Google Should Be Afraid.

[bilzkh]

Please re-read my post - there is no question of Google "letting" YT happen for anything. ANYONE can build a YT app without having to take Google's permission as long as they abide by the platform's terms and conditions, i.e. use their public, freely available APIs. Which cannot be done because of WP8 deficiencies. If MS loves their customers so much, I would like to see them acknowledge this and fix the inline video defect. If Google truly was afraid, they'd go after apps like Metrotube and similar.

Google and MS are businesses, they will go where the ROI, the profits, are. For MS, they did it because 80% of smartphone users are on Android and it ran the risk of those people abandoning their services for Google, so they develop apps for that platform. The costs of developing the app are justified by the user base. For Google, this is not so. Cost of app development is going to be higher than the cost of lost users, I suppose. When that balance shifts, my secondary L920 will have official apps.

Windows Phone isn't a 5 person market, it has tens of millions of users who use their devices for hours on end each day for accessing mail, weather, maps, videos, etc. A truly rational Google would put their apps on the platform, certainly not with cutting edge features, but sufficiently capable nonetheless. That's what many others are doing (on Windows Phone), Google is not, and Google's gone to lengths to prevent a formal presence on the platform from happening.

 

[maclancer]

I don't understand why Microsoft does not sue Google for trying to block at all cost competition. This is unfair to the WP users. Its like Google pointing to us the middle finger.

 

[dc9super80]

While I do believe that WP is (and should be) on Google's radar, I really believe that Apple should be more afraid, given the market shares involved. Google is the biggest, and while they have the most to lose, Apple could definitely lose as well, as more and more people learn about the WP experience.

Marketshare is a broad term. It has been said that the 520 was the most sold Windows Phone, Apple doesn't compete in that segment. Where Apple currently plays, Windows is not a terribly big player yet.

Tapatalking from my awesome iPhone 5 or very comfy Nexus 7...

 

[planoman]

I do think Google needs to step up and develop apps for WP. There are many of us that are cross platform users. As an android, iOS and WP user, I might self identify as an android user, but I will want a seamless experience with my google apps across all platforms. These include Google Now, Drive, Translate, Chrome, Keep, You Tube, Gmail, Play Music etc. I do not use Google + but I am sure some of you might want that as well. All of the apps I mentioned are available on iOS...

All the eloquent posts notwithstanding, I am hopeful that once WP share reaches a certain point, Google will recognize it's growth and develop accordingly.

 

[Kris Simundson]

I do think Google needs to step up and develop apps for WP. There are many of us that are cross platform users. As an android, iOS and WP user, I might self identify as an android user, but I will want a seamless experience with my google apps across all platforms. These include Google Now, Drive, Translate, Chrome, Keep, You Tube, Gmail, Play Music etc. I do not use Google + but I am sure some of you might want that as well. All of the apps I mentioned are available on iOS...

All the eloquent posts notwithstanding, I am hopeful that once WP share reaches a certain point, Google will recognize it's growth and develop accordingly.

My big things are hangouts/g+/YouTube

Everything else is minor.

YouTube mostly because of the ability to sync it to my xbox and control it.

Sent from my GT-P5210 using Tapatalk

 

[Sanjay Chandra]

I don't understand why Microsoft does not sue Google for trying to block at all cost competition. This is unfair to the WP users. Its like Google pointing to us the middle finger.

Microsoft brought Google to court for distributing Android for free.MS already collecting $2 Billion royalties from Android OEMs by pulling them to courts.

If there is anyone , Microsoft is the one who is trying to be unfair and showing middle finger to companies and forcing them to adopt WP even though they dislike it.

That's why no company except Nokia is interested in WP.
All companies are pushing busy Android more than they push WP because Google will never pull them to courts for royalties like MS or Apple do.

Google even bought Motorola to protect their OEMs from Apple and also as a backup plan to face Samsung in case if they turn to Tizen or something.

WP cannot beat Android or iOS without support from Samsung

 

[irvin792]

Yea Samsung is the answer ..... Lol

 

[neo158]

Yea Samsung is the answer ..... Lol

Ironically enough if they switched to producing Windows Phones exclusively then that would be it for Android.

 

[Sanjay Chandra]

Yea Samsung is the answer ..... Lol

Don't under estimate Samsung.

Whether you buy Qualcomm powered smartphone or Apple Device or Windows Notebook , All will have atleast one component made by Samsung.So directly or indirectly , profit goes to Samsung whether you buy Samsung device or non-Samsung device.

Only thing is , if Samsung sells "whole hardware" i.e full device , they get better margins than selling components individually because they have brand power and also influence to enter almost every country in the world.

