Is there a real "app gap"?

[TechFreak1]

App gap what app gap? having using windows phone 8 since dec 2012 not once have I missed an app that I have used previously on ios or android. I've got what I need and don't several dozens of apps for the same functionality. Granted windows phone teen users maybe feeling left of the next teen craze - the last one that passed - Candy Crush.

But what it really is down to now is services and here is where Googles' annoying tactic is going to hamper growth for WP. Sure we all made that switch, but there are users out that are reluctant to make that switch because it may mean they are left out of their social Google hangouts group (since now more or less everything is being amalgamated into google + / hangouts) or not being able to "facetime" their loved ones and ecosystem investment they have already made would play a big part in deciding their next phone. Lets face it, Apple products will always be expensive enough to cost several limbs - (well they are not the expensive but you get the idea)

The only way MS can step up is pushing IOS and Android out of the enterprise segment, theoretically that should trickle down into general consumers as the employees gear up their kids with windows phone devices, who then spread the word how "awesome" windows phone is to their friends. But in reality this is going to take awhile as MS still and (rightly so) still US centric i.e Bing rewards.They need to grow the market share globally and only then the reluctant developers i.e King - maker of candy crush will have no excuse to ignore WP any longer. As long devs like this ignore windows phone the so called "app gap" will still exist.

 

[Pierre Blackwell]

Comparing market share between Android and WP isn't reality. Androids only competition was Apple who with exception of the 5C which means you sacrifice performance for the cheaper price, doesn't target the lower economic consumer which was Androids for the taking. WP is slowly getting people to switch from both high and low end users. At this point you're not going to see numbers like iPhone and Android again, but WP having 4% global share where three years ago there was none with iOS/Android making up 95+% is saying something and its growing.

 

[A895]

Comparing market share between Android and WP isn't reality. Androids only competition was Apple who with exception of the 5C which means you sacrifice performance for the cheaper price, doesn't target the lower economic consumer which was Androids for the taking. WP is slowly getting people to switch from both high and low end users. At this point you're not going to see numbers like iPhone and Android again, but WP having 4% global share where three years ago there was none with iOS/Android making up 95+% is saying something and its growing.

I think you forgot BlackBerry who was until recently ahead of WP. The competition for a long time was Android, iOS, and BlackBerry with Windows Mobile and Symbian with the rest. Now in 2014, it Android, iOS, and WP with BlackBerry in 4th. Its not 3 years ago anymore, this October marks 4 years WP has been out. A percent a year pretty much.

Sent from my XT907 using Mobile Nations mobile app

 

[A895]

App gap what app gap? having using windows phone 8 since dec 2012 not once have I missed an app that I have used previously on ios or android. I've got what I need and don't several dozens of apps for the same functionality. Granted windows phone teen users maybe feeling left of the next teen craze - the last one that passed - Candy Crush.

But what it really is down to now is services and here is where Googles' annoying tactic is going to hamper growth for WP. Sure we all made that switch, but there are users out that are reluctant to make that switch because it may mean they are left out of their social Google hangouts group (since now more or less everything is being amalgamated into google + / hangouts) or not being able to "facetime" their loved ones and ecosystem investment they have already made would play a big part in deciding their next phone. Lets face it, Apple products will always be expensive enough to cost several limbs - (well they are not the expensive but you get the idea)

The only way MS can step up is pushing IOS and Android out of the enterprise segment, theoretically that should trickle down into general consumers as the employees gear up their kids with windows phone devices, who then spread the word how "awesome" windows phone is to their friends. But in reality this is going to take awhile as MS still and (rightly so) still US centric i.e Bing rewards.They need to grow the market share globally and only then the reluctant developers i.e King - maker of candy crush will have no excuse to ignore WP any longer. As long devs like this ignore windows phone the so called "app gap" will still exist.

I think targeting enterprise first is a bad idea. Casual smartphone users make up the majority of smartphone owners now and enterprise is where BlackBerry is at right now, and see how well they are doing. The only way WP goes well in enterprise is if all the business and government PCs are on Windows 8 and that is years off from now.

Sent from my XT907 using Mobile Nations mobile app

 

[MDMcAtee]

I think targeting enterprise first is a bad idea. Casual smartphone users make up the majority of smartphone owners now and enterprise is where BlackBerry is at right now, and see how well they are doing. The only way WP goes well in enterprise is if all the business and government PCs are on Windows 8 and that is years off from now.

Sent from my XT907 using Mobile Nations mobile app

No not years off, more and more big businesses are making the switch now that 8.1 is out and makes standard monitors user friendly. Time to deployment is much sooner for many IT departments since most servers had to be upgraded.

Making Enterprise a priority and staying on track is a very smart move and will indeed cause a trickle down effect, but, that alone won't push WP to the top. They still need to correct issues most everyday users are encountering first,then have a top tiered marketing firm like Apple and Samsung use to take both on head to head both in print,on the web,and on TV and even the big screen.

They have to reinvent themselves to both young and old while not totally alienating long time Windows users. They have to show folks they are better than either Apple or Google and make folks want to switch even if they are invested in either.


Not a easy task and it's going to cost a fortune.


Mac

 

[Pierre Blackwell]

I think you forgot BlackBerry who was until recently ahead of WP. The competition for a long time was Android, iOS, and BlackBerry with Windows Mobile and Symbian with the rest. Now in 2014, it Android, iOS, and WP with BlackBerry in 4th. Its not 3 years ago anymore, this October marks 4 years WP has been out. A percent a year pretty much.

