Why WP isn't as popular as it should be.

jbjtkbw007

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That's the beauty of Android. Don't like the GUI? Change it.

All screenshots from Android phones.

I know exactly what you're saying, and I agree 100%. My point is that you can change to your heart's desire, but sometimes, you end up doing it just because you can. Doesn't necessarily mean that you have to. Apple has that under control and they're basically like "We give you a little, but that's all you're going to get, so like it." Apparently, it works for them. That's a little extreme to the other end, but you get my point.
 

tekhna

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I know exactly what you're saying, and I agree 100%. My point is that you can change to your heart's desire, but sometimes, you end up doing it just because you can. Doesn't necessarily mean that you have to. Apple has that under control and they're basically like "We give you a little, but that's all you're going to get, so like it." Apparently, it works for them. That's a little extreme to the other end, but you get my point.

Definitely. I find myself flashing ROMs not because they're substantively different but because they're there, and that's just weird. But the people here bleating that OMG Android is the ugliest, unsable, that's simply not true. It's as ugly and myspaceish as you want it to be, or it's as stripped down and minimalist as you want it to be.

It's also worth noting that Samsung video being made so much of is two years old. That video was released 5 months before WP7 was even released. A bit disingenuous, no? Android, and Touchwiz, have both changed a lot since then, just like WP7 has.
 

socialcarpet

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I just Googled "Social Hub" sorry. I hear what you are saying about customizing Androids GUI. I've seen some very clean examples of that. The issue is that all your apps will still look and act they were designed for 6 different OS's because Google's UI guidelines are so loose and loosely enforced. That to me is a huge turn off. I also think all of the OEM skins suck, although I will concede the newest version of TouchWiz is less laggy and ugly than earlier ones. I still think the whole paradigm is flawed. Most people do not want to flash ROMs and experiment to get their phone to suck less.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
 

tekhna

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I just Googled "Social Hub" sorry. I hear what you are saying about customizing Androids GUI. I've seen some very clean examples of that. The issue is that all your apps will still look and act they were designed for 6 different OS's because Google's UI guidelines are so loose and loosely enforced. That to me is a huge turn off. I also think all of the OEM skins suck, although I will concede the newest version of TouchWiz is less laggy and ugly than earlier ones. I still think the whole paradigm is flawed. Most people do not want to flash ROMs and experiment to get their phone to suck less.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

I hear ya on the apps thing. That's changing some as Google transitions everything over to 4.0, the UI is getting more unified.

TouchWiz is better than it was, but what's massively better is Sense 4.0. I hate, hate Sense, but 4.0 is lightweight, attractive, and very usable. It's weird.



And FWIW, being able to set a background is awesome 'cause then you get jellyfish!

2012-04-27_14-31-36.png
 

selfcreation

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but how useless is a background when your live tiles take up all the space???

this is why a background is USELESS for WP...
and for your smart people out there thinking TRANSPARENT tiles would work.. well it wouldn't cause then you couldn't see your live tiles get updated properly and it would become a MESS.

wallpaperNO.jpg

wallpaper is the blue , tiles the black... sorry im not a Painter artist.
 

Mitlov

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It would be nice if the background behind our tiles could be blue (like Windows 8 Consumer Preview) instead of only white or black. Not a deal-breaker at all, but an annoying oversight, considering that adding additional solid-color options for the background would take about five seconds of programming time.
 

socialcarpet

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I hear ya on the apps thing. That's changing some as Google transitions everything over to 4.0, the UI is getting more unified.

TouchWiz is better than it was, but what's massively better is Sense 4.0. I hate, hate Sense, but 4.0 is lightweight, attractive, and very usable. It's weird.

And FWIW, being able to set a background is awesome 'cause then you get jellyfish!

LOL.

Like I said, I have seen some really clean looking Android home screens. The funny thing is I really WANTED to like Android. It's just disappointed me too many times, I tried it more than once too, even got a Toshiba Thrive tablet. I gave it a good go, but over and over again I just wound up with a :dry: on my face because of one thing or another. Whether it was being stuck with no Netflix app on Honeycomb forever because fragmentation made it so that Netflix literally had to make separate versions of the app for EVERY tablet due to DRM, or downloading different apps from the market that all had wildly varying UI schemes that didn't seem to behave in any uniform way, to annoying, unpolished looking error messages with cryptic text that would only make sense to a developer.

I fully believe that if you're really in to fine tuning it, you can make your Android phone look amazing and function pretty reliably. I just don't have the interest nor the patience for it. The other thing is, I see how caught up in it some Android people get, it's like they can never just relax and use the phone, they are constantly on to the newest ROM... Cyanogen this or that, it's like they are chasing the perfect setup but they never get there. I didn't want to go down that road either.

I seriously considered getting a Galaxy Nexus before I bought my phone, but in the end, I still did not trust Android, even ICS, the price was a turn off, and as nice as the specs are, Samsung just makes some thin, plasticky-*** feeling phones. I'm sure an Android power user would groan at this and tell me how much better the resolution is or rattle off specs, but when I pick up a Lumia 900, it feels like quality. It's like a Braun shaver, a pair of Bruno Magli shoes or a early-mid 1980s Mercedes. It feels like corners were not cut and like it was built to last for as long as I care to use it. The Galaxy on the other hand feels like a cheap toy by comparison.

