Quad Core for WP????

[snowmutt]

First off, before everyone jumps on the mutt, kicks me when I am down, and bans me from the site: I KNOW that quad core is more a gimmick at this stage of the mobile game than anything needed or even used. Heck, Dual-core is useless even on Androids until ICS starts really optimizing the OS to use them both. Apollo will use dual-core efficiently, seamlessly, and will max battery life.

However, while Tango will give WP a great place to attack both emerging markets and the prepaid buyers, Microsoft and their OS need to compete for high end sales. Android will be rolling out quad core devices to the tech crowd, and our favorite OS will look behind, even though it isn't.

I felt MS should have had several dual core options on 2nd Gen devices, even if they didn't use the extra core, just to compete. It also would have "future proofed" those top end devices in the eyes of the public (I accept like most of us that all second Gen devices will get WP8 anyways. But remember I am talking buyer perception.)

The idea of a quad-core line of top end WP's to compete head on with Android is something that the time has come for. MS needs to match them core-for-core, again just to compete.

Just asking: Am I right on this? Or will WP be able to claw it's way out of single digit % sales just with Apollo on dual core? I am really concerned that if Apollo lags in sales, WP may never get the traction it deserves.

 

[selfcreation]

Android wont have quad-core till Q4 or even Q1 of 2013 , so , no rush!

what I think:

From a Ignorant buyers point of view , your 100% right . ( buys what they see on the shopping network)
from a Informed customer point of your 100% wrong! (meaning mostly the people that take the time to play with and compare phones )


Duel-Quad-cores are 80% Marketing scam to attract people to the phone ( its like my carrier calling does duel-core phones, SUPER PHONES .. 100% marketing , its still a regular *smartphone* with the SAME features!!

Honestly if MS just sold the WP *and forgot to mention* what type of processors it uses ( in the spec sheet ) it would probably SHOOT up in sales. LOL!

 

[Major]

My first Android phone was a Samsung Captivate with a single core processor, and my second was a Motorola Atrix with a dual core processor. The Atrix runs circles around the Captivate. I'm not even talking about game performance. I'm referring to regular day-to-day tasks. Dual core is not a gimmick for Android; it's practically a necessity. That's what sucks about Android.

WP7, on the other hand, runs great on "outdated" processors. Perhaps when Apollo is released we'll see a lower level of performance on single core devices than on dual core (akin to what we see with iOS5 on a 3GS vs a 4S iphone), but for now, single core is all we need.

 

[snowmutt]

My first Android phone was a Samsung Captivate with a single core processor, and my second was a Motorola Atrix with a dual core processor. The Atrix runs circles around the Captivate. I'm not even talking about game performance. I'm referring to regular day-to-day tasks. Dual core is not a gimmick for Android; it's practically a necessity. That's what sucks about Android.

WP7, on the other hand, runs great on "outdated" processors. Perhaps when Apollo is released we'll see a lower level of performance on single core devices than on dual core (akin to what we see with iOS5 on a 3GS vs a 4S iphone), but for now, single core is all we need.

I totally, totally agree. PLEASE do not think I do not. I am a huge WP defender, and would put it's performance up against any Android/Apple dual core phone any day/night of any time of any year.

I am only talking from a PERCEPTION and sales point of view. No matter what we may say, WP is still being outsold even in the markets and carriers where it has really great device options. IT NEEDS TO GET ITSELF MENTIONED with the top end devices. That is my only point.

At the same time it does not need multi-core for it's performance, multi-core processors will not hurt it either. Think the iPhone- the 4S has a multi-core, and has very little actual advantages over the 4. But, the perception was it was still state of the art. WP does not have that perception. I want salespeople to have zero reason to downgrade the product. I want consumers to see it as a viable option. Multi-core will not solve this by itself, but it takes away a perception. And when HTC, Samsung, and other Android makers have quad core out as the same time as Apollo, we will see the same arguments.

Stop the arguments. Put out a couple of dual-core options for the summer, release a couple of quad-core with the launch of Apollo. Watch the tech sites all of a sudden get excited about WP, and watch sales people start to talk about how much more amazing these quad-core monsters with WP are.

 

[threed61]

Is there really a need for 4 cores on a cellphone? I could see the advantage of dual core but 4 is overkill.

 

[selfcreation]

lol seriously , well put it this way , if WP was to come out with a QUAD-CORE ... you wont have to buy a phone for the next 5-10years!!! lol it should be able to handle it all..

and quad-core on android your good for about 6 months, hahaha

 

[Reflexx]

Frankly, I'm upset that they haven't already launched an 8-core phone.

I want to be able to play 8 separate iterations of Plants v Zombies all at the same time! Without this base functionality, I don't know how they can call it a smartphone.

 

[TheDoros]

Dual core will be nice when wp8 comes out for better games (even though I don't play them) and rendering things a little more quickly. But I don't want to see quad core because I don't think it's necessary and I would rather have software that just runs efficiently like now.

I think this is why WP will succeed and why iOS has such great success. It just works, it does what it says when you want it to. Android is attractive because of the crazy specs it has and the customizability.

Sent from my T9295 using Board Express

 

[Big Supes]

As I'm not a dev, I don't know if I'm right in thinking that Windows Phone could possibly benefit from dual core in order to tighten up the notifications and live tile information feeds. These really need to be seamless, and at present - they're not.

