Ecosystem isn't Windows Phone's Achilles heel, hardware is

[fatclue_98]

I disagree. For myself personally I would definitely switch back to Windows Phone if 2 apps happened:

* GMail
* Youtube

both at the same quality level as the apps on Android. That would be the clincher for me because I already love the Live Tile interface with the update(Live Folders, transparency), app list, Cortana, Action Center, Visual Voicemail.

But those 2 damn Google apps.

I don't use YouTube on a mobile device so I can't comment but what is the big deal with Gmail? Is it the service or the app? I find the app irritating beyond belief. The standard mail app in Android is worlds better. At least since they stole the Enyo sliding panels from webOS. Thank you Matias Duarte.


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[smoledman]

I want a native GMail app so I can browse my labels. Another thing blocking me is the crappy state of the XBox Music app. Not only is it buggy beyond belief, but no music locker capability. I use Google Music mainly because I can stream my entire music library regardless of whether tracks match the online catalog. I heard MS is thinking about it, but I need that. The mobile Youtube site looks usable, so that might be fine.

So at this point the one thing really blocking me is the lack of music locker.

 

[fatclue_98]

I want a native GMail app so I can browse my labels. Another thing blocking me is the crappy state of the XBox Music app. Not only is it buggy beyond belief, but no music locker capability. I use Google Music mainly because I can stream my entire music library regardless of whether tracks match the online catalog. I heard MS is thinking about it, but I need that. The mobile Youtube site looks usable, so that might be fine.

So at this point the one thing really blocking me is the lack of music locker.

Labels, lockers - you may as well be speaking in Russian. I prefer Outlook since I got spoiled with WM6.5 and the 2nd best mobile mail client ever. Gmail was ok a few years ago but this new UI doesn't do it for me.


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[Karthik Naik]

Back in the WP7-Mango days it was pretty obvious why the OS wasn't successful: it was missing many features and the app gap was massive. Nowadays, most of the important features are there (Digital Assistant, Folders, Notification Centre...) and the app gap is lessening. Yes the app gap still exists, anyone denying this is a fool but because many official apps are now available I would say most people could carry a WP as their daily driver. So why don't they? The obvious answer for me is hardware. Sure Nokia has released some great phones over the last 2 years but let's be honest, they are all rehashed designs, improved iterations of the Lumia 800. I can already hear the screams about Apple and Samsung doing the exact same thing but the thing is Apple is in a world of its own so you can't really compare to them. They could sell ?50 toothpicks and get away with it. As for Samsung, sure they keep the same design but every new phone comes with its own suit of new (albeit mostly useless) features that look great on TV or at the phone shop. But more importantly, from a user's perspective, if you don't like the Galaxy S5 design you can go with the HTC One, Xperia Z or LG G3. If you don't like the Lumia design, what are you left with? Well, you're left with checking out the android line-up.
Some will blame the employees in the aforementioned phone shops but really can you blame them? On one end you could present your customer with 4-5 state of the art phones or on the other end you could convince them to go with that Nokia phone that's mostly the same as that other one but takes better pictures unless they want that old HTC/Samsung phone that may or may not be still supported. What would you do?
I'm not even going to enter the mess that is the American carrier business but the bottom line is this: more than additional official apps, Windows Phone needs to bring back Samsung and LG so they release truly modern and feature packed high phones like they are on android. They also need to get Sony on board and HTC committed beyond the HTC One W8. Great hardware sells and great sales attract developers. It's up to Microsoft to sell that message to other OEMs.

disagreed
only android suffers from a low hardware problem,all other operating systems work fine on low hardware as well
app gap ,"poor" hardware,lack of features ,lack of customisation and changing launchers is a huuge fad and massively overhyped
android is the wannabe symbian + meego +maemo + ios,it tries to achieve stuff like all OS's but fails because an "all round os"doesnt exist
ios and wp make for better phones than android because of better optimisation and hence high end hardware isnt necessary

a good example is people using a i5 2500k still dont upgrade their cpu because its still got power left in it, a 10% theoretical performance increase per gen isnt enough to switch

 

[Karthik Naik]

I disagree. For myself personally I would definitely switch back to Windows Phone if 2 apps happened:

* GMail
* Youtube

both at the same quality level as the apps on Android. That would be the clincher for me because I already love the Live Tile interface with the update(Live Folders, transparency), app list, Cortana, Action Center, Visual Voicemail.

But those 2 damn Google apps.

theres an app called youtube HD much better than youtubes official apps on other platforms

 

[WanderingTraveler]

Labels, lockers - you may as well be speaking in Russian. I prefer Outlook since I got spoiled with WM6.5 and the 2nd best mobile mail client ever. Gmail was ok a few years ago but this new UI doesn't do it for me.


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I can't wrap my head around GMail, either. Seriously, its design just makes me facapalm sometimes.

Think of labels as an improved version of Categories on Outlook.com, but made central to the email service.
A music locker is a pages where you upload your own music, so you can stream them any time you want to.

As for YouTube, myTube is a fantastic app.

