MSFT Considering Android Apps For Windows Phones.

[msxbox]

Microsoft won't make an important decision based on votes on a website of a little group of purists. Smartphones are products designed for the masses, feverish fans like you are irrelevant in statistics. Microsoft is trying to please 500 million people, not a little group of Google haters, but surely they appreciate your passion for the product and they are happy because the scroogled campaign worked at least with a handful of people.
Android apps would be a great complement for WP and Windows, if they come and you don't like them you could ignore them.

If you read one of my earlier posts you will see that i mentioned that some of the top suggestions voted for are either already now added or are being added in Windows Phone 8.1,

Myself I am normally an IT guy by trade have done that for over 17 years and I like my tech gadgets to be solid and dependable so far I personally am happy with my phone and am looking forward to future technology and features being added,

On the google side of things I would say that I am disappointed they couldn't be a bit more amenable, also once Windows Phone and Windows merge there should be a stack more apps available very quickly and with the very large user base Microsoft have on their platforms there will be bucket loads of cash to be made by devs,

If Microsoft do decide to add Android apps then the most important thing for me is that it works fluidly with the Windows Phone OS and aids to show how great the platform already is,

I just think we should stick it out till the end of the year at least there is plenty of money to be had for apps on windows phone and we don't really need the Android apps we are gaining new apps all the time the pace needs speeding up but for me there is no rush Quality, Security, Stability and Performance are more important.

 

[Markham Ranja]

If you read one of my earlier posts you will see that i mentioned that some of the top suggestions voted for are either already now added or are being added in Windows Phone 8.1,

Because those were features fundamental to the satisfactory usage of a smartphone, not because MSFT <3s it's users (c.f, notification center, separate volumes for media/apps and ringtone, and better file management capabilities.

WP 8.1 and all the various coloured upgrades we've got so far are basically MS filling in potholes, nay craters, on the motorway that is WP8. It remains to be seen what they do with actually extending that motorway.

 

[SnailUK]

Android apps would be a great complement for WP and Windows, if they come and you don't like them you cam always ignore them. That's the beauty of openness, I like this new Microsoft.

Complement? Why would anyone write a WP app, if we have access to the Android app? Basically you kill the WP marketplace. Maybe not overnight, but it'll happen.

With Android apps, you wont have live tiles, you won't have the visual style of WP. Without that, what does WP have to offer? less hardware variation than Android, higher prices, less functionality.

WP will just join the ranks of Jolla, Firefox Phone, Tizen, etc, that are all trying to ride the Android wave.

 

[k0de]

Complement? Why would anyone write a WP app, if we have access to the Android app? Basically you kill the WP marketplace. Maybe not overnight, but it'll happen.

With Android apps, you wont have live tiles, you won't have the visual style of WP. Without that, what does WP have to offer? less hardware variation than Android, higher prices, less functionality.

WP will just join the ranks of Jolla, Firefox Phone, Tizen, etc, that are all trying to ride the Android wave.

Yes. Forget WP if this happens. In fact forget MSFT. For that matter I'll jump on a Linux and just ride Ubuntu all the way threw. And just happy Android forever.

 

[anony_mouse]

Complement? Why would anyone write a WP app, if we have access to the Android app? Basically you kill the WP marketplace. Maybe not overnight, but it'll happen.

With Android apps, you wont have live tiles, you won't have the visual style of WP. Without that, what does WP have to offer? less hardware variation than Android, higher prices, less functionality.

Why won't those things be added to the Android apps? As has been said many time, it is very likely that many Android apps will need some porting to run on any likely Android environment that might be added to WP. This will not implement all the Google cloud service APIs. That porting could include adding to WP-specific features such as live tiles. In fact, as Microsoft will likely run the app store for these WP/Android apps, they can even insist on it.

 

[ohgood]

Complement? Why would anyone write a WP app, if we have access to the Android app? Basically you kill the WP marketplace. Maybe not overnight, but it'll happen.

With Android apps, you wont have live tiles, you won't have the visual style of WP. Without that, what does WP have to offer? less hardware variation than Android, higher prices, less functionality.

WP will just join the ranks of Jolla, Firefox Phone, Tizen, etc, that are all trying to ride the Android wave.

every app doesn't need an icon, widget/tile. some, just get used and then put back in the junk drawer till next time.

 

[msxbox]

We Don't need Android apps on Windows Phone as like I said the Platform is growing quite nicely are there are many ways to monetise apps and there are articles written by devs saying how much more successful they have been on Windows Phone over Andriod and IOS. Its a very successful platform already and won't be long before they get the extra sales to prove it to any doubters.

 

[msxbox]

The votes against android apps are climbing nicely on Microsoft's user voice site....

 

[k0de]

True. keep on voting against Android apps everyone.

http://windowsphone.uservoice.com/f...ons/5509968-we-do-not-want-android-apps-on-wp

 

[Zulfigar]

True. keep on voting against Android apps everyone.

http://windowsphone.uservoice.com/f...ons/5509968-we-do-not-want-android-apps-on-wp

An app is an app, doesn't matter where it comes from. It also gives less work for the publishers out there, and more money for them, so I don't see the point of this being an issue, sorry.

 

[k0de]

An app is an app, doesn't matter where it comes from. It also gives less work for the publishers out there, and more money for them, so I don't see the point of this being an issue, sorry.

Haha an Android App belongs on a Android device. If I wanted Android I would have bought myself a Samsung S 4 phone. But I like MSFT Windows and that's why I left iOS after many years and got me a NL 925. Finally MSFT is the next big thing. MSFT products are and will always be the best that computing can offer. I don't want Android Apps on my NL 925.

