The Windows Phone App Gap Thread

[laserfloyd]

WM10 wasn't ready and isn't ready. I'm honestly surprised it got released. This is seemingly one of the lower points of the last few years for MS in the mobile area. They need to get serious in that arena. I'm holding out for what Panos is going to deliver. He's done a bang up job with Surface. Windows Mobile needs him. I love my WP so I'm gonna hold out as long as I can.

 

[Devan Hammack]

WM10 wasn't ready and isn't ready. I'm honestly surprised it got released. This is seemingly one of the lower points of the last few years for MS in the mobile area. They need to get serious in that arena. I'm holding out for what Panos is going to deliver. He's done a bang up job with Surface. Windows Mobile needs him. I love my WP so I'm gonna hold out as long as I can.

Seriously? Wasn't done, isn't done?
Give me a break.. I've been using it for months now and, while it was rough until about mid or late October, its definitely "done" enough to be released.
For daily use, its got very few glitches. Its quick, and (after a week with the 950XL) the battery seems to be doing very well. I got to 8pm last night with 51% left.. and its hooked up to my MS Band 2 all day.
There are a few things that can be sped up or streamlined, but its the best OS out there.

Here's a pro tip: Get off the forums, or read forums for the other OS's. People are overwhelmingly negative on forums and it can really skew your thinking if you don't know that fact.

 

[cracgor]

WM10 wasn't ready and isn't ready. I'm honestly surprised it got released. This is seemingly one of the lower points of the last few years for MS in the mobile area. They need to get serious in that arena. I'm holding out for what Panos is going to deliver. He's done a bang up job with Surface. Windows Mobile needs him. I love my WP so I'm gonna hold out as long as I can.

I think Microsoft assumed windows phone fans would deal with the bugs and act as beta testers. The only other idea would be they don't care and want windows mobile to die. RIP WM10 Jan 2018!

 

[thetruth1960]

I think Microsoft assumed windows phone fans would deal with the bugs and act as beta testers. The only other idea would be they don't care and want windows mobile to die. RIP WM10 Jan 2018!

2018? Are you giving it that long? LaserFloyd says he's waiting for what Panos delivers. I'm with him. That might be the last chance for WM. You need a real premium device that has the "WOW" factor instead of the "me too... maybe" factor the 950/XL have. And of course, what we're talking about here. The gap has to somehow start closing because if it doesn't, not even the WOW factor is going to matter.

 

[cracgor]

2018 was a joke about the end of life for wm10 just announced today. I think the app gap is probably insurmountable. I don't even know if making the 950/xl free would increase mobile share enough.

 

[xandros9]

2018 was a joke about the end of life for wm10 just announced today. I think the app gap is probably insurmountable. I don't even know if making the 950/xl free would increase mobile share enough.

Its standard procedure. As 10 is updated, more recent 10 builds will have later EOL dates mind you.

 

[SPS828]

Microsoft needs to put emphasis on the indie developer. WM has a lot of potential in this space with the "new + rising" section and I think indie apps could get recognized more easily due to the smaller amount of apps. There are so many good iOS apps that I've seen that haven't gotten enough recognition because of how hard it is to find the app in the store.

 

[MikeSo]

I think W10M overall is a pleasure to use. Compared to Android it feels polished enough for release (can't speak to iOS). It no longer has the uniqueness of WP in navigation, but still feels great to use. It has bugs, but still works fine.

That said, I just went ahead and ordered a Moto X Pure. I'm hoping that I won't hate it too much and that the universal apps thing catches on so threads like these won't be necessary say... two years from now.

 

[Muessig]

I think W10M overall is a pleasure to use. Compared to Android it feels polished enough for release (can't speak to iOS). It no longer has the uniqueness of WP in navigation, but still feels great to use. It has bugs, but still works fine.

That said, I just went ahead and ordered a Moto X Pure. I'm hoping that I won't hate it too much and that the universal apps thing catches on so threads like these won't be necessary say... two years from now.

Are you doing WM totally out using the moto as a backup?

 

[MikeSo]

Are you doing WM totally out using the moto as a backup?

I already have a Moto E that I use as a backup in order to get some apps that aren't on WP. So now I'm going to go all out and use the X full time I figured. Not sure how that will go but worth a shot. Maybe I'll be happy to come back!

 

[holyfetzer]

My brother switched two months ago, I followed two weeks ago. We are both on Android now.

