Don't understand why Windows phones aren't more popular

midnightfrolic

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I actually like Windows phones, unlike IOS and Android. Win Phone may be easy to use for us fans, but not for the average smartphone users. It is not for the average users, which may be part of the reason why it's 'not popular'. Learning curve. App gap, late and slow to market. Akin to any new automobile startups today. Ariel Atom, BAC Mono, Saleen. All are great vehicles with top power-to-weight ratios, the works. But you never see them around. All you see are Ford, Chevy, Toyota, etc. Think of your Windows Phone as an Ariel Atom. :D. Now I feel smug.

MS better get their act together and make a uber premium phone. That Surface Phone can't come fast enough. I believe they should make it with removal metal bezel and back. And, include a polycarbonate back for those who want either type. Allow the user to adjust antennae power as well wouldn't hurt either, using software of course. Battery drains faster, but it'd be nice if your signal is spotty and you need to make an urgent call.
 

derek533

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And this is tragic right here: Microsoft COO talks new products, future of technology | On Air Videos | Fox News

This is the Chief Operating Officer of MS discussing all the new products from MS. Guess what doesn't get mentioned at all? When you have a killer feature that no other competitor has (Continum), how can you not mention that? I realize this is FoxBusiness and their viewership is maybe 200K on a Sunday at best, but come on! A chance to tout your own products and you don't even mention it yet mention the Band 2? Good Lord...

This is why I say that MS is mostly to blame for their own WP failures more than anyone else and you blind loyalists ought to wise up and realize that you're supporting something that the own manufacturer doesn't even care if you support. If they do care, they sure don't act like it.
 

N_LaRUE

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Most of you people are way off base, People want a good looking phone that has all the app's that their friends are using, they want to be like oooh look what I have, and you know it. I love the Windows phone OS and I'm not app crazy, it has all the ones I use, now I do wish it had more Local app's but I can pin the website and be fine with it. But oh my hell they make some of the most boring looking phones on the market, there has been a few like the 920, Icon, even the 640 that are ok but in general, wow, plain jane, yawn. I am the biggest Windows fan you will ever find and I would never buy the 950 or the 950 XL. I am really hoping HTC or LG comes out with a new Windows phone. Loving my M8.

Well, I have to ask, when you had Nokia making phones did that help in any way? Everyone goes on about how good Nokia Windows Phones looked but that didn't seem to help them much. A good looking phone is fine but looking at the L950 or L950XL though neither are stand out they are not off the current 'trends' by other manufacturers.

What I suggest is that you mention Microsoft to an Apple or Android fan and if their face doesn't screw up a touch I'd be surprised. That's why I said image is the key factor right now. MS just can't shake it and it will be some time before they do.
 
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N_LaRUE

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Unfortunately I have to agree that most people just want a good looking phone with apps. A friend of mine just the other day was excited about her new iPhone because it was pink. My Android friends and iPhone friends are happy with their phones. They aren't clamoring for change. Hopefully at some point Microsoft will come up with that one feature that people just have to have. I had hoped that they could do exclusive Xbox features to lure in gamers and that never materialized. Now my hope is that they get everybody using their services on other platforms and then offer exclusives on windows. This has never and doesn't appear to be their strategy so I don't have my hopes up.

Apps are by far the biggest issue for Windows Phone. It still remains a crippling point for many adopters to the platform. Some people can live without certain apps but many get tired of being left out. You can forgive a phone or OS but lack of apps that your friends have or the ability to try out an app is what is killing the ecosystem more than anything else. Being a 'maybe' for developers will continue to kill WP.

This is where MS rests it's hopes on universal apps. A big question mark. It also hopes to attract iOS developers with it's 'easy' porting system. Let's see what happens.
 
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N_LaRUE

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And this is tragic right here: Microsoft COO talks new products, future of technology | On Air Videos | Fox News

This is the Chief Operating Officer of MS discussing all the new products from MS. Guess what doesn't get mentioned at all? When you have a killer feature that no other competitor has (Continum), how can you not mention that? I realize this is FoxBusiness and their viewership is maybe 200K on a Sunday at best, but come on! A chance to tout your own products and you don't even mention it yet mention the Band 2? Good Lord...

This is why I say that MS is mostly to blame for their own WP failures more than anyone else and you blind loyalists ought to wise up and realize that you're supporting something that the own manufacturer doesn't even care if you support. If they do care, they sure don't act like it.

