Items I'd Like to see on next Windows Phone 8 Update

jmarnell

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So, I have a Lumia 920 running the new, Windows Phone 8 software. Came from a Blackberry 9900 and have been a BB user for 10 years. Also have the Galaxy S3 and I have been on AT&T for all three devices.

All in all, the Lumia 920 running Windows Phone 8 is spectacular. I am really enjoying it and discovering new features pretty much daily. But, and I mean this in all sincerity and in hopes that Microsoft will take notice, there are a few features I'd like to see incorporated in the next software update from MS.

I'll add my list and perhaps, others can join in as well. I'm thinking these incorporated features will take the Windows Phone 8 software from really good to incredible!

1. Unified notification center. I know the counter argument is that live tiles provide notifications. Yes, they do. But they also disappear and are not available in one unified location where I can act/not act upon my preference

2. LED notification and customized sounds for alerts and individual preferences. Why is this one so complicated!!! One of the things I truly like about Android is how they do not assume that they know what every consumer wants on their device. But locking down the device software (Apple is even worse than MS) to the degree that Windows Phone 8 seems to be can potentially turn users off, killing the chances of gathering scale and an expanded user base. I HATE the universal volume control and the very limited ring tones and alert tones available to the consumer. And not being able to "look" at my phone and see a blinking LED to indicate a VM, text, email, missed call, etc. is crazy and so odd when incorporating these features would surely make me MORE productive. I would like to "see" what's going on with my Lumia 920 without having to pick it up and hit the wake button.

3. Options to download additional keyboards. I use SwiftKey keyboards with my Samsung S3 Android device. Without a doubt, this is the very best keyboard and predictive text input mechanism available on a mobile device (but I have also head that the new, Blackberry OS 10 keyboard is supposed to be even better). Don't get me wrong, the MS keyboard included in Windows Phone 8 is very good. But, once again, I want choices. I want to decide the "style" of the keyboard, size of the letters, if I want the numeric pad on the left, right, or the top row, etc. I don't want what some programmer in Redmond decided all of us want in a keyboard design. MS could easily license and incorporate the various Swiftkey keyboards into their core Windows 8 code. No security issue, and in the end, more choices for the consumer.

4. For God's sake, what's with the wi-fi connection shutting down!!! Are you kidding me? This makes absolutely no sense and to me, is a real problem for power users and those running apps in the background that need a consistent wi-fi connection. Once again, I get the fact that MS is actually trying to help consumers by keeping a lid on excessive data usage. I applaud them for this. But, let ME decide how I want this action to be handled.

5. I'm so tired of hearing about the lack of apps in the MS ecosystem. Really, do we really want to have 1500 solitaire apps! And this a fact: over 30% of the 700,000 apps that are claimed to exists on the Google and Apple store have either never been downloaded, or represent downloads of less than 500!!! BUT, MS, please get the key apps into the Windows Phone 8 ecosystem as soon as possible. More importantly, get me the key corporate and business productivity apps NOW. I'm talking about WebEx apps, apps that will let me search my MS calendar and email for appointments and emails, VPN apps, Jawbone & Plantronics conference call integration, among others. I know the focus is on consumer apps as that is a much larger universe to support the general consumer population. But don't forget about business users!!! If MS does not address the business user with these core apps, they run the risk of getting crushed by the new Blackberry OS 10 phones and ecosystem that is due for release in Q1 2013.

6. A more robust calendar application and search functionality. This is so odd. Why was this feature omitted in the Windows Phone software? Having the ability to search appointments and meetings in my calendar app across previous months, and future appointments, will allow me to be more productive. Omitting this feature is ridiculous and just simply stupid.

These are just a few of the improvements and upgrades I'd like to see incorporated in the next MS update of the Windows Phone 8 software. Would love to see what others think as well and additional items they'd like to see added, or improved upon.
 
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StevesBalls

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Well, we've only been waiting for those for 2 years, so they have to be right around the corner, right? :p I think things like the wi-fi issue really show that deep down Microsoft is still the same corporation that moves too slowly and I'm afraid it won't change anytime soon.

As for the apps, you answered it yourself - it's about the quality, not quantity.
 

strokee

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It's my understanding that Microsoft is currently working on the notification center and wifi issue. They said they simply "ran out of time".
 

E Lizzle

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You nailed all my complaints. The lack of a notification LED is huge. Having to pick up the phone, press the lock button, and look at the screen to see if you have any missed calls or unread messages is bogus. Sadly, that can't be fixed with a software update (unless they blink the camera flash, heh). The lorum ipsum on the calendar's month view is absurd, also. Absolutely useless and all-but-invisible, going back to the WinMo 6.x monthly view's little white "bookmarks" would be a step forward there.

-E
 

StevesBalls

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You nailed all my complaints. The lack of a notification LED is huge. Having to pick up the phone, press the lock button, and look at the screen to see if you have any missed calls or unread messages is bogus. Sadly, that can't be fixed with a software update (unless they blink the camera flash, heh).

There is actually a neat workaround that some Android ROMs use - to blink the capacitive buttons for notifications. But the chance of ever seeing that on WP is pretty much null.
 

muvig

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I hope fm radio would be enabled as well.
I have my lumia 920 on pre-order.

Looking forward to this happening.

Fm radio

fm radio

fm radio please !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

perchyk

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What about music and video scrolling. Really annoyed that I have to hold the >> key forever to get to a part of my audio book or having to click forward and back in a video to find the right location.
 

-Scienide-

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What about music and video scrolling. Really annoyed that I have to hold the >> key forever to get to a part of my audio book or having to click forward and back in a video to find the right location.


This times a billion. Its possibly the most tiniest of details that could make the HUGEST difference to me. Nobody seems to have come up with any sort of explanation as to why its not possible already? Standard feature surely?
 

jmarnell

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I'm now going to add number 7 to my list....

7. Why can't MS fix active-sync and have a real, working, exchange, Outlook email, calendar and task application! Today, out on the road, I wanted to schedule a meeting with a client and add invitees to the meeting via my Outlook calendar on my Lumia 920 running Windows Phone 8. Oh my GOD what a painful, cumbersome and tedious process which ultimately I failed to accomplish. It is impossible to invite an attendee to the Outlook meeting request if the person is not in your contacts!!! And tasks are not accessible no matter how many times I have tried to sync them. This is simply insane.

I've used any number of email/calendar applications that utilize active-sync on my Android powered, Samsung Galaxy S3 and they all do these functions effortlessly. One in particular called "Touchdown" is arguably the best exchange/Outlook integrated, active-sync email, calendar and task applications on the market. And even Apple's iOS works flawlessly when syncing to Outlook and exchange via active-sync.

WHY, again WHY can't Microsoft on their own Windows Phone 8 platform (as well as Phone 7.7, 7.0, 6.0, etc.) get this to work!!!! Absolutely inexcusable and a damn shame that this does not work.

To be honest, this could be a deal breaker for me on the Windows Phone 8 platform. As a businessman who manages four states and is on the road 75% of the time, having a clean, working, intuitive, as well as productive email, calendar and task (Outlook integrated) application working on my cell phone is critical. It is a non-negortiable as they say in the sales business vernacular.

Microsoft.... get this fixed ASAP
 

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