I want a Lumia 950XL but each time i miss out on a app do i want another brand

[rekesh vekariya]

I don't use many apps and definitely don't play many games so satisfied with the beta at the moment however I get the same feeling mainly from the lack of Snapchat once every month and it goes away. The main reason I will stick with WP is because the core experience of using my smartphone (twitter, 6tag and using the camera) is just a little bit superior in WP.

 

[Rose640]

Don't need nothing but facebook, hell i use that thing for about 15-20 mins per day, just to check my inbox.
Sticking to WP as long as it exists.

 

[Joe Acerbic]

You're seriously targeting the phone with nearly 2 billion active users and massive app developer support as the object of your derision? That's... an interesting approach. I guess.

If Jim Jones had managed to acquire nearly 2 billion followers, that would have made him be right about everything, I guess.

 

[syspry]

If Jim Jones had managed to acquire nearly 2 billion followers, that would have made him be right about everything, I guess.

lol really grasping at straws now huh? I don't think I've ever been argued with using a comparison between a suicidal cult leader and a smartphone company but I'll take that outrageous straw grasping as testament to the strength of my point. One post "thanks" for you, sir

 

[Joe Acerbic]

That's how your favorite Argumentum ad Populum works, isn't it. In still other words, 2 billion flies can't be wrong: you should have what they're having.

(And BTW, Apple's new Spaceship building is oddly befitting.)

 

[elindalyne]

Where are you getting 2 billion from? IOS doesn't have remotely close to that many users....

 

[syspry]

That's how your favorite Argumentum ad Populum works, isn't it. In still other words, 2 billion flies can't be wrong: you should have what they're having.

(And BTW, Apple's new Spaceship building is oddly befitting.)

lol really grasping at straws now huh? I don't think I've ever been argued with using a comparison between a suicidal cult leader and a smartphone company but I'll take that outrageous straw grasping as testament to the strength of my point. One post "thanks" for you, sir

 

[syspry]

Where are you getting 2 billion from? IOS doesn't have remotely close to that many users....

Sorry, typo. It's 1 billion, hit the wrong key.

 

[Pierre Blackwell]

Windows phone isn't wasn't going to survive by itself. That was the problem with the direction the ecosystem was headed in the past. If you're looking at living your life just with your phone, then WP is probably not going to be for you. However if you're looking at it as being an extension of your desktop, laptop, or tablet, then it might just be exactly what you're looking for. MSFT realized that it can't win the hearts and minds of the mobile population going head to head with iOS and Andriod, so they went through what they still have a dominant footprint on and that's desktop. Now a know that the desktop doesn't draw the same numbers as it once did, but if you include tablets, it still has a very prominent impact on daily functionality, especially with enterprise. Take the Surface series for example. Despite the iPad being in existence long before, it is safe to say that the best all around tablet is the Surface Pro 3. Apples' iPad Pro looks very similar. Someone who wants the most productive tablet will probably get a surface or something running Windows 10. There is no phone that integrates better with Windows 10 than one running Windows 10 mobile. Cortana integrated into the OS. Sure, Cortana is available on Andriod and soon iOS, but only as an app. Seamless transition of files and documents. Using Windows 10 mobile with Windows 10 is how you need to look at the new ecosystem. The apps will come in time, because developers will no longer be able to ignore the Windows mobile platform. You will find satisfaction in Apple or Andriod for a short time....but if you are already immersed in the MSFT ecosystem, you'll end up coming back. Just wait, and watch. Good luck to whatever you decide.

 

[elindalyne]

Sorry, typo. It's 1 billion, hit the wrong key.

You're still way off... IOS has only sold 800m devices total. Ever. Devices in use (users) are going to be far below that number.

 

[ejlee072006]

Ur drawn back to LUMIA because there's something about the LUMIA that others can't! But at the same time APPS, after 5 years of WP Now an IOS user I don't feel left behind!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[maevinj]

Out of interest, what OS functionality did you miss on the iPhone that is on WP?

My biggest thing is the iPhone will not offer to read texts in my car and that I can't hear alerts while the iPhone is connected to Bluetooth while I am listening to another audio source. Also, I really enjoy live tiles, especially for emails. And the tap to wake and glance screen.

 

[Sloop JB]

I feel for you! I've had WP since WP 7 (Titan) and have a 1020 now, and I think that the app gap is getting worse. Not linearly, but exponentially. There was a time a couple years ago when MS made a real effort to get developers/apps on board (like Pandora), but since then it's all been downhill. On top of that, there have been all too many times where 3rd party apps ceased to function when the parent service pulled the plug on the APIs they were using. Examples include SiriusXM, Starbucks, and Google Music. I am not looking for cool "games." For the most part, I'm missing apps I would use everyday in my real life. This list of missing apps now includes:

1. Starbucks: I've been reduced to taking a screenshot of the card that the last working app (Sbux Card) and saving it to OneDrive so that I can use it on a Lumia 950 if I decide to get one.