Here in the UK I've not seen a single ad for the L950 or L950XL on TV or billboards. Odd for new phones and this close to Xmas. I see the occasional ad in my Facebook feed but I don't really see that as advertising.

The Surface on the other hand I see ads for all the time.

It does make you wonder.
 

Laura Knotek

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Here in the UK I've not seen a single ad for the L950 or L950XL on TV or billboards. Odd for new phones and this close to Xmas. I see the occasional ad in my Facebook feed but I don't really see that as advertising.

The Surface on the other hand I see ads for all the time.

It does make you wonder.
I don't use Facebook, but everything else you've stated is similar here in the US. I see ads for Surface all the time, especially during NFL games. I've never seen an ad for the 950 from AT&T, which is the exclusive carrier to offer it. AT&T advertises iPhones and Samsung Galaxy frequently. I've even seen AT&T ads for LG and HTC devices.
 

Ian_Superfly

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Apps are by far the biggest issue for Windows Phone......

....This is where MS rests it's hopes on universal apps. A big question mark. It also hopes to attract iOS developers with it's 'easy' porting system. Let's see what happens.

And Microsoft is no good example here. One year after they bought the iOS-outlook app W10/WP/W10M users are still left with a version without any of the iOS features. If they want to show how easy and fruitful it is to port from iOS to W10 they must start to make some good examples by themselves ?

I.e. IF the worlds biggest software company with all tools and knowledge inhouse can?t do/do not care to do it (port from iOS to UA), why should other companies care about Universal apps/WP/W10M?
 
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Aldrich Uyliong

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I actually like Windows phones, unlike IOS and Android. Win Phone may be easy to use for us fans, but not for the average smartphone users. It is not for the average users, which may be part of the reason why it's 'not popular'. Learning curve. App gap, late and slow to market. Akin to any new automobile startups today. Ariel Atom, BAC Mono, Saleen. All are great vehicles with top power-to-weight ratios, the works. But you never see them around. All you see are Ford, Chevy, Toyota, etc. Think of your Windows Phone as an Ariel Atom. :D. Now I feel smug.

MS better get their act together and make a uber premium phone. That Surface Phone can't come fast enough. I believe they should make it with removal metal bezel and back. And, include a polycarbonate back for those who want either type. Allow the user to adjust antennae power as well wouldn't hurt either, using software of course. Battery drains faster, but it'd be nice if your signal is spotty and you need to make an urgent call.

All those cars you mentioned are single purpose exotic track machines or supercars. Ford, Chevy and Toyotas are popular because they are far more practical.
 

anon(6078578)

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I don't use Facebook, but everything else you've stated is similar here in the US. I see ads for Surface all the time, especially during NFL games. I've never seen an ad for the 950 from AT&T, which is the exclusive carrier to offer it. AT&T advertises iPhones and Samsung Galaxy frequently. I've even seen AT&T ads for LG and HTC devices.
I can't remember seeing many ads for Windows Phone in general. It comes off as Microsoft having no passion for them, like they are merely a commodity that they sell and nothing more.
 

anon(6078578)

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Apps are by far the biggest issue for Windows Phone. It still remains a crippling point for many adopters to the platform. Some people can live without certain apps but many get tired of being left out. You can forgive a phone or OS but lack of apps that your friends have or the ability to try out an app is what is killing the ecosystem more than anything else. Being a 'maybe' for developers will continue to kill WP.

This is where MS rests it's hopes on universal apps. A big question mark. It also hopes to attract iOS developers with it's 'easy' porting system. Let's see what happens.
As I've said before on these forums, we may be able to get away without certain apps but the world in general is getting locked down to Android and iOS. You see this when you go to something simple like print out a photo at your local Walmart from your phone and are suddenly confronted with having to download an app before it will let you even do anything. There may be alternative ways of doing things, but the idea of having a Smartphone is all about convenience and the moment they come across a show stopper like that they'll be looking to jump ship, if they haven't already.
 

N_LaRUE

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I can't remember seeing many ads for Windows Phone in general. It comes off as Microsoft having no passion for them, like they are merely a commodity that they sell and nothing more.

I saw lots of ads when Nokia was promoting their phones. I even saw a few ads after MS bought Nokia. Now... crickets chirping
 

libra89

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I saw lots of ads when Nokia was promoting their phones. I even saw a few ads after MS bought Nokia. Now... crickets chirping

The last ad I have seen on tv for phones was the 635 and that was to say that it was available on Amazon. That was more than a year ago though.
 

Geodude074

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As someone who is not a ****** of Windows phones, here is my general consumer viewpoint of why I don't like Windows phones.

