The "app gap" between WP8 and Android/iOS isn't as big as you might think...

[Padmasali]

Yes it is true... But if you provide best product for first try... than, why you want to update it without any reason?
i saw some best looking apps on windows phone compare to other os... so, i suggest windows store to add 2 type of rating... 1 for looks and 2nd for ability...

 

[ammarmalik2011]

The problem is not only with the app gap, but also with feature and update cycle of apps available. I feel like on windows phone developer don't bother updating or adding feature to apps.

Facebook for instance, was updated 4 times in less than a month in iOS. Where as in WP the experience didn't improve and its still crap. Update rates are horrible!

View attachment 23879

You think that's bad? Even Skype has received two big updates in the past few weeks on iOS making the app in its current state just fabulous

 

[kcovert]

You have some new WP users coming from other platforms telling us they haven't found some equivalent. I'd like to keep hearing from them as to what they are so we know what to build.

 

[Covfam]

I have been a Droid user ever since I got a smartphone (with the notable exception of a Samsung SCH-i730 running Windows Mobile Professional 2003 2nd edition--had that for about a month before going back to my LG EnV feature phone), and I am about to make the switch to WP8. I have been comparing apps between what I have on the DroidX and what is in the marketplace, and I have found maybe 2 apps that I use that aren't there. One, Kid Mode, is not needed on WP8 because of Kid's Corner. Mostly, I am not able to find many of the same kids apps to put into Kid's Corner, but there are others that pick up the slack.

UPDATE: There are several other apps missing, but most are productivity apps or resource optimization apps. I don't need quickoffice as the WP8 devices come with Office installed...and the apps like Advanced Task Killer and Fast Reboot don't seem to be needed either.

iOS and Android are gaining apps at a faster rate than WP due partially to the fact that their OS's are more entrenched in our mobile society, and partially due to the process involved in publishing the apps in those markets.

Others have stated that many of the apps on Android and iOS are duplicates in that they perform the same exact functions in a slightly different manner. Don't get me wrong, there are many, many unique apps on both OS's, but there are a huge number of duplicates as well. That reduces the number of uniquely different apps, thus reducing the gap. Spouting off the actual number in each market, therefore, is at least slightly misleading.

you have to be carefull, the list of phone apps on the microsoft windows phone pages is very misleading, what it doesnt show you is that mosr all of those aps shown are for windows 7 and 7.5 and while alot work on windows 8 phones there are alot that do not work with windows 8 phones, and many of those that i tried on my lumia 822 havent been updated since 2011. even WPC has a list of 25 or so conformed games alone that dont work and have recently been removed from the market. ive had my lumia 822 a full week and intentionaly have tried hundreds of apps and the majority of them have not been updated in a year and dont officially support windows phone 8. and alot of the big apps are missing major features, like slacker is missing all the premium members functions, the kindle reader app is missing 2/3rds of the features on ios and android version, and the cnn app is missing alot of functions vs the ios/android cnn app, the IMDB app is missing many features that the android and ios app version hass, the fox news app is missing alot of features available on ios and android vesion of the apps. so dont just look at the website and see listings for apps and expect that those apps are actuall full apps. alot of the "official" big apps feel like placeholders for a later date. it disapoints me because i absolutly LOVE the lumia 822 and its live tiles and how smooth the windows phone 8 operating system is. the app exosystem isnt about quantity but lack of quality currently

 

[tmccaghren]

Going by what you said, agreed. Unfortunately, I wouldn't know too much about it; I am currently a newbie to the MS app ecosystem. I know a lot about the Android apps, though. I was hard-pressed to find apps that did what I wanted and weren't funnels for malware (a lot of optimization apps, especially, were guilty of this).

I only mean to say--and I think you agree, or at least seem to--that the number of apps shouldnt b the determining factor in how good a market is. This style of OS for MS is still in its infancy, so numbers of apps, as well as quality of some key ones, will take a hit until production/development hits its full stride.

 

[11B1P]

I'm not a heavy app pusher. I use a handful and rarely go looking for a "specific" app. The big apps everybody complains about not being on WP are apps I probably won't use to begin with.

Now serious question or two. How many of you that complain about the lack of specific apps, actually go to that developer and ask them to dev for WP?

How many times have you gone to a developer and asked them to dev their app for WP, even though you know you won't use or need that app? I have a few times. Even though I won't use the app or need the app, I want the ecosystem to expand, I want my fellow users to have an app that might help them. I want WP to succeed and it won't unless you stop complaining here, and take it to the devs directly. Do you not get ticked to see the "XYZ" app available on BB? I do by gosh. If the dev can make an app for a dying platform like BB, then they sure as heck can make an app for a growing platform like WP. But the devs will not know we want their app unless we tell them.

 

[Covfam]

I'm not a heavy app pusher. I use a handful and rarely go looking for a "specific" app. The big apps everybody complains about not being on WP are apps I probably won't use to begin with.

