that outrageous. You could always buy lesser PCs for less money, but you can also buy a Kia for less than a Lexus. The difference may not matter to you, but there is a difference. 
  • IPhones are expensive, get an iPad instead. Best hardware ever. Long lasting, great battery, like a tank.  And for Macs: get a Mac Mini. Not overpriced as well, great quality, long lasting with years of free software updates.
  • Surface every day
  • So you like everything about apple but don't like apple?  how come?  does not make much sense.   I like IOS  but HATE MacOS.   Microsoft has a much better operating system than apple.   And,  to be totally honest,  if Windows Mobile had all the apps I use,  I would still have their phone running as well for my daily driver.   
  • No... Android is horrible. The only alternative to Windows at the moment is iOS.
  • Let's make this easy. There is NO alternative to Windows Mobile at the moment. iOS and Android both suck
  • I'm with you in this, still hanging to my Lumia 950 and I love it. It's way better than my previous galaxy s4. But I find android better from iOS and better for a Windows user who want to change platform
  • ha ha ha....Summer,  you must use your phone as a feature phone....lack of apps killed any traction that WM had....and now it's just a lame duck.   
  • Hi Steve! Good to see that you still do not like W0M :) otherwise I think the world would be ending. Believe it or not I do not use it as a feature phone, it still has everything that I need. Most of it baked into the OS itself (mail, calendar, calculator, etc.). I have my bank app (Ally), I have games (mahjong, solitaire, angry birds, etc.), I have tv listings app (ez tv listings), I have Microsoft Office, and a web browser. I use other apps too but it is a really really long list so I won't list them all out. But I do have my eyes open for another mobile OS if I can find one. So far I cannot choose iOS or Android (personal preference) and beyond that there is Sailfish or Tizen or Bb (which I've tried before and love it, but that is in a worse state than W10M). So still using the smart features of my phone :) not quite as bad as you think for me personally yet.
  • There's a banking app left on w10m?  "mind blown"  ha ha.  RBC pulled the plug on their mobile app,  plus when it was there,  it was just a web wrapper (which I hate).  mail clander calculator is feature phone materials....come on!!!....my banking app on my iphone I can take a photo of cheques I recieve and deposit right away.  I have square app, to take cc payments for my business.  etc.  NONE of which are available on MS.  If they were,  I would still be there.  But MS neutered windows mobile so bad it's useless now.  Glad your a user who can get the jokes however!   thanks for not being a fanbaby!
  • Yeah, Ally Bank has always been a supporter of Windows Phones. They still push app updates too. And it also has the mobile check deposit by taking pictures (pretty awesome to be able to do that). I personally would not have a use for square, but others like yourself I can understand needing it. Anyways, if you find something other than iOS or Android that looks good to you, pass on the knowledge please :)
  • I have a sim powered motorola Krzr for you...ha ha.  BB10 is actually not bad...at least it can run amazon apps/some android apps.  Like I said,  i use a 950xl as a 3d scanner for motorcycle parts design....thats it.  ha ha
  • Wells Fargo supports Windows 10 Mobile too. I log in, check balances, deposit checks, etc. Windows haters are fools.
  • True.
  • Im not a WINDOWS hater...I am a realist when it comes to Windows moible.  I bank using RBC,  the windows mobile app is a web wrapper.  The RBC app on my iphone has full functionality,  plus RBC wallet to add tap to pay at all debit machines, etc.   Windows moible is a has been OS.  Even bb10 has better support...
  • I use a bank that let's me use the phone I use.
  • I pick my banks on their PERFORMANCE.....NOT on whether or not they support a ****** phone OS.   That is some dumb rationale with your money there fanboy.
  • I pick the banks I can use. I don't want them to dictate what platforms I use. Android is horrible and iOS just doesn't look good enough.
  • Yeah they both sucks, but I'd rather live with Android than iOS if forced to.
  • I couldn't live with android. It just is too horrible.
  • "more better".
  • Because I was typing fast. Also I'm from Greece and English isn't my native language. But it was a smart comment from you and I was really looking forward who is going to do it. Well done
  • If you don't mind Google monitoring everything you do on your phone.