- The home screen is a confusing, cluttered mess of squares. Compare it to iOS - iPhones look like they're made for preschoolers, the home screen is so simple and straightforward that anyone can use it. Android is similar, but lets you add widgets. Windows mobile though? Weird different sized square tiles everywhere. You have to get used to it the first couple times you use it, but most people don't want to bother with that learning curve.
- Plasticky builds for premium prices. Why would your average consumer pay $650 for a plastic 950XL when they can pay $650 for a premium metal iPhone?
- No apps. This is the deal breaker.

Now, I know what many of you are going to say. "I love Live tiles! Windows Mobile UI is so elegant and easy to use!" Yes that may be true to you because you're a ******, but to the general consumer, that is not the case. The majority of consumers who use Windows Phones the first time find it confusing as heck. The first time I used Windows Phones, I didn't know how to resize and snap tiles around. Nobody wants to go through a tutorial on how to use the start screen.
 

libra89

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Now, I know what many of you are going to say. "I love Live tiles! Windows Mobile UI is so elegant and easy to use!" Yes that may be true to you because you're a ******, but to the general consumer, that is not the case. The majority of consumers who use Windows Phones the first time find it confusing as heck. The first time I used Windows Phones, I didn't know how to resize and snap tiles around. Nobody wants to go through a tutorial on how to use the start screen.

I would think that with a new OS in general, you'll have to learn how to use it. My mom used Windows Phone and that was a learning curve, but so was Android for her. I doubt anyone goes in and instantly knows how to use it off the bat. It's a fair point, but it isn't one that only goes for Windows Phone/Mobile.

She didn't know what a widget was, or even how it works. Never mind the things that randomly pop up for her that have her considering if she should install something or not. For level of ease to learn/figure out, iOS surely wins, as you said.
 

cracgor

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I think the main point about live tiles and user interface is that they are a mess and cluttered. When Windows 7 introduced them, they were not messy. They were single color and flipped every one in 5 tiles maybe. Now even with the transparency, live tiles look worse than ever. The number of tiles on the screen, the way they block your background picture, and how they flip around out of sync. I do not like live tiles in their progressive implementation. I really like the windows phone interface, but I have to struggle to make it look nice. I end up selecting live tiles on the home screen that are transparent at the top so that I can see the background image I select--which means I put the tiles with the most information I want a page down defeating the purpose of live tiles. Even in this bragging area (http://forums.windowscentral.com/microsoft-lumia-950-xl/395349-5.htm) for home screens, I find almost all truly ugly. For another example on my Android phone, I just have at most two rows of icons on any screen, leaving most of my background completely unobstructed.
 

anon(6078578)

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Now, I know what many of you are going to say. "I love Live tiles! Windows Mobile UI is so elegant and easy to use!" Yes that may be true to you because you're a ******, but to the general consumer, that is not the case. The majority of consumers who use Windows Phones the first time find it confusing as heck. The first time I used Windows Phones, I didn't know how to resize and snap tiles around. Nobody wants to go through a tutorial on how to use the start screen.
You're right I am going to disagree :grin: However I don't consider myself a Windows ****** either as I came relatively late compared with most in here and I certainly do not think it's without its faults. Tiles certainly aren't any more difficult to use than Android Widgets. Once someone is shown how to add and resize tiles, it's second nature, I mean I can't see how they could've made that any easier.

Are Tiles Perfect? Maybe not, but to me, they give some of the functionality of a widget with the cleaner look of iOS. As to the home screen being a cluttered mess, that is up to the user. You can layout your tiles to mimic a 'grid' of icons or have dissimilar sized ones like widgets to match the priority of certain apps.

I am not of the opinion that the Tiles themselves are the cause of Windows Phones's unpopularity. It's the apps, plain and simple.
 

tgp

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I would think that with a new OS in general, you'll have to learn how to use it. My mom used Windows Phone and that was a learning curve, but so was Android for her. I doubt anyone goes in and instantly knows how to use it off the bat. It's a fair point, but it isn't one that only goes for Windows Phone/Mobile.

She didn't know what a widget was, or even how it works. Never mind the things that randomly pop up for her that have her considering if she should install something or not. For level of ease to learn/figure out, iOS surely wins, as you said.

I think the familiarity edge goes to iOS and Android. Their icons look like Windows (desktop), which virtually everybody is familiar with. WP's home screen of tiles looks like the start screen on Windows 8/8.1, which Microsoft deprecated in Windows 10.
 

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