The "app gap" between WP8 and Android/iOS isn't as big as you might think...

[bigkevbosky]

Well after reading this thread a few times I guess I missed the point - the "app gap" isn't the problem, the problem is people not doing their research and buying into the Windows Phone platform without realizing its missing half the apps they use.

If you use HBO Go, the KOBO reader app, the US Bank app, Spotify, and Instagram, then why are you here? Why are you on Windows Phone? You knew it didn't have those apps, or discovered that quickly after you bought your phone, so why didn't you return it and get an iPhone 5 or an Android device?

If the answer is "well I like the UI of Windows Phone", then you made a choice. You chose a UI interface over app abundance and you have no room to complain. If you want all your apps, you should've stuck with iOS or Android. Its really a simple decision.

 

[1jaxstate1]

The "app gap" is still there and still very prevalent. It's not about how many current apps are there. It's about when devs make new apps, which platforms do they make the apps for. Almost all new apps are pretty much being developed for iOS and Android first. WP is still "we taking the wait and see" approach.

"Today's top 50" is unless tomorrow if the dev support isn't there to keep WP current with the big boys.

 

[pavvento]

This is the main reason I haven't ditched my iPad for a Surface. There are still many top name or up and coming apps that aren't available on Windows 8/WP 8. I absolutely love my 920 but would love it even more with DirecTV Sunday Football, Square, SideCar, etc, etc, etc.

 

[Tahiti Bob]

At the same time, I know that the store will now grow to the standards and beyond of iOS and Android.

You don't know that, even the Android store doesn't grow to the standard of iOS!

At the same time, I know that the store will now grow to the standards and beyond of iOS and Android.

With WP 8, Microsoft flat out said that 40 something of the top 50 apps on iOS and Android are now in the store and that's great.

They're not in the store, they're coming to the store, that's a massive difference. If 30 of these apps come when no one cares anymore (like it happened with Draw Something) then you haven't really filled the gap. It's one thing to announce apps, if you take ages to actually have them in the store it can be problematic.

 

[Tahiti Bob]

This is the main reason I haven't ditched my iPad for a Surface. There are still many top name or up and coming apps that aren't available on Windows 8/WP 8. I absolutely love my 920 but would love it even more with DirecTV Sunday Football, Square, SideCar, etc, etc, etc.

Same here, the Surface looks nice but swapping an iPad for it is madness unless you're in some sort of Microsoft cult. Maybe in a year or two.

 

[deadinsidesavior]

That gap is definitely still there. I'm not talking about the raw number of apps, because I agree that is totally not relevant. A lot of people keep bring up the argument of "how many flashlight apps do you need?", but that's not the point. I only need 1 flashlight app, but not every flashlight app is the same and does exactly what I want it to, and that's the problem. It's like saying, how many different brands of cars do you need, all you need is a VW Beetle for a compact, Honda Civic for Sedan, BMW 5-Series for luxury sedan, Mercedez S-Class for executive class sedan, Ford F-150 for pickup, etc. It doesn't work like that. I just switched from a Nexus to a HTC 8x, and I love the 8x, it's a great phone. 920 is probably better, but 8x has it's merits and I don't want to be locked into AT&T.
Here's the problem, I am by no means an app hoarder, I only use a handful of apps even on my Nexus. Email, calendar, Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Line/Viber, Google Tasks, Chrome, Google music.
Seriously, that is pretty much it for me, I don't play any games on my phone, and those that I listed are probably the bare minimum for any smartphone user. But I use those applications EXTENSIVELY, like very extensively.
Email/Calendar/Chrome is fine, I can live with IE10. And surprisingly, there is a very solid Google Music app port on WP8, which I am grateful for.
But everything else is where you see the problem. On Android, I can search for practically ANYTHING, and I will get at least a handful of applications that do the job perfectly, but in different styles/ways, and I can choose whichever one works best for me. On WP8, I have done a bunch of searches and spent long hours hunting for apps, most of the time there are only 1, at most 2 apps that have a rating higher than 3.5. There is basically no choice, you either use an app that is not great, or use one that is terrible.
Like I said, even the basic applications. Facebook has been pretty terrible for me, it crashes every few minutes, push notifications don't push properly. Okay that's fine, I stopped using the app all together and used messenger for chat and people's for news feeds, FB is not a life or death thing, so whatever.
Whatsapp is bad, it's not even remotely close to the performance of iOS/Android. WP8 is new, that's fine, but we're talking about the quality of apps, the fact is that it's pretty far from Android/iOS. It doesn't push notifications a lot of times until I open the app, and then it suddenly goes crazy and has 30 notifications jump out all together. One thing I love most about Android is the sharing integration, you can pretty much share from any application installed, you can't do that with WP8 or iOS, but that's okay, not a very big deal. It's the basic tasks that are bugging me.
Then comes Line/Viber. Both applications that support VOIP on iOS/Android only support text/mms on WP8. This is a problem for me as I have a low minute high data plan, and I was counting on this. There is of course tight Skype integration, but believe it or not, some people actually don't use Skype, that's why it's good to have the ability to CHOOSE. There are no alternative VOIP applications for WP8 besides Skype.
So my point is, WP8 is having a slow start, and I'm not bashing it, I switched because I was excited about the freshness of the OS. I'm still getting a Nexus 4 to switch back and fourth between, because I remain a loyal fan to Android, and I need a phone for development, but I'd love to use my 8x as my daily driver. But the fact is that the app gap is still not trivial. It is true that there pretty much exists an app to satisfy all your daily needs, but that's the problem right now, there exists AN app, "AN", no more, no less. Wouldn't it suck if you wanted a 5 seater compact car, the only option you had was to get a Corolla? What if I wanted a 5 seater that was a hybrid? Or one that was fun and engaging to drive? Options are good, and it's not really there yet with WP8. I hope they catch up soon, devs are not caring enough about WP8 at the moment.
And this is irrelevant, but I could not for the life of me get Rooms to work at all. All I get is "Can't connect" every time, it's so frustrating it's starting to become funny.

