Does Windows Phone even have a chance anymore?

[Still Mostly Harmless]

.....

The biggest drawback of MS marketing is LUMIA as a brand is more famous than Windows Phone. Every one says hey I have a Lumia , but most "android" people say I have an android phone.

Why is the MS marketing so ..... !!

Actually Android has the same problem. A lot of people still refer to Android as "Droids" which was a marketing campaign created by Verizon when they released the original Droid in 2009 (Droid brand still exist).

 

[tgp]

Actually Android has the same problem. A lot of people still refer to Android as "Droids" which was a marketing campaign created by Verizon when they released the original Droid in 2009 (Droid brand still exist).

I agree. I hear lots of users saying they have a "Droid." THB, I wonder how many Android users wouldn't even be able to tell you that their phone's OS is Android.

 

[JamesDax]

Yes!

 

[Amran Nagal]

IDC just released their report.
Windows phone has over taken blackberry to become the number 3 OS

 

[theefman]

IDC just released their report.
Windows phone has over taken blackberry to become the number 3 OS

Well thats it then, isn't it? Game over for WP. /s

 

[omniusovermind]

I tend to agree with a report posted over in the UK by O2 which basically showed that the list of features listed as selling points on the Lumia phones were actually at the bottom of the list of activities the average user spends a number of minutes spent per day doing. Their study showed an average of 128 minutes per day was spent by their customers on smartphones and of that, the vast majority was spent surfing, texting, playing games, using apps, and social networking. WP specific features like using MS Office, taking camera pictures, utilizing the People Hub etc totaled around 5 minutes of that 128.

The point wasn't that they were accusing WP of doing the more popular activities worse than Android or iOS. It was that WP wasn't offering compelling enough reasons to show people that their way of doing those activities is any better than already existing and more established platforms, as well as ecosystems that people have already bought into. People often cite reasons like more security, MS Office integration, email, Nokia cameras, or things like People Hub etc as reasons to switch, but it appears not too many people really care about that stuff enough to rocket WP into a position of equal marketshare with iOS and Android.

What MS needs to do is stop highlighting the wrong reasons to switch, get a better grasp of what people mostly use their phones for and refocus their efforts on those items. The big stumbling block right now is that those popular activities are largely app-centric, and the app-gap presents an obstacle.

Just a small side note about email. Not too many people use email that much these days unless it's for work, and both Blackberry and WP really seem to have convinced themselves that email is better using a built in phone email client and "hubs". As someone who simply ported all of their personal email addresses over to gmail and uses the gmail app I can testify this is far less hassle.

 

[TAB1360]

We just need to give people a reason to buy like maybe updates o make it work better with computers than other phones and also allow people with windows phone to have exclusive features on Xbox

 

[wpn00b]

Yes WP has a chance. Everyday I tell people what I love about it and what I don't. They listen to me because I came directly from an iPhone 4 and had an iPhone 5 but sold it without activating because it simply didn't interest me. I went from Blackberry Storm to HTC Incredible, to iPhone to 8X. They each had their merits but the WP to which "there's no apps" (my friend said this last night) is by far the best one.

Someone asked, why did MS lose 30% market share... iOS literally was 5 years ahead of everything else as Steve Jobs claimed. Google took until JellyBean to reach parity in UI responsiveness alone. Sure they have other features iOS still doesn't but what users see and feel when interacting with a device is the most important. Everything before that on Android was laggy and jumpy. Microsoft had a desktop OS clone shrunk down to work on resistive screens ONLY. It wasn't natural or easy for the average person to pick it up and use it as a daily driver. iOS was. Once Apple sold their lifestyle, it became the defacto standard. Then Android came along and that little hipster/geek inside everyone said "Apple closed. Closed bad! Google open. Open good!" iPhone became an elitist symbol and Android was the torch bearer for openness and cheap knockoffs of the rich guys smartphone. Sure they were garbage but hey, you have widgets!

Basically they each sold lifestyles and ideologies while MS offered nothing but a clunky interface lifted from the desktop. They had nowhere to go but down.

Now Google is on top with Android and everyday I hear people consider switching to an iPhone because they are tired of their buggy "droids".

That's when I ask, "Have you heard of Windows Phone?"...

