Microsoft brings Bing Rewards to Android and iOS but Not Windows Phone

[stmav]

Also anyone who is really making excuses for Microsoft delaying this for windows phone is laughable to me.

We all need to laugh more.

 

[HeyCori]

Thanks, I couldn't find any mention of an app, just a mobile website. I don't have any ios or android devices to check.

I'm re-reading the original Bing blog post and they seem to make it deliberately unclear if they're going through the app or website.

 

[EchoOne30]

Hilarious.

Yet another reason I'm inching towards the iphone come my next upgrade.

No support for their own platform, not to mention no support for any other country beside USA. As a Canadian I don't have full Bing, won't have cortana, and don't have bing rewards.

 

[Panathas]

I don't live in the US (like most of the WP users), so idk. Just another stupid decision made by MS.
Perhaps they want to write a book and make the BIG money with that, title: How to ruin your product in 10 simple steps.

 

[stmav]

It was my understanding that Bing on iOS/Android had an independent app in addition to the normal web page. I'll grab a iPad and test it out.

I found this on cnet.

It's worth noting this not an app you can download in the App Store or Google Play, but instead a specially designed mobile site that tracks your search behavior so that you can earn rewards.

Like I said, I went to that link on my 920, saw my point and rewards, did a couple of searches and watched another reward point show up.

 

[jlzimmerman]

Regardless of business reasons and technicalities, this is a slap in the face and embarrassment to WP and its users. How can MS expect developers and users to support WP as an equal when they don't do it themselves? They may have good reasons, but perception IS reality. At the VERY LEAST they should put out an APB and explain why it will not / cannot come to WP at this time.

Everybody should be tweeting about it. This type of nonsense has got to stop.
@microsoft
@windowsphone

 

[HeyCori]

I found this on cnet.

Like I said, I went to that link on my 920, saw my point and rewards, did a couple of searches and watched another reward point show up.

And I was just coming back to report that my test was rather inconclusive. That probably explains why. I downloaded the Bing app on the iPad and the Rewards section is built right in. I tried Bing.com on Safari and logged into my account, but of course Rewards is there because it's the full website. Perhaps I would have gotten a different page if I used an iPhone. Switching my 920 to desktop mode brings up Rewards just fine. Seems like MS is purposely being unclear what makes Bing Rewards different on iOS/Android in comparison to Windows Phone.

 

[Slim Makay]

If not cos I've come to Love my Lumia so so much, I would have switch over to another platform already... If Microsoft don't put their OS and its users first, then who should??????

 

[HeyCori]

Regardless of business reasons and technicalities, this is a slap in the face and embarrassment to WP and its users. How can MS expect developers and users to support WP as an equal when they don't do it themselves? They may have good reasons, but perception IS reality. At the VERY LEAST they should put out an APB and explain why it will not / cannot come to WP at this time.

Everybody should be tweeting about it. This type of nonsense has got to stop.
@microsoft
@windowsphone

And don't forget

https://twitter.com/bing

 

[borasar]

and tweet bingrewards as well
let's make this a trending topic

 

[Jeffrey Fox]

Is it really an app or just access to a mobile version? The only thing I see mentioned in the article is to go to the mobile version at bing.com/rewards. I tried it on my 920 and it worked just fine. If I wanted to I could just make a tile and launch it instead of the search button and get my rewards.

I just checked it on my HTC Trophy (WP7.8) to see and that site Bing Rewards - Dashboard does work for me after I logged in, although it looks like crap on my screen. So, this begs the question. WHY THE HELL DIDN'T THEY SAY AS MUCH IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT?

I get that Bing is built into the OS and all that, but as we can clearly see from the reaction here this is making it look like WP is an afterthought. Clearly we can access this website from our WP devices and make Bing Rewards work for us, why do they phrase this in a way that makes it look like we don't have access yet? I mean, we look EXCLUDED from the revamp for now.

"Now announcing Bing Mobile Rewards! Anyone can log onto their Bing account from a mobile device and now rack up points. Oh and by the way, soon WP users will get a BETTER experience when the devs finish 8.1"​

If it had been phrased that way the entire feeling of the announcement could have been different. For Pete's sake, I try to be a staunch ****** but these types of things drive me up the wall.

