[REF] Possible OS Improvements

[AngryNil]

Well you can always shrink the tile down to a small square now in WP8.

I think that with a toast in a notification list, you can fit in a lot more useful information about the notification and why the user would want to act on it than with a small tile. A number next to Whatsapp doesn't tell me much, but a little one-line preview of a message as well as knowing that it was sent by my best friend might compel me to take action - kind of the point of a toast notification in the first place. I would be fine if it was limited to social and communication apps, as long as third party apps can plug into it. That would fit right in with the whole people-centric focus, and that's really all I'd need a notification centre for. People are obviously more important to me than the next news story posted by Engadget. That stuff can stick to a tile halfway down my start screen.

 

[nizzon]

Well you can always shrink the tile down to a small square now in WP8.

Yes that is better. Toasts are still mysterious from time to time.

 

[blehblehbleh]

I think that with a toast in a notification list, you can fit in a lot more useful information about the notification and why the user would want to act on it than with a small tile. A number next to Whatsapp doesn't tell me much, but a little one-line preview of a message as well as knowing that it was sent by my best friend might compel me to take action - kind of the point of a toast notification in the first place. I would be fine if it was limited to social and communication apps, as long as third party apps can plug into it. That would fit right in with the whole people-centric focus, and that's really all I'd need a notification centre for. People are obviously more important to me than the next news story posted by Engadget. That stuff can stick to a tile halfway down my start screen.

Well you'd be going into the app anyways to do what you gotta do right? In this case responding to a message? The only use I can see is if there was inline manipulation of that toast, e.g. app functionality available within the notification center itself. Other than that it's a difference of priority between MS's view and iOS or Android's; active vs. passive.

If you want to ignore your other friends in Whatsapp you still can, or perhaps it should be up to the developer to rewrite their app so that you can prioritize what live tile information you receive (in this case your best friend or a few friends), no? It's kind of a fine line to blame the OS vs. blaming the developer for programming outside the iOS Android paradigm.

 

[TJWINS]

Guys, Adam just confirmed that WP8 doesn't have persistent Wi-Fi. You can check my comment on his review here:

Windows Phone 8 Review | Pocketnow

This is what I asked and what he said:

Q. Does the phone have system wide orientation lock?

A. No, and it's still weird how some apps rotate orientation and some don't.

Q. Does the WiFi stay on when the screen goes to sleep?

A. Not on my device, but it sounds like the ones with Data Sense enabled may have a different story.

What's the name of the app that keeps wifi on at all times?

 

[AngryNil]

Well you'd be going into the app anyways to do what you gotta do right? In this case responding to a message? The only use I can see is if there was inline manipulation of that toast, e.g. app functionality available within the notification center itself. Other than that it's a difference of priority between MS's view and iOS or Android's; active vs. passive.

Toasts can be easily missed. The point of a "notification centre", as a broad term that I will apply to what I'm suggesting here as well, is that you don't have to jump into apps to see what's going on. You decide based on the notifications whether you will jump into the app. If I use several social networks and several chat clients, I don't want to poke into all of them to see what's happening. Microsoft already encourages the integration of multiple networks into a single list through the "what's new" sections and the Me tile's "notifications" pivot. This is a case where you cannot say that I'm trying to tack on an iOS or Android paradigm, it's right in line with what Microsoft is doing.

Inline manipulation would be cool. I don't think it has to be absolutely full-blown, but maybe tapping it shows the entire message or something. As for the latter paragraph, it's not so much that I want to ignore others, it's that I'd prioritise when I'd look at it. If I got a message and I can see urgency in the first line of the message, I might go to it immediately.

 

[SuddenlyDinosaur]

Toasts can be easily missed. The point of a "notification centre", as a broad term that I will apply to what I'm suggesting here as well, is that you don't have to jump into apps to see what's going on. You decide based on the notifications whether you will jump into the app. If I use several social networks and several chat clients, I don't want to poke into all of them to see what's happening. Microsoft already encourages the integration of multiple networks into a single list through the "what's new" sections and the Me tile's "notifications" pivot. This is a case where you cannot say that I'm trying to tack on an iOS or Android paradigm, it's right in line with what Microsoft is doing.

Inline manipulation would be cool. I don't think it has to be absolutely full-blown, but maybe tapping it shows the entire message or something. As for the latter paragraph, it's not so much that I want to ignore others, it's that I'd prioritise when I'd look at it. If I got a message and I can see urgency in the first line of the message, I might go to it immediately.

Very true. I sell cellphones and one thing that Android phones have that I love is the notification center. Not only because you can see all system and app messages in one swype, but also because you can turn on/off wifi, data, Bluetooth, etc. very quickly. Since Windows phones like to try to emphasize speed, I think that it would be a very good feature to.