  • iOS Central strikes again.
  • I'll continue using W10M until the bitter end. Then its back to flip phone for me.
  • Heard that.
  • Heard that again!
  • Wow
  • Those are Android now , you know ;)
  • Isn't a Lumia a kind of flip phone without flip?
  • wgrs...That is exactly what windows 10 moible is at this point.  an un-flipping flip phone. 
  • At this point, coming from WM, a flip phone will be a lateral move.
  • Lol... Love the exaggeration
  • But it's not.
  • Guys i was a very passionate user of Windows Phone since 6.5 i have passed throught all of them and i always beleaved in the ideas that was sold to us, but after many years, i started to gave up, with the lack of apps, ridiculous apps compared to the same app in other platforms, the evolution of the OS is like a tortoule running, it take ages, etc. My trigger to another platform was when my bank retired their apps from the store, and i bought a iphone 7 plus ..... and guys after something like 3 mounths of use a absolutly love it, i mean i think my 930 had a camera better than the i phone witch is strange becouse the 7 plus is teh last os apple and the 930 is already old, but forget the camera everything else is milion light years away from WP10 jesus, gourgeous apps, but gougeous, of course you haveall the apps that you can imagine, the OS is smooth like silk, give it a try guys ... With the experience that i have with IOS now, make me feel like i was under a rock all this years, and i can promiss you that i will never come back to WP again... I still have some hope, that's why i still read Windows Central, hopping from some awsome news about WP, but every day i see more of this post about IOS, and guys even Microsoft in this last event presented their tecnologies with IOS's Not to mention the app updates every day i have a lot of updates of apps maybe twice a week each app, even Microsoft apps have updates all the weeks and that didnt happened in WP, by the way WP users, I already have the new version of Skype on IOS, have you noticed anything diferent on your WP Skype version ???? I dont beleave ...
  • I will join you soon, but with a more budget iOS device.. :p it's been a long journey with Windows Phone and Mobile..I don't hate it, but, it doesn't offer me what I need..I need speed, reliability, and long-term support for the device I pay for (that is why I'm never going to Android)..
  • Go for it my friend you will not regreat it, w'll be amazed with the performance, app quality, app updates, at least in the 7 plus, i dont have experience with others, you can have 10 games open in background, with more 20 apps also in background, and you use the phone, and you feel absolutly no lag, nothing, the performance is amazing, but really amazing
  • Well, in fairness to other device OS's...the '10 games & 20 apps' aren't actually open...you know that right?
  • at least they resume without the loading screen or the resuming screen, and the background apps aren't eating up the RAM and your phone almost never lags..I guess, those reasons are enough, even if knowing that iOS uses app freezing rather than actually having them open in the background..coz, at the end of the day, you need what works best!
  • Yep agreed...iOS does it very well.
  • my 6s is just like that...no lag, no stuttering,  etc.   careful for the fanbaby downvotes!
  • see!
  • I'm probably going to move to iOS when the new phones come out this fall. There are banking apps and apps for work I need that W10M just doesn't have. I have an older ipad and I've been playing with the apps to see how the iPhone will be different. I will still use my Outlook.com account since it is also on my laptop and it will be the master for my personal email, calendar, contacts and use the Outlook app on iPhone. I'll use the (not so great) iOS default email for my work email and keep the two separate. I'll sync my calendar and contacts with the iOS apps so I can use whichever one works better. Cortana and Groove work just fine on iOS but I may give Siri a try every once in a while. All my music is in OneDrive so Groove makes sense even if the app isn't as polished as the W10 app. MSN Sports and News are there too. I've gotten where I like the notification screen in iOS. Outlook, Cortana, Accuweather, Amazon - all can be included and have notifications that their counterparts don't in W10M. Actually a decent replacement for Live Tiles since I usually just want to check email, messages, weather. If MS had new hardware coming out (I'm on a 735 after I dropped my 928) with Verizon and apps, I'd stay. I love the look and feel of W10M with the dark theme, transparent and resizable tiles, but that's not enough to make me stay.