 

[Reflexx]

Same here, the Surface looks nice but swapping an iPad for it is madness unless you're in some sort of Microsoft cult. Maybe in a year or two.

I disagree. It all depends on what you use.

MS Office is the the killer app for me.

 

[thegoodnotes]

The gap in terms of quantity is not necessarily equal to the 400k difference - as people have mentioned, Android has lots of customization apps that aren't relevant to WP8 and iOS has a lot of duplicate apps (lots of Twitter and Facebook ones - although MSFT shouldn't be discounting the importance of those, lots of people really like these 3rd-party apps and for good reason).

However, the gap is HUGE when you consider the apps that are missing. Spotify, Pandora, bank apps, airline apps, Instagram, etc. - all of these services have MILLIONS of users that are currently being left behind by the WP ecosystem. So the gap is huge not because of the number of apps but because of the enormous amount of users that are unable to switch to WP even if they wanted to. That is the real issue for MSFT right now - it is a big hurdle for adoption by the mainstream consumers.

 

[anilraj]

I disagree. It all depends on what you use.

MS Office is the the killer app for me.

Also, Surface Pro is you laptop.
Equivalent to iPad + MacBook.

 

[jwinch2]

I guess it depends on what you do with your phone. However, like I said when I started the thread, I'm a heavy user of all three platforms.

Phones I've owned : iPhone 3GS, Samsung Focus, Samsung Focus Flash, Samsung Focus S, HTC Titan II, Lumia 900, Lumia 920, HTC Inspire, Dell Streak, Pantech Burst, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy S3.

Wife owns an iPhone 4S, in-laws own two iPhone 5s. Our family tablet is an iPad 2.

So yeah, I've used the **** out of all three platforms, and there's an app gap, but its NOT huge. If anything, its that people get so used to the interface and the functionality of something like their favorite Twitter client on iOS and they get upset when they don't find that EXACT same client on Windows Phone, even though WP has plenty of ways to post to Twitter. That's then called an "app gap", which is unfair.


[/COLOR]

I understand where you are coming from, but I still disagree. It is not as simple as preferring a particular Twitter app, or wanting 900 fart noise apps, or something along those lines. You are correct however, that it does come down to what people do on their phones.

While my smartphone is most certainly something which gets used for entertainment, it is first and foremost a tool for getting things done when I am in a mobile situation. To that end, there are many apps which there are not replacements for, that I used all the time. For example, I am in biomedical science, and I used the app for PubMed on Android all the time. I used various other similar apps which were specific to my field, and quite useful (pharmacological letters, anatomy apps for teaching my students or quick reference, etc.) Some of the so-called "comparable apps" on WP are not nearly of the same quality or utility. If it doesn't do what I need it to do, then it is not a suitable replacement, period. In addition, there are several news papers that I try to keep up with on a regular basis that have good apps on Android but which do not on WP. My bank had a great app on Android and also does on iOS, but does not on WP, so did our mortgage company, my car loan company, my student loans company, our pharmacy, our alarm company, etc.