 

[1jaxstate1]

Dual cores will also make those download speeds get higher and higher. Yes, dual cores will improve download speeds

Sent from my Galaxy S II

 

[freestaterocker]

frankly, i'm upset that they haven't already launched an 8-core phone.

I want to be able to play 8 separate iterations of plants v zombies all at the same time! Without this base functionality, i don't know how they can call it a smartphone.

+1

 

[Kahuna Cowboy]

There is no question that multi-core Windows Phones will happen, it's just a matter of when. The whole smartphone market is moving to them. A lot of people who do study what smartphone eco-system they want to immerse themselves in do dismiss WP because it's a single core, living in dual core world, on the cusp of a quad core evolution. A savvy buyer does not want to get left holding the bag for 2 years when single core premium smart phones are a dying breed.

 

[sentimentGX4]

Is there really a need for 4 cores on a cellphone? I could see the advantage of dual core but 4 is overkill.

Yes, we need quad core on a cellphone! I won't be happy until our phones are powerful enough to run desktop Windows. hahahaha...

Seriously, though, most phones can't handle heavier programs and the apps craze can only last so long. Why can't my phone run desktop Microsoft Word? Why doesn't it work with desktop Hulu or Youtube? (There really isn't a reason it shouldn't.)

This is what makes me concerned regarding the direction Microsoft is taking. Apple and Google have already established iOS and Android as effective tablet OSes. It's only a matter of time before they are working on our computers. All the while, Microsoft's strategy is with downgrading desktop Windows to work on tablets and keeping the smartphone OS in the dark ages. -.-

A savvy buyer does not want to get left holding the bag for 2 years when single core premium smart phones are a dying breed.

Well I wouldn't say that. If you look at sites such as Slickdeals, Windows Phones are all the craze. Techies who buy their smartphones for $200 w/ a $70/month 2 yr contract are not savvy buyers.

Anyways, I think the fact that Windows Phones are so cheap is actually an advantage for Microsoft and consistent with the Windows OS brand image. Windows Phone has a large portfolio of $200 unlocked smartphones. It's surprisingly larger than Android's given that there really aren't that many models out there and each $200 Windows Phone actually looks like a "premium" device unlike the $200 stuff you get on Android.

Android is a silly "premium" OS, anyways. Android is the Windows of smartphones trying to charge us the same amount as a Mac. Not to mention that iOS is a gazillion times efficient/faster than Android and has significantly better battery life. The price ranges for Windows Phones make sense.

 

[Fannya24]

Is there really a need for 4 cores on a cellphone?

 

[Bentstraight]

I'm not sure why people are against having class leading specs. Quad core may not be necessary, but weather you like it or not, it is a selling point. When you're just entering the market that is filled with Android devices of all spec ranges, and the iPhone that already has a massive following, you need to do everything you can to make your phone appealing. There is a reason why the Galaxy S and Galaxy S2 are the biggest selling Android phones ever. The SuperAmoled Screen just Pops. The phone is super thin and light with class leading specs. The Galaxy S2 even won smartphone of the year at the GSMA Awards 2012 at Mobile World Congress.
But besides being a selling feature, the biggest reason I wanna see class leading specs is because it FUTURE PROOFS the phone for a decent number of years for future OS updates. Why would you not want that? I don't want huge specs just to say, "look at my phone it's got better specs than your phone." I want big specs so I am covered for any OS updates down the road for a decent number of years. It's called future proofing your phone. And this is what Samsung has done with the Galaxy S2. So when ICS gets release for the Galaxy S2, my phone will run it with no problems. I paid $700 for this phone outright, I want it to last for more than 2 years. And now it will.
So I'm really glad to hear that Samsung has announced they will be going all in with Windows 8 and Apollo. I will definitely be buying the high end tablet and phone they plan on releasing in Q4.

 

[darthhen]

First of all, more cores the better!! But the OS has to support it. Then the developers needs to utilize it. There will always be some application that can use the more cores. It's a chicken and egg thing. If hardware vendors don't put in the cores, then the developers can't use it....

But on the flip side, I do not want to give up battery life for the sake of having more cores. I don't play games on my phone. I use my phone for E-mail, phone, and surf the net when I need to check something really quick. So even 2 cores would be an overkill for me. So I'm happy with just 1 core.

 

[threed61]

I've had many posts calling on WP to improve specs. I think optimized dual core phones will improve WP performance. I don't think cellphones are large enough to handle the battery requirements or the heat generated by more powerful processors at this time. I will be delighted to be proven wrong.

 

[mprice86]

I'm not sure why people are against having class leading specs. Quad core may not be necessary, but weather you like it or not, it is a selling point

For 99% of people a bigger selling point is a smartphone with a cheap price point and good performance.

With Windows Phone 8 it does now seem inevitable that there will be a race to produce the most ridiculously over-specced phones within whatever limitations are put in place by MS, but unless dual or quad cores are going to offer any real world performance gains people still aren't going to buy them.

You buy Android if you want a crazy spec and then ***** about anything that is less than yours (despite the fact that there are still plenty of 1ghz single core android phones being made). You buy iPhone if you want great hardware design and enjoy being over charged to improve your social standing. You buy Windows Phone if you don't don't give a crap and/or are just sick of the software/hardware wars.

 

[Nemesis-X]

I'm more worried about what GPU will be used "alongside" a dual core cpu. At least make that component leading edge.