  • Switched last December to an iPhone 7 Plus w/128GB.   Here's my Dislikes: 1)  Can't hold down on the Wifi/Bluetooth icons and have it take you to the wifi/bluetooth settings.  Small but extremely usefull.  Why does this bug me?  See #2. 2)  Bluetooth is a cluster.  No bluetooth file transfer.   I, multiple times/day, have to go into bluetooth and tell it to manually reconnect to my bluetooth devices...my ear buds at my work desk literally after every meeting where my iphone looses contacts...my car every time I want to play music/podcasts, etc. 3)  Widgets off to the 'left' panel is annoying and I mostly forget they're even there.  4)  So many swipes...swipe up, swipe left or right to get to music playback or quick actions...you never know..  Swipe down...left or right again...you never know.  It feels like a bunch of added on functions b/c they simply didn't want to copy what works better in Android & WP. 5)  Meaningless 'new emails' in all the email apps.  WM10 says I have 2 new emails...iOS gmail app says I have 1,105... 6)  Camera - my Galaxy S6 took better pictures.  These are nothing special.  My 950 takes better picts as well...but it is better than my Idol 4S. Likes: 1)  Amazing Battery life. 2)  Amazing performance...this thing flies through every task. 3)  Apps for everything 4)  Vendor support...cases galore, kickstarter 'stuff', Pictar (for ex.) 5)  iMessage b/c the rest of the family are on iPhones.  Its very nice. 6)  Apple Pay...useful when you've forgotten your wallet at home and need gas. 7)  The Store...if I want an app...I tap 'get' and it downloads...no store errors, or download issues...it just works. Things I'm 'meh' about. Live Tiles...don't really miss them...they were nice to look at, but I never used them to get info from, I always entered into the app. UWP's...don't care.
  • I actually liked iOS9 more..it at least looked better, didn't have that widget page, and control centre looked better! and, definitely, live tiles are just so handy..that you understand if you used windows for once in your life!
  • What Windows phone users will NOT appreciate: - No Physical Camera Button Battery Life (V.Bad) No Back Button Email and Calander implimentation (V.Bad) iSO Design Camera Quality (V.Bad) Wireless Charging Price its own none standard charging adapater  SD Card slot Removable Battery No Windows Hello (iris scan login) No syncing of Browser pages viewed between PC and Phone No Syncing of Passwords between PC and Phone Need for a protective case No Live Tiles Data Usage Limit (better on Windows Phone) Contact Backup (better on Windows Phone) Camera Roll Backup (better on Windows Phone) I would guess 99% of Windows Phone users will move over to Andriod and customise it to look like a windows phone as most microsoft products are on Andriod now :)
  • Hmm...I'm no defender of iOS...but there's a few things you're not quite right about. 2)  Battery Life?  I'm consistently above 80% when I go to bed at Midnight...and my phone is off the charger at 7AM every morning.  I have gotten 3 days out of my phone. 3)  There is a back button of sorts.  If you leave an app, via a link, or something simliar, you're able to tap back into the app via a 'back' arrow at the upper left of the screen. Works pretty well. 6)  Its better than 95% of the phones out there...it loses to the HTC U11, Sammy GS8 & the Lumia 950/XL.  But it is not very bad.   9)  I'm using a Aukey QC 3.0 adapter to charge mine via their cable...works just fine.  Or is this about the cable itself?  (Cuz, yes, that's very Apple.) 10.)  Anyone thing the SD Card slot is stable an reliable in WM10?  Its not on my 950 & Idol 4S. 11)  Completely unnecessary on the iphone 7 & 7 Plus.  (And also on Android with the SD835...the BB KeyONE is getting multiday use on the SD627) 12)  Fingerprint reader is very reliable & very fast.  Hello is only on the Lumia 950/XL & HP...Idol 4S uses fingerprint just like the iPhone. 18)  In what regard? If you're using Apple's Contact's app...they're backed up just like WP does with theirs.  (And who uses locally stored contacts anymore?  All of mine in are gmail and work and sync across my 2 WP's, my iPhone & my Android phone...)  So, I see no 'better'...they all work great. 19)  You haven't used an Idol 4S. I chose the iPhone for guaranteed & dependable OS upgrades...Android is a sh*t show in that regard.  I was orphaned from updates on (2) 1 year old flagships...left and never looked back.  Even MS has been way better than Android...and they've orphaned phones left and right!