 

[WanderingTraveler]

disagreed
only android suffers from a low hardware problem,all other operating systems work fine on low hardware as well
app gap ,"poor" hardware,lack of features ,lack of customisation and changing launchers is a huuge fad and massively overhyped
android is the wannabe symbian + meego +maemo + ios,it tries to achieve stuff like all OS's but fails because an "all round os"doesnt exist
ios and wp make for better phones than android because of better optimisation and hence high end hardware isnt necessary

a good example is people using a i5 2500k still dont upgrade their cpu because its still got power left in it, a 10% theoretical performance increase per gen isnt enough to switch

I don't know about that. Android 4.4 did a fantastic job at optimization, and L looks to take that one step further

 

[Tahiti Bob]

disagreed

only android suffers from a low hardware problem,all other operating systems work fine on low hardware as well

app gap ,"poor" hardware,lack of features ,lack of customisation and changing launchers is a huuge fad and massively overhyped

android is the wannabe symbian + meego +maemo + ios,it tries to achieve stuff like all OS's but fails because an "all round os"doesnt exist

ios and wp make for better phones than android because of better optimisation and hence high end hardware isnt necessary



a good example is people using a i5 2500k still dont upgrade their cpu because its still got power left in it, a 10% theoretical performance increase per gen isnt enough to switch

And yet another one who doesn't get that hardware doesn't always mean specs. Clearly my post is about lack of hardware CHOICE, I feel like people are just skimming through it. There's plenty of choice on Android while on WP you only get a choice of Lumias who are all based on the same design (before the M8 anyway).

 

[matty032]

This thread is kinda irrelevant. You are talking about phones being the same looking that Nokia made. So the need for other OEM's to get on board to provide variety. MS just bought out Nokia. I doubt they will stick to the Lumia 800 clone look, that we have been stuck with since Nokia got on board with WP. I expect MS to come out with a Surface look a like phone. Yes, we do need variety in the hardware side of WP, but I expect that to be less of an issue going forward. I view the biggest issue for WP, as the sales people at the stores, and peer pressure.
Sent from my Windows Phone

 

[Tahiti Bob]

How is it different if all WPs look like Surfaces rather than Lumias? Isn't it more appealing to both sales people and customers when there's a wide variety of devices to pick from? Picture a shelf with a One plus One, M8, Xperia, Galaxy, G3, all running WP8.1. Do you really think that wouldn't get people excited?
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[fatclue_98]

I can't wrap my head around GMail, either. Seriously, its design just makes me facapalm sometimes.

Think of labels as an improved version of Categories on Outlook.com, but made central to the email service.
A music locker is a pages where you upload your own music, so you can stream them any time you want to.

As for YouTube, myTube is a fantastic app.

So I've been mistakenly calling a "locker" an SD card all these years? JK, thanks for the 411.

 

[fatclue_98]

And yet another one who doesn't get that hardware doesn't always mean specs. Clearly my post is about lack of hardware CHOICE, I feel like people are just skimming through it. There's plenty of choice on Android while on WP you only get a choice of Lumias who are all based on the same design (before the M8 anyway).

So HTCs, Huaweis and Samsungs are not WP devices? Considering that WP doesn't have the penetration that Android does, that's pretty good.

 

[Tahiti Bob]

How old are the 8X and Ativ S? What was Huaweis high end device that I missed? It's only now with the M8 that we finally get some variety.
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[fatclue_98]

How old are the 8X and Ativ S? What was Huaweis high end device that I missed? It's only now with the M8 that we finally get some variety.
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I wasn't aware that the conversation turned to high end devices only. BTW, the Ativ SE is definitely a high end device and was released this past spring. I know you have a chubby for carrier exclusives but it doesn't change the fact that it is a non-Lumia flagship.

 

[Tahiti Bob]

The conversation was always about high end, the phones I name in the OP are high end. Other commenters extended it to low end. Ok I'll give you that, the Ativ SE was released recently enough exclusively for one carrier in the whole world. Great.
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[Karthik Naik]

I don't know about that. Android 4.4 did a fantastic job at optimization, and L looks to take that one step further

ive had my nexus 5 even freeze on me
battery life is a joke
camera is a joke

 

[Karthik Naik]

And yet another one who doesn't get that hardware doesn't always mean specs. Clearly my post is about lack of hardware CHOICE, I feel like people are just skimming through it. There's plenty of choice on Android while on WP you only get a choice of Lumias who are all based on the same design (before the M8 anyway).

what?
lumias have the most choice in terms of design and hardware
loads of camera options,snapdragon cpus like s4,800 etc
i find most android phone designs boring
my 720 is one of the best lookers

 

[Karthik Naik]

How is it different if all WPs look like Surfaces rather than Lumias? Isn't it more appealing to both sales people and customers when there's a wide variety of devices to pick from? Picture a shelf with a One plus One, M8, Xperia, Galaxy, G3, all running WP8.1. Do you really think that wouldn't get people excited?
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not really,i prefer xperia z,lumia designs ,all other phones look like no efforts have been made to bring a better design

 

[Karthik Naik]

So HTCs, Huaweis and Samsungs are not WP devices? Considering that WP doesn't have the penetration that Android does, that's pretty good.

plus all windows phones are great lookers,prefer them over android counterparts

 

[xxxneoxxx]

I totally agree with tahiti bob, and made a similar post some time ago on a Dutch forum. The result; a lot of disgruntled Nokia owners going on about how unique their phone is and that they all are different. When i mentioned that, in my opinion, they were mainly different in hardware specs but not in exterior design, some guys went complete ape****, lol. To me, all Nokia's look the same. Yes, you might have different colors, and different screen sizes, but the basic shape/form factor/design of Nokia phones is all the same.

I for one welcome different designs for our phones. Over here in the Netherlands, you don't see Windows Phones that often. And when u do see em, they are all Nokias. I think, when shopping for a new phone, choice is key. Having a lot of phones that all look alike like the nokias with only minute outer differences like screen sizes, is not a lot of choice.