[Windows Phone 7 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] syrenz:
I'll be getting a new phone within the next month probably. The question is what OS it will run. Currently I have a Motorola Milestone XT720 running Android (running a poor build of CM7 right now). The phone has an underpowered processor and miniscule amount of RAM and doesn't do the best job of running android.

I've been watching WP7 for a while and I've felt tempted to make the switch from Android to WP7. I think Android is a great OS, but I have issues with some aspects of it and have been checking out the other camp (iOS/iPhone does not appeal to me at ALL btw).

Here's what appeals to me about WP7:

+ Metro UI looks slick, pretty and unique

+ All the transitions around the OS (at least as I've seen in videos) look fantastic. Really looks like a lot of detail, animations and polish around the entire OS.

+The unified UX and UI of Metro are really appealing to me, who has had a headache of an experience with Android (I am what I believe is a "power user" and do not have trouble with technology, but navigation and looks of android have been clunky).

-ICS brings more polish to Android and looks like a big improvement but google has basically taken the swiping around OS straight from Microsoft's book and the new UI isn't as consistent around the entire OS as I'd like to be (as opposed to Metro).

+ Some Microsoft services. Zune looks gorgeous, and the service seems interesting (although I found the previous model in which users kept 10 songs at end of month more appealing). Microsoft Office looks very nice and seems to have all the productivity I need (Google Doc app on Android pretty much sucks - though I do like gdocs in general). I use my android primarily for productivity and music and looks like WP7 has great stuff built in.

+ I hear performance and battery life on WP7 generally tops android.

+ "The phone to save me from my phone". When I saw that ad campaign a year ago when I had just gotten my android, I didn't really get what the tagline meant. After spending a year endlessly tweaking, theming and modifying my android in every way possible, I understand. Android is customizable and that is nice. However, I waste so much time with that aspect of Android. What I want is the complete package, in a beautiful design that simply works. It's what I spent all that time tweaking android and switching ROMs to achieve, but I never seem to be happy. I feel that WP7 may actually save me from my phone.

The problem with WP7 for me:

- I worry about making the switch from Android's massive app market to WP7's smaller one. I do see the statements about it being the fastest growing one though.

- There are a number of standout apps on Android that are simply amazing quality apps. (i.e. PowerAmp, SPB Shell 3D, Beautiful Widgets etc...) Can anyone list some unique quality apps that WP7 has? Like 5-10 app list would be great.

- I'm a fan of a bunch of google services. How do the microsoft ones compare? (i.e. bing vs google, office vs docs, maps etc...)

- APPS ARE SO DARN EXPENSIVE. Looked at the market the other day and saw games seem to go on average at $7 as opposed to Android where pretty much everything is free.

- Where are the phones? This is my biggest issue with WP7 right now. I live in Canada and use AWS for my carrier. There are like 2-3 WP7 phones that work with my carrier (WIND) and they are all old stuff from like WP7 launch. The new phones don't seem to be carrying AWS 1700/2100 bands. New Nokia phones looking amazing (except for lack of ffcamera) but no AWS bands and not coming to Canada for a while (and I want to get a new phone within the month). What WP7 phone with good specs could I get if I wanted one?

Galaxy Nexus is coming to Canada and works with Wind and has amazing specs so that might be what I end up with... but I'd like to know if I can consider getting WP7.

Lastly, if you've made the switch from Android to WP7, please feel free to share your thoughts on how you feel after the switch.

Thanks!

(Hopefully I posted this in the right section - not sure)