2. Banks: Not only my own, but there is also another one which I do business with (PoA situation). In the latter case, I had a check to deposit, and I had to borrow my daughter's iPad because the closest branch was over 150 mi away, and without an app, mobile deposit was a no go.

3. Blackboard Mobile App: I'm in an online graduate program, and rely on Blackboard extensively. They have a mobile app, but it is Apple/Android only (what a shock).

4. Zoom: My university uses Zoom for collaboration. No mobile app, so cannot participate in meetings fully unless I am home by a PC.

5. Online Rx I use: It has a reminder/etc. mobile app, but no luck.

6. SiriusXM Mobile App

I am pretty much at the point where I am getting ready to switch to an iPhone 6s Plus. Not because I love Apple (Only my kids have ever had iWhatevers; my wife and I have successfully avoided Apple otherwise to date.), but because I am tired of waiting for the platform to revive. I feel like I've done my bit for MS, and that it is time to move on. But I am conflicted; I have gone through the iPhone ordering process all the way through the Submit button.... I can't do it yet.

So I've reached a tentative decision for the moment... I'm going to wait and see what MS does tomorrow. Specifically:

1. Price: I know that these are premium phones, but MS needs to discount them some (say $600 instead of $750) because of the app gap. Why should I spend an iPhone level of $$$ to get a phone which is nice but you can't do the things you want to do with it?

2. Word on new apps: I would be ecstatic if MS announced that deals with some companies (like the one with Pandora a couple year's ago) to bring apps to Windows Phone. That would at least show some effort as well as a positive trajectory.

3. Screen timeout: This is minor, but incredibly annoying. I like to use my phone for media consumption (like Slacker) and it is annoying that the 1020 has a maximum timeout of a whole 5 min. Since the 950 uses an amoled screen (burn-in!), I don't have my hopes up on that one.

IF I get a 950, it is going to be on a 1-year Next plan. No more than that. Last chance! If things are better app-wise in 1 year, then I will stick with it. Otherwise, bye. Sorry...

 

[Sloop JB]

I hope you're right, but I'm not convinced that the adoption of Windows 10 and the popularity of the Surface will bring developers to MS's mobile platform. Here's why:

1. If an "app" is required, a developer will simply develop a desktop app so that the bazillon people who still use Win 7 can use it as well.
2. Simply have the Windows people use the web app, since the desktop browsers are full-featured.

Without a significant mobile share, I'm not convinced that the above dynamics will change anytime soon.

 

[MikeSo]

So I am curious, why do people keep suffering with Windows Phone? Why would you bother with broken websites, missing apps, ever changing UX (not always for the better either) and so forth.....why do it to yourselves? Is it because you can't afford an iPhone? Is it because you hate Apple or Google? Is it because you live in an area such as India where extremely cheap low end phones are the most popular, hence Windows Phones being used most?

I haven't owned an iPhone and never will, likely (I just find iOS so incredibly bad from a UI standpoint, and featurewise it has no advantages to me), but I have a Moto E with Android 5.1 on it. Lollipop is an excellent OS, and it has all the apps. It's a surprisingly nimble phone and a fantastic value.

I switched to it exclusively for 10 days, and it was fun having access to all the apps, and with Microsoft having their ecosystem implemented so well an Android it was a surprisingly easy switch. Yet, I went back to my Lumia Icon, and it wasn't because of the superior Icon hardware. It was because Windows Phone is just so much nicer to use on an everyday basis for me. The live tiles really DO make a difference (I tried widgets on Android but they were few and comparably cumbersome to use) and the Start screen with it's simple up/down slide is so much nicer than a bunch of icons on different screens, same with the App list. The App UI (when they use the "modern UI" guidelines) is better than the disparate apps on Android. Overall, Windows Phone is easier and more fun to use on a daily basis.

However, Android and its apps just has so many more features its not even funny. It's really a shock going between WP apps and the equivalent Android apps. I can't fault anyone for going with Android instead, it feels like going back to the stoneage feature-wise in apps when going to WP.

But for me, WP just feels nicer. That's basically it. The app feature gap is starting to be a real issue, frankly the ONLY issue. The situation is dire - there are so many apps an Android user would have to give up that I can't imagine they'd be willing to do it easily, and like others mention it's not about games or the major social network apps even. It's about the stores, banks, local businesses etc that have no resources they are willing to use on WP. I have no idea how MS will be able to overcome that.