I could easily go on with examples of these sorts of things.

So yes, it is a large gap, even if you or others do not wish to address it as such. To minimize the concerns of those who desire more apps by suggesting that they just find a replacement is not helping the platform at all. It would be much healthier to simply admit, yes this is an issue and it is one that should be addressed, and them move on and make it happen. The simple truth is that while the platform has several advantages that I am very happy about, the issue of apps is an area where WP is lacking.

I am cautiously optimistic that Microsoft will take the necessary steps to provide incentives for app developers to narrow this going forward. The real question is whether private business, (banks, airlines, etc.) will see the potential of the platform and decide to develop solid apps for WP, or whether they will pass it by.

 

[runam0k]

Well after reading this thread a few times I guess I missed the point - the "app gap" isn't the problem, the problem is people not doing their research and buying into the Windows Phone platform without realizing its missing half the apps they use.

If you use HBO Go, the KOBO reader app, the US Bank app, Spotify, and Instagram, then why are you here? Why are you on Windows Phone? You knew it didn't have those apps, or discovered that quickly after you bought your phone, so why didn't you return it and get an iPhone 5 or an Android device?

If the answer is "well I like the UI of Windows Phone", then you made a choice. You chose a UI interface over app abundance and you have no room to complain. If you want all your apps, you should've stuck with iOS or Android. Its really a simple decision.

You're right, of course: I chose to stick with WP because I like it, despite it's faults*. That won't stop me complaining about the app gap though, because guess what? If nothing is done to address the app gap, WP IS GOING NOWHERE. It will die. I know it, I think you know it, and MS knows it too. So fingers crossed WP gets the dev attention it needs and deserves.

*WP8 with it's lack of podcast support, even bigger app gap (still a bunch of WP7 apps that don't work on WP8) and generally poor Xbox Music implementation is testing my resolve though. I no longer recommend WP to anyone, sadly.

 

[jwinch2]

Well after reading this thread a few times I guess I missed the point - the "app gap" isn't the problem, the problem is people not doing their research and buying into the Windows Phone platform without realizing its missing half the apps they use.

If you use HBO Go, the KOBO reader app, the US Bank app, Spotify, and Instagram, then why are you here? Why are you on Windows Phone? You knew it didn't have those apps, or discovered that quickly after you bought your phone, so why didn't you return it and get an iPhone 5 or an Android device?

If the answer is "well I like the UI of Windows Phone", then you made a choice. You chose a UI interface over app abundance and you have no room to complain. If you want all your apps, you should've stuck with iOS or Android. Its really a simple decision.

You might recall that this thread was not started by people complaining about a lack of apps. It was started with the premise that there really is not an app gap worth mentioning in the first place. If someone disagrees with that statement as says so, that does not mean they are complaining or did not do their research.

For example, I have highlighted several apps which I used on Android that I cannot get now on WP. That is fine, disappointing, but fine. I researched it ahead of time and yes, as you put it, I made a decision. However, that does not negate the the fact that those apps are not here, and it would be nice to have them. So, when someone comes along and tries to pull a Jedi Mind Trick on me and say that there are no apps I am looking for, I am going to disagree. That does not mean I don't like WP or wish it to succeed, or even that I regret switching. It is a simple acknowledgement of what I perceive to be important issues that I hope Microsoft will address going forward based on a conversation that someone else started, not me.

Finally, if you like WP and want it to succeed, you had better hope that you do see many people coming over from those platforms and complaining about those things. If they do not, then WP will be gaining no market share at all, and it will be doomed to failure.

 

[mpelti]

Well after reading this thread a few times I guess I missed the point - the "app gap" isn't the problem, the problem is people not doing their research and buying into the Windows Phone platform without realizing its missing half the apps they use.

If you use HBO Go, the KOBO reader app, the US Bank app, Spotify, and Instagram, then why are you here? Why are you on Windows Phone? You knew it didn't have those apps, or discovered that quickly after you bought your phone, so why didn't you return it and get an iPhone 5 or an Android device?

If the answer is "well I like the UI of Windows Phone", then you made a choice. You chose a UI interface over app abundance and you have no room to complain. If you want all your apps, you should've stuck with iOS or Android. Its really a simple decision.

The point isn't that people didn't do research. I knew about the app gap, but I wanted a change, and I accepted that compromise. But the point is that you have to admit you have a problem before you can fix the problem. The app gap is a problem, MS knows it, and they are pushing to fix it. It's a legitimate complaint about WP8, just like it was a legit complaint in the early days of android, and just like it was a legit complaint when the iphone first came out (didn't even do apps, blackberry and winmo6.5 did).

