WP VS IOS VS Android through the years evolution

[abarzabar]

I just had a thought. Has anyone ever done a comparison article detailing the complete history (change log) of each smart phones operating system throughout their existences?

As a Windows Phone lover, I believe that Microsoft has done more for each update throughout the years to catch up to the competitors. Microsoft has had basically only three major updates to their smart phone OS (not counting gdrs), whereas the competitors have had many more and much more time to do so. So has Microsoft really done less with more time, or is it me just imagining it? With the supposed leaks of WP8.1, it seems that Microsoft is working much harder than any other.

I'd like to see an article, praising Microsoft by doing more with less time.

 

[tgp]

So has Microsoft really done less with more time, or is it me just imagining it?

I'm guessing you meant to say "more with less time?" Assuming that's what you mean, yes I believe they have. The reason is that Microsoft had no choice. WP came around 3 years or so after iOS & Android. To stay in the race they need parity. Users don't care if after 3 years WP is ahead of where iOS & Android were 3 years in. The important thing is to be current. It appears that WP8.1 will make a big leap to help close the gap.

So far the big differential between WP and iOS/Android is probably UI. The problem with that being the difference is that it pretty much leaves the deciding factor up to personal preference, little else. What Microsoft needs now is a killer feature. Cortana could be it, but as innovative as it sounds it'll take some time to be able to beat Google Now, if ever. Google isn't exactly sitting back on their laurels either. They just announced Project Tango, a 3D sensor-enabled smartphone. That may or may not go somewhere. It's a mad race to the top!

Opening up APIs is also critical to innovation & development, but then security could be compromised. Microsoft needs to find the balance. I believe they made the right step in opening up WP to other OEMs. But there again you have compromise. It will almost certainly help get the numbers up, but user experience will likely suffer.

Hang on for the ride! It'll be fun!

 

[abarzabar]

I'm just sick and tired of people underestimating Microsoft and WP and like to see more credit given.

This is one race to the top I'm going to enjoy watching. I'm not worried about project tango. I'm sure Microsoft has been already experimenting with putting Kinect into future phones.

 

[distilledoreo]

If you do it in sections it can be really simple, especially in certain areas like apps.

Here's a chart with each app store app count over the years.

Date | iPhone | Android | Windows Phone
July 2008 | 500 | N/A | N/A
March 2009 | 25,000 | 2,300 | N/A
October 2010 | 300,000+ | 100,000 | 1,000
December 2011 | 500,000 | 380,297 | 50,000
October 2012 | 700,000+ | 700,000 | 126,530
August 2013 | 900,000+ | 1,000,000 | 170,000
February 2014 | 1,000,000+| 1,000,000+ | 245,000

Details about each OS update are too lengthy, but as for versions released at similar times...

Date | iOS | Android | WP
Oct 2010 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 7
Oct 2011 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 7.5
Dec 2012 | 6.1 | 4.2.1 | 7.8 / 8.0
July 2013 | 6.1.4 | 4.3 | 8 GDR2
Oct 2013 | 7.0.3 | 4.4 | 8 GDR3
April 2014 | 7.x.x | 4.x.x | 8.1

As you can see WP8 started quite recently if you think about it, and the competitors' OSes have not radically changed in any stretch of the imagination (iOS 6 to 7 was significant for iOS and it contained new icons, a notification center, control center, and "improved multitasking." Android 4.2 to 4.4 was just performance enhancements along with some API changes and small UI enhancements).

Market share for the US is coming right up...

Date | iPhone | Android | WP
Q1 '12 | 44.6% | 47.9% | 3.7%
Q2 '12 | 39.2% | 52.6% | 2.9%
Q3 '12 | 35.7% | 57.5% | 2.9%
Q4 '12 | 51.2% | 44.2% | 2.6%
Q1 '13 | 43.7% | 49.3% | 5.6%
Q2 '13 | 42.5% | 51.5% | 4.0%
Q3 '13 | 35.9% | 57.3% | 4.6%
Q4 '13 | 43.9% | 50.6% | 4.3%

I'm done for tonight, so that's all I have for now. I hope this was what you had in mind!

 

[Slim Makay]

I believe with WP8.1, Microsoft's WP's share will boom.

 

[Qiyamata]

WP's are the future!

 

[Anglerdk]

I just had a thought. Has anyone ever done a comparison article detailing the complete history (change log) of each smart phones operating system throughout their existences?

As a Windows Phone lover, I believe that Microsoft has done more for each update throughout the years to catch up to the competitors. Microsoft has had basically only three major updates to their smart phone OS (not counting gdrs), whereas the competitors have had many more and much more time to do so. So has Microsoft really done less with more time, or is it me just imagining it? With the supposed leaks of WP8.1, it seems that Microsoft is working much harder than any other.

I'd like to see an article, praising Microsoft by doing more with less time.

would be great and then add a new column with every function the WP gets and the date Android and IOS got it... I'm not seeing much innovation , if you just making the same as the other - not saying the new features is not important.

Also, WP is only for phones , android and ios are also for tablets (and android comes also as tv stick, car radio and so on)...

Imo ms started with smartphone is way before android /ios, since they started with the PDAs and windows mobile - and still they are behind feature wise (perhaps they can use security as an excuse).
So they actually do less in more time..


I come from a small non English speaking country , and WP is quite small, low support on apps , so many cannot see the reason to buy WP since there is many apps not available and android and ios just works..

And the dictionary in Danish is flawed since it takes the English way of combining words...



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[DaT Franchise]

Well I feel if ms doesn't start adding features like smart stay/smart pause witch I think are nice and not a novelty and open the doors a little more for developers I think the os will go stagnant but 8.1 looks promising. They still need to do some work to the core of the os as well like the copy and paste function is almost unless. I like how smooth and fast my 1520 is but it needs more to draw a crowd and I'm not talking about heart monitors and crap like that but real world stuff that people play with and not buy the phone or buy and return it. For me its the browsers and little things in the interface that I miss like copy/paste, the million different ways to link to contacts to share or send things, a real file manager so I can move things from hard to SD. The hardware is there so idk why its taking ms so long to catch up plus there marketing sucks ***. Look at LG they make the best android phone period and yet no one knows because they don't advertise it. Same with Samsung, have you seen the s5 junk?? There going so apple because they know they can and the sheep will fallow no matter what they make because of the marketing, Sammy and apple don't need to stand out and offer anything more or exciting anymore that's why LG has to make boss *** phones now to keep up and as a consumer that's good because LG delives now like Sammy did years ago. Microsoft needs to watch and learn from LG. WP combined with features of Android and you have a monster.