The Windows Phone 8.1 update sounds fantastic, but is it too little late?

[boxa72]

I am looking forward to fix the camera issue! I bought a windows phone because of its camera! 920's camera results are yellowish and blurry! Fix the efin camera algorithm! That would be the most innovative update of 8.1!

do you have Lumia Black? Coz that has significantly improved algorithms at least on my 925

 

[Agent-P]

After 8.1, I would say wp will be on par with ios and android (if not in customisation) but with good marketing, the market share gain is going to be faster than ever before.

This is my train of thought. I've met people who really like the look of WP and would be willing to give it a try, but it's currently missing some very basic features which made WP a no-go for them. Once those are addressed in 8.1, I feel like people would be more willing to give it a chance if they aren't too deep into their current ecosystem. Prying someone away from an established ecosystem is nearly impossible. People are comfortable there and don't like change.

 

[boxa72]

I don't think its a firmware issue, this is because of the crappy OS. My camera was very good with out any updates. Only when upgraded to Amber, it sucks. Seems the image processing algorithm was modified.

Lumia Black fixed all that!

 

[awesmdiver]

Nothing is a little to late, what is hot day is gone tomorrow in everything. iOS was hot, then Android and yes Windows Phone was late and continues to be late because of the changes to the underlying operating system and APIs. Microsoft is in it for the long run and they already knew and know this. 8.1 is the work and in my opinion the beginning of Windows Phone, not the end. Once Devs can write code for Windows, Windows Phone and XBOX they will start to come.It has taken 4 years to get here and yes, MS had to get in the market early even though they were not ready. Bottom line, what is hot today will be boring for the next generation and that is where the real change happens.

 

[Joel S79]

I don't think its a firmware issue, this is because of the crappy OS. My camera was very good with out any updates. Only when upgraded to Amber, it sucks. Seems the image processing algorithm was modified.

Amber is a NOKIA Software/Firmware update, not an MS OS update. Are you here to contribute, or just troll?

To the main point, no, it's not too late, and thinking so because of Google's size and Apple's mind share is horribly flawed. The tech industry is littered with the corpses of failed companies who were once at the tip of the iceberg but were knocked off by another company. People were making similar arguments when Android came out, how it would never surpass the iPhone, yet it did. You can't rule out WP.

The thing MS has going for it over iOS and Android is it's unique. iOS and Android are both icons in a grid like OSes, the animations are similar, the feel of the OS is similar, etc. WP looks and feels completely different, and offers a refreshing choice. I switched from Android because aside from me getting irritated with Android's performance, I liked the look and feel of WP.

At the end of the day, people like choices, and WP offers a unique one. 8.1 fixes a lot of the issues with WP8, including some gripes I had. Filling those holes will just get more people to switch. I don't believe WP will overtake Android, but it'll settle in as a viable 3rd option.

Oh, and Nokia is carving out a niche with their camera tech.

 

[Jas00555]

I wanna say yes, but I just have a huge if and that's what happens with Android. Google is quickly losing control of Android and I'm pretty sure that one of these day, they're gonna go too far and lock it down too much and that'll turn off a lot of the fan base and only worsen the problem of AOSP vs. GMS. Google's Android is only at 50% of the market, so we just don't know. I personally don't think it is (but it may very well be, I can't predict the future so I can't know) but I'm sure it'll be fine. Microsoft has a HUGE user base. I think its like 1.75 billion PCs, so I just don't know if they can appeal to those people in time. Idk, I'm optimistic though.

Edit: Before I forget, I also think that it depends on Apple too. Not that Apple will do anything wrong (they're a very smart company, I mean... 51 million iPhones?!) but that the carriers will be the problem. With the way that T-mobile is positioning itself with Uncarrier, we could see contracts fade away in the US. Only the most hardcore Apple fans will shell out $700 on a phone that'll be replaced in a year.

 

[iRANNA]

:straightaul your damn right about it.I am no fan of any os as of yet;but i use windows phone right now and have used the androids and iOS too.android is almost taking the place of an unified os and wp is still catching up with tiny features but very essential.so at least when the Microsoft is late they have to bring in better services and better features to keep up the market share.else as Sam says it is an unsurmountable lead for Microsoft.

 

[Ninja x]

They are late for sure, but in terms of timing only. Considering the well entrenched players, and the bad publicity of previous platforms Microsoft has made the right choices and is doing all it can to get its share. As a person, and in my family I don't see any need to move away from Windows Phone in near future so we will keep on buying Windows Phones.

