The Windows Phone App Gap Thread

[anon(7901790)]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

What Microsoft needs is another one of these. The huge event when Windows 95 was released 20 years ago. It was marketing genius. Apple didn't come up with HUGE events like this. Microsoft was in the for front. Nadella needs to put together something like this. You could almost say it was the Woodstock of the tech industry. It was a keystone event that really got people truly excited about Microsoft. Something that I really haven't seen Microsoft do in quite awhile. At least not at the level this event was at.

Remembering the Windows 95 launch: A triumph of marketing

 

[MikeX74]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

As I've said in similar posts, the gap isn't just about the quantity, or even quality of the apps on WP vs. iOS or Android, it's the apps people use in their daily lives or routines. For me, the lack of apps for banking, local transit, and local businesses/interests(among other things) sour me on using a WP as my daily driver. Of course, someone will come along and say, "Just use the browser," and that's a logical argument, but if I'm a consumer, and I have a phone/OS that has dedicated apps for what I need/want, why would I switch to a phone/OS that doesn't?

 

[wgs84]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

The app situation is definitely better with iOS and Android. It's been nine months since I switched from Android to Windows Phone, and even though I've managed to make do with apps available on the Windows Store, I'd be lying if I said the quality was the same. Take, for example, apps for the WD My Cloud. All that exists is WD 2GO, and it's buggy and hasn't been updated in almost two years. Or the Xfinity TV Remote app. Again, buggy and hasn't been updated in almost two years. Even MS own apps aren't as good. OneNote, OneDrive, Office are far better on iOS and Android. I'm not saying that apps don't work on Windows Phone, and I have managed to make it work good enough on my Lumia, but you have to be in denial to think there isn't an app gap in terms of quality and quantity.

 

[ianberg]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

I'm a longtime Windows Phone 7 user. I recently got a Android Lollipop rather than upgrade to Windows Phone 8 as several companies I do business with still had not offered a Windows Phone app. But the biggest app gap hole that I filled by going to Android was Google Chrome. Chrome syncs with ease between my Windows 10 laptop, iPad and Android phone while Internet Explorer on my Windows Phone does not offer this feature.

But I have not given away or recycled my Windows Phone 7. It has always worked fine for texting, calling, taking pictures, browsing the web on WIFI, and using as a portable media device. But that no longer is enough. I do not expect to go back to a Windows phone as long as Android is ahead in the app game.

 

[chmun77]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

As I've said in similar posts, the gap isn't just about the quantity, or even quality of the apps on WP vs. iOS or Android, it's the apps people use in their daily lives or routines. For me, the lack of apps for banking, local transit, and local businesses/interests(among other things) sour me on using a WP as my daily driver. Of course, someone will come along and say, "Just use the browser," and that's a logical argument, but if I'm a consumer, and I have a phone/OS that has dedicated apps for what I need/want, why would I switch to a phone/OS that doesn't?

Right to the points!

And not forgetting that with beautiful devices like Note 5 and S6 Edge+ releasing, more and more people will be flocking over to Android. Will the upcoming 930 XL be as posh as Note5 / S6 Edge+? I highly doubt so. Will Continuum, and Universal apps be good enough to pull Android/iOS users over to W10M? Again, I highly doubt so. Without the looks and strong app supports, who in the right mind to get a W10M in the near future?

 

[lparsons21]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

You might want to take a look at Samsung's downward sales these days. I'm not saying that's a big opportunity for WP, but it can''t hurt. Samsung is getting hammered by the iPhone at the high end and the el-cheapos at the low end. And the more often reported malware that is showing up and not getting fixed because the carrier's are sitting on their thumbs isn't helping either.

 

[Doohickie]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

And the more often reported malware that is showing up and not getting fixed because the carrier's are sitting on their thumbs isn't helping either.

I got an update on my Windows Phone early on, within the first month.





That was the last one I got in two years of ownership.

Very disappointing.

 

[Wishallrah]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

I got an update on my Windows Phone early on, within the first month.






That was the last one I got in two years of ownership.

Very disappointing.

Are you on a WP7 device? Cos WP8.1 devices have been getting a lot of updates.:smile:

 

[cckgz4]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

I just feel like if Microsoft hadn't offered their services to the competition, it'd be worth staying with.

 

[Cosmin Reti]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

Why do we need Adobe Flash to die, so it would bring more jobs ? Is the only valid argument in favor. Kill flash so bilions of website have to be upgraded to whatever bull**** HTML 5 is. In development for 10 years, still not complete, still not a standard. Adobe flash brought a world of beauty to the internet. I am not a web developer so i don't care but this bull**** about flash has to stop. Is the same bull**** as viruses for windows, get a good internet security package and that's it.

 

[djeire84]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

You don't chose a phone for its app support, you chose a phone for its performance, its hardware and its software. Nokia/Microsoft Lumia are brilliant phones yes they run on Windows phone but the hardware on these phones is second to none. They also have the best battery life too. My Lumia 640XL phablet can run all day with heavy use on battery, even on battery saver I get about 2 hours of use and I can watch over an hour of youtube content on battery saver which kicks in when the battery is at 20%. Yes it can be disheartening to see "app available on iOS and Android" apps such as Snapchat but I rather have no Snapchat and be free from a charging point then having a phone with Snapchat and have to be "glued" to a charging point. The app gap isn't a huge thing for me what is huge is the range and speed that Nokia/Microsoft have innovated the smartphone and or phablets!

