The Windows Phone App Gap Thread

[anon(7901790)]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

That's a niche bank, though. Nobody in my family is eligible. All of the veterans in my family are dead (WW2/Korea era).

Yeah, you have a point there.

Here is something that I'm not sure many people have considered, and in particular Microsoft.

Windows 10 and universal apps is supposed to reduce the app gap, by allowing developers to write one app and have it work on multiple platforms. Here is the problem with that. There tons of apps for tablets and phones that never designed to work on a laptop/desktop. The banking apps that were mentioned are a good example. It makes sense to have an app for a smartphone or tablet, but not so much for a desktop/laptop. On a desktop/laptop it is easier to log into the respective banks website to do online banking, and in almost all cases, the website allows you to do more than the app does.

Furthermore, many game apps are designed specifically to work on smartphones and tablets only. Porting it to the desktop/laptop wouldn't make a whole lot of sense for most developers.

Even though the Surface Pro 3 and other hybrid laptop/tablet systems are gaining traction, it still does not address the smartphone app issue, the true mobile device. Yes, the SP3, iPad, and Galaxy Tablet are mobile devices, but the average user isn't going to be whipping an iPad out of his or her pocket to check his or her bank account while sitting at a restaurant. Sure you could log into the banks mobile website from your phone, but from my experience, the mobile website is less capable and less convenient than that respective bank's mobile app. The smartphone is the most convenient device for doing such things while on the go. I'm not just talking about banking apps, you can include hailing a taxi, buying movie tickets, etc. When I'm out and about, I don't see people whipping out a Samsung Galaxy Tab, SP3, or iPad to pay for groceries, I see people whipping out an iPhone or Android phone to do that.

So will universal apps truly close the app gap? I guess we shall see.

 

[scd147]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

Yeah in same cases there is still an app gap. For instance, several months ago I told someone about how much I like Windows Phone and my Lumia 920 at the time. He asked about his banking and airliner app, and said those are the most important things for him. I explained pinning websites to the start screen can sometimes be a good solution, as it is for my bank. I bank at Members 1st Federal Credit Union. They didn't bother making a Windows Phone app, but kudos to them for making such a capable mobile website. Pinning the site to the start screen honestly looks just like an app.

As for true app gaps, however, now that I'm using Windows 10 and revisiting the metro, modern app, store... so much is missing that I have on Windows Phone! Yelp comes to mind, but I ran into other examples too. I assumed Microsoft wanted to combine the app platforms of the Phone and Windows 10 for to shore up Windows Phone, but I think its the other way around.

 

[garak0410]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

Yeah in same cases there is still an app gap. For instance, several months ago I told someone about how much I like Windows Phone and my Lumia 920 at the time. He asked about his banking and airliner app, and said those are the most important things for him. I explained pinning websites to the start screen can sometimes be a good solution, as it is for my bank. I bank at Members 1st Federal Credit Union. They didn't bother making a Windows Phone app, but kudos to them for making such a capable mobile website. Pinning the site to the start screen honestly looks just like an app.

As for true app gaps, however, now that I'm using Windows 10 and revisiting the metro, modern app, store... so much is missing that I have on Windows Phone! Yelp comes to mind, but I ran into other examples too. I assumed Microsoft wanted to combine the app platforms of the Phone and Windows 10 for to shore up Windows Phone, but I think its the other way around.

I am guessing we won't truly see Universal Apps and these iPhone/Android conversions until Windows 10 Mobile is released...which I think is a mistake because with people adopting Windows 10, they are going to soon discover this app gap.

 

[Laura Knotek]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

Yeah in same cases there is still an app gap. For instance, several months ago I told someone about how much I like Windows Phone and my Lumia 920 at the time. He asked about his banking and airliner app, and said those are the most important things for him. I explained pinning websites to the start screen can sometimes be a good solution, as it is for my bank. I bank at Members 1st Federal Credit Union. They didn't bother making a Windows Phone app, but kudos to them for making such a capable mobile website. Pinning the site to the start screen honestly looks just like an app.

As for true app gaps, however, now that I'm using Windows 10 and revisiting the metro, modern app, store... so much is missing that I have on Windows Phone! Yelp comes to mind, but I ran into other examples too. I assumed Microsoft wanted to combine the app platforms of the Phone and Windows 10 for to shore up Windows Phone, but I think its the other way around.