Regarding the market share, if few % of market share did not stop OSX or Linux desktops from shipping and having its own fan following it really does not matter if Windows Phone stays in 3rd place. It has done well in some markets and went above iOS, the US is a different beast. The mobile operators and certain tech bloggers are so anti-Microsoft that they are not able to see anything beyond Apple and Android.

 

[shovelhead84]

I would not even come close to counting WP out of the race. A very important aspect of WP is not being fully considered in the OP and is vital in the growth and capabilities on WP.
The redirection of MS as a whole is placing WP as a piece in a much larger puzzle. WP and the upcoming changes are not only about a mobile platform. They will be bringing together more features of the new Microsoft ecosystem. We are stepping towards a unified Microsoft universe that will bridge our devices and experiences.

I use Microsoft products for work productivity, home computing, pc gaming, console gaming, and now an improved home entertainment experience. These items do not work perfectly together, but they are closer to unification and on a broader scale than anything Apple and Google are doing. If MS is able to bring these aspects of our digital lives together in a useful and reliable way, then WP will be an inevitable choice for many consumers out there.

Let's not forget how Android slithered out from under the "revolutionary" iPhone and a horde of devoted fans. Android provided an alternative to the structured IOS and allowed people to use resources outside of the iTunes fortress. Now, it is a snotty out-of-control brat screaming at the movie theater while the parents act like nothing is going on.

Windows phone recently slithered out from under a rock and learned to walk.

 

[Leaf81]

Given the choice of iOS, Android, and Windows Phone, I would chose Windows Phone every day. Right now, I use an HTC One. My carrier doesn't yet support Windows Phone, and has only recently gotten iPhones and the latest android devices (Galaxy S4, Moto X, HTC One), but as my contract nears its end, Windows Phone is looking good enough for me to want to switch carriers. I only got into tech about a year a go, and from everything I've learned, I think that Microsoft has the best ecosystem. With all of its amazing products, from Windows to Windows Phone to XBOX, I think that it was the best decision. Microsoft just needs to make deals with every carrier out there and get Windows Phones within everyone's reach. Then they need to push advertising and show Windows Phone as what it is, a great smartphone platform that works brilliantly with all of the other Microsoft products in your life.

 

[Bobatron_yyc]

I love my Lumia 1020 but NO ONE IS BUYING THEM !!! Even after I show iPhoners how awesome the camera , the OS and the big screen compared to the iPhone5. They still think I've been out sniffing glue for buying a Nokia. It's like arguing religion with people. Nothing will stop them from changing their opinions or purchasing habits. In the 7 years since my first Nokia, I've meet, literally, about 5 people that have one. Still haven't seen another Lumia in Canada yet... The need to find a niche around 10% and settle with that.

 

[stonetipapps]

I'd like to point out a couple things:

1. The Android market that Windows Phone is really competing with is that portion with phones using GMS (Google Mobile Services), which is roughly analogous to the iOS market. I don't know what that percentage is, but let's say it might be 60% of all Android phones. So really it's more on par with Apple's marketshare.
2. This is more of a question, but perhaps makes a point. If Android is so big, how come (unlike Apple) Google doesn't brag about developer revenues? All I can find is a bunch of references to one article by Business Insider: Android Apps Are Now Generating Revenue - Business Insider What does Google say?

That said, it's still a steep, uphill battle for Windows Phone, but the market is growing. There's room for a third OS and Blackberry isn't it. I'm sticking with it as a developer and am excited about the new features coming to the platform.

 

[Tom Bradburn]

Being a Community Moderator and nominated for MVP in April. I come across threads that simply say I've made a mistake. I sometimes reply saying that they should do their research into the phone they're thinking of buying and the OS but still argue. I've also replied to similar threads by saying that yes, windows phone was released 3 years ago but iOS and Android were released earlier giving the public less choice of the selection of phones, Microsoft has needed to build the community up away from the competitors into a stable area, which I believe they've done that. And with 8.1 I can see the community growing because reviewers will need to say that it has this and that whereas it previously said well iOS/Android has this but Windows Phone doesn't, therefore with the features your best going away from Windows Phone. This criticism hasn't stopped the 3% and like I've already said, it will make the community bigger.

 

[Robbie_Jardine]

I don't think it too little too late purely because I think Microsoft are making headway in the mobile front. They are offering a unique mobile operating system which is starting to make waves in the market and some of the key developers are starting to take notice, but it's a waiting game.