Your idea is a good one too. They could easily implement it into the Me tile or add it as a Left screen swype:

Like this:

Notification Center < Main Screen > Apps

It would still have the metro style.

As a side note though, it's not a large enough of a feature to keep me away from WinPho 8, but It would definitely be a plus in my book.

 

[blehblehbleh]

Toasts can be easily missed. The point of a "notification centre", as a broad term that I will apply to what I'm suggesting here as well, is that you don't have to jump into apps to see what's going on. You decide based on the notifications whether you will jump into the app. If I use several social networks and several chat clients, I don't want to poke into all of them to see what's happening. Microsoft already encourages the integration of multiple networks into a single list through the "what's new" sections and the Me tile's "notifications" pivot. This is a case where you cannot say that I'm trying to tack on an iOS or Android paradigm, it's right in line with what Microsoft is doing.

Inline manipulation would be cool. I don't think it has to be absolutely full-blown, but maybe tapping it shows the entire message or something. As for the latter paragraph, it's not so much that I want to ignore others, it's that I'd prioritise when I'd look at it. If I got a message and I can see urgency in the first line of the message, I might go to it immediately.

Oh no, I totally understand what you were getting at with a notification center, but I'm saying if you decide to or not, you're most likely still going to be jumping into the app to do some kind of action. And now with fast resume it should be a bit easier/faster. It's why I said it's kind of active vs. passive. I do understand how having a more granular, if you will, level of detail an aggregate of events can be nice though.

I hope down the road Microsoft allows increased app functionality with the OS like that, perhaps extended manipulation of a Live tile, or if they ever do add a notification center.

I got that too, my point is that with the live tile once you jump in you still can prioritize who you want to talk to or who you want to ignore. Anyways, my bigger point is that perhaps maybe developers should be finding ways to apply the Live Tile design to their apps even if they might hate doing a bit of extra work such as allowing you in Whatsapp to say, "only show my best friend's texts on the Live Tile" and that that maybe that should be the source of frustration vs. blaming the OS.

The OS is what it is for now.

 

[AngryNil]

I think Live Tiles are too constrained, to be honest. I read through the overview in the WPG Magazine, and still only three layouts. A notification centre is really not a huge deal breaker for myself, since I don't use a vast array of services. I'd probably just squeeze in to the 5 quick status icons for the lock screen.

Windows Phone 8 doesn't look to be very bad at all. Most of my reservations are still just minor annoyances, none have really pushed me to want to jump ship. Right now the only problem is that I'd really like an upgrade - Gen 1 WP7 really isn't that fast in third-party apps and 8GB of storage is pretty painful - and WP8 devices are going to launch at flagship devices. If only there was a $400 unlocked WP8 :]

I share the opinion of SuddenlyDinosaur that Me tile notifications are nice enough to receive a home screen spot. Just open it up to developers too, for WP8.5 or WP9.

 

[GT2010]

New features are nice. They reel people in. I hear SmartGlass is nice, Lenses are awesome and Wallet could be game changing. But once the smell of fresh paint wears off, everyone will notice the tiny, nagging problems and imperfections. And they add up. You retain your users not only by adding new features to keep them engaged, but by improving existing ones to keep them happy.

Below is a compilation of problems and suggestions for Windows Phone that have not been addressed or implemented in its latest iteration, as well as any flaws identified in the new operating system. Please post anything you can come up with so I can add them in, and also let me know if you feel a point is invalid.

BASICS
Preset-oriented alarm management - far too many apps now force presets on a user. Life isn't strictly routine. Sometimes an alarm is needed once-off, and the user shouldn't have to go through a multi-field input screen to do this.
No custom alert sounds - cannot use custom sounds for receiving email, sms, etc.
Arbitrary custom ringtone restrictions - custom ringtones must be tagged as a ringtone, cut to a certain length and compressed to a certain size.
Windows Phone 8 allows for seemingly any audio file to be added to the device as a ringtone easily through the Windows Phone app. Via Mystictrust
No on-device ringtone management - existing music files on the device cannot be set to be used as a ringtone if not synced across as so.
Centralised volume control - there is only one volume setting for music playback, app volume and ringer volume. At the very least, there should be an option to separate the ringer volume.
No persistent WiFi - WiFi disconnects when the device is off and not charging. Tests have already proven that WiFi does not significantly drain the battery if left on, so this is an arbitrary restriction.
Inconsistent landscape behaviour - only select screens seem to support the landscape orientation and many third party apps do not have an animation for the screen rotation.
No system-wide orientation lock
No easily accessible connectivity toggles - it is difficult to quickly toggle WiFi, mobile data, etc. This could be solved by a dropdown from the status bar or by allowing individual settings to be pinned as Live Tiles.
Confusing settings page - settings are not in any sort of order.
Lacking integration - integration with Facebook, Twitter, etc. should be fleshed out and should be expanded to more services.
Few brightness options - brightness is limited to three levels, and on AMOLED devices the "low" setting is still far too bright.

