The Windows Phone App Gap Thread

[Pete]

I am curious why this guy won't let WP make an app for it. He might have a hate on for MS, but he's being a jerk to a bunch of people who have nothing to do with his beef. I could understand if he didn't want to absorb the costs.
But seriously, what's his issue?

It's simple, he's holding out to get bought by Microsoft for a huge price (remember Minecraft?)

Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that Microsoft will simply buy up these app companies when those buyouts make no economic sense (Minecraft is a total cash-cow).

 

[TechAbstract]

outlook on windows 10 mobile is much better than the iOS counterpart. The calendar and the ability to pin folders makes it much better. It's cleaner as well.

Maybe, but I wouldn't surprised if the whole Office team uses iDevices at Microsoft lol. Windows Phone/mobile is last on their list.

https://forums.windowscentral.com/e....com%2Fen-us%2Fmobile%2Foffice&token=Bt4eerX3
Office 365 Admin App
https://support.office.com/en-us/ar...-Web-App-B20E6D7E-00FF-4E55-88A1-D3FC44584EC6

 

[IccyAsd]

After reading all the post here i see most user is missing 3rd party apps & banking apps, some of you guys even transfer money to another bank with WP apps (Good work at that )

For banking app i think we can choose a much more drastic action to make them make the app for WP than us finding an alternative work around, if everyone here would closed bank account with a reason of no available app for my phone they would probably take a hit on that, especially some rich folks here or business owner with company bank.


we gotta make them feel it, Just my 2 cent

 

[Laura Knotek]

After reading all the post here i see most user is missing 3rd party apps & banking apps, some of you guys even transfer money to another bank with WP apps (Good work at that )

For banking app i think we can choose a much more drastic action to make them make the app for WP than us finding an alternative work around, if everyone here would closed bank account with a reason of no available app for my phone they would probably take a hit on that, especially some rich folks here or business owner with company bank.


we gotta make them feel it, Just my 2 cent

Sorry, but that just does not sound feasible. Many of us choose banks for their services and for their interest rates (high on savings, low on loans). It is much easier to change phones than change banks in many cases, especially if someone has a long term mortgage. Nobody has a cell phone contract for 30 years.

 

[Zunjin]

Windows mobile market share is 3%.

It's all about the non existing sales in the US, which makes MSP look bad. But the world is much bigger than the small US of A!

Let's take a look at the worlds biggest market, which is Europe, will we. Here in the (good) old world, Microsoft Phone is more or less on par with Apples iOS (for example: in Germany there is just a gap of 3% between MSP and IOs), in other countries like Italy, MS Phone even exceeded Apple and it's iOS. Also the market shares of both, Apple and MS are rising, while Android is losing ground (EU Top5: +1.7% MSP, +2.5% IOs, -3.3% Android, -0.8% others). There is enough money to make for MS and any App Developer.

Also the Aussies seam to like MSP also, which has a market share of ~10%. Not to mention all those big developing markets, like India and Brazil, where MS market shares are growing slow but steady, while Apple can't take off.

It doesn't seem like Microsoft having a problem with most of its world wide sales, but the US having a problem with Microsoft. Why is that?

 

[mnsiw]

If only Microsoft would at least fix the gaps in their own apps... I very much wanted to buy a 950 XL but I'm a heavy OneNote user and I was just too appalled at seeing the state of the OneNote version on it. It's the worst, most crippled of all. How is that even possible: how hard can it be to at least have the same features in it as in the Android version? Or is the Office team actively sabotaging Windows Phone?

Same for me, because of this I use OneNote on Droid or in browser, on WM it's too slow.

 

[cracgor]

It's all about the non existing sales in the US, which makes MSP look bad. But the world is much bigger than the small US of A!

Let's take a look at the worlds biggest market, which is Europe, will we. Here in the (good) old world, Microsoft Phone is more or less on par with Apples iOS (for example: in Germany there is just a gap of 3% between MSP and IOs), in other countries like Italy, MS Phone even exceeded Apple and it's iOS. Also the market shares of both, Apple and MS are rising, while Android is losing ground (EU Top5: +1.7% MSP, +2.5% IOs, -3.3% Android, -0.8% others). There is enough money to make for MS and any App Developer.

Also the Aussies seam to like MSP also, which has a market share of ~10%. Not to mention all those big developing markets, like India and Brazil, where MS market shares are growing slow but steady, while Apple can't take off.

It doesn't seem like Microsoft having a problem with most of its world wide sales, but the US having a problem with Microsoft. Why is that?

Because in the US, most people figure out a way to get an iPhone on contract or pay per month. In the rest of the world, people pay outright for their phones. Even so, I don't know if the developing world has the demand to push developers into action.

 

[foxbat121]

Arguably, world's biggest market is China, not Europe. I saw zero Windows Phone presence there. Most ppl use home grown Android phones even though none of the Google services, or even any Google domains, are accessible there.

 

[M7H]

It doesn't seem like Microsoft having a problem with most of its world wide sales, but the US having a problem with Microsoft. Why is that?

