Other than apps and Hardware what do you see as factors keeping users off of Windows 10 mobile?

[robert beadles]

Even with all the apps and Hardware, I still find it hard for some people to leave there current digital eco system. When I left iOS for Windows Phone 8, I had to leave my movies back in the iTunes store and the apps that I had paid cash for. What do you see as the largest obstacles to users switching to Windows Mobile and what can Microsoft do to overcome these obstacles?

 

[FXi2]

Remember that apps are part of the "weapon" being used to make sure Windows mobile doesn't succeed. Be very cognizant that both Apple and Google are working very hard to make this platform die.
Google maps - ported to Apple, which Google doesn't consider a threat, but not to Windows
solution - use alternatives, but the minute you mention "alternatives" users are put off a bit
ITunes - yet another item where they port it to PC's but not to Windows phone
Chrome - again used by many on the PC and on Apple, but no shock that Google is quite afraid of giving that product to Windows mobile
note - available on Apple because Apple is the same degree of threat to Google that AMD often is to Intel (prior to Rizen lol)

There are more but you get the idea.

 

[FXi2]

One more thing to keep in mind...
Dell sells primarily Intel chipsets/cpu's. Why not offer more of the "alternative"? Because Intel offers both cash and "good relationships" to Dell if they "behave" and sell only or mostly Intel products. You all must understand that there is an undercurrent of influence in this industry and the current dominators are not playing nice behind the scenes on this one. So yes MS can do more, but remember some of what you see as the "end result" are the consequence of wheeling and dealing behind the scenes. If there are 30 million potential customers for your coding time, you either have a huge cost basis for producing products for those customers, or you are being given some serious "incentives" to ignore those customers.

 

[Iain_S]

Sorry I put the blame squarely on the head of Microsoft and their constant flip flops and poor communication with the public, we still see that today with windows 10, there is absolutely no commitment on Microsoft side. I think at this point they need to just stop windows 10 mobile development because we all know in 8 months time they will flip flop again and something new will be there and all current devices will be left out in the cold. BTW this is from someone that has been a user for a long time, currently have a 950, 4s and elite x3. We have to start being honest here and that is MS lost the consumer mobile side before they even rebooted with wp7 and they have been screwing the pooch ever since.

 

[LuxuryTouringZone]

Aside from apps and hardware, I'm honestly not sure about what else might possibly put Android and iOS users off. Maybe the looks and feel of the user interface? I've heard a few people say that the Windows interface looks as if somebody vomited skittles all over the screen. Very funny, yet insulting at the same time!

 

[dov1978]

Windows phone is always a few steps or more behind iOS and Android featurewise. And every time it catches up a bit the other 2 leap forward again with the next new things. Not only that when we did have more apps than we do now (at its peak) and Microsoft were still advertising the platform with "hey we have all the big apps" people tried it and found the apps were so poor in comparison to the counterparts they quickly moved back to what they knew and liked.
Another thing (I think) is that there has been so many reboots now that people already think the platform has died completely and Microsoft have probably blown their chance to woo most people over now. You can only make one 1st impression in this world I'm afraid.

 

[midnightfrolic]

I think peeps have grown tired of MS and Windows and just not using Windows or developing for Windows Mobile just to spite MS. MS has shot themselves in the foot many times over and they dug their own grave, made their beds. Now they have to sleep in it. Hubris and lack of vision.

The other is peeps are now tied into a particular ecosystem. Every tried to port purchases over to another ecosystem from iTunes? I knew this a long time ago and purchased content from platform-agnostic services, or rip my own. When I heard iTunes purchases can only be played on Apple OSes. I said fuggedaboudit. Microsoft is trying to do the same with Groove and Movies&TV. That's why I never buy from platform specific services. Unless they're easy, cheap, and free or nearly free. I don't buy. I hate being tied down and locked in.

MS should make those purchases available for any platform. But there is that issue of DRM, MPAA, RIAA.

 

[sd4f]

Remember that apps are part of the "weapon" being used to make sure Windows mobile doesn't succeed. Be very cognizant that both Apple and Google are working very hard to make this platform die.
Google maps - ported to Apple, which Google doesn't consider a threat, but not to Windows
solution - use alternatives, but the minute you mention "alternatives" users are put off a bit
ITunes - yet another item where they port it to PC's but not to Windows phone
Chrome - again used by many on the PC and on Apple, but no shock that Google is quite afraid of giving that product to Windows mobile
note - available on Apple because Apple is the same degree of threat to Google that AMD often is to Intel (prior to Rizen lol)

There are more but you get the idea.

That was certainly one of the first things that I could see when I got my WP, the youtube app. Google basically did whatever they could to ensure that users could not have a decent youtube experience on WP.

I remember also last year, UWP looked like it had some promise, and to some extent it did, but then when I thought about it more, and certain events occurred, it became clear that it wasn't the salvo the platform needed.

