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

[clitrenta]

The rumoured features for Windows Phone 8.1 has got me excited for the platform. But there is a nagging feeling that it may be too little too late. After 3 years in the market place, it has only managed a paltry 3% market share. Android, love it or loath it has become the default choice for tablets and smart phones. It has in fact become bigger than Google itself in that they themselves have lost control of the OS and are trying to rein it in. As for the future of Windows on phones & tablets, I'm not sure where it will be heading. Somehow, I feel whatever changes and features are announced at Build, the market gap has widened so much that Windows Phone will never be able to catch up. It maybe the case of closing the stable doors after the horse has bolted. I'm a WP fan and love the OS, but in all honesty what do you really think? Are you as optimistic as when you first bought into the platform?

As someone who has always liked Windows Phone and still do actually, I unfortunately found it necessary to switch back to an Android phone. First, let me say that I do not play games and I am not a collector of apps like some but I need what I need. I was simply running into to many instances where I could not get an app and there was no workaround as the app was very specific in what it did. I truly hope that all these good things come to WP but for now, I have found everything I need in the Note 3. I was just SO tired of seeing that usual verbage about how you can go download the app at Google Play or the App Store (Apple). No love at all for WP or even for BB. I stayed as long as I could but I am a beaten user. I now have the Note and it is everything I wish my Lumia would be. I still think the Lumias have the best cameras and freshest OS but come on. How is it that a Microsoft device does not even allow me to add/delete rows and colums in Excel? That's inexcusable and something I do often. Documents to Go on Android is far more robust (especially since its last update) and something I expect to see in a MS device. I hold out hope that a MS phablet will come out with rich features and a stlyus that takes advantage of them the way the Note does. Oh and I guess I'll also admit to missing the zillions of settings found in Android. I don't need all of those but it would be nice to see some of them in a WP (separate volume controls for one and easy access to commonly uses settings). Just my two cents. :straight:

 

[stalemate1]

As someone who has always liked Windows Phone and still do actually, I unfortunately found it necessary to switch back to an Android phone. First, let me say that I do not play games and I am not a collector of apps like some but I need what I need. I was simply running into to many instances where I could not get an app and there was no workaround as the app was very specific in what it did. I truly hope that all these good things come to WP but for now, I have found everything I need in the Note 3. I was just SO tired of seeing that usual verbage about how you can go download the app at Google Play or the App Store (Apple). No love at all for WP or even for BB. I stayed as long as I could but I am a beaten user. I now have the Note and it is everything I wish my Lumia would be. I still think the Lumias have the best cameras and freshest OS but come on. How is it that a Microsoft device does not even allow me to add/delete rows and colums in Excel? That's inexcusable and something I do often. Documents to Go on Android is far more robust (especially since its last update) and something I expect to see in a MS device. I hold out hope that a MS phablet will come out with rich features and a stlyus that takes advantage of them the way the Note does. Oh and I guess I'll also admit to missing the zillions of settings found in Android. I don't need all of those but it would be nice to see some of them in a WP (separate volume controls for one and easy access to commonly uses settings). Just my two cents. :straight:

Glad to see you got your "ideal" device

All the best

 

[clitrenta]

Glad to see you got your "ideal" device

All the best

I have for now but I'm pulling for Nokia and Windows Phone to keep pushing on. Not much anyone can do though if the developers don't get on board. I like the OS and the Lumia a lot but it isn't going to mean much if i can't get what I need. :crying:

 

[Manu Tyagi]

With all the updates I got on my Lumia they never bothered to add an orientation lock, its really annoying. Hopefully they add this in the next update.

its already there in GDR3+Lumia Black update..you can even pin the tile for orientation lock on your home screen...no of apps for that also..

 

[stalemate1]

I have for now but I'm pulling for Nokia and Windows Phone to keep pushing on. Not much anyone can do though if the developers don't get on board. I like the OS and the Lumia a lot but it isn't going to mean much if i can't get what I need. :crying:

You cant use a website to substitute an app eg if I want news, standings and scores for sport i use espn.com (same concept) ? What kind of apps are we talking about anyway ? Please name a few, perhaps i can help.

 

[Manu Tyagi]

Don't think its late for WP8 or in case for MS to provide these features in 8.1 update, may b these could have come when MS moved on from WP7 to WP8, but then MS decided to move the kernel and it took its time but now no of features are coming and the OS will move from strength to strength.
On another note read one story about revenue collection on WP store is at par with Google Play Store, may be developers look into collection of money rather than market share to make apps for ecosystems. Sharing the link
http://www.statisticbrain.com/mobile-phone-app-store-statistics/

 

[Jason Ward]

I think that Microsoft has a chance to control the message around the AI Digital Assistant this year. Both Apple and Google are going in to what they are trying to define as the "Next Big Thing" in mobile health, while not focusing a great deal of attention to the Digital Assistants they have developed. Cortana promises advances beyond both Siri and Google Now. If it is indeed the REVOLUTIONARY product Ballmer promised I think Microsoft has a real shot. If not they may miss the boat on the next big thing, Mobile Health, since they have no horse in that race. They need to usurp this years mobile message with Cortana or they may be left behind.

