How big is the app gap for Windows 10 mobile?

[Nout88]

How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

Hi everyone,

I'm a ex-Windows Phone 7.5 user (HTC Titan, magnificent thing), got off the platform due to the app gap. For two years I've been on android and IOS now(work-phone), which was a horrible decision. Android has apps, but is downright ugly and inconsistent (after heavy tweaking it's manageable, but still inferior to windows 7.5 in my experience). IPhone has apps, and it's more consistent, but the OS is just stale to me: everything is as IPhone wants it to be, and you can hardly change a thing about the looks, every iPhone is the same to me. Furthermore, I didn't like the closed iPhone community, they generally lack criticism, Mac can't do anything wrong to them even though it's all not that great in my experience (overall impression, I'm sure not every iPhone user is like that).

I'm planning to go back to windows (W10M), so I've been doing some research on the platform through basically every source, and I've been reading everything on this forum for the last three months. I can't seem to find any good intel on how big the app gap still is though, and which apps I would have to miss.
- I know that universal apps might work to close the app-gap eventually
- I know that some developers are already working on new apps from the last Microsoft Event in NY, and some posts on this website

I'm quite sure I'm going to buy the L950, and I hope this post will convince me even more.

So:
My reason for leaving WP was the app gap two years ago, but I miss it.
Has the app gap grown smaller the past two years? (how big is it?)
Current WP applications, will they work on W10M? (my mobile-banking-WP-app is one of them, and quite crucial)
Which great apps are on Android and IOS, but not on W10M? Has anyone found this in a visual format?

Hope I'm not asking for the impossible here!

Regards & thanks in advance!

 

[Pete]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

Realistically speaking, the gap is different for each and every user, but public perception tends to inflate the situation.

The point is that "app gap" only really applies to whatever apps that you (as an individual) can't live without. Yes, there are some apps that would help to have as a significant number of users want them. But on a personal level, for your own purchasing decision, it's really down to you.

 

[afripino]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

Has the app gap grown smaller the past two years? (how big is it?)
- The gap has grown bigger with some major app devs dropping support. We "might" get dev support if/when Astoria and Islandwood decide to come out.

Current WP applications, will they work on W10M? (my mobile-banking-WP-app is one of them, and quite crucial)
- Yes, they will.

Which great apps are on Android and IOS, but not on W10M? Has anyone found this in a visual format?
- Don't have it in a visual format, but it depends on what you use. Facebook (the official one) is a major app that isn't on W10M. Others include Snapchat, Tinder, Pinterest, Mint, etc. Again, referring to official apps. A bunch of games also missing as well.

I'd give the 950 a shot if missing those aforementioned apps for the next year isn't a big deal. As I said, they "might" come to W10M.

 

[a5cent]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

I've moved this thread into the general Windows Phone discussion forum.

That's because this is more of an ecosystem question rather than an OS question. Currently, practically all apps that run on W10M also run on WP8.1, so there is no difference between the app-gap on WP8.1 and W10M. This could change if/when developers start porting iOS and Android apps to WP, but by that time most WP devices will be running W10M too.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

You asked for visual comparisons. Here are a few screenshots showing differences in the Waze app for Windows Phone and Android.





Notice how many categories are missing in the Windows Phone version.

 

[Nout88]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

Thanks!

Makes sense, I'll do some more research on the apps I will need, and whether they will be on W10M then!

 

[Nout88]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

You asked for visual comparisons. Here are a few screenshots showing differences in the Waze app for Windows Phone and Android.
(attachments)
Notice how many categories are missing in the Windows Phone version.

Well, that's a good visual comparison of the quality of an app, thank you!

I wasn't thinking that far ahead to be frank.
I was thinking more about something like this:
(can't post links here so I've deleted the WWW)
infragistics.com/community/blogs/nick-landry/archive/2013/08/06/top-100-apps-availability-on-ios-android-windows-phone-amp-windows-8.aspx

 

[Laura Knotek]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

Well, that's a good visual comparison of the quality of an app, thank you!

I wasn't thinking that far ahead to be frank.
I was thinking more about something like this:
(can't post links here so I've deleted the WWW)
infragistics.com/community/blogs/nick-landry/archive/2013/08/06/top-100-apps-availability-on-ios-android-windows-phone-amp-windows-8.aspx

That site is down.

Unfortunately, it'll be tough to compare visuals of specific apps you use, since not everyone who has both Windows Phone and Android devices will use the same apps that you use.

If there are any specific apps you'd like me to check, you could try mentioning them, but I can't guarantee that I use them.