I am guessing we won't truly see Universal Apps and these iPhone/Android conversions until Windows 10 Mobile is released...which I think is a mistake because with people adopting Windows 10, they are going to soon discover this app gap.

The thing is that most people aren't going to care about a Yelp app for their PCs. A browser works fine.

 

[garak0410]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

The thing is that most people aren't going to care about a Yelp app for their PCs. A browser works fine.

Can't argue there...but I do think about the people who do buy low-end Windows tablets and who want "apps" rather than full PC browsers or software...case and point...ClassDoJo on my kids HP Stream 7...the website works but it is a little wonky compared to the app I've seen on iPads/Android tablets...

But I am more in the "browser works fine" camp...but I do try to come to the recuse for those who DO want the apps... :grin:

 

[maktaba]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

My favorite game Soccer Stars is unavailable on WP so yes there is an app gap, at least for me.

 

[ChefFabrizio]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

There is an enormous app gap.

My Bank, Chase, no longer has an app. Saying you can bank on the mobile website. But why can Apple and Google get apps? Marketshare.

There is NO app that links to my diabetic glucose meter.

There is no app that starts or finds my Ford Sync enabled car. Even after Microsoft built that system.

There is no app that links to the Wink products or my Honeywell Thermostat or Home Security system.

What really can I do on my windows phone? Weather. I've got 6 different weather apps, and my wife has 6 different ones. So we need the UN to negotiate peace when we need to decide weather related items. And now with Cortana what seemed like a useful feature of Cortana giving us toasts of weather events. It's not a bad movie or C-Span, you mileage may vary.

Oh yeah, I can do office. But apple and google can do it better than me now. I can do calendar. Umm, yeah so can they. They can unlock their front door's (if they have the right hardware on the door) while I'm still fumbling with a hard key, with bags of groceries. Yeah improvement, for sure.

The hard fact is, that for me, the windows eco system does NOTHING for me. It holds me back at every turn. Yet I hate both Apple and Google. So, I get screwed. Because Satya and team ONLY care about Enterprise.

 

[Milind Panchal]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

Yeah the app gap is a big game breaker for Windows Phone, while it is keep getting better there are still a lot of apps missing, but i think most people that buy a Windows phone know about the lack of apps and dont care about it

Can you name the app which are missing ?? Have you searched the alternative for the same app and please don't talk about snapchat is missing.

 

[cerzi]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

When i was still using WP - mind that i was early adopter, there was an app gap i didnt even knew about. I think the problem is that most of apps tried to be as asimilated into WP workflow that they had to build them from the ground up and it took a lot of time from big developers and was never interesting for small ones.

Well i switched away from WP when they fu*** me over on WP 8 update. And damn were there many apps out there. Not really important ones but still the little ones that you didnt even knew about and might need once in a lifetime for a trip or something. But seriously it was never a dealbraker - now I just would never get back because they hanged early adopters out to dry and pushed me into Apple arms which is a big no-go when you are trying to build ecosystem. I guess they are not really banging their heads about it

 

[anon(7901790)]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

Can you name the app which are missing ?? Have you searched the alternative for the same app and please don't talk about snapchat is missing.

Chase Mobile
ADT
Means to pay using NFC, Softcard is gone from Windows Phone and so far W10M doesn't support it.
Starbucks - Yes you can find an alternative, but none of them allow you to do what the Starbucks app for Android and iPhone can do.
Nook - It's available for Windows, Android, iOS, Mac OS, but not Windows Phone
Most local TV stations have an iPhone or Android app. KHNL here in Hawaii does, but no WP app.
Canon makes an iPhone and Android app to remote control it's line of DSLRs, no WP app. I have a Canon DSLR, and there have been plenty of times I wish I had the app to remote control my camera, because it was in a position that it was hard to frame, focus, and shoot.
My credit union does not have a WP banking app. The Android version was nice. It allowed me to deposit checks with my Android phone. I can't do that using its mobile website.
Square - For those businesses who need to accept credit/debit cards, but don't want to pay an arm and a leg to get a POS.
Time Warner Cable - So I can set my DVR while I'm away.
ES File Explorer - So I can access my 12TB NAS from my phone, instead of getting on my desktop or SP3 to access files stored there.