CALENDAR
No week view - agenda view can be confusing to navigate and a structured week view is not available.
Barebones month view - month view does not provide any useful information about scheduled tasks and appointments.
Awful appointment scheduler - scheduling an appointment is a horrible multi-step procedure that requires swiping, tapping and keyboard input, especially when a custom timeframe has to be defined. It would be preferable if the process can be done entirely through keyboard input.
Windows Phone 8's new SaveAppointmentTask launcher allows developers to create such an app, but nothing yet. Via Windows Phone Geek
Weak Live Tile - only displays one appointment on the Live Tile.

CAMERA
Most options hard to access - you have to wade through a menu to access settings such as ISO. An advanced mode would be welcome here so those who know what they are doing can fiddle with settings on-the-go.

EMAIL
No select all - you cannot easily select all emails in any particular view / folder.
So-so Gmail support - generally poor support for Gmail's folder structure and labels.
No "always download images" option - images must be manually downloaded on a per-email basis, regardless of the sender. There can also be an option to only allow automatic image download on WiFi.
Inconsistent navigation hierarchy with folders - pressing back while in a custom folder will take the user back to the start screen instead of the email inbox.

INTERNET EXPLORER
Buried desktop/mobile switching - annoying to switch between desktop and mobile views. This should preferably be offered on a per-site basis, which will help aid problems where particular sites incorrectly send mobile IE to a WAP version.
No speed dial - a blank new tab page is an incredible waste of space. It would be nice to have some favourites displayed, or addresses you navigate to often.
Lacking visible controls - Microsoft insists that having only one bar of controls is an advantage. It isn't. Just about every other browser allows for quick access to a favourites list, tab switching, address bar, navigation buttons and stop/reload in one tap or gesture. It's an unnecessary limitation and if Microsoft desires a more full-screen web, it should just add a full-screen mode.
No text reflow - no option to reflow text based on the width of the screen, particularly helpful for sites with fixed content frames built for the desktop.
Blank tabs should be removed - there are often blank tabs left open, for example when the browser is used to open a YouTube link. They serve no purpose and should just be closed when not active.
Cannot open links in background tab

KEYBOARD
No gesture typing - Swype is a great option to have.

OFFICE
Insistent OneNote syncing - OneNote will hold up other tasks by insisting on syncing notes when you exit them, which can be extremely slow in areas of poor coverage.
No local syncing - Office files cannot be synced between PC and phone, only through SkyDrive.
Windows Phone 8 brings drag and drop file management for documents, music, pictures, ringtones and video. Via WinSuperSite

MESSAGING
No multiselect - cannot select multiple threads or messages.

MUSIC+VIDEOS
No scrubbing in the audio playback view - cannot move to a particular section in an audio file. This might not be a huge deal for music, but is extremely annoying for podcasts.
No global podcast support - podcasts cannot be managed on the device in many regions. They must be downloaded from a PC and synced across to the phone.
Cannot cancel audio playback - audio controls cannot be removed from the volume drop-down without the use of a third party app like Stop The Music!
No link from Now Playing screen to Music hub
Cannot clear history in Music hub

MULTITASKING
Allow forced multitasking - Windows Phone is already capable of forcing apps to adopt "fast app switching", but it is not made available as a user option. This can be included in a developer or advanced settings screen, alongside forced "fast resume".
Apps relaunch instead of resuming - apps relaunch when opened from the application list or from a tile. They should resume per standard practice on smartphones.
This is an option for developers to implement in Windows Phone 8. Via Mystictrust
Task switcher is inefficient - task switcher cannot even fit two apps on the screen at once, which limits its usefulness as a true multitasking tool.

NOTIFICATIONS
No toast notification aggregator - once toasts are missed, they are gone forever. If a notification centre is out of the question, toasts should at least be collected in one place.
Lock screen limited in notification count - maximum of five quick status apps and one detailed status apps. This could be made scrollable.

PHONE
No speed dial - cannot quickly dial favourite contacts using speed dial.
No predictive dialing - dialer does not display possible matches stored in contacts.

SEARCH
No universal search - search is limited to web searches and searching other content requires you to jump into individual apps with inconsistent placement of the search button.

Dude there's still alot of improvemnets options to add
WE NEED MORE MICROSOFT
but stil GO WINDOWS PHONE 8

 

[Hiiiiiiiii]

Examples of the missing functionality that I need.