 

[Cruachan 11]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

There are 2 sides to the so-called app gap IMO, one is the lack of some apps on Windows Phone/Mobile, the other is that some are missing (IMO) because of the more stringent security rules over Android in particular. The amount of advertising in some Android apps over the Windows versions is unbelievable, Angry Birds and Sonic Dash being notable examples.

That was a long winded way of saying horses for courses, work out what is essential to you and go from there.

 

[Zachary Boddy]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

I believe more apps are coming and have come then in Windows Phone 7.5, but in the end it really depends on what you want. For me, the app gap is minimal. Every now and then I find myself wanting an app that I can't but really I have everything I need.

 

[anon(5383410)]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

The only kind of apps I think are really important when talking about the "app gap" are banking apps. Smartphones are supposed to be productivity tools. Ever since it was decided that everyone on earth had to have a smartphone they became toys. Social media apps are cool and all but as long as I can use my smartphone to be smart then I'm good. That being said they do need to get some major banking apps in the fold because banking via app is a legitimately useful way to leverage a smartphone that WP is still lacking. My $0.02.

 

[PepperdotNet]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

Since I gave up my iPhone 2 years ago, sure it's been frustrating to see everything everywhere with the apple and google logos promoting apps while they refuse to acknowledge that Windows even exists. But to be totally truthful, I've not found a single thing I couldn't live without. As long as I have at my disposal a powerful web browser with which I can use the actual website of these places and get the job done, who needs an app.

 

[Mr Lebowski]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

As of June 2015 1,500,000 apps available for the iPhone, stop counting if it matters. :winktongue:

 

[tangledW]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

How big?
It's huge!

... But didn't bother ME at all. I've never wanted to do something and not been able to.

 

[CygnusOrion]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

As of June 2015 1,500,000 apps available for the iPhone, stop counting if it matters. :winktongue:

Who cares what the app count is on iOS, the point is it has ALL the apps that matter. Every banking app, airline app, restaurant app, Google app, Microsoft app, VPN apps, all the games, productivity apps, and on and on. It's endless. There are no holes.

 

[920Walker]

You mentioned your iPhone for work. Are there specific apps installed on that device that you must have for work? I'm not talking about MS Office type apps, but ERP, engineering, etc. apps. Depending on your location your bank may have an app. In the US not many smaller banks have apps on WP and some larger ones have dropped support. I'm on a PC daily so don't personally care my banks don't have apps. I'll continue to get by using the browser on PC or phone for bank access. The new Edge browser on W10 Mobile (preview, beta, not yet released) doesn't always work for me with forms on some webpages, but that should be cleared up by the time the 950 and W10M are released to the public. I've been on WP since 8 first came out and have been very satisfied. I'm a phone, SMS, browser, camera and Untappd user...the necessities.

 

[erzhik]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

The app gap is significant now. The situation is worse actually. US banks pulling out, financial apps pulling out... Even apps that used to thrive on WP 7.5 and 8, are no longer present or just broken without an update in sight.

I got used to using my browser instead of apps, so I'm somewhat used to the app gap.

 

[Blacklac]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

Who cares what the app count is on iOS, the point is it has ALL the apps that matter. Every banking app, airline app, restaurant app, Google app, Microsoft app, VPN apps, all the games, productivity apps, and on and on. It's endless. There are no holes.

Well, that's not true or the Cydia store wouldn't exist.

Posted via Note 4/Nexus 7 (2013)/Lumia 1020/ Lumia 2520

 

[taymur]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

The discussion of App Gap. I want to share my point of view as well....

This problem is very market specific and user specific, my over all recommendations, is to open your current mobile, and search the apps one by one, and see what you can live without.

that said, not everything really needs an app, most of the apps can be replaced by just going to the browser, specially if they don't send notifications.

Social media, the only one that i cant use is Snapchat, because its not available, nor is it accessible by the web browser.


The app gap is not real for me because, in my country there is no apps on neither platform, banks don't have apps, we don't have a metro, train or any, cenimas don't have apps on neither platforms, you get my point? the app gap is not there because the services either don't have apps on any platform, or they don't exist in the first place. and this to me makes things really simple.


On the other hand, i access almost anything that does not have an app, from the web browser.... usually these websites do not require my constant attention, like my bank, i only open it to transfer some money and check my balance and that's it, i even usually do this from my computer, not really an on the go thing.


What is bothering me on windows 10 mobile is the lack of UWA, once you use those, you cant go back, you have no idea how good these apps are, they are fast, responsive, light, very good overall, (i like the new skype video app, the new facebook is very good too).

 

[rocker1m1]

Re: How big is the "app gap" for windows 10 mobile?

The app gap is pretty substantial. I don't use a lot of apps so that is not a problem, however the problem is the core apps are sometimes years behind their Android and iOS counterparts. Hope the situation will improve with Windows 10.