  • Battery life is only good on iOS if you don't play games like Pokémon Go haha
  • I will give you that 100%.
  • You can always look at the bright side. Not enough apps on WP for people to actually use their phnes, so batterry life is amazing. (that's facetious, don't go nuts on me)
  • I think that most people here missed the point. This is iOS 11 specifically, not iPhones in general. The like/dislike list would be a lot longer if it was.
  • Yep, true.  I only have iOS 10 & what iOS 11 brings, so I don't even really know what's what yet.
  • forgot no 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Yep
  • my iphone has 3.5mm headphone jack.  
  • I liked iOS design till iOS9, but after that, it has been getting weird..and I don't like it, but I still like that they have the best quality apps and the best optimisation in mobile phones.
  • What I hated the most when I upgraded my iPhone 5s to iOS 10 (this is the work phone, not my personal), anyway what I hated most was the removal of "Swipe to unlock".  Drove me so crazy I almost threw the phone on the wall at some point. Since then I configured fingerprint and just leave my finger on the home button to unlock, but man did it drive me crazy for a while. And to think Apple sued Samsung right, left and center for this in every court around the world to drop the feature not long after...
  • My 18 month phone data plan ends on Q3 2017, carriers offered me a very cool phone in 2016 a Sony Xperia M4 Aqua for free, I just had to pay my data plan, now I've seen free phones my carrier is offering (Telefonica from Spain) and is very bad quality phones from Huawei, Motorola and other brands I don't like.  If another company offers a subsidized iPhone SE I might spend some cash on it, otherwise I'm not going to change my phone in 2017.
  • Since I can't edit my posts...One other like for WP...Cortana...I just think it work better than Siri (when I have a data connection of course). Oh, and I don't seem to always get notified when emails/messages come in.  I can't find a pattern, but quiet hours & breakthrough rules are not reliable IMO. Over the last 7 mos...I have been extremely frustrated at the iPhone user experience, and it hasn't necessarily subsided, but you do get 'used' to certain tradeoff's.  I've very much thought about switching to the HTC U11, and I still may...but there's just enough 'wins' on the iphone to keep me with it for now.
  • much like the rediculous ps4 vs xbox one screen shot comparasons. Surely there is little difference between the products.Nice to know that IOS is still going, I hadn't heard much about it recently.  
  • No offense intended, but do you live under a rock? At least in the US there are two phone OEMs, Apple and Samsung, and you can't escape either one if you watch any TV. The only reason you would know MS still exists is product placement in TV shows. Of course most wouldn't even notice the Surfaces and Windows Phones in NCIS and the like.   P.S. if you don't live in the US, I do understand that Apple/iPhone/iOS isn't as big a deal elsewhere. ;)
  • Dislike : The most boring, uncustomizable home screen ever...
  • Honestly...you get over that very quickly...its not as big of a deal after a couple weeks in.  I haven't changed my live tiles layout in forever, and once you get your icons & group icons order set...it really doesn't become much of an issue.  Just accept it as the stupid limitation it is and move forward. 
  • Yeah, that is my one true gripe with iOS: The lack of real customization. You can't really change anything because Apple doesn't believe you need to outside of the Wallpaper and Icon arrangement. That is why I'd choose Android all the way, as I need to be able to change the look and feel of my device's software.
  • The thing that you will notice right away once you switch from WM to iPhone is that there are so many more useful apps.  This means you don't have to spend all your time just gazing at your home screen like you do on WM.  The live tile/home screen on WM is just a distraction so you won't notice how pathetic the app situation is.  With iPhone, you get in, use an app, get out and move on with your life.  Live tiles is brilliant in concept, but it's only as useful as the information it provides.  Once you get burned a few times by a "live" tile that doesn't update properly, you learn not to trust that information and have to open the app just to be sure.