Every one of us can think of at least a few apps that we would use if it was available on Windows Phone.

 

[mrdoubleb]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

Let me share what frustrates me.
In my country WP is actually ahead of iOS - 11% vs 9% - and for about a year now. Still, you have a hard time seeing major organizations (banks, newspapers, etc), let alone smaller companies doing an app for it. Yes, there are some notable exceptions, like the biggest bank of the country, but even there their website only mentioned their Android and iOS app until i wrote an email to them that i have been using their WP app for months and they replied to me and fixed their website a few days later (true story). Their website was all about their iOS and Android app, no word on WP even though it was released in the MS store for months!

Get this: I am now about to change banks, but neither the second nor the third bank in the country has a WP app. Some smaller ones do. I am about to change to a mid size bank, that's a major European player, Unicredit. They just released their new mobile apps and they told me when I asked before, that they will translate and reuse some of their European apps for Hungary. I was glad as they have a WP app in Italy, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Serbia and in a few more countries. So their new website goes live, their new apps go live about 2 weeks ago, guess which OS is missing? WP of course. Even though you have more WP users in the country than iOS, even though they have a WP app in several countries, they did not release it in Hungary. So I will have to go back to the stone age and use their terrible mobile site or change phone OS.

 

[Byrese]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

A few pages ago I ranted about the app gap. Yes...it is beyond frustrating sometimes. But honestly, WP still has the best OS/UI. At the end of the day...that's what matters (at least to me anyway). Combine that with excellent and cost effective Lumia hardware, plus a superior camera. Winner winner chicken dinner.

 

[anon(7901790)]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

A few pages ago I ranted about the app gap. Yes...it is beyond frustrating sometimes. But honestly, WP still has the best OS/UI. At the end of the day...that's what matters (at least to me anyway). Combine that with excellent and cost effective Lumia hardware, plus a superior camera. Winner winner chicken dinner.

You are correct in that WP is the superior OS. The problem, is that people are reluctant to switch because they are 1. Invested deeply in another ecosystem and can't bring the apps they purchased/downloaded with them. Any apps they purchased on iOS or Android would have to be purchased again, if it is available. 2. Familiarity with the OS. People get comfortable with what they know. 3. Name recognition. Most people recognize Apple iPhone, or Samsung Galaxy, but they don't recognize Lumia or Windows Phone. That us why people don't switch OS's. Most people will stick with what they know and not change because they don't have to.

 

[chasvs]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

No, the app gap issue is long gone and it's just the Android and iOS fanboys who continue the myth of a dearth of apps on Windows Phone. Yeah, as the OP mentioned, there may be one or two apps that a small number of people must have, but for the vast majority of users out there, there's virtually NO app gap!

 

[therealcostanza]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

The conversation needs to expand a bit. Is there an app gap? IMO, virtually no. There are a few apps that don't exist, but once they were pulled from the WP store, amazing how quickly I realized I can get on living my life without them (snapchat for instance, is kind of stupid and I don't miss it one bit). The one glaring absence is the lack of US banking apps. Interesting that Bank of America does not have locations in all of America. I used to be able to deposit checks via the phone, but alas now I need to rely on my mom's old iPhone she sent me or remember to bring my ATM card with me when I travel south from Alaska.

Where the dialogue needs to shift towards is that there is a gap in the QUALITY of apps. The problem really is lack of native apps and official apps. It's one thing to have a 3rd party version (except for the 6-series of apps, thanks Rudy!!), but many are not polished and professional looking like their iOS or Android counterpart. I also find it frustrating certain apps on iOS are on version 5.x when WP is still stuck on 2.x or 3.x.

Elevate the dialogue folks. Stop screaming the app gap exists or demanding snapchat (please, please, please stop kicking that dead horse), and ask developers to make the WP apps as professional and polished an experience as they are for other ecosystems.

 

[tgp]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

it's just the Android and iOS fanboys who continue the myth of a dearth of apps on Windows Phone.

Actually, it's only talked about on Windows Phone forums, mostly by WP fanboys. The other forums don't even talk about other platforms. Here, every other thread is about iPhone or Android.

 

[chasvs]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

A superb post!

 

[c0wb0ycliche]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

I made the switch from WP to Android (in fact, from all Microsoft to all Google) a few months back.

