Why MS apps are better on Android or iOS than on Windows phone ?

[Sam_93]

It might be a very silly little question but I cant keep myself from wondering why MS apps for other platforms are much better than its own ? Means if you are the creator of an platform wont your apps be best for that platform ? Sometimes I think MS also believes their platform is inferior to others. It has lost hope and faith .

 

[Pete]

Not in terms of Windows 10.

For Windows Phone 8.1, the office apps were part of the operating system and not updated very often. Now that they're proper apps in Windows 10 Mobile, things are looking a lot better.

 

[Sam_93]

The apps are just not polished enough . just look at outlook for apple watch today. So polished efficient . They get updates before us and they get better. Hope all will change with windows 10

 

[tgp]

Assuming that it is true that Microsoft's apps are better on iOS and Android than on their own mobile OS (not everybody agrees with this), there might be several reasons:

1. OS limitations. Until recently, WP had a lot of restrictions that the others, especially Android, do not have. With Android, you can do pretty much whatever you want with it. While this is good for developers, it does have its disadvantages.
2. Priority. iOS and Android comprise 97% of the mobile market. It is obviously adventageous to focus on that.

 

[theefman]

The apps are just not polished enough . just look at outlook for apple watch today. So polished efficient . They get updates before us and they get better. Hope all will change with windows 10

Well Windows 10 is here now, and seeing as apps like Outlook are universal there's no need to wait for the mobile version to launch, we should be seeing them be at least on par right now. Question is, are they?

 

[Dusan Randj]

Priority. Higher marketshare. Profit.
It would bring them more money to relase apps on Android and iOS then on WP.
Everybody talks about limits of WP but WP 8 had 3 GDR updates, update to 8.1, then two updates to 8.1.1 and 8.1.2. If they wanted to, they could have updated Office apps 6 times. They even promoted 640 with new office apps, I remember them pinned to startscreen and hoped they'll come with 8.1.2, but nothing happened.
We will get them with W10 and that's it. We aren't profitable as much as two other platforms.

 

[Sam_93]

I am no app developer or software engineer so I dont know all this but if you don't give your own OS priority over other OSes then the problem runs deep , too deep. If I am handicapped by restrictions of my own OS then its time to think again may be :eck:

 

[tgp]

I am no app developer or software engineer so I dont know all this but if you don't give your own OS priority over other OSes then the problem runs deep , too deep. If I am handicapped by restrictions of my own OS then its time to think again may be :eck:

Windows 10 will fix it.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Well Windows 10 is here now, and seeing as apps like Outlook are universal there's no need to wait for the mobile version to launch, we should be seeing them be at least on par right now. Question is, are they?

That should change once Windows 10 Mobile is officially released.

 

[theefman]

That should change once Windows 10 Mobile is officially released.

Shouldn't need to wait for that as the apps are supposed to be universal and be the same on every Windows 10 device, from PC to phone.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Shouldn't need to wait for that as the apps are supposed to be universal and be the same on every Windows 10 device, from PC to phone.

But the Windows 10 apps aren't for Windows Phone 8.1. Windows 10 Mobile is not yet an official release.

 

[theefman]

But the Windows 10 apps aren't for Windows Phone 8.1. Windows 10 Mobile is not yet an official release.

Yes, not talking about WP8. Windows 10 universal apps are supposed to run on PC and phone without any changes and have the UI adapt according to the device its running on, so any universal app available now on the PC should be the same version that runs on the phone when Win 10 mobile is released. That was the whole pitch of Windows 10 so we should be able to look at a current Windows 10 universal app and compare it to other platforms. There really shouldn't be a need to wait for Win 10 mobile if their implementation of universal apps is as they claim.

The office mobile apps are an example. They were first on ios and android and now have been released for Windows 10 and when mobile comes it should be the same version. Same applies to outlook, groove or any other universal app. The UI will adapt and possibly display things differently but the functionality should be the same so its valid to compare what's in Windows 10 now with Microsoft's apps on other platforms.

 

[spazzmeister]

It's better on Android. That's where the money is for MS. Sure Windows 10 is the promised land, but I expect better updates where the market share lies: in iOS and Android.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Yes, not talking about WP8. Windows 10 universal apps are supposed to run on PC and phone without any changes and have the UI adapt according to the device its running on, so any universal app available now on the PC should be the same version that runs on the phone when Win 10 mobile is released. That was the whole pitch of Windows 10 so we should be able to look at a current Windows 10 universal app and compare it to other platforms. There really shouldn't be a need to wait for Win 10 mobile if their implementation of universal apps is as they claim.

The office mobile apps are an example. They were first on ios and android and now have been released for Windows 10 and when mobile comes it should be the same version. Same applies to outlook, groove or any other universal app. The UI will adapt and possibly display things differently but the functionality should be the same so its valid to compare what's in Windows 10 now with Microsoft's apps on other platforms.

But these are universal Windows 10 apps, not universal Windows Phone 8.1 apps. The Windows Phone 8.1 OS needs to be updated to Windows 10 Mobile. It's just like how Edge is unavailable to Windows 7, 8,and 8.1 users.