  • So the Smart Inverted Color Mode is a definite for iOS 11?  I just find it very odd that Apple didn't talk about that at all, but yet is showed up in a beta build.  You'd think they'd have touted that as a great, unique feature (even though it isn't unique).
  • It's very buggy so yeah. Thatäs probably why they didn't talk about it
  • 'Windows 10 is famous for...' The use of the word 'famous' is a little excessive, to say the (very) least.
  • For a moment.... I think I was on iMore...
  • Windows Phone/Mobile is dead. I admitted that to myself a year ago when I bought a Nexus 6P, which incidentally is a fabulous phone. I recently moved to another Android phone. I would never have an Iphone. I hate Apple, its self satisfied smugness and the over inflated prices of its products.
  • Anything but Apple.  I got burned too many times with their crappy computers (used in a professional audio/video setting).  Switched to Windows, saved thousands of bucks and no more problems with crappy IOS updates breaking everything.  Loyal to MS.
  • Fake news.. I still am running Windows 10 mobile (950xl) not dead yet.. It's only dead when it stops moving and a tombstone placed on top of it.
  • Fake comment. This story doesn't say or even imply that Windows 10 Mobile is dead.
  • There is absolutely NOTHING about iOS, regardless of version, that I, as a Windows Phone user, will ever like.  I hate all things Apple, I hate their ugly devices, I hate their ugly OS, everything.
  • Hate is stupid.  Ios works, unlike "beta forever" W10M. 
  • fanbaby like comment there scubadog.   there is nothing to hate about apple since they have a very fluid OS,  The apps that are needed,  and support for years...unlike the almighty,  no apps, no support,  and speaking of ugly devices....plastic crap.....
  • I'm afraid that that is a stupid attitude. It's your prerogative of course, but it's still stupid. You say "as a Windows Phone user" but that's got nothing to do with. You don't hate Apple because you're a Windows Phone user. You hate Apple because you're a Microsoft fanboy.
  • I personally don't like the iPhone or Android plugs they do here at Windows Central. My reasoning is I come here for the Windows related news, whether it is from Mobile, or Windows 10, to Windows 10 S, to the new stuff that is in the works. If I wanted to hear about iPhone or Android related news I would just go to their site and check those news out. Lately these sort of articles have been bugging me. Anyone else feel the same or am I over reacting? Thoughts?
  • I personally don't like the iPhone or Android plugs they do here at Windows Central. My reasoning is I come here for the Windows related news, whether it is from Mobile, or Windows 10, to Windows 10 S, to the nee stuff that is ij the works. If I wanted to hear about iPhone or Android related news I would just go to their site and check those news out. Lately these sort of articles have been bugging me. Anyone else feel the same or am I over reacting? Thoughts?
  • I think these articles are only posted for the clicks. :P
  • The difference is that this article is written from the perspective of a Windows Phone or Windows 10 Mobile user, which you won't get anywhere else. Let's be realistic; there are plenty of Windows phone users who are thinking of switching platforms. Why should this site not service those users? This site isn't a Microsoft commercial. If you don't like stories like this one then don't read them. Just read the ones on subjects that interest you.
  • Thank you.
  • IOS... is far behind to be my Mobile OS. Windows 10 mobile is far better. lack of apps is the bad part that is loosing it's color. i'm fine with alcatel idol 4s and i'm waiting for surface phone.
  • Surface Phone is a unicorn.
  • I guess you just use your phone in continuum mode 24/7 then.  Because IOS is FAR AHEAD of windows mobile in terms of being a mobile OS. Just so you know I really am a fan of Microsoft,  and want them to do it in mobile...There is nothing I want more than a 1020 successor,  with all the apps,  and w10m interface.   BUUUUUUTTTTT....thats not happening and I do not see it in the future.  So I went to where it's smooth, apps , wearables and accessories are plenty.   
  • I would rather stick forks in my eyeballs than buy anything sold by Apple. ~fin
  • I'd rather shove something sharp up my pee hole than use a windows mobile device at this point in time!