If you want to read about it you can check it out at https://medium.com/@mikeburns/from-microsoft-to-google-the-switch-52cd9aeb29a?source=latest

I don't really talk about the app gap there, but here is what I would say:

After using Android for a bit, it becomes really clear how unusable Windows Phone is and why I think it really is past the point of no return.

It isn't so much about "missing" key apps, it is more about the combination of missing key apps, out of date apps compared with Android/iOS, and a lack of ecosystem.

Want to use the app for your router? Chances are it isn't on WP. How about when your shopping? Target Cartwheel for example? Nope. How about all the premium TV apps? HBO Go, Starz, Showtime, etc.? Nope. Does your college have an app? Probably not on Windows Phone.

The "big" apps that are there- Facebook, Twitter, etc. are also way behind on WP. Really. Try Twitter on Android and then go back to WP. It is jarring.

And on.

And on.

And on.

It isn't just that Snapchat is missing. It's that with Windows Phone you are a second... well, third... class citizen when it comes to mobile tech.

And for a couple years, the great UI was worth it. But in 2015? Nope.

It sucks, but it is what it is.

 

[Penny_1]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

Please allow me to chime in on this.

I think we all kind of know that the so called "app-gap" is real. I don't like that term though, because it has become a bit of a distraction from the real issue, and that is functionality. When we first jumped on WP7 and WP8, we did so because the inclusion of integrated features and functionality with awesome UX severely mitigated that lack of apps. Pretty much everything that we wanted to be doing as smartphone users, we felt we could do with greater convenience on WP.

However, the smartphone industry and tech industry overall has continued to develop, and increasingly places emphasis on achieving tasks through mobile. Having a convenient way to perform core smartphone functions really won't suffice anymore, because the whole definition of core smartphone usage has progressed. Not having certain apps is no longer a slight inconvenience, but rather a lack of an important function. While the providers of products and services I use increasingly expect me to use my smartphone to carry out tasks, those products and services are becoming more and more inaccessible to me.

That to me is the real problem. Instead of the "app-gap" being isolated to and affecting our smartphone usage, it is actually increasingly affecting our usage of products and services outside of the smartphone. We're no longer just losing convenience here; we're increasingly losing the ability to perform tasks.

That's my 2 cents, and why I'm really thinking carefully about where I go next this holiday season.

P.S.: Just as a single example of this, I went to a party/event recently in Venice where parking is limited. The host of the event was providing valet parking through a company called Luxe. I showed up, and it turns out that Luxe valet only works through their apps on Android and iOS. I couldn't even pay them $20 cash to park my car. The valets and I were both sorry about the situation, and the real cost of the app-gap struck me pretty hard at the moment, as I hunted around crowded streets looking for a parking spot.

 

[Tsukai Kurai]

re: Is there really an app gap on WP?

I call BS on some of what's being said here. First off since the launch of Windows Phone I have been interested, begrungingly at that. The idea of live tiles was very exciting and definitely a stand out feature for Windows Phone. I have had three android phones and one iPhone to date. Was time for a new phone so I got a Lumia 635, simply because it was blue, and because I had used Android, Blackberry, and iOS but not Windows Phone. Turns out, aside from one blasted app, I have everything I need/want in a phone. It ties directly into my computer, in ways that Siri and OS X can't do right now. It's a more useful OS than either Android or iOS. I'm seeing more and more people with Windows Phones, it's not a matter of a cool factor. It's a matter of people not realizing how useful Windows is on a phone when you already use Windows for a desktop OS.

Take into consideration the tight integration between Cortana on the two platforms. If I'm out of the house and ask Cortana to remind me to go shopping for whatever at where ever at whatever time, which presumably is some time after I get home. The reminder will already be there on my desktop waiting for me. No need to plug my phone in or tell it to sync. It's automatic. The biggest problem for a good swath of people is going to be a lack of apps like snapchat, and Steam.

Following that the biggest problem we face as Windows Phone users is the inability to get good games. I still use my Galaxy S4, and iPhone 4 for that very reason. There are games and apps that are unique to each platform. Microsoft is taking care of that themselves. They don't want to wait for what may never come. So instead it's a matter of taking control of the situation and turning Windows 10 into our be all end all whether we're mobile or at home.

Also, as Windows Phone/Windows 10 Mobile users don't we have a responsibility to help the platform grow?