Is anyone else not really concerned about WP8 app count?

[trainplane]

I recently got a Nokia Lumia 920 because it has some features not found in many other phones. Free offline gps, decent camera/camcorder, and wireless charging. But yeah it has fewer apps than iOS/Android.

iOS/Android have that huge library of phone apps touted by supposed pundits but most are just time wasters like Instagram, and games. And many are essentially bookmarks to websites. Maybe I'm out of touch with all the cool kids but I don't get this phone app fixation. I mean, I don't want to spend my time staring at a little phone screen. I just want the phone to make my life easier, not take over my life. Maybe there might be a useful app or two that not in WP8 but unless it's a killer app, it won't be missed much. In fact, the real killer apps are already included in all smart phones--gps, Internet/email access, music/video player, texting, good camera, video chat and phone calls.

Now I'm not against apps. They are nice to have. I'll get a few. But it would suck that WP8 phones don't sell because bloggers, tech pundits, and even the public has this unnatural fixation for phone app count. And in case someone asks why do you care that your phone is successful if you don't care about app count, it is because the more your phone sells, the more accessories it will have.

 

[WinFan1]

Yeah I don't really care for the apps count either. I think people tend to get so wrapped in apps and instagram and everything else that they forget its just a phone. I'm honestly ok with not getting instagram and other apps though they would be nice to have.
Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Board Express

 

[AngryNil]

The count shouldn't be bothering you, other than the fact that sales reps are going to use it to steer customers towards Android and iOS. What concerns me is a lacking breadth of truly high quality apps and games. Most simply follow the standard WP layout, done. I'd say the best apps on any platform at least slightly modify the default layout to better suit their purpose.

 

[Chregu]

It's not about the app count, it's about the apps. I don't care, but there are people waiting for Pandora, Instagram, and other apps.

I'm happy with the apps I have, but I also see that first party support is nowhere near to iOS or Android.

 

[James8561]

not really concerned about apps since it's my first smartphone. also it's kinda cool to have apps that other users never heard of. but sometimes i do feel miss out on some of the more popular games that android has

 

[thyttel]

Not concerned about the amount of apps in windows phone market, but I AM concerned about the quality of those apps. And right now apps in market are really really bad quality comparing them to other app stores.
To be honest. The best apps in Windows Phone market I wouldn't pay money for in their current state had it been on my iPhone or on my Galaxy S3. But on Windows Phone those apps ARE the best so I have to live with them in their current state.
Sent from my Nokia Lumia 920 using Board Express

 

[trainplane]

As long as WP is a distant third, it won't have the app count or app quality of iOS/Android--that's a given, but I guess I haven't found many essential phone apps. Again, often the must have killer features of a smart phone are already included. Many of the apps are niceities. Real applications and real work still gets one on the PC. The advantage with phone apps over PC is you can use them anywhere, anytime. Take a picture of you in a concert and share immediately with some filter using Instagram. That's the look-at-me culture that I don't care about so maybe I'm out of touch. There might be some other useful location based apps and QR reader apps and that's one place I hope WP apps selection grows.

As for streaming services like spotify, that eats up bandwidth (and they charge for mobile access) so people who want to minimize their data cost won't use it much. And if you have access to wifi, you probably have access to a pc or laptop and Spotify is free for PC. I guess you could come up with use cases where you hang out in starbucks for hours and use their wifi for spotify or pandora. Would that be a killer app? Maybe for some. It's just comical that sites like the Verge seem to knock the 920 way down, seemingly mainly on "ecosystem", and yeah I know a lot of people consider the Verge a shill site but it gets readers.

 

[willybraatlund]

The problem isnt the app count, its the quality of the apps. I don't really care that we haven't a youtube app, because metrotube works better. There are better twitter apps then the official. The only thing we need is the big name apps, like pandora, instagram, spotify etc. We don't need 20 copies of the same app, like android and ios got.

 

[Flagz]

There are ALOT of people thatbwill still use steaming services though so we need them. I redid my music collection and now cloud stream 90% of my music (used to have 6gb downloaded on phone, now only have .5gb on phone) with better 4G here on Tmobile, there's no point. I have unlimited 4G (no throttle) and use cloud for everything (used 12gb of data last month) get home speeds on the go.

 

[Dave Blake]

My favorite part about this conversation is how fewer apps are needed with WP. On my Android and iPhone I spent a lot of time trying to find apps that would do something where with WP its built into the OS. I have many fewer apps on my WP than on my other OS devices because I don't need apps to do what I do on my phone.

 

[Mafiatounes]

I am not concerned with WP8 i was with WP7 but now i have all the apps i really need. I experienced the same on Android in the beginning but after a while all will trickle in the marketplace.

 

[Cordanim]

App count doesn't bother me - the stuff I need is already on the phone. To me, the lightning-fast responsiveness of WP8 is what moved me over!

Kev

 

[iamtim]

I concur with what others have said above: it's not the app count, it's the apps themselves. If there were only 50 apps in the Marketplace, and they were the same apps with the same quality and functionality as those which are popular on other platforms, there'd be no problem*. But... for the last couple of days, I've put my SIM back in my iPhone 4S for my mobile needs while my Lumia 820 has been relegated to a WiFi-only internet device for when I'm sitting on the sofa and don't want to pull out my laptop. I'm not going to get rid of my 820 or anything, because I really like the phone and the OS, and should the app "situation" get rectified I'll swap the SIM back in a heartbeat, but - as an example - I have too many friends who use Instagram to share photos, and I'm left out in the dark because my photos are on Fhotoroom or EyeEm or Lomogram'ed on Facebook.

 

[inteller]

400000 iOS apps have never been downloaded. App Store infested with zombie software, claims analytics startup Adeven — European technology news

I'm so ****ing sick of app counts.

The REAL problem is feature parity, and that is what we should be concerned about. Devs need to stop giving lip service to WP and make apps that are equivilent in function points to their other platform counterparts.

 

[Nophix]

There are a few must have apps missing that would make this my main phone. But, I carry 3 lines, so its not an issue.

The biggest things I need are my mobile banking app(browser access is terrible), a good Flipboard replacement(weave is getting there), and Spotify.


Aside from that, I'm very happy. Although, some of the games would be cool too. Come on Crono Trigger WP8 port!
Sent from my PM23300 using Board Express

 

[krystea]

I don't care. Everything I need is available, except for a proper banking app (which wasn't available to me on iOS either). Oh well, not killing me.

I agree with Dave. Fewest apps I've ever had/needed; happiest I've ever been with a phone.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

I don't really care either tbh. Bring instagram and I will be good to go.

 

[Ultimateone]

The only app I am missing is Instagram but then again I barely used it and only used to to chat with buddies

 

[Kristof Kulcsar]

The problem from my perspective is that ~90% of the apps are basically "websites" optimized for touch with a new layout, etc. There is no real functionality, for example where the **** is a good, advanced music player, with in depth options, equalizer, proper layout what makes sense, etc, or a video player, etc. Those are must have, and what I really miss in general is the advanced features, so you can tone those apps up to your needs.

 

[Funky Cricket]

I care if it has:
email.
text
good navigation
angry birds
and a cheezeburger reader

edit: and plays music.. good enough to walk the dog or ride a bike to.