Why Cortana Must Be Revolutionary - A Cautionary Tale - "Recess is Over"

Why Windows Phone 8.1, Particularly Cortana, Must Be Revolutionary- “A Cautionary Tale” | Tech Word - Wards Word on Tech

 

[noknok79]

not late since its going to release less than 24 months after launching the windowsphone 8. i think...

 

[Sinister300]

One thing I find to is a lot carriers don't carry a lot windows phones my carrier only carries the Samsung ativ s so I got it and love it. Now if go to another provider they carry the Nokia line. Unlike android and apple they are carried at all providers. If carriers would offer all windows phones or the majority of them in sure people might buy them more. I go into carriers stores I see loads of phones but in corner in the back is windows phone. In my case the Samsung ativ s was in corner you never know it was there and asked if have other windows phones and they said it only windows device they carry. They tired to get me from getting it but said I love the os and and actually love the look of the Samsung. I'm waiting to see if Sony brings out a windows phone I will do upgrade then. If my carrier doesn't offer it I will possible buy one out right and have it unlocked. Find the Sony online somewhere to buy it unlocked etc.

Sent from my SGH-T899M using Tapatalk

 

[Moiz Mian]

not late since its going to release less than 24 months after launching the windowsphone 8. i think...

If that's your metric then it's way too late haha. All other smartphone OS release big updates every 12 months. This is going on 18 months. But then again, this update does encompass atleast 1.5x as much as other smartphones annual updates. As in, this very late update has lots and lots of enhancements. But then again, most of these features are available on other platforms so that just means Microsoft has played 2 years of catchup in 18 months pretty much. Tricky question

 

[DavidinCT]

Think of how long Android and iOS have been on the market, they were in place YEARS before Windows Phone. Even the others had many flaws or lacking basic features for years. There were many complaints about both phones. Even Android stull gets custom roms because the lack or flaws with the OEM front ends. Think about that before asking the question of the thread.

Windows Phone came out to be different and they have done a good job doing it. The real trick is, how to keep the very simple to use phone and add the BILLION features everyone wants. This I bet has been very tricky to do. Once they make it complex with a lot of features it loses what made it special in the first place.

Is it too late ? Maybe in some eyes maybe but, like the others, it needed time to grow and expand to find what they consumers really wanted, 8.1 will reflect the years of work done and shows they are really listening to their customers.

For me, I welcome a lot of the changes, so far the only thing Windows Phone lacks is the market share that causes Applications to suffer (some big ones to me are still not there others are of questionable quality compared to iOS or Android). I hope 8.1 will bring us in the right direction but, it just takes tha first step

 

[Moiz Mian]

Think of how long Android and iOS have been on the market, they were in place YEARS before Windows Phone. Even the others had many flaws or lacking basic features for years. There were many complaints about both phones. Even Android stull gets custom roms because the lack or flaws with the OEM front ends. Think about that before asking the question of the thread.

Windows Phone came out to be different and they have done a good job doing it. The real trick is, how to keep the very simple to use phone and add the BILLION features everyone wants. This I bet has been very tricky to do. Once they make it complex with a lot of features it loses what made it special in the first place.

Is it too late ? Maybe in some eyes maybe but, like the others, it needed time to grow and expand to find what they consumers really wanted, 8.1 will reflect the years of work done and shows they are really listening to their customers.

For me, I welcome a lot of the changes, so far the only thing Windows Phone lacks is the market share that causes Applications to suffer (some big ones to me are still not there others are of questionable quality compared to iOS or Android). I hope 8.1 will bring us in the right direction but, it just takes tha first step

Yes, you can argue that others have been around for so long and lacked features early too. But Windows phone is not competing with iOS3 or Android 2.2. It's competing with Kitkat and iOS7. Microsoft was late in releasing their operating system, and that is their fault. By starting late, they should atleast have all the features or better features than their other OS counterparts if they want to succeed. WP8.1 is a step in the right direction, but definitely needs more.

 

[Infamy79]

I don't think its too late, you only need to look at how the industry fluctuates every 5 years to see that there aren't that many constants.
It seems as though the WP8.1 update is about to bring a rush of major new apps to the platform due to such similar code base with Windows 8.1
It does highlight though, that I don't think we'll see real genuine momentum of the platform until the merge of RT & WP is completed, WP8.1 is a major step, but the merger of the stores is the key. I really do believe that the direction that Microsoft are heading is the right one though, pushing full Windows down from desktops, to tablets and then to phones, compared to iOS & Android which have a limited phone OS that they are trying to push up the product range.

Microsoft also need to do substantial work on bringing all Bing & Xbox functionality to the entire world and not just the USA, that part is starting to get ridiculous.

 

[RustyU]

1) FREE. Windows phone must be free.
Just get it over with. No company will every pay a license fee on a phone ever again. Google made sure of this.

Whilst Google don't (can't) command a licence fee for Android, they do for GMS.

 

[csiguy1]

I just went all Win8 phones, Surface, SurfacePro, Win 8 laptops etc. I did this because in the business world, Microsoft still is king. With Win 8 phones and tablets etc. it all works together so nicely. I also own Android and Apple and it is just a mess to try to get all of this to talk together nicely. MS Office with One Note are my go to programs that syncs so well on all of my MS machines including my Win 8 phones. Thats why I went all Microsoft. Thats my story and I am sticking to it.