When Samsung launched Galaxy S4 , it was available in every single carrier with the same name (unlike Galaxy S2 which had many weird names back then) and same branding.They launched it in almost every country where iPhone also launched.

Compare that to HTC , they launched HTC One but the number of countries and carriers it was sold , is not even tiny bit close to iPhone or Galaxy.If Samsung adopts WP "seriously" , it will become popular in no time because they have huge resources and ability to create brand power next to Apple.

Nokia announced Lumia 920 in september but nobody knows when to buy or where to buy or pricing.Nokia again appeared in November to announce Lumia 920 actual launch meanwhile everyone was busy buying an iPhone 5 or waiting weeks for their pre-order.By the time Nokia launched 920 globally , Apple already sold like 30 million iPhone 5's and 15 million iPads at that time breaking their previous records.

This is the main difference between Apple/Samsung Vs Nokia/HTC , That's why Samsung adopting WP seriously could be a game changer.

Samsung proudly said in IFA that "we’re the only player in the market capable of creating all the products in the ecosystem." which is so true.

P.S I recently learned that Samsung also built world's tallest tower in Dubai (Samsung C&T undertook that project) and they are also busy building on water lol.Is there any business where Samsung is not involved ? they even have a clothing line.

 

[Albert Fish]

The problem with Google is that is looking old and not functional. I really think Windows 8 is much faster, (I own also android phone with almost the same specs and is faster!) is more beautiful and Android should consider a big refresh! However I don't think they should fear. They have a well estabilished market. I do think however they will loose some because the Windows 8.This partnership with Nokia is quite strong, they sold a lot and also other good brands! The market app is not so rich, but you have all you need. I don't feel any app missing from my new Windows Phone! However is sad they didn't built a good file explorer or at least one good free app. No way. I tried something and was awful.. not worth it.

 

[AngryNil]

If MS says hey. build the app yourself and send us a bill, that would be different.

If you seriously think that Microsoft has not made this offer to Google, you are delusional.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

Ironically enough if they switched to producing Windows Phones exclusively then that would be it for Android.

Nah. Samsung needs the ecosystem, and it knows it IMHO.

If Samsung left Android, someone would happily fill the void.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

If you seriously think that Microsoft has not made this offer to Google, you are delusional.

Count me with the delusional then. It would be INSANE for MSFT to accept that bill.

Conjecture on my part, but the cost of an app like YouTube far surpasses just coding.

 

[dkediger]

Speaking in general terms, as pretty much all tech companies have been guilty of this to varying extents, is that ignoring a user segment leads to apathy towards the company in general. Its too easy to find an alternative, or just move on and do something else.

Personally, I just don't care about YouTube anymore. Its not that I "hate" it, no, I'm just "meh" about it.

The danger for a company, is when I, as a decision maker, project that apathy onto the company's other offerings. Granted, there's also a danger of "cutting off my nose to spite my face," but at the least, it gives me an extra pause when I consider contract renewals or how seriously I consider pitches for services from competing companies.

 

[AngryNil]

Count me with the delusional then. It would be INSANE for MSFT to accept that bill.

Conjecture on my part, but the cost of an app like YouTube far surpasses just coding.

You have no idea what you're talking about then. Microsoft already pays for many apps that matter far less than YouTube. It has already spent the past three years trying to work with Google and even reverse engineered YouTube's private APIs. That's completely wasted time and money. $100 million was the cost of the marketing campaign for the US launch of the Lumia 900, which was pretty much a flop. $100 million would easily cover all costs for Google apps on Windows Phone indefinitely.

The bill for the creation and maintenance of Google apps would be one of the cheapest options available for Microsoft to dramatically improve Windows Phone. Google obviously isn't offering it.

 

[planoman]

Count me with the delusional then. It would be INSANE for MSFT to accept that bill.

Conjecture on my part, but the cost of an app like YouTube far surpasses just coding.

Hey I scanned your QR code in your avatar...someone is looking for you...

 

[falconrap]

Count me with the delusional then. It would be INSANE for MSFT to accept that bill.

Conjecture on my part, but the cost of an app like YouTube far surpasses just coding.

MS already MADE the app. At one point they basically told Google "here's the app...we made it for you...we'll even add in the Ad API if you want...just let us use it, or your release and control it." Google acted like they were going to, but didn't. As of 3Q13 WP has 30-40 million users. Will likely add another 10+ million in 4Q13. Clearly not numbers to ignore. Google actually makes the app for all of these other platforms, but refuses to do it for WP. At some point MS is going to play out Google's bluff until they have no legitimate excuse not to have an app, and MS will simply take them to court over anti-competitive behavior, assuming the EU and US don't get them first (EU already looks to be ready to hit them hard).