The only way MS can possibly extricate itself from the situation is to concentrate on app quality and make sure app developers can make money. If it's profitable for developers, they'll develop. There's no other way. Because of UWP, this will also help build windows 10 as a great platform. Something which also is not gaining the traction they thought it might.

 

[authentic_twist]

Change... human nature is to take the easy path, Until there is a compelling reason to move people will stay where they are. Add to that, that they are held prisoner within the architecture of their existing ecosystems it seems too much effort.

 

[authentic_twist]

The i suite in particular are stuck in the 'app trap' the very thing that they built their success on is the very same thing that will prevent them moving, they can't significantly change the OS or it will render everything obsolete for its users, the other OS knows that, and is helping to keep them.trapped. Blocking users to move to the OS that has Universal Access is the threat they are most afraid of, why would you be so aggressive to such a small market share, because MS is ahead of them with UWP. Whenever some troll says app gap, all I see is 'App trap' the fad that has generated the environment required for innovation to occur, and demonstrates what happens when you build an empire.

 

[anon(50597)]

Change... human nature is to take the easy path, Until there is a compelling reason to move people will stay where they are. Add to that, that they are held prisoner within the architecture of their existing ecosystems it seems too much effort.

Well said.

Sent from mTalk on my SP4

 

[Steve Thackery]

Three suggestions:

1/ The Microsoft and Windows brands aren't "cool". For some reason, people love to hate them. Human nature is very fickle.

2/ A very "different" and unfamiliar UI, which most people will instinctively react against just because it's different: we don't like change (as authentic_twist said). Of course, by pushing W10 onto desktops Microsoft is trying to address this.

3/ Maybe most people find the UI to be just not that good (i.e. a considered reaction, rather than an instinctive one). I'm one of those: I actually prefer the UI from WP8.1 to that of W10M.

 

[sd4f]

Three suggestions:

1/ The Microsoft and Windows brands aren't "cool". For some reason, people love to hate them. Human nature is very fickle.

There's something about the MS phones in how they said 'Microsoft' on the front, it looked really generic and not stylish at all. I think in the future, they would be much better off if they branded their devices as a 'surface' alone, and sort of relegate the microsoft to small print elsewhere if they must type a brand. In other words, spin off the surface name as a separate brand.

 

[jasqid]

One more thing to keep in mind...
Dell sells primarily Intel chipsets/cpu's. Why not offer more of the "alternative"? Because Intel offers both cash and "good relationships" to Dell if they "behave" and sell only or mostly Intel products. You all must understand that there is an undercurrent of influence in this industry and the current dominators are not playing nice behind the scenes on this one. So yes MS can do more, but remember some of what you see as the "end result" are the consequence of wheeling and dealing behind the scenes. If there are 30 million potential customers for your coding time, you either have a huge cost basis for producing products for those customers, or you are being given some serious "incentives" to ignore those customers.

Good point. How entertaining it would be if MS played hardball with iGoogle. "Oh, you wont let official YouTube on mobile, we'll just block Chrome from desktop." Not exactly the same thing but trying to make a point.

 

[sd4f]

Good point. How entertaining it would be if MS played hardball with iGoogle. "Oh, you wont let official YouTube on mobile, we'll just block Chrome from desktop." Not exactly the same thing but trying to make a point.

That would bring on antitrust lawsuits. MS has a history with antitrust lawsuits, you should read up on it, it is interesting history.

There's a lot of hate for microsoft in the tech world, the bulk of it coming from their practices in the 90's. MS does have a rather predatory past in some instances, and those people still hold a grudge. The ironic thing is, MS basically did what Google is doing now.

 

[adderall93]

A huge reason for Windows Phone's failure is the exact reason why HP/Palm's webOS failed : The way they're managed. Microsoft is pulling support for Windows Phone 8.1 in June 2017 and they're basically telling the huge portion of Windows Phone users left that they really don't care about Windows phone anymore. For example, Facebook Messenger is screwed now for 8.1. Instead of trying to optimise their apps and push them to Windows phone 8.1 (which by the way would actually encourage users to remain loyal to windows phone), they're instead pulling the plug and calling it quits and clearly showing they're not making any sort of game changing commitment to Windows Phone. Microsoft and Windows Phone also were victims of circumstance seriously. With Google bullying them out of the YouTube app, Snapchat CEO clearly wanting nothing to do with Windows phone, their late entry into the market, the iGoogle monstrosity that currently dominates the market (seriously do people REALLY want to be tied into only two smartphone platforms?).... Also where's the promotion? I doubt anyone outside of avid tech users even knows Windows Phone is still an option.

Microsoft has a serious lack of commitment to its own platform. They're really selling Galaxy S8s now. iOS and Android have Cortana. They get the full suite of Windows apps. What does Windows Phone really have that's unique anymore?

At this point, there really is no legitimate reason for your average consumer to invest in Windows Phone, not even the support of its creator whom is killing off the majority of its user base this summer when they stop supporting windows phone 8.1.