  • I rather cut my balls off than to ever use iPhone and WM. Android is the best.
  • ha ha ha!  
  • "I would rather stick forks in my eyeballs than buy anything sold by Apple" Well, I guess that's fitting. The only thing that you can do with a Windows Phone is use it to stack forks on top of so at least you'll have something to do with your lonely Windows Phone.
  • It's funny how you talk like W10M doesn't do anything at all and has no apps and features that are at all useful.
  • Only because Lee Bierley said he'd rather stick forks in his eyeballs than buy an Apple product. Although, if we changed his slight by replacing forks with Windows Phone he'd be mostly safe anyway since the Windows Phone is rarer than the dodo bird in 1661. In general my criticism of Windows Phone is not of the mythical device itself but rather the reality distortion field some of its fans (or Apple haters) have created around either the Windows Phone or iPhones. My personal experience with Windows Phone is zero so my criticism of it would be unfair (I don't think I've ever criticized Windows Phone directly itself... if so, it's unfair of me). At best I can extrapolate from my touch experience with Windows 10 on tablets like the Surface 3 which, if even half accurate, is not at all flattering to Windows Phone.
  • Lol
  • On the love thing: For some 2 may be a point (not for me), but the rest? It runs smooth even on a $150 device, it looks way better if you take some time for startscreen configuration, and darkmode? Don't know how far it goes, but basically Win10mobile is default on dark mode. What i would also miss are things like "WIndows to move down the screen", the genious keyboard and full cortana integration and notification sync with WindowsPC.
  • "2. No default app switching in iOS 11 There is still no ability to switch the default apps in iOS 11. This has been a huge deal for a lot of users for the last 10 years, and iOS 11 hasn't addressed the issue. If you download a third-party app like Google Chrome, Outlook or ProTube, there is no way it can be set as a default app the task, for example. If you open a mail link, it won't take you to the Outlook app, but rather stubbornly redirect you to Apple's mail app. And that sucks."
    Windows phone/mobile never did this either, though.
  • That's true, however, you already have Microsoft apps set as default. You don't have that in iOS, and I imagine that a lot of users switching from Windows phones would like to set Microsoft Services as default
  • I don't know what I did but when I installed outlook, for example, on my iphone, its the default mail client. I can't even open or find apple's mail client, outlook just completely took over it. I know I originally opened the apple client and when I entered in my email address, it prompted me to download outlook.
  • "This sounds a lot like the good old days of Windows Phone when there was amazing attention to detail and the whole OS felt alive."
    Those days were over the moment Microsoft imagined W10M.
  • An article promoting switching from Windows Mobile to iOS on windowscentral.com.    Sad.     
  • "An article promoting switching from Windows Mobile to iOS" Umm. There is no Windows Mobile to switch from. So, from a Microsoft software user's point of view the only place they can get the best Microsoft experience is by using an iPhone running the best mobile Microsoft apps.
  • Microsoft are promoting switching,  why should not WC?
  • Well, I just switched to Xfinity Mobile and since the only devices they are currently offiring are the Galaxy S7/S8 phones and the iphone SE/6/7 phones I picked up the iPhone 7 plus.  I've used Android in the past and never liked it.  So far I must admit I'm enjoying the iPhone.  No worries though.  I still have my Lumia 640 and will switch back to Windows Mobile when a new flagship device is released.
  • James...Get used to that iphone buddy,  You won't be swtiching back for a LONG TIME.   
  • Reasons to love it Apps are slightly less freemium model than android Reasons to hate it It's a walled garden. Apple consumers are cattle, not people.
  • I have grown to like alfalfa...and lazy days spent grazing in the pasture.  The walled garden is both a bad and a good thing, and completely over sold as some massive Lord Marshall overlord from the underverse evil thing.  If you're in the garden...everything's amazing.
  • I love that comment....apple consumers are cattle....if that is true,  at least we have lots of grass and are well fed.  Windows mobile users look like those cows in africa and places like that with their ribs and bones showing because they are so malnurished from lack of EVERYTHING.
  • This made me smile.