Now serious question or two. How many of you that complain about the lack of specific apps, actually go to that developer and ask them to dev for WP?

How many times have you gone to a developer and asked them to dev their app for WP, even though you know you won't use or need that app? I have a few times. Even though I won't use the app or need the app, I want the ecosystem to expand, I want my fellow users to have an app that might help them. I want WP to succeed and it won't unless you stop complaining here, and take it to the devs directly. Do you not get ticked to see the "XYZ" app available on BB? I do by gosh. If the dev can make an app for a dying platform like BB, then they sure as heck can make an app for a growing platform like WP. But the devs will not know we want their app unless we tell them.

i agree. ive already made a request with Amazon for thier kindle app, send an email to CNN and Fox news, and one to Slacker, hadnt had the time to write to everyone yet but will get them covered eventually. im less annoyed by missing apps than the half assed pseudo apps from the majors like CNN,Foxnews,Slacker,Kindle,IMDB. i find it insulting that they released an app with 1 or two features and leave out the other 10-20 functions for later/if at all. id rather have a full complete app out than "placeholder" type apps from alot of the majors who have come to the wp8 platform.

 

[jwinch2]

I'm not a heavy app pusher. I use a handful and rarely go looking for a "specific" app. The big apps everybody complains about not being on WP are apps I probably won't use to begin with.

Now serious question or two. How many of you that complain about the lack of specific apps, actually go to that developer and ask them to dev for WP?

How many times have you gone to a developer and asked them to dev their app for WP, even though you know you won't use or need that app? I have a few times. Even though I won't use the app or need the app, I want the ecosystem to expand, I want my fellow users to have an app that might help them. I want WP to succeed and it won't unless you stop complaining here, and take it to the devs directly. Do you not get ticked to see the "XYZ" app available on BB? I do by gosh. If the dev can make an app for a dying platform like BB, then they sure as heck can make an app for a growing platform like WP. But the devs will not know we want their app unless we tell them.

Fair questions. I e-mailed several developers for the apps I used on Android frequently, and asked them to consider developing for WP. About half of them responded with the majority saying that at this time, they have no plans to produce an app for WP, the rest were cautious in saying that they were looking into it, but would not go further then that.

 

[Coffee]

I am contemplating Windows Phone but currently am disappointed by the lack of full featured podcast catching apps. On Android I use BeyondPod and I have all kinds of options set up: I download podcasts on a schedule and only over wifi when my device is plugged into a power source. I find that desirable mainly because I do not want to waste my data plan to download large podcasts so they download while I sleep and the phone is charging.

When you subscribe to a podcast, it always defaults to 'download while phone is charging' and 'only use WiFi'. You have to manually change the settings to do it otherwise.

 

[johaas]

I'm a new user to Windows Phone (was under the oppressive thumb of Verizon for two long years with a terrible Samsung Galaxy S) and when I was with Android I found that there were less than a dozen apps that I actually used on a regular basis. It doesn't take much to make me happy, and there are no apps that I am missing from my Android days. Give me podcasts, twitter, and youtube and I am a happy man

 

[hopmedic]

When you subscribe to a podcast, it always defaults to 'download while phone is charging' and 'only use WiFi'. You have to manually change the settings to do it otherwise.

Half-correct. There is no "download while charging" setting.

 

[Itachi_Uchiha]

Could'nt have put it better myself...

It's not about quantity, it's about quality. Things will likely get better, but right now, the app ecosystem is a big downside to this platform. Take a look at the "top free" lists for each platform:

Android
Windows Phone 8

Which one has the most fluff and garbage on those lists? Many apps show up on each list, but plenty are missing from WP8, and instead there are 3rd party knockoffs and lots of free wallpaper/ringtone fluff.

Where are the official apps from major sports leagues? MLS has one, but no NFL, MLB, or NHL?

Where are the streaming video apps? Crackle, Netflix, and Crunchyroll are all good, but where's Hulu, HBO Go, ABC/CBS/Fox/NBC, Xfinity, BBC iPlayer, WatchESPN, MLB.tv, or NHL Gamecenter?

Official banking apps, only a few so far. Official airline apps, ditto.

Also, how many of the apps are just placeholders? I still consider Yelp to be a missing app, because even though it is in the store, it has almost no features.

So this is a problem, and it does need to improve.

 

[tobygwinn]

Even though I listen to music all the time, I removed all the streaming radio stuff from my phone. I can see how this would be nice, but I think I prefer Pandora Radio. Is there another option to just listening to music? I feel as though we have invented ways to use the data bandwidth on our phones to do the same tasks we did before with FM/AM radios or CDs or MP3s. Is music that much different if you stream it over the internet vs playing it from the device? If everyone tuned into the FM radio station isn't that the same social listening as Spotify? Maybe I'm just crazy for not using the phone that way.