Why would Google actively avoid over 30 million potential customers on the fastest growing platform? Isn't iOS, by numbers, a much larger threat? Ponder that for a moment while I work up another post.

 

[falconrap]

[/color]

You're not really serious, are you? Surpass iOS, and compete with Google? LOL!!:grin:

Pull your head out of your US centric posterior and you will see that WP is likely going to surpass iOS during 2014 in most major markets outside of the US. It's already very close in a couple. The US is the only place likely to hold out for a long period of time. So, yes, I am quite serious. I see from you and several others a failure to truly understand the situation at hand. So let me further explain.

Let's tackle the whole Chromebook thing first. It's netbook 2.0. Netbooks took off, intially, and everyone was saying tablets had no chance, and laptops would have serious competition, and PC's were doomed. How did that work out? Exactly. Netbooks were slow and couldn't do everything a full powered laptop could do. They could, however, do everything Chromebooks can, and more. Chromebooks are a fad, and MS is using its ads to make sure the fad ends as soon as possible. Customers are going to be disappointed with these devices and they will either return them, sell them, or just allow them to collect dust in a corner. The real problem Google has is the $200 Windows 8 real deal tablets which are selling like hotcakes. Chromebooks sell because they offer functionality of a tablet with a little bit more stuff closing the gap slightly with low end laptops, and they do so for a low price. Well, now you can buy a full blown Windows 8 tablet, buy a Logitech keyboard/mouse combo, and you really have a mobile PC, one that is even more mobile, and far more powerful than a Chromebook. MS is simply doing what it can to stop the current bleeding of laptop sales by letting people know that they will regret there decision.

Later this year, when WP 8.1 hits, the functionality gap between Android and WP will be very tiny, and impact almost nobody. It will achieve parity where it needs to. Once that happens, as Win8 tablets continue to come down in price, and the app store continues to rapidly grow (I suspect we'll see 300,000 apps by summer), WP is going to be a very viable OS for virtually everyone. And it will be part of an eco-system that will be coming together very nicely once 8.1 hits. Further more, as MS continues to educate people on what Google does with customer data, people are slowly going to change perspectives on Google (something I've seen from a lot of people lately). When you throw in the fact that a larger portion of Android users don't particularly care for the OS, in terms of daily usage, it leaves Google ripe to peaking and starting it's downward trend.

When people see that they can get an Android tablet or full Win8 tablet for about the same amount, and they learn that they can mirror their PC on their Win8 tablet, why would they choose Android? Only people on a very slim budget will make that choice (or those who just hat MS or love Android). Most people, who aren't totally wedded to any platform, are going to choose the tablet that runs like their PC. What do you think will happen when their phone can do that too? Google is afraid because they are at risk of being marginalized in a few years from now. Right now they are dominant and don't have to worry, but I'm talking 3-5 years from now win WP and Win8/9 will be laying waste to any Chome OS gains and starting to take a notable chunk out of Android. For MS they just need to execute their game plan and not take too long. Time, and screwing up, are really the only things they have to worry about.

 

[NYRbeezer]

Actually, I can guarantee you that Google is very afraid. Why? Because it's not just about WP8. It's the whole ecosystem. Let me explain: My dad came over for Christmas and showed off his new Dell Venue 8 Pro. Very nice, and setup to mirror his desktop. Think about this for a second...it's getting to the point where someone can take their desktop and apps from their PC to their tablet, and be on the go. When WP8 merges with RT, and can then do nearly the same (the exception being the desktop apps), you can get access to everything, anywhere, at any time. Add services like Bing, Outlook.com (easily superior to GMail), OneNote, and other such things, and you can see where MS is going.

So here is why Google is afraid. If you get to the point where you can either choose an Android tablet and phone, with little connectivity between the two, or you can choose, for around the same price, a more powerful x86 tablet that runs full Windows, that mirrors your desktop, and you can add your phone to it as well...that's where it gets to the point of - who needs Google? It's BlackBerry all over again. That is why Google is trying so hard to push Chromebooks. If they don't they risk becoming unimportant in about 2 or 3 more years. Having seen Chromebooks in action, I don't think it's going to help them.

I agree with the author of this thread, as Android is convoluted. I deal with it on my TouchPad and it drives me nuts. The whole methodology is a mess. The only place where I can stand Android is on tablets like the Nooks we have where the interface makes it more bearable, but only slightly. Even there...who needs a Nook or Fire when you can get a Win8 x86 tablet with Nook and Kindle apps and have both? Windows Phone is going to be the final piece of the puzzle, and it's ease of use, and low cost devices (520/521) are going to drive it past iOS, and start competing with Android until the merging is done. Then it's going to be a quick decline for Android.

I want what you are smoking.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

You have no idea what you're talking about then.

I actually noted that LOL.