 

[dba415]

Microsoft will never beat android, they might be able to overtake Apple but that would require many mistakes from Apple I don't see happening.

 

[cuzincurly]

I think WP does have a chance (coming from an ipod touch that does phone calls [though an attachment] and a few android devices). It's just uncluttered without being just an app launcher. Its simplicity is its core strength, making it highly intuitive because you don't have all the bells and whistles to do tasks. MS should focus on this and further improve other features such as the lack of a notification center and VPN support.

Here are a few things that stand out for me.

1. Alphabetized app list with a dedicated app search button
-it takes me ages to go through a gazillion of android apps because I have to keep on swiping and looking into folders just to find my app. Here, I just swipe to the right and click the search button for the app that I'm looking for.

2. Start screen with live tiles.
-all my important apps are there with easily readable notifications. I could fit as many apps as I can in the start screen, resizing them as a fit, unlike android which I have to swipe around to view all my widgets. Since everything is square and has a particular theme, the apps look uniformed and sleek as they can be.

3. Dedicated camera button and lenses.
-In my line of work, I have to take pictures in an instant in quite rugged settings (construction sites etc.) so I have to work fast. Even if my screen is locked, I could set up the camera immediately through the dedicated camera button. No need to to unlock the screen and find my camera app.

4. Single volume control.
-This is shocking even for myself, but it works because I don't have to look into my profiles to change the volume for various notifications. It's quicker this way specially in meetings wherein I have to move quickly. If I need my phone to be silent, I'll just hold dedicated volume button and click the vibrate icon then everything goes silent even my key pad tones.

5. People and Messaging hubs [and other apps that allow you to pin articles on the start screen].
-This makes keeping track of my relatives, co-workers and other important information because everything is integrated into a single place, and the live tiles can give me updates with just a glance.

Other than those, I still want some of my favorite apps such as instagram [I'm not hoping anymore, but the substitutes are quite nice], a notification center and FM radio support (which would come in the next update)

 

[12Danny123]

I think WP has a chance

 

[TAB1360]

Sure blackberry sucks but now were third best in the world

 

[mlm1950]

They rolled with Windows 7 for a couple of years, and it didn't do squat. I'd say they are doing pretty good with Windows 8. If they can just roll out everything they promised at launch, they should do even better.

Did people think they would be #1 or #2 after such a short amount of time?

 

[spaulagain]

Of course it has a chance. Windows Phone has the benefit of riding the backs of Windows, Xbox, Office, Outlook, etc.

Look how long it took for MS to get the Xbox killing the competition, at least 5 years? Now I'd say it's THE game council, and soon to be THE entertainment center.

 

[usnberry]

WP8 just took no. 3 spot from BBRY. I think that if they can push and tweak their OS they have a great chance at a 5-8% market share in 2014.

Their OS is easy to learn, smooth and very personal-izable. Many big apps are here, and more coming out each month. The hardware is up to par and overall experience is agreeable.

Blue might be the update they need to breakout, but I think WP8 needs some tender tweaks (quick adjust menus, notification center, app organizer) and a flashly flagship with that cool concept customizable color band to catch consumers attention.
Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Board Express

 

[Simon Tupper]

I believe Microsoft should surprise us with a redesign of their tiles. Not something drastic but small changes. Its been a while since WP is out and I think MS should always be looking for a new way to present Metro. You must never believe that your first shot was your greatest.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I believe Microsoft should surprise us with a redesign of their tiles. Not something drastic but small changes. Its been a while since WP is out and I think MS should always be looking for a new way to present Metro. You must never believe that your first shot was your greatest.

They already have redesigned the tiles. Tiles were all one size until 8/7.8.

 

[smoledman]

No because Google is blocking their services on Windows Phone and that is the primary thing people care about.

 

[Simon Tupper]

They already have redesigned the tiles. Tiles were all one size until 8/7.8.

it was a nice change, bu maybe if we could edit buil-in apps' tiles from the start screen by choosing a particular accent or by picking a picture from your library. WP would be even more personal.

 

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

I think WP does have a chance (coming from an ipod touch that does phone calls [though an attachment] and a few android devices).

How did you pull this off? I presume the attachment makes it able to accept a SIM card? If so I would love that for my iPod Touch. Be nice to have that option for when my Nokia dies.