Other

I use radio streaming apps because the area I live in doesn't have a radio station of the type of music that I enjoy. Also, spotify allows you to build custom playlists such as an "80's" playlist of only single songs that you add to that playlist. So, you can go through and pick the top 100 or however many songs you want in that genre and add them to that playlist so when you click on the list, it plays only the songs that you put in that list...much better to me than listening to the radio and having to hear 5 songs I don't like to hear the 1 song I do.

 

[mpelti]

The problem is not only with the app gap, but also with feature and update cycle of apps available. I feel like on windows phone developer don't bother updating or adding feature to apps.

Facebook for instance, was updated 4 times in less than a month in iOS. Where as in WP the experience didn't improve and its still crap. Update rates are horrible!

Very true. My android phone would frequently get 10+ app updates a day, my wp8 barely has any.

 

[snowmutt]

So, My wife is starting her own business with a friend. She needs a credit card reader to process payments. If WP does not step up or a developer does not step up, she will leave WP for Android. She doesn't want to, she NEEDS to. We need to streamline costs- a smart phone needs to do both. We will not add a tablet to the mix.

My friend just re-upped at work. He really, really liked my Focus S. He stayed with iOS. Know why? Me not selling him on WP? Nope, I worked hard on him as he had shown tons of interest. But, he banks and uses an app he would not do without. No app for him. No WP for him.

My son's friend also crossed off WP on his list when his family goes for a new contract. Why? No Marvel Comics app. (He also hated the lack of games.)

My friend at Church crossed off WP as soon as he realized there was no Barnes and Noble app. (Also no credit union app locally.)

I love my WP. But we are getting good numbers in WP 8 sales. If that continues, developers will come. MS will push for it. I believe it will change. But we need to keep alive this conversation. It is a problem. That iOS and Android has tons of crap on their app selections DOES NOT MATTER. That they have better selections does. Period, end of story.

 

[hopmedic]

Even a year ago, I had more than 10% of my church on Windows Phones. My wife keeps saying that Microsoft needs to be paying me (I agree :smile. And that was BEFORE the new lines of phones came out - even before the first wave of Lumias came out - although one guy had a Titan, and when it went bad, they replaced it with a Titan II. I haven't gotten anyone on a WP8 yet, as the problem in our church, as it is in a lot of places right now, is unemployment and underemployment, but there are people interested... But one thing that I have going for me is that most of the people that I have converted are people who are buying into their very first smart phone. It would not have been so easy if they were coming from Apple or Android. Yes, there is a gap. It is narrowing, but not nearly as quickly as I'd like to see. I'm a ******, no doubt, but I'll admit the shortcoming.

 

[pavvento]

So, My wife is starting her own business with a friend. She needs a credit card reader to process payments. If WP does not step up or a developer does not step up, she will leave WP for Android. She doesn't want to, she NEEDS to. We need to streamline costs- a smart phone needs to do both. We will not add a tablet to the mix.

My friend just re-upped at work. He really, really liked my Focus S. He stayed with iOS. Know why? Me not selling him on WP? Nope, I worked hard on him as he had shown tons of interest. But, he banks and uses an app he would not do without. No app for him. No WP for him.

My son's friend also crossed off WP on his list when his family goes for a new contract. Why? No Marvel Comics app. (He also hated the lack of games.)

My friend at Church crossed off WP as soon as he realized there was no Barnes and Noble app. (Also no credit union app locally.)

I love my WP. But we are getting good numbers in WP 8 sales. If that continues, developers will come. MS will push for it. I believe it will change. But we need to keep alive this conversation. It is a problem. That iOS and Android has tons of crap on their app selections DOES NOT MATTER. That they have better selections does. Period, end of story.

This times 1,0000000. The problem with many posters is that because THEY don't have a problem with the marketplace they assume that anyone that does is simply nitpicking. Sure, for some people the marketplace has all the apps they need, for other people it doesn't. I would wager a guess that the percentage of people who's needs aren't met is greater than the percentage of people who's needs are. I'm happy with the apps in the marketplace but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't have a better experience with additional apps. I'm just fortunate enough to not be in a position where I need certain apps but I recognize that other people might.

 

[Alex Rodriguez]

Majority of these big Marketplaces (Android,IOS) have a lot of apps because there are a lot of apps that are copies of others. Basically three , four or even five or ten apps that do the same thing, just different name.

 

[anon(5399450)]

Majority of these big Marketplaces (Android,IOS) have a lot of apps because there are a lot of apps that are copies of others. Basically three , four or even five or ten apps that do the same thing, just different name.

And if you just reverse this argument around, for every say 10 apps (arbitrary number but you get the point), 1 is an original app that WP does NOT have. WP is years behind in terms of app selection and support and there is just no going around that. The OP is extremely misleading.

 

[mpelti]

Majority of these big Marketplaces (Android,IOS) have a lot of apps because there are a lot of apps that are copies of others. Basically three , four or even five or ten apps that do the same thing, just different name.

You are only talking about quantity. The problem is quality. Plenty of WP8 apps are bad copies of good apps on other platforms. The quality original is what's missing.