While some of the big name developers do support the Windows Phone platform not many are willing to advertise the fact, the biggest of which used to be Gameloft until the made the necessary changes to their website and while they have added a 'Windows Games' tab they have yet to promote Windows Phone support on the main page. This is also evident with Instagram, Path, EA and Square Enix to name but a few.

While big ticket apps and games are important advertising them seems to be a no go area and many developers seem to prefer iOS and Android.

When it comes to Windows Phone features, well there has always been room for improvement and while some of the upcoming features we might see from Windows Phone 8.1 are great and quite frankly exciting they should have been baked into Windows Phone 8 on release and not 2 years after but I guess any improvements are better than nothing at all.

I remain excited about the Windows Phone platform and I can't wait to see what the future holds especially with Microsoft's upcoming acquisition of Nokia's mobile phone business and while we can all speculate and wait for leaks this is a ride many of us are looking forward to taking.

 

[jbrown9100]

I believe there is a strategic reasons why MS keeps this horse in the race. I believe, with Blackberries decline, there is an approaching opening in business devices that cannot be entirely fulfilled by BYOD. My opinion is that Windows Phones is, from a productivity perspective, best positioned to fill that gap. Think of it as an augmentation to the business ecosystem.

 

[Armin Mhd]

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I think it is too late, the features coming to windows phone have been on iOS for a long time since iOS 5+ jailbroken. I know it because i was an iphone user, the features like notification center came to iOS devices with iOS 5.0 and continued to get better throughout the years. Siri came on iOS 6.0 then there is the action center that came on iOS 7 but iphone users could enjoy different types of quick settings if they jailbroke their phone. The battery percentage on status bar is a simple thing and very much needed that isnt still known to be on WP8.1 or not. Different volume controls were on iOS before i got on board. I love my windows phone and i love the OS with the lacks and differences and no one can change that but thats not the case for everyone, unless microsoft has an innovation that really gets the need of the users i dont think we are going to have a big growth. The main market that are now buying windows phones are the low-budget phones(mainly lumia 520) i think that phone is driving the windows phone market. Thats not good if microsoft wants to serve both high-end and low-end they need to prove something. They need to prove to people that its worth it to switch from their iPhones. I wasnt convinced but i loved the UI. Many people dont care about how the UI. the thing is that they want better phones with more innovations. Microsoft needs to do something that has a big effect on the tech world. We need an earthquake just like when steve jobs introduced the Original iPhone for the first time. Maybe with Microsoft research or Nokia's creativity. Thanks for reading and please be comfortable to reply if you dont agree or anything.

 

[poiman]

I belive that by now it doesn't really matter how good WP8.1 is going to be. I mean, market share wise. What Microsoft needs now is more devices from more OEMs in stores. The only way to accomplish this is by making Windows Phone more desirable, not only for consumers but specially for OEMs. This means being more aggressive and start betting on new strategies that may also be very risky. First one that is coming to my mind is giving Windows Phone to OEMs for free or something very close to that. Microsoft needs to put as many Windows Phones in stores as the Androids available. How are people expected to look at Windows Phones when there is only 1 to every 10 Androids. I may argue that Apple does that. Well, let me tell you, RIGHT NOW, anyone who thinks Microsoft can do the same, is terribly mistaken. Maybe in the future but certainly not now.

EDIT: Even if Windows Phone is free, most OEMs will still prefer Androids. That's because they can customize it as they want and make them more unique according to their vision. OEMs love that but they can't do it on Windows Phone, they can't simply fill it with their bloatware. It's going to be really hard!

 

[saintmonster]

Absolutely... Its too damn ****in late...
Most of the users were turned away due to lack of features, leave alone lack of apps..

 

[ninjaap]

Too little too late? I don't really care how much market share WP has. If MS keeps making em, I'll keep buying em. If they ever decide to call it quits, then I'll move on to something else. Probably, iOS if they ever get bigger screens.

 

[SAM 77]

I'm more than optimistic, I am excited about 8.1 features.
I have the apps I need except for youtube which is coming so market share/app count is meaningless.

WP kills android and iPhone in the looks.
Its efficient and reliable.
MS is constantly improving the OS. They have the resources and the enthusiasm to beat the other two.

I wish people woud realise that we are in a win situation when it comes to choosing WP.
It can only get better and the features that we have if duplicated should make you feel some satisfaction in choice.

iPhone and Android are for the masses.

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