Windows or Android?
 

I hope this is the right section for posting this. Now, I do not follow mobile phones much, infact very less. Up untill now I just used a simple Java based phone that served the basic needs. Now, I am in need for a new phone, since it is pretty much losing life, and I am seeing phones based on Android and Windows 8.1 mobile, which interest me. I want to just know in brief, as in major points, about the difference between the two and the suitability factor. All I know is that since Windows has recently jumped into smartphone business, the app store is relatively shallow. However, I was impressed by the Office applications that are preloaded, some Xbox app, and it's overall lookout (plus the presence of Cortana from Halo).
Also, I am not in much favour of mobile gaming, still if all hell breaks loose, and I am forced to think of it as my last resort, which one would be better?

I have a Windows Phone (have had one for years now) and I really like it. Some of the big name apps are missing, but I don't really care as the phone does most of what I want. The standard Office, Xbox and other MS apps are really nice as well as the OneDrive integration. The Lumia's also have some really nice cameras. The HERE maps, HERE drive are really good mapping apps from Nokia. Not sure if they are available on Android but every time me and my wife need directions my phone is always faster and more accurate.

Android has more customization and obviously a lot more phones and apps to chose from but my wife hated Android. She was always having weird issues, lack of updates and things just randomly didn't work. Now she has an iPhone and loves it.

Also, WP10 is coming soon, and that should be great. All 8.1 devices should receive the update.

So these pre-loaded apps, do they differ manufacturer by manufacturer or are they generally universal? Because I am looking for a lower end phone, and the Big names do not seem to be at my price range, at least now. Some Indian manufacturers(reputable here, some might even go the MNC way in future) are providing these phones at the sweet spot. I think the Office and Xbox app, and maybe the Onedrive thing are universal, isn't it?

i think most of the Microsoft and Nokia apps are free and standard for the Windows Phone platform.

2G network is being phased out here (Australia) next year some time - what about where you are?

Just saying to watch out for redundancy in software and services.

Here, the situation is quite altogether different. 2G is still very much here, due to lack of proper capitalization of 3G. Although the 3G auction happened around 5-6 years ago, and it was touted for its speed and stuff, till date it has never been properly utilized. The service is nowadays better than how it started, but we still have issues like expensive plans ( with mostly limited data cap), the signals are very erratic in a large part of the country(it just comes and goes, swithes to 2G signal) and the speeds are nothing revolutionary. However, it still goes without saying, that people are making their transition form 2G to 3G, as the service is obviously better in metros.
Just yesterday, I heard that Reliance(an Indian company whose boss would be probably in the Top 10 or 20 richest person in the world, you would know him if you see the IPL as he owns one of the team) was planning to bring 4G here. So, we might have all the three at the same time in near future.

Thanks black hawk - I worry about the 2g decision because most of Australia is the outback - wide open for thousands of kms each way - 2G would still be good there from what you say.

Oh dear oh dear.

Well, everyone has their problems, but I bet we will somehow topple the chart of dissatisfaction. Anyway, I was looking for phones online and finally bought this:
http://www.iball.co.in/product/Andi4L-Pulse/829
For company info:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBall_(company)

Whatever I have explored on it, it has been very stable. I am impressed with cortana's speech recognition. Once I tried on a friend's phone, which was an android phone (Google Now is it?) and i singularly remember, that it sucked (you know, Indian accent). But this one gets almost everything I say. However, it was a long time ago, and I believe other companies must have improved their service by miles now.

We still have the NMT system alive here in Sweden, only one that covers the wilderness in the north :)