 

[HeyCori]

I just checked it on my HTC Trophy (WP7.8) to see and that site Bing Rewards - Dashboard does work for me after I logged in, although it looks like crap on my screen. So, this begs the question. WHY THE HELL DIDN'T THEY SAY AS MUCH IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT?

I get that Bing is built into the OS and all that, but as we can clearly see from the reaction here this is making it look like WP is an afterthought. Clearly we can access this website from our WP devices and make Bing Rewards work for us, why do they phrase this in a way that makes it look like we don't have access yet? I mean, we look EXCLUDED from the revamp for now.

"Now announcing Bing Mobile Rewards! Anyone can log onto their Bing account from a mobile device and now rack up points. Oh and by the way, soon WP users will get a BETTER experience when the devs finish 8.1"​

If it had been phrased that way the entire feeling of the announcement could have been different. For Pete's sake, I try to be a staunch ****** but these types of things drive me up the wall.

Unfortunately, Bing.com on WP8 redirects to the Search hub. No idea why MS made such an odd decision. To only way to stop that from happening is to switch IE to desktop mode under Settings.

 

[stmav]

I just checked it on my HTC Trophy (WP7.8) to see and that site Bing Rewards - Dashboard does work for me after I logged in, although it looks like crap on my screen. So, this begs the question. WHY THE HELL DIDN'T THEY SAY AS MUCH IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT?

I get that Bing is built into the OS and all that, but as we can clearly see from the reaction here this is making it look like WP is an afterthought. Clearly we can access this website from our WP devices and make Bing Rewards work for us, why do they phrase this in a way that makes it look like we don't have access yet? I mean, we look EXCLUDED from the revamp for now.

"Now announcing Bing Mobile Rewards! Anyone can log onto their Bing account from a mobile device and now rack up points. Oh and by the way, soon WP users will get a BETTER experience when the devs finish 8.1"​

If it had been phrased that way the entire feeling of the announcement could have been different. For Pete's sake, I try to be a staunch ****** but these types of things drive me up the wall.

I wish I had an answer and couldn't agree more. There is a lot missing from the announcement.

 

[stmav]

Unfortunately, Bing.com on WP8 redirects to the Search hub. No idea why MS made such an odd decision. To only way to stop that from happening is to switch IE to desktop mode under Settings.

But if you put /rewards after bing.com it takes you right to the dashboard page.

 

[HeyCori]

But if you put /rewards after bing.com it takes you right to the dashboard page.

Yup, tried it and that seems to be the only way to access the page. Gotta agree, not sure why MS couldn't have gotten this right on the first try. I of course tweeted Bing, MS, WP about getting their act together. This isn't the first time the Bing team has released an update for iOS/Android first. Perhaps the head of that division needs to be replaced. I encourage others to tweet/email MS about the issue.

 

[stmav]

Yup, tried it and that seems to be the only way to access the page. Gotta agree, not sure why MS couldn't have gotten this right on the first try. I of course tweeted Bing, MS, WP about getting their act together. This isn't the first time the Bing team has released an update for iOS/Android first. Perhaps the head of that division needs to be replaced. I encourage others to tweet/email MS about the issue.

But if you can access it now like them by going to the same link, did they really get it first? There is so much misinformation/noninformation in the release. Why give the impression windows phone can't get it when it obviously can. Do they not have meetings about these things before sending it out?

 

[HeyCori]

But if you can access it now like them by going to the same link, did they really get it first? There is so much misinformation/noninformation in the release. Why give the impression windows phone can't get it when it obviously can. Do they not have meetings about these things before sending it out?

I did some digging and it looks like Qi Lu is in charge of both Bing and Skype. He was a few months ago so I assume he still is. I made sure to call him out by name. Dude needs his wings clipped.

 

[agd87]

I can't believe they've done it again. I feel undervalued as a customer. You would expect Microsoft to prioritise development for their own handset regardless of market share. I've been bragging about how much I love Windows Phone and how much better it's getting, now I feel slightly embarrassed.

 

[Reflexx]

Wow.

This is really insulting to MS's loyal customers.

They are taking us for granted.

I'm very disappointed.

 

[HeavyHanded]

This is a broader topic and deserves its own thread. Its not just Microsoft doing this and they are not to blame.