Why does Windows Phone 8 continue to be an afterthought?

[Psycmeistr]

IMO, Windows Phone 8 is a superior OS compared with iOS and Android--much more user-friendly and intuitive. I just wish it wasn't treated as the red-headed step child of operating systems...seems every time a neat new app comes out, it's only available on iOS and Android. A great heads-up display gadget for automobiles featured on Gizmodo today was a prime example--Yep-- available for iOS and Android.

The marketers at Microsoft need to do a much better job of marketing their product--because they indeed have a superior product to market-- I think it sells itself, once it actually gets into a person's hands.

With the marketing resources available to Bill Gates & Co., Windows Phone 8 should be THE market leader, not the perpetual afterthought. Their marketing team should be fired.

I love the Windows Phone 8 operating system, and it's frustrating that everyone ELSE has the cool apps.

 

[montsa007]

I install a game, chess.
It wants to,
-Read my call log
-Read my texts
-Read my call history
-Monitor my emails
-Check my underpant color

Over that, the app crashes everytime it is started.

I wonder if this kind of app can be classified under cool category?

 

[manicottiK]

To be fair to the folks publishing these apps, it makes sense for them to devote their resources to the places where they'll get the most return or make the most impact. DrexelOne Mobile, our university portal app, is available on four platforms. Our 13-week download market share numbers are: Android 30.2%, BlackBerry 0.1%, iOS 65.3%, and Windows Phone 4.4%. (At this time last year, it was 3.0%; it was 0.9% in 2011, so WP is on the right trajectory!)

DrexelOne Mobile was originally on six platforms, but WM6 and webOS died so we withdrew those versions. We're currently working on our 3.0 releases and we are not doing a BlackBerry version. A few BlackBerry 10 users have asked us to and their arguments are the same as yours: the market needs apps to attract users. Unfortunately, the market also needs users to attract app developers.

The only reasons that Drexel has built and updates a Windows Phone version despite the platform having such a low market share is that I'm the developer for the WP version and I'm also the one who makes the decisions about the overall project. I do the coding at night and on the weekends; this makes the "on the books" cost $0 for having a WP version. I donate my time to support the platform because it provides me with a way to quickly prototype and test new ideas (for all of the platforms) and it helps me keep my skills up to date.

Shameless plug: download and install the app so that we can tilt the numbers more in favor of WP. I won't link to it (I'm not that shameless), but it's named above. If you do get it, aim for the preview version because it's the more visual one. You won't be able to do much without an ID, but you'll see news and events stuff and can play with "Campus Scout," our version of Local Scout.

 

[fwaits]

That's changing as the platform continues to grow, but even though MS says we are approaching "critical mass", we are only on the fringe of that IMO. Overall Market Share still needs to get a bit larger to really hit full momentum and really draw mass adoption from the majority of developers out there. It is definitely going in the right direction however and we saw a lot of movement forward this year, and I think that will accelerate into 2014.

 

[manicottiK]

You're right, but WP's market share is still pretty small, particularly in the U.S. I just updated our app market share numbers (the ones quoted above are actually from the last Monday in October) and WP continues to climb.

As of Monday, November 18: Android 31.5%, BlackBerry 0.8%, iOS 63.7%, and Windows Phone 4.7%. The iOS drop from the earlier numbers is because it always peaks as classes begin (it was over 77% for one week in August), but then falls back as normalcy returns (typically upper 50's).

 

[Ezhik]

Superior OS, right. It's been playing catch up since the very first day it was out. And don't forget that nobody owns a Windows Phone in America.

 

[Psycmeistr]

Superior OS, right. It's been playing catch up since the very first day it was out. And don't forget that nobody owns a Windows Phone in America.

I beg your pardon?

 

[nottechsmart]

I've had Android and Apple but have not tried a Windows phone. Sprint does not have a very good Windows option that I know of. The phone I have now is my first Android phone and first HTC. Between the switch to Sprint, switch to Android I have to say the worst out of the 3 is the HTC. Sprint to the best of my knowledge only offers the HTC 8x and I will not buy another HTC product. Only good news is I'm upgrade eligible next week:thumbup:

If someone could answer this I'd appreciate it....Does Windows phone use IE? Is it a mobile browser or full? Thanks.

 

[neo158]

I've had Android and Apple but have not tried a Windows phone. Sprint does not have a very good Windows option that I know of. The phone I have now is my first Android phone and first HTC. Between the switch to Sprint, switch to Android I have to say the worst out of the 3 is the HTC. Sprint to the best of my knowledge only offers the HTC 8x and I will not buy another HTC product. Only good news is I'm upgrade eligible next week:thumbup:

If someone could answer this I'd appreciate it....Does Windows phone use IE? Is it a mobile browser or full? Thanks.

To answer your questions, yes it does use IE and while it's the full trident core it accesses mobile sites by default. You should also be aware that IE on Windows Phone doesn't have flash support like its desktop counterpart.

 

[montsa007]

Superior OS, right. It's been playing catch up since the very first day it was out. And don't forget that nobody owns a Windows Phone in America.

Where can I send you a face wash?
You really need one.