 

[MikeSo]

1. Price: I know that these are premium phones, but MS needs to discount them some (say $600 instead of $750) because of the app gap. Why should I spend an iPhone level of $$$ to get a phone which is nice but you can't do the things you want to do with it?

Oh yeah, I am excited about the 950XL, and I need a new phone because the battery on my Icon is down to about 6-8 hours of normal use now.
But if Microsoft prices this phone at iPhone or Galaxy levels, they can forget it. No way. They need to get down to Nexus 6P level, around $500. Anything else is delusional because "nobody" will buy these phones at that price level.

 

[Pierre Blackwell]

I can't wait until this time next year when all of you who are ranting about what WP doesn't have are raving about how awesome it is. Why would a developer make apps for WP7, 8 or 8.1? What return in investment would they get? As we all saw, nothing. Now, how many businesses are using some form of Windows application service? Imagine a bank that doesn't have an app for WP but uses Windows for everything else. They upload to Windows 10 and now you consider a world of possibilities. Cortana at an ATM, because more use Windows then any other OS. If a developer sees a profit from the desktop of a business that uses Windows, and the effortless process of making a universal app, it's a win/win. Again, the issue is if you're trying to make WP into an iPhone, stop and just buy and iPhone because they're not ever going to be the same. WP may never get to the app number that the app store has, and they don't have to. What they do have to provide is a service that doesn't have people feeling they can't survive. I have Navy Federal and would love to have an app for it on WP, but I've created one to deal with it. The live tile flips and has the logo and everything. Sure it launches the official webpage, but it's something that I'm willing to compromise for in order to have a UI that really speaks to me. I can see a multitude of information without having to touch anything. If I was to ask an Andriod or iPhone user to tell me what their latest friend posted in Facebook, what the weather would be like two days from now, whose call did I miss, what's the score of the football game, and what artist is playing on my playlist, how many times would they have to touch something or launch something? I can get all that information without touching a thing on my WP. Like I said before, for those who are on the fence, hop over to an Apple Store or and an Andriod, but I'm pretty sure in a year, if not sooner, you'll be ready to come back.

 

[Cheeky Ghosty]

I can't wait until this time next year when all of you who are ranting about what WP doesn't have are raving about how awesome it is. Why would a developer make apps for WP7, 8 or 8.1? What return in investment would they get? As we all saw, nothing. Now, how many businesses are using some form of Windows application service? Imagine a bank that doesn't have an app for WP but uses Windows for everything else. They upload to Windows 10 and now you consider a world of possibilities. Cortana at an ATM, because more use Windows then any other OS. If a developer sees a profit from the desktop of a business that uses Windows, and the effortless process of making a universal app, it's a win/win. Again, the issue is if you're trying to make WP into an iPhone, stop and just buy and iPhone because they're not ever going to be the same. WP may never get to the app number that the app store has, and they don't have to. What they do have to provide is a service that doesn't have people feeling they can't survive. I have Navy Federal and would love to have an app for it on WP, but I've created one to deal with it. The live tile flips and has the logo and everything. Sure it launches the official webpage, but it's something that I'm willing to compromise for in order to have a UI that really speaks to me. I can see a multitude of information without having to touch anything. If I was to ask an Andriod or iPhone user to tell me what their latest friend posted in Facebook, what the weather would be like two days from now, whose call did I miss, what's the score of the football game, and what artist is playing on my playlist, how many times would they have to touch something or launch something? I can get all that information without touching a thing on my WP. Like I said before, for those who are on the fence, hop over to an Apple Store or and an Andriod, but I'm pretty sure in a year, if not sooner, you'll be ready to come back.

So we're all clear, I'd love to come back. But being a visionary and speaking of a glorious universal app future does nothing for me now when I need to withdraw cash with no card from an ATM. I can use any device but a WP to do this and so until the things I need to do are available in WP, you can continue to worry about the weather, worry about what's playing on your playlist and all those other things while i'm tracking the driver delivering my pizzas and withdrawing cash from an ATM with no card.

Sure if the platform grows I'll be back. I'm not brand loyal or platform loyal to any particular brand/platform. Hence I jumped from iPhone to WP, now back again. But to say we need to help it grow well I did that, from WP8 - WP8.1 and they stuffed it. I'm not putting myself out anylonger so you do so if you wish. The things that made me jump from iPhone were addressed. Better Office, Bigger screen, so I now have everything I need in an iPhone (except changing the snooze on an alarm from 9minutes, and schedulg DND on weekdays) and so I will continue to use what works best for me and comtinue to list the faults of the stuff that does not, for without criticism any platform will stagnate and I really would like to comeback to WP if it cimes good. But I'm a realist and I see that it will be years before it can come good.