Microsoft messed up. They should have had the SDK in the hands of major devs months ago, so more apps would be ready for lunch. It's got a very good chance of catching up, but right now, it does suck.

Wait, are you saying that you want 8 or 10 versions of backgammon?

Yes.

Because I want the version of backgammon that my friends play, or that supports another language, or that i can pay for so it's ad free. More choices are a good thing.

 

[brmiller1976]

I'm sorry, but Windows Phone just isn't a viable competitor without key iOS apps like iFart, Paris Hilton News, Justin Bieber Gossip, Flip-Me, and Ping Pong.

 

[pavvento]

I think the main question to answer is: when someone asks you if they should switch to WP8, do you feel the need to mention apps? I love showing off my phone, but I also feel the need to tell people that it is missing apps that they might use a lot on their iPhone/Android phone. Until that conversation no longer needs to happen the app question will remain a sticking point for converts.

 

[FredW3]

Wait, are you saying that you want 8 or 10 versions of backgammon?

Just being sarcastic. Just saying that I don't think the number of apps is as important as what functionality is provided.

 

[ammarmalik2011]

I'm sorry, but Windows Phone just isn't a viable competitor without key iOS apps like iFart, Paris Hilton News, Justin Bieber Gossip, Flip-Me, and Ping Pong.

Justin Beiber has more than 20 million Twitter followers. That's more than 7-8 times the number of Lumia's sold last quarter. You might think it's a joke, but if the biggest teen star doesn't have an app on WP8, then you loose a lot of potential young buyers. It's the little things like this that matter.

 

[jdawgnoonan]

I am contemplating Windows Phone but currently am disappointed by the lack of full featured podcast catching apps. On Android I use BeyondPod and I have all kinds of options set up: I download podcasts on a schedule and only over wifi when my device is plugged into a power source. I find that desirable mainly because I do not want to waste my data plan to download large podcasts so they download while I sleep and the phone is charging.

In two months I will make up my mind when I move back to the USA and sign up for AT&T. I have high hopes that the app situation will change fast since the are a huge number of .NET developers out there (which I incidentally is my profession too). Currently I use an international SIM unlocked Galaxy S 3 and would continue using this phone if it had LTE but I am very interested in the Lumia 920 and in Windows Phone 8. I have had three iPhones, three Android phones, and am interested in WP8.

 

[tmccaghren]

I made the switch from Android to WP8 recently and there are literally dozens of apps that I used on a regular basis that I have not found a comparable replacement for on Windows Phone. Its not even close. I am hopeful that WP will start improving in this area through the steps they have taken with the platform and hopefully providing strong incentives for developers to write for WP, but that remains to be seen.

However, only someone who had not used Android or iOS would make the claims that the gap is not really that large. Combine the current difference with the fact that both iOS and Android are still gaining apps at a faster rate than WP, and this premise becomes even more incorrect.

I have been a Droid user ever since I got a smartphone (with the notable exception of a Samsung SCH-i730 running Windows Mobile Professional 2003 2nd edition--had that for about a month before going back to my LG EnV feature phone), and I am about to make the switch to WP8. I have been comparing apps between what I have on the DroidX and what is in the marketplace, and I have found maybe 2 apps that I use that aren't there. One, Kid Mode, is not needed on WP8 because of Kid's Corner. Mostly, I am not able to find many of the same kids apps to put into Kid's Corner, but there are others that pick up the slack.

UPDATE: There are several other apps missing, but most are productivity apps or resource optimization apps. I don't need quickoffice as the WP8 devices come with Office installed...and the apps like Advanced Task Killer and Fast Reboot don't seem to be needed either.

iOS and Android are gaining apps at a faster rate than WP due partially to the fact that their OS's are more entrenched in our mobile society, and partially due to the process involved in publishing the apps in those markets.

Others have stated that many of the apps on Android and iOS are duplicates in that they perform the same exact functions in a slightly different manner. Don't get me wrong, there are many, many unique apps on both OS's, but there are a huge number of duplicates as well. That reduces the number of uniquely different apps, thus reducing the gap. Spouting off the actual number in each market, therefore, is at least slightly misleading.

 

[RyanR47]

The problem is not only with the app gap, but also with feature and update cycle of apps available. I feel like on windows phone developer don't bother updating or adding feature to apps.

Facebook for instance, was updated 4 times in less than a month in iOS. Where as in WP the experience didn't improve and its still crap. Update rates are horrible!