 

[anon(5518418)]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

For me there is no app gap, what there is is a gap in quality and functionality off apps compared to iOS and Android. My banking app for example, on iOS/Android you can send payments, set up direct debit, cancel payments, an entire range of things on WP all you can do is view balance. Then you have apps like BBC Sports which is a glorified web wrap, and there are a lot of apps like that, just link to the mobile website.

 

[Laura Knotek]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

Why do we need Adobe Flash to die, so it would bring more jobs ? Is the only valid argument in favor. Kill flash so bilions of website have to be upgraded to whatever bull**** HTML 5 is. In development for 10 years, still not complete, still not a standard. Adobe flash brought a world of beauty to the internet. I am not a web developer so i don't care but this bull**** about flash has to stop. Is the same bull**** as viruses for windows, get a good internet security package and that's it.

Adobe Flash is not just a security problem, but it is a resource hog. I can't wait for it to die on desktop as well as on mobile.

 

[anon(7901790)]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

Adobe Flash is not just a security problem, but it is a resource hog. I can't wait for it to die on desktop as well as on mobile.

I think, it's going to be a long time before that happens. How many websites are still using it? Hundreds of thousands? Millions? Adobe Flash is so entrenched it's going to take a while for everybody to drop it and switch to HTML5. The only way that will happen is if Apple, Google, and Microsoft ALL pull the plug on it within their respective OS's.

 

[RStock521]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

I just started my MBA, and there's no app for my school, no blackboard app either. The books also each have their own "companion app", but not on WP. I also have a Syma quadcopter, and you guessed it, no WP app. I love WP, but the app gap is killing me.

 

[luxnws]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

I think, it's going to be a long time before that happens. How many websites are still using it? Hundreds of thousands? Millions? Adobe Flash is so entrenched it's going to take a while for everybody to drop it and switch to HTML5. The only way that will happen is if Apple, Google, and Microsoft ALL pull the plug on it within their respective OS's.

Big sites like Youtube and Netflix even Twitch already support html5. The iPhone doesn't support Flash. The point of no return for Flash has already been reached. It's just a matter of time until lesser sites follow suit.

 

[Doohickie]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

Are you on a WP7 device? Cos WP8.1 devices have been getting a lot of updates.:smile:

It was a WP 8 device; they never pushed 8.1.

 

[Doohickie]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

You don't chose a phone for its app support, you chose a phone for its performance, its hardware and its software. Nokia/Microsoft Lumia are brilliant phones yes they run on Windows phone but the hardware on these phones is second to none. They also have the best battery life too. My Lumia 640XL phablet can run all day with heavy use on battery, even on battery saver I get about 2 hours of use and I can watch over an hour of youtube content on battery saver which kicks in when the battery is at 20%. Yes it can be disheartening to see "app available on iOS and Android" apps such as Snapchat but I rather have no Snapchat and be free from a charging point then having a phone with Snapchat and have to be "glued" to a charging point. The app gap isn't a huge thing for me what is huge is the range and speed that Nokia/Microsoft have innovated the smartphone and or phablets!

Actually, yes, I *do* choose a phone for app support. Don't presume to impose your requirements and preferences on me.

I switched from WP because A.) The HW kinda sucked and didn't perform well, and B.) App support was "meh" in the beginning and got worse the longer I had my phone.

When I compared Lumia to other phone hardware last month, Lumia was the least impressive of the lot. I got the distinct impression that my carrier (AT&T) is proividing only token support for WP products while they wait for phones that have WP10 installed.

Basically, I disagree with pretty much everything you said. Your priorities and tradeoffs are quite different from mine.

 

[MikeX74]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

You don't chose a phone for its app support, you chose a phone for its performance, its hardware and its software. Nokia/Microsoft Lumia are brilliant phones yes they run on Windows phone but the hardware on these phones is second to none. They also have the best battery life too. My Lumia 640XL phablet can run all day with heavy use on battery, even on battery saver I get about 2 hours of use and I can watch over an hour of youtube content on battery saver which kicks in when the battery is at 20%. Yes it can be disheartening to see "app available on iOS and Android" apps such as Snapchat but I rather have no Snapchat and be free from a charging point then having a phone with Snapchat and have to be "glued" to a charging point. The app gap isn't a huge thing for me what is huge is the range and speed that Nokia/Microsoft have innovated the smartphone and or phablets!

Apps are software, too.

 

[MikeX74]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

I just feel like if Microsoft hadn't offered their services to the competition, it'd be worth staying with.

Agreed. If you're all in on MS services, there's no incentive(or at least, no big one) to switch to WP if you're already using them on iOS/Android. At the same time, MS apps and services are no longer a lock-in or unique factor when it comes to choosing a new/next phone/OS, especially if they work well on other platforms.