Sent from my XT907 using Mobile Nations mobile app

 

[Pierre Blackwell]

Trust me I didn't forget Blackberry of Symbian, but for the purpose of conversation those ecosystems hold little relevance. Let's face it, when Andriod launched they targeted an untapped market for the most part. Blackberry's weren't cheap either. How to get an iPhone like user experience without paying iPhone money?? Bingo, enter Andriod. They gobbled up market share because they virutally had no competition. When the iPhone came out, again in the smartphone industry it was pretty much just them, so the consumers were for the taking. WP launched knowing what they were up against. A global market share comprised primarily of iPhone and Andriod users. Over the past four years they have almost doubled thier numbers every year. Sure 4% market share can be broken down into 1% per year if you averaged it, but in retrospect WP gained most of that in the past two years. That's not even putting into perspective the number of WP devices that are being sold which has doubled, and that's why WP is the fastest growing ecosystem out there even with iPhone and Andriod owning better than 95% of the mobile market. Blackberry's demise isn't the reason WP has jumped into the third place spot, those users could've jumped on the Andriod or iPhone bandwagon.
The reality is that in order to fully be receptive to WP you have to be willing to condition yourself to a different mobile dynamic if you're used to Andriod or iOS. Take the notification center. If iPhones or Andriods didn't have those, how would you get fluid updates on your applications?? You wouldn't without having to tediously click on the icons since they aren't very discriptive outright. With WP you always had the live tiles which provide information in a completely different way. Sure you didn't have everything presented for your in list, but if you were a seasoned WP user you were conditioned to navigate you eyes through your start screen looking at the updates as they presented themselves. Now with the Action Center, you have the functionality, plus the fluid and amazing presentation of live tiles. How can you look at what your friend posted on Facebook and what your brother posted on Twitter at the same time on Andriod or an iPhone?? You can't. If you wanted to just view the pages of your 10 closest friends on Facebook, how can you do that without navigating through FB on anything other than a WP? I like Myfitness Pal, but you take a quick tour on Bing Health and Fitness, and you might never go back to Myfitness Pal again. So apps for Andriod and iPhone aren't on WP, and even some that are, the renditions aren't as good. However there are some apps on WP that are better apps then both but you'd have to open yourself up to try them out to understand that. Geo positioning is top notch on WP. The Camera has always been top notch on WP. One Drive integration throughout all MS devices is something no other ecosystem can provide. Cortana already rivals Siri and Google Now, and it's still in beta. The others are veterans. They shouldn't let some new kid on the block steal the spotlight, but tha'ts just it. MS is not the new kid on the block. They've owned the block and their enginuity is showing as despite the launching of the 5S, and S5, the Moto X, and the HTC One M8 and a myriad of other Andriod submissions, people are beginning to see the potential of WP and switching more and more. Nokia Mixed Radio was so good, an Andriod app was made, yet it's nothing compared to the WP one. The average Andriod or iPhone user simply needs to try out a WP, but make sure you have somone who knows about it, show you how it works. Most WP users used to be Andriod or iPhone users so we already know how they work, and that's why we switched.

 

[BobLobIaw]

I **** you not.. A F###ING wine taster's app. How will we ever live guys!!!! :unhappy:

Don't know how I missed this awesome comment. Well done, and I completely agree!

 

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

And with devices like moto e wp is gone in the low end only high end is left.

Sent from my C2305 using WPCentral Forums mobile app

The high end was never Microsoft's to lose in the first place. That is Apple's turf, alongside Google.

 

[Jeff Merritt1]

I used Disney Expedition when I went last August. Very very helpful. It didn't have the Fast Pass integration but we did okay.

 

[HAMEDACC]

APP GAP and app UPDATE GAP too

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

The app gap is real. As a recent iPhone covert. There are dozens of apps that are not present or have an equivalent in the WP store that I had previously. If not that, the same apps lacks the full functions they had on iPhone.

 

[Pierre Blackwell]

People need to be familiar with the store and what's available. For instance the Bing apps-travel, food and wine, fitness and health, finance, sports, and news are comparable to any host of apps on iOs or Android, but you need to know where to look. Related apps don't always show those related apps. Any website can be pinned to the start screen. Physically there is an app gap. With that WP is still the tastes growing ecosystem for a reason.

 

[Vishnu Hs]

Millions of app are yet to come!!!when i say millions ,i mean it....

 

[Zulfigar]

Millions of app are yet to come!!!when i say millions ,i mean it....

Neither the App Store or Google Play Store has one million apps yet....

 

[jailman]

We have big names still missing even the "available" apps lacks functionality or stuck in beta like facebook fb messenger flipboard instagram whatsapp and the list goes on so yes there is still the app gap

 

[Vishnu Hs]

Neither the App Store or Google Play Store has one million apps yet....

(it was a figure of speech) but ya there is an app gap because some of the top apps are of Google,if google co operates i think wp will catch up...i personally like the wp OS but when it comes to apps it annoys me..but gone are those days when there were very little apps now we got almost all apps and the app gap is closing and when i say closing i mean it..

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

Neither the App Store or Google Play Store has one million apps yet....

The apple app stores has passed the million mark.

 

[A895]

Neither the App Store or Google Play Store has one million apps yet....

Actually they both do >_>

 

[A895]

The apple app stores has passed the million mark.

I was just saying this. Apple and Google passed a million apps a while ago. They are around the same number by now.