- Separate volume controls for apps/ringtones
- Merge calls in call log under same contact
- Orientation lock
- Password support for the IE10
- Forward button for the IE10
- Text reflow for the IE10 so it automatically adjusts and reformats text for easy readability
- Ability to have at least two browser control buttons
- Settings are not alphabetized, making them sort of confusing
- Finger seek in the music player
- Automatic sleepd mode (especially since you added Skype, which is on 24/7), so we won't be bothered by notifications at night
- Notification history / center or whatever you call it
- Black background when reading email, not just email list

You can vote for it here

WP 8.5 should be the Jellybean of the Windows Phone

I am blown away by blind WP fanboys these days, every suggestion is now trolling, fud or "you don't get WP".

 

[Niavlys77]

I'm not sure if it's been addressed, but what about gapless album playback? And how about putting the FM radio back?
Definitely need forward/back buttons in IE as well. What a pain it is to not have such simple functionality...

 

[thed]

There are 2 big omissions that IMO should be added to the list.

VPN Support: if you want to get businesses on board then you need this. Really surprised that it's not in WP8

Maps: get rid of the ****ing ridiculous limitation where you need to tap to get the next direction. It's been 2 years and counting. Come on MS. No excuses for something this dumb.

 

[a5cent]

Hey, anybody know what happened to AngryNil? Miss that guy!

Preset-oriented alarm management - far too many apps now force presets on a user. Life isn't strictly routine. Sometimes an alarm is needed once-off, and the user shouldn't have to go through a multi-field input screen to do this.

I don't think it is consistent to include the issue of how "far too many alarm apps force presets on a user", when your compiling a list about OS deficiencies. I think this should be replaced with a clear statement how the default alarm app should function.

No persistent WiFi - WiFi disconnects when the device is off and not charging. Tests have already proven that WiFi does not significantly drain the battery if left on, so this is an arbitrary restriction.

You might want to take a look at Jim's article (I found it a very interesting read) and also the comments. If "Joker" is correct, WP8 might already be constantly connected. You might want to check up on that. I have no idea if it is accurate.

To those I would add:

Zune Pass, video rentals, Audio recognition, Bing cards and Local Scout - These services are still far too restricted to specific countries. Customers without these services feel betrayed, as they payed the same price as elsewhere and got less for it. These services need to be available wherever WP devices are sold.

Keyboard numbers row - These days, many websites mandate the use of numbers in passwords. This is even more true in corporate settings. The default keyboard makes this cumbersome. The addition of an extra top row of numerals would solve the problem. The inclusion of that row may be optional, but it should always be visible when entering data into a password field.

 

[aubreyq]

Keyboard numbers row - These days, many websites mandate the use of numbers in passwords. This is even more true in corporate settings. The default keyboard makes this cumbersome. The addition of an extra top row of numerals would solve the problem. The inclusion of that row may be optional, but it should always be visible when entering data into a password field.

THIS, THIS a million times THIS.

 

[AngryNil]

My username is getting glitched in the system with the account changes and Dave seems to be ignoring me :[

 

[a5cent]

My username is getting glitched in the system with the account changes and Dave seems to be ignoring me :[

Yeah right, either an imposter or schizophrenic I say!

Anyway, I forgot to link to Jim's article... corrected that in the above post.

 

[AngryNil]

Adding in the new suggestions.

- Password support for the IE10

What do you mean by this?

- Black background when reading email, not just email list

Is the background colour and text colour dictated by the email message? If so, there's nothing Microsoft can really do here, and messages are generally written for a white background.

I don't think it is consistent to include the issue of how "far too many alarm apps force presets on a user", when your compiling a list about OS deficiencies. I think this should be replaced with a clear statement how the default alarm app should function.

I'm going to reword most of the suggestions to fit in with the new "improvements" title. That point was kind of rushed, I'm going to change it to say that I'd appreciate a quick once-off alarm feature to complement the preset based alarm app that is built in.

take a look at Jim's article (I found it a very interesting read) and also the comments. If "Joker" is correct, WP8 might already be constantly connected. You might want to check up on that. I have no idea if it is accurate.

I'll have a look at it, thanks. I seem to recall I've had experiences where the icon is definitely not just a placeholder and I have gotten "no connection" from some apps directly after waking, I'll have to check up on it.

 

[lonbraj]

Since it's clear MSFT ran out of time to add most requested features and fixes, I think we should keep this post updated.

I saw a post about gapless music playback, despite I never had issues with music playback apparently it's a major feature to some people so I think it's a good addition to the list.

This post is also great for new windows phone users who frequently ask about improvements mentioned.

 

[blehblehbleh]

Yeah right, either an imposter or schizophrenic I say!

Or sock puppet

 

[hwalker84]

Collapsible Email Subfolders. I could get several employee's to switch to WP8 or the Surface if only they allowed Collapsible Subfolders.