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For someone who has a Windows 8.1 device (laptop) as well as a Surface Pro, are there any unique features of the Windows 8 phone that would create a more unified experience between all of the devices? Are there any ways that a Windows Phone would interact seemlessly with these existing devices more than an Android or iPhone would?

I am not looking for the virtues of WP8 versus WP7 or Android or Apple, but rather any beneficial factors which arise from having a Windows phone device rather than something else.

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    Sorry but your question can't have a answer. It is related with opinions of people who know both. Some like some not.
    – Vitor Canova
    Nov 26 '13 at 9:22
  • I am not asking for opinions, but facts. For example, is there any Settings synchromization between the two devices? Does the SkyDrive connection provide me with any easier access to shared documents, etc. Is that any clearer? Someone who has and uses both devices should be able to answer my question.
    – David Rogers
    Nov 26 '13 at 16:29
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    I agree with David. I think this question can be answered in a non opined fashion
    – Steve H
    Nov 27 '13 at 0:26
  • Ok I will reopen. Let's keep the comments to sign what we want here ;)
    – Vitor Canova
    Nov 27 '13 at 10:42
  • I agree with @VitorCanova. Creating an integrated experience can go above and beyond just the OS itself. Even apps common to Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 must be considered making the question ever broader.
    – karancan
    Nov 27 '13 at 21:58
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There is a dedicated app for Windows Phone 8.

As well allowing you to automatically synchronise photos, videos etc. taken on your phone to your PC, this app alsp allows you to:

  • Get your music, photos and videos from your computer to your phone (and vice versa).
  • Add ringtones and playlists to your phone.
  • Quickly share things from your phone with Windows 8 apps (like Photos or Search). You don’t even have to open the Windows Phone app to move things around.

It's that last part that is possible the most unique feature - that the phone becomes a share target in Windows 8 , and that you can use the app to share thigns from your phone without having to worry about transferring them locally, etc.

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I use Windows 8.1 on my desktop and use a Windows Phone 8. I can't speak whether or not other phones have this as well as I don't use them. The OneDrive integration works great and I routinely save files on OneDrive to access them later on my phone. The syncing happens automatically and in the background and I've never had issues with it. OneNote integration is also very good as I both can share the same notes and the syncing is virtually instantaneous. Of course email, calendar and To Do lists are synced via Outlook (I use Outlook 2010 and have multiple email accounts synced). All my Outlook contacts are synced. If you have lots of folders in your email though, it is actually quicker to use the Outlook Web App as you have to sync one folder at a time with the native phone app.

I also have a Surface tablet and can keep all three devices pretty well synced. Other apps such as Package Tracker also work well as does music and photos.

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  • Of course, SkyDrive (now OneDrive) has clients for all the major smartphone OSs, and can even do camera backup now too.
    – Rowland Shaw ♦
    Mar 20 '14 at 12:36
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You can mount a WP8 (or Android) phone on Windows 8, and have it appear more or less like normal removable storage. You can't do this with an iPhone. You also have Office by default on WP8 (whereas Office on iPhone and Android requires an Office 365 subscription).

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  • Office is also available for iPhone and Android phones nowadays.
    – akid
    Nov 28 '13 at 9:10
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    You can mount with previous Windows versions too.
    – Vitor Canova
    Nov 28 '13 at 13:05
  • Office on iPhone and Android requires an Office 365 subscription. I've edited my answer.
    – Alan Watson
    Nov 28 '13 at 17:57
  • The question was about Windows 8, not about "previous Windows versions".
    – Alan Watson
    Dec 2 '13 at 3:44
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You can share WiFi logins across devices, which means if you have logged into a WiFi with your phone it automatically becomes available on your Windows device as well.

With Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft introduced universal apps, which lets you use the same app across multiple devices.

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