 

[Markham Ranja]

We Don't need Android apps on Windows Phone as like I said the Platform is growing quite nicely are there are many ways to monetise apps and there are articles written by devs saying how much more successful they have been on Windows Phone over Andriod and IOS. Its a very successful platform already and won't be long before they get the extra sales to prove it to any doubters.

[citation needed]

 

[anony_mouse]

MSFT products are and will always be the best that computing can offer.

"Always will be" - that's quite a significant claim. Evidence please.

I don't want Android Apps on my NL 925.

Then don't install any.

 

[a5cent]

I don't want Android Apps on my NL 925.

Then don't install any.

As has been stated many times already... the problem is the probability of developers trashing their WP app efforts, and choosing to provide WP apps primarily in the form of Android ports.

If you want to convince people, you must explain why Android compatibility wouldn't negatively impact the native WP app market.

Without that, your recommendation is akin to saying: "then don't install any new apps" (because most new apps will be Android ports). However, people do want a continuous stream of new apps. That is the dilemma.

People have already been telling us since page one of this thread, that they wouldn't install such android ports... by dropping WP entirely and moving over to iOS, where you'd get both new apps and non-Android apps.

 

[msxbox]

As has been stated many times already... the problem is the probability of developers trashing their WP app efforts, and choosing to provide WP apps primarily in the form of Android ports.

If you want to convince people, you must explain why Android compatibility wouldn't negatively impact the native WP app market.

Without that, your recommendation is akin to saying: "then don't install any new apps" (because most new apps will be Android ports). However, people do want a continuous stream of new apps. That is the dilemma.

People have already been telling us since page one of this thread, that they wouldn't install such android ports... by dropping WP entirely and moving over to iOS, where you'd get both new apps and non-Android apps.

The amount of apps made for Windows Phone is increasing all the time well made ports are very welcome If they are tweaked with windows phone enhancements this is great

And those Devs that have and will be porting apps to windows phone stand to make a good amount of extra cash especially if made to a high standard

This topic is about NOT wanting native android apps with no optimization or enhancements for Windows Phone, there are over 200,000 windows phone apps and its growing quickly.... The windows phone as you can see from many Dev articles on the web is a great place to maximize your income as a Dev/Company

And once the Windows Phone 8 platform has merged with the Windows platform fully you will be shocked by the sheer size of the platform within the next 12 months, as it stands we have well over 50 millions users and with the merge will be an unbelievable amount more and the numbers will climb dramatically..

read this if you missed it
http://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft-looking-android-apps-windows-phone

 

[a5cent]

This topic is about NOT wanting native android apps with no optimization or enhancements for Windows Phone

Yes. And? That makes this thread exactly about all the open questions in both of our comments...

Will Android ports be tweaked for WP?
Will Android ports include any WP specific enhancements?
Will developing native WP apps make any sense at all, when it is far cheaper to port the Android version?
Will developers choose to remove their native WP apps from the marketplace and replace them with direct Android ports instead? If so, how many developers would do that, and which ones?

At least for me, all those questions require rather positive answers, otherwise I'd probably also cast a vote of no confidence and jump ship, which many others here have already alluded to.

IMHO it is obvious that the primary goal of Android compatibility is to make it cheaper to port Android apps to WP (for both maintenance and initial development). If the primary goal is to lower costs, then how many of those porting efforts will include budgets to add WP specific features back in, not to mention the budgets to maintain those differences over time as both OS' evolve? My guess is that we won't see that being done to any significant degree, but that is just speculation based on past experiences with similar scenarios. That is also why I still find the recommendation to just "not install Android ports on WP" rather simplistic and unhelpful.

 

[msxbox]

updated post above with a link to a wpcentral article on this topic

 

[a5cent]

updated post above with a link to a wpcentral article on this topic

I saw the article, but it doesn't answer any of what I think are the most important questions... or am I missing something?

 

[msxbox]

Will Android Ports be tweaked for WP?
of course any business/dev out there understands the need for a quality/optimized application for whatever platform they create for it maximizes the user base and obviously ratings for the app will be higher

Will Android Ports include any WP specific enhancements?
on my personal view it would be the company's/dev's that spend the extra time adding/enhancing WP specific features that would get the greatest rewards for their efforts, I personally would pay more for an app that had been either designed/re-designed with windows phone in mind... and any of the free apps will obviously be rewarded through ad revenue/in app purchases etc

Will developing native WP apps make any sense at all, when it is far cheaper to port the Android version?
partly answered above i think, but again it would make a lot of sense going forward to have an Platform specific app already in place as once the Windows Phone user base reaches IOS level and above you already will have a solid, well designed and crafted app to add features/enhancing the user experience etc, it would not make sense to have a basic app get low ratings then add to it, it would always be logical to invest a bit of extra time to get the app to a standard you would be happy with first/get good ratings and generate extra revenue then add any extras etc, I am sure this would be more rewarding in the short term and long term...

Will developers choose to remove their native WP apps from the marketplace and replace them with direct Android ports instead? If so, how many developers would do that, and which ones?
I am sure that keeping the native WP apps would make sense going forward due to Windows Phone being the fastest growing smartphone platform, the only devs that would just port and nothing else would be one's that are happy just having a version of their app on another platform, but the popularity and revenue made by an app is very much down to features/speed/reliability and using unique features of the WP Platform etc etc...

 

[msxbox]

True. keep on voting against Android apps everyone.

We do NOT want Android apps on WP ?€“ Feature Suggestions for Windows Phone

Keep on voting if you want great Windows Phone apps and great Android Ported apps that are enhanced and redesigned with Windows Phone 8 in mind, and not buggy non optimized ported apps from android...

Direct Android app access = no
Quality WP optimized+added feature ports from Android = yes
WP Apps built from the ground up = impressive and yes, bring em on..

this was my view maybe i have misunderstood a few of you apologies if that is the case