Do Windows phones work well with Smart Things? I am a user of the Smart Things hub, Samsung security cameras and other smart things through the Apple operating system. My parents who live 300 miles from me are in need of the same setup because my Dad is very ill and we need to be able to keep an eye on him through various means. I am going there this weekend to install everything for them. The problem is my folks are currently using older Nokia Lumia phones that have a Windows operating system and are unable to update their phones from Windows 8 to 10 in order to use the Smart Things app. The AT&T rep said they will have to upgrade their phones. Since this is a very, very huge expense for them, what would you recommend… Will an ungraded Nokia Lumia or other Windows phone work and play well with Smart Things? I need it to be very reliable since we do not live close together and I will not be able to easily fix their issues that come up. Or, should I just tell them to forget about Windows and go with an Apple ios or Samsung Android phone?
I’m a Windows Phone user and a bit of a fan boy. I can not in good conscience recommend them for anything beyond it’s intended ecosystem. It’s a solid phone and in spite of the headlines Microsoft has shown continued support for it. BUT 3rd parties, including Smartthings treat it like the 1% last place ecosystem that it is. The app is buggy and there are many things that I can’t do with it that I’ve needed to use an android tablet to complete. If you’re a hobbyist like myself it’s fun, I would not recommend it to someone’s parents. Maybe someone else will chime in there are at least a dozen of us WP10 users on here, maybe they’re having a better experience.
Been using since WP 8. I love the phone and the application, though I wouldn’t wholeheartedly recommend it for full time use. WP has tended to be treated last place since it has the lowest user base. That being said, the design and functionality have vastly improved over time. If you’re looking for a set and forget solution, Android and iOS may be the better solution. I constantly have to have my wife open the app so it registers her presence (same for my phone). Things are also much smoother and faster on the other OS’s. Loading devices and rooms is much easier on my Android tablet and even smoother on the iPad. There’s a bit more polish. If you don’t mind having to do a bit of massaging and have the patience, then I welcome you with open arms. A cheap Android tablet might be the better option.
Thanks for the insight. It is very much appreciated.
My wife and I both use Windows Phones with ST. Only thing that has been an issue is the presence sensor seems to stop working sometimes, otherwise things seem to work pretty well overall. One big factor is we also use SmartTiles which completely changes the game.
That’s a false biased statement. I dare you to go blow by blow feature wise iOS vs Windows and see who comes out on top. Leave out apps and see which performs best!
Bend gate, hissing, non-working screen, “Siri open my mail” on a locked phone and phone is magically unlocked.
All issues, Windows phones never had. Best in class camera? Windows phones. Stability? Windows phones. Productivity? Windows phones. Want a full blown Windows 10 PC experience? Windows phone.
If you want a phone purely for apps, yes iOS and Android. But if you want functionality of a solid OS. Windows phone all the way.
If you’re going to bash another platform, bring some facts to the table.
SmartThings generally works mostly okay with Windows Phone still… but it’s more reliable doing all of my setup on Android. Also, the security camera stuff that came to iOS and Android with v2 of the app is not at all present on the WP app. If that’s a key usage for you like you describe, WP is a nonstarter.
That’s like saying if you leave off the wheels, let’s see which car is best. 
I still use my Lumia 950XL as my day to day phone, but you’re vastly overrating Windows as an OS, and vastly underrating the importance of apps these days. Windows is fine. It does some things a little better than the competition, and it does a lot of things worse. To me, the things it does better just barely tilt the scales in favor of it for me to continue using it.
And as for apps, in this thread alone, the OP wants to use security cameras, which are not possible with the WP SmartThings. That scenario of lesser functionality for the apps that do make it to Windows is far too common. And we’re lucky to have that ST app on Windows in the first place. Most developers don’t even bother with Windows at all.
Besides the security camera issue, the app works well for basic use, the only thing I’m unable to do is set up pistons in Core. I think if they are unwilling to change phones there are 2 options. 1st use smarttiles and just setup what your parents need and pin the website to the start screen. 2nd use the windows insider program to upgrade their phone to windows 10 (I would recommend the preview build since it would be the most stable) and install the smartthings app, you may still not be able to use the cameras as other post stated though.
BTW do you know what Lumia models they have?
https://community.smartthings.com/t/smarttiles-v5-8-deployed-to-blue-green-editions-release-notes-etc-follow-this-topic-for-updates/48641to set up the basic