I think W10M is in a terrible position right now. It seems there is no steam left in the pipe. If nothing really big happens I think 2016 will be the year W10M will die. Seriously. I really loved the OS, but the App gap, the many halfhearted attempts by MS to push the OS and the many hopes that never fullfilled have boosted my decision to say goodbye. My lifetime is too valuable to wait for MS to catch up and I think it is now nearly impossible after so many years.

So I hope Android will keep me happy for many years to come

 

[Kieran Coghlan]

I've been with WP for about 13 months is all. During that time I saw Bank of America drop their app support. Which REALLY bummed me out. The mobile site is not worth my time. One of the best things about mobile banking is check deposit and the mobile web site does not support that.

Lately I've been travelling a lot for work, and the airline apps (United and Delta specifically) for WP are really lame. For iOS and Android, both airlines offer free entertainment via your mobile device; for United they've gone so far as to eliminate other forms of in-flight entertainment completely from some aircraft (no overhead monitors, no seat-back monitors, not even music, nothing) so if you don't have a mobile device, you're stuck reading. The WP airline apps do allow you to view and adjust your travel plans (most of the time, when it works) but in-flight entertainment is not supported.

Those are the two big things for me... those on top of all the little apps here and there that you don't miss until you find out someone else has them. I'm seriously thinking about picking up a new Android (I used to carry my old one on flights, but it is too old now and so new airline apps aren't supported) just to use when I'm travelling.
KC

 

[Geronimo928]

Yes!! The wordflow keyboard is on point!! I feel like ive downgraded keyboards on ios. What a conundrum, if android apps were on windows phone id return but then that would spell disaster for the platform.

 

[Schnuffi]

It's not only the apps we don't have, the aps we do have are really outdated the FB app for example is terrible I constantly get we are having trouble getting data. I hope it gets better in windows 10 for my 640 but I have my doubt's . If not I will wait till my 640 dies then move on.:eck:

 

[PerryKahai]

Sadly, I have to agree. I think this is the end of the road with me as far as Windows Phone is concerned.

 

[Jean Claude Lopez]

Are you really gonna use those "missing" apps? Really, who else uses Snapchat beside horny teenagers sexting each other?
All the important apps (from important companies) are there. Evernote, Rhapsody, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Netflix, Hulu, and the list goes. The "app gap" is a myth from Google and Apple. By the way I don't need Google, when there's Bing and Outlook mail. Dropbox is there. Youtube has lots of apps, and the "official" one was crap anyway. There's nothing important missing. F*** Google for being so anticompetitive.

 

[Bradleykinz]

I just switched today to android after four or so years on WP, I ordered a Samsung phone. I still love my windows phones (focus flash and 1020). I am going to use my 1020 for music, podcasts, and as a dashcam in my car. And for the most part the bugs in w10 were not horrible at least since around september-october. But constant messaging app crashes, even WC's app crashed every once in awhile, notifications not disappearing after viewed on the lockscreen or live tiles, photos taking way longer to appear on camera roll compared to 8.1, attaching a photo to a text massage failing often, and I do not like the edge browser especially when my history or site suggestions gets stuck on the screen. I would also would of liked a back/forward button in the browser. The lack of apps wasn't a huge problem for me but it would be nice to have more. Snapchat, tcf bank, and bank of america app and a few others would of be great but not a must. However, it would be nice for the apps that I use were updated once in a while, I am still using some apps that where made for wp7. I would of bought the 950 if it had a great battery life, since using w10 on my 1020 since September my battery life has be only ok (3-4 SoT) and the OS would of been more polished I would of bought it. Since it has a great camera and screen plus removable battery and micro sd. I used AT&T Next 12 for my Samsung S6 Active, so if more apps come to the platform and the bugginess in the OS gets fixed I will comeback for the Surface Phone.

 

[tatotiburon]

i'm with you bro, for me was the uber partner app that pulled the trigger for me. Got a new car, lets make some cash in uber...NOPEEE SORRY NO APP FOR YOU

 

[chmun77]

For every local services I've been to, reading on the papers or magazines or advertisements on the streets, what I see is only this:



Where is the Windows Store version??! It makes me feel like I'm holding a device which is too old for today's technologies.

 

[Bradleykinz]

I feel like windows phones is the weird step child everyone ignores. I hated seeing commercials for things that would say download now on the google play store and/or apple app store. -_-