  • "This made me smile." My first belly laugh of the hour. +1
  • Glad some people here have a sense of humor!  Most seem to just dwell under rocks or live in caves and have NO LIFE.
  • I actually laughed at this.
  • having switched from windows phone to android (because i liked the simplicity of wp8, everything felt so smooth, and app switching was awesome, unlike even the high end phones with windows 10 mobile), and now to ios, i have to say it works very well.
    to me ios is basically like windows phone 8, many features are already included, and i only "need" to download whatsapp and facebook and stuff
  • Stop promoting iPhones. If you don't have anything to report for Windows, then just shut down the site and start writing for iMore.
  • "Stop promoting iPhones." Umm. Umm. Umm. Microsoft is promoting the heck out of iPhones, that's why they're being reported on here. All of Microsoft apps are available on iOS, running on millions and millions and millions of [i]Phones. By comparison, just how many Windows Phones are actually running Microsoft's apps?
  • Do you still have to install itunes to transfer data from phone to pc on iOS? That would drive me mad. Windows mobile + pc means easy drag and drop, no fuss.
  • Hmm...I guess it depends?  I have used iTunes for local backups and for system upgrades, but that's really no different the WDRT for WM.  That's all I've ever used it for...so its a 2x a year thing.  (I did copy local movies & cd's over using it when I initially set it up.)  
  • I get why people find it somewhat insensetive  that they keep touting Iphone or Android on a Windows Site. People argue so much about them. Use what ever makes you happy whether that be a Windows Mobile,an Android Device or an Iphone. At the end of the day they are just bit of metal and plastic, that one day will get scrapped like your car or any other appliance. It's the people at the end of them that matter!
  • Finally, someone that understands that these are not a part of our souls. These are pieces of glass and metal mass-produced by greedy companies. Stop taking things so personally. Jeez.
  • For the most part a decent article, except your #4 iOS hater point is, well, pointless. Universal? Really? Give me a break. You took a decent article and had to add a completely irrelevant point. So sad but so typical.
  • then I assume you have never used UWP before!!!!
  • @Fahmi Bassem: Hi, can you clarify what you mean with "I assume you have never used UWP before" (i'm honestly wanting more info, not to win an argument). You're right if you mean that I've never run the same instance of an app before on the same device in both small screen and then desktop mode (although, I think that's Continuum).. From my perspective, the main people who derive much, if any benefit from UWP are developers. Code one and a half times for multiple device formats and you're done. From the users perspective it doesn't matter. As long as the devleoper makes a good mobile app and a good desktop app it really does not matter one iota that the developer had to do a bit more work to build a mobile and a desktop app. In fact, I do contend that the UWP code once is bad for the end user since it means the developer can get lazy. They don't have to think about what works well on mobile and what does not (in theory that's what I think UWP and Continuum are supposed to solve, but, given Microsoft's "roaring" success in attracting developers to the WIndows Store I'm skeptical). PS My project for this summer is to learn how become proficient with WFP/UWP app development (not because I have any desire to become a Windows Mobile developer but to create a web browser for my sons since I find that web browsers on WInodws 10 simply aren't kid friendly... and, if I can possible swing it, I'll also try a utility to disable edge gestures since Windows 10 has pretty terrible edge gestures... Action Center and Task View are both poor choices for edge gestures to begin with and cause young children no end of problems... really hoping that Microsoft allows users to specify what they want their edge gestures to do in the not-so-distant future :( :( :().
  • Force touch is great,  should have bought the 6s.   It's the best phone apple put out.   still got the headphone jack,  plus all the force touch goodies etc.   I think the 7 is a big step backward because of removal of that jack...etc.
  • "big step backward because of removal of that jack" People said the same thing about going USB-only and ditching the floppy disk with the original iMac. The same applies to headphone jacks. Water is the enemy of cell phones and more ports == more problems. Combining everything into a single port simplifies waterproofing, and, when you have a $1000 device in your pocket you definitely want it to last as long as possible. Anyway, for now I couldn't care a less because I don't buy expensive phone and I'm sure the cheap ones I get will not have waterproofing for a few more years :).