Because in the US, people spend more money then they can afford, or even earn. Just get another credit card if you need money.....
In Europe, there is this consumers protection, but if the same system would be applied in the US, people will start complaining about there privacy.
(Please correct me if I'm wrong)

 

[DoyoubiNoAme]

As a long time windows phone user (since HTC 8x) I sometimes felt like app gap is getting me, but, mostly, I just like the idea of ascetic phone, which is a helpful tool and not the center of your world. For this reason I always was okay with lack of certain apps. But I came to somehow strange conclusion lately.
Recently I sold my 930 and switched back to HTC 8X, while waiting for 950 sales start in my country. Along with 8x i got back my Nokia 1100. The cheapest phone possible. Because you cant put nanosim into 8x, but can somehow place it into 1100, lol, and im too lazy to switch nanosim to microsim, and back to nanosim when 950 arrives.
Okay, so in this setup I found myself using HTC 8x only for Alarms and Camera. I literaly had no other application for it, despite it always being connected to wifi at home\work. So i started to question myself not "should i buy 950 or other android\ios smartphone?" but "Do I even need a smartphone?"
I still will get myself 950, because of camera and, well, my love for MS devices and features, but not because I desperately need a good smartphone.

 

[Alessandro Dut]

The time it takes between the click and the picture does not produce blur, unless the person was standing still and started to run just before the flash.
To reduce blur you have to manually control the shutter speed if you are taking picures of moving objects.

Still what probably was happening is that she shakes her hand too much when pressing the camera button. (My wife does that and takes blurred pictures using my phone) One way to reduce this is to use the screen button which doenst require a hard press to take the picture.

 

[Guillaume Anfroy]

Hi,
In my free time, I publish free application that are trying to feel the gaps of missing application in the windows store. Maybe we should list them and check which one are easy to publish on Windows ?

 

[omagic82]

No doubt the app gap is real and an issue, but the bigger issue I see killing Windows Mobile is apps that aren't update or that stop working.

I justified my 950 purchase with its camera. It has an edge over iPhone and Android cameras and its a very real edge. I was at a Christmas Lights concert last night and by far the best pictures that were taken in the low light was with my phone. It wasn't even close. With or without flash, the 950 devices still take the lead in camera technology, no matter what the Verge says.

 

[hack14u]

I too went to a LG G Flex 2, android as my daily driver. For me it's only 3 apps that I use a lot that aren't there - Wal-Mart (for the pharmacy), Publix (for the buy one get ones while I am in the store), and On Star (to remote start my car).

 

[explosive0]

As always, I say people need to find what works for them best and use it. I always keep the latest Windows Phone flagship handy for when I get the urge to use WP, but I can't use it as my daily driver for a few reasons, but here are just two:
1. Airline and hotel apps: I travel every week for work. Living without some of these apps makes life a lot more difficult. It completely ruins my daily workflow.
2. Home automation apps: I hate having to (and often forget) transferring my garage door opener from one car to the other. My garage door interfaces with my home alarm and lets me open the door from my app. When I'm using the iPhone, it's as easy as opening the app, authenticating with touch ID and clicking open. All of this can be done while driving. With WP, I have to pull in front of my garage, park, launch the webapp, login and navigate a few menus to do the same thing.

 

[explosive0]

After reading all the post here i see most user is missing 3rd party apps & banking apps, some of you guys even transfer money to another bank with WP apps (Good work at that )

For banking app i think we can choose a much more drastic action to make them make the app for WP than us finding an alternative work around, if everyone here would closed bank account with a reason of no available app for my phone they would probably take a hit on that, especially some rich folks here or business owner with company bank.


we gotta make them feel it, Just my 2 cent

Yeah man. I doubt you'll find more than 1 or 2 people that are loyal enough to go as far as changing banks because of a phone app. I for one wouldn't do it because there are many other factors that influence my financial decisions, and I'm afraid Windows Phone isn't one of them. My phone is a tool to make life easier, not the other way around.

 

[NadaAddict]

I'm a rebel...I'm going to switch from iPhone to the 950 if anybody other than AT&T gets it...(AT&T sucks out here)

 

[uselessrobot]

I'd say I'm unique in that I typically don't want apps that just replicate functionality already present in the OS. I'm not too concerned about banking or any of the other stuff because I handle that on my desktop anyway, not my phone. So the bulk of my downloads are games. I tend to have a few that I go back to often and it will be some time before I'm looking for something new.

Even then, I agree that the app gap is one of the biggest problems facing this platform. It is frustrating seeing some interesting app only available for Android and iOS. It's even more frustrating knowing that a game on your phone is several versions behind what's available on other platforms. And worst of all, it's going to the app store every couple of months and not much that's new of any quality. Sure, there are a ton of new apps listed, but they're mostly junk,

It irks me when Microsoft focuses on high profile developers because that isn't where the root of the problem lies. The core problem is adoption. I know it's a bit of a chicken and egg problem, but you really need to build a userbase and encourage the smaller companies to develop for the platform.

 

[Flavio76]

I use the Edge, or Chrome for my bank, Citi..it is much better..

 

[davebwi]

ahh ok. Well that's cool. Yes, but keep in mind that we don't have a payment system in canada for ios or android. In fact, apple pay works if you use american express, but i doubt many people here have american express.

ms is releasing onepay which should support visa, masterard and all the major credit cards.

when?