That is impressive to me, especially when I consider that Windows Phone is still relatively new and the Lumia is a newer range. I think when we see what a next generation Lumia with WP8 looks like it's going to be a stunning marriage of high quality European engineered hardware and a silky smooth mature OS that will really stand out.
 

socialcarpet

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but how useless is a background when your live tiles take up all the space???

this is why a background is USELESS for WP...
and for your smart people out there thinking TRANSPARENT tiles would work.. well it wouldn't cause then you couldn't see your live tiles get updated properly and it would become a MESS.

wallpaper is the blue , tiles the black... sorry im not a Painter artist.

I'm OK with no wallpaper. I never spent much time looking at the wallpaper on any of my phones anyway.

I would like to see some more done with the tiles however, but it's purely a cosmetic concern. I think semi-translucent tiles could work and they'd look great, but you couldn't apply translucency to all of them. Certain types of live tiles wouldn't work well that way.

Right now, I'm totally OK with the tiles, I like them, but I do think they could become a bit boring after a few years. I think one thing that should be considered as phone resolutions go up, is allowing the grouping of tiles to span 3 tiles across, so you can fit more on one screen. I wouldn't want it until we are up to 1280x720 though.
 

jbjtkbw007

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I fully believe that if you're really in to fine tuning it, you can make your Android phone look amazing and function pretty reliably. I just don't have the interest nor the patience for it. The other thing is, I see how caught up in it some Android people get, it's like they can never just relax and use the phone, they are constantly on to the newest ROM... Cyanogen this or that, it's like they are chasing the perfect setup but they never get there. I didn't want to go down that road either.

You have put into words what I have felt with Android over the past couple of years. From LauncherPro to Beautiful Widgets to Sense and that crappy GUI that Motorola has that I can't even think of (MotoBlur) it just never ends. And I never even rooted my device. I always went stock because I never kept a phone for too long. I feel like a weight has truly been lifted because I know what that feeling was that I was experiencing but could just never express it. So I thank you for vocalizing exactly what I was feeling that entire time. Again....thank you.
 
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cckgz4

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MIUI (Android) is VERY elegant and nice to use (had that on the MyTouch), but didn't really get the "experience" of WP. Same for that Metro GUI. It may look like it, but it ain't. The Group Tiles and the whole "glance and go" schematic is REALLY what it's all about, for me. And the slight tweaking is all I need
 

mb-dape

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Its all about taste you know.

Some like the WP UI, some like Android Vanilla, some like HTC Sense, some like Samsung Touchwiz, and I bet even some like Motorola Blur.

That is okay and I dont think it is fair and nice of you to try to tell others what they should think is "good looking". When it comes to design no one has the right answer for everyone.

And this thread wasnt really about WP vs iPhone/Android and which system is the best.

The question was, why does not WP attract people?

There is already iPhone, the life style phone known for its design, good quality hardware and software "that just works".

And there is Android that attracts many people due to its flexibility, customization, community support and high end hardware.

WP 7 doesnt bring anything new, except it looks. The useful new functions is easy to count and at the same time it lacks functions that 10 year old Nokia smartphones had.

My wish would be a combination of Android and iPhone, take the best of them and make it a new experience, instead of trying to be something it isnt.

And not to forget, ones taste does change over time. What I think looks nice today may be boring in a month or even tomorrow when I am in another mood. So the ability to customize is in my opinion a big limitation.
 
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mb-dape

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You have put into words what I have felt with Android over the past couple of years. From LauncherPro to Beautiful Widgets to Sense and that crappy GUI that Motorola has that I can't even think of (MotoBlur) it just never ends. And I never even rooted my device. I always went stock because I never kept a phone for too long. I feel like a weight has truly been lifted because I know what that feeling was that I was experiencing but could just never express it. So I thank you for vocalizing exactly what I was feeling that entire time. Again....thank you.

I just have to ask you, dont take this the wrong way, but do you people buy every meal at the restaurant because you cant choose? Or have to test drive every single car at the dealer? Or switch girlfriends just because you can?

I dont see that having different options to choose from cant be bad from a user perspective.

If you want to go stock, do so. Believe it or not, there is many Android phones that work great out of the box. But if you have the interest (or the need?), you can customize almost everything.

The people I know that switch ROMs every now and then do it because they are interested, the think it is fun to tune and tweak it.

And obviously there is some people like you that feels forced to alter every option and try every customization, but I dont think it is a good idea for MS to base a whole smartphone strategy on some mental misbehavior. ;)
 

jbjtkbw007

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I just have to ask you, dont take this the wrong way, but do you people buy every meal at the restaurant because you cant choose? Or have to test drive every single car at the dealer? Or switch girlfriends just because you can?

I dont see that having different options to choose from cant be bad from a user perspective.

If you want to go stock, do so. Believe it or not, there is many Android phones that work great out of the box. But if you have the interest (or the need?), you can customize almost everything.

The people I know that switch ROMs every now and then do it because they are interested, the think it is fun to tune and tweak it.

And obviously there is some people like you that feels forced to alter every option and try every customization, but I dont think it is a good idea for MS to base a whole smartphone strategy on some mental misbehavior. ;)

Wait......WHAT?!?!? Have you even been reading what I've been saying? I changed stuff because I could, but I wasn't a customization wh*re. And I certainly am not an advocate of M$ going that route either. I think you need to review what I've been saying all along in this thread before saying something like your last paragraph before I DO take offense to your post.
 

socialcarpet

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Its all about taste you know.

Some like the WP UI, some like Android Vanilla, some like HTC Sense, some like Samsung Touchwiz, and I bet even some like Motorola Blur.

That is okay and I dont think it is fair and nice of you to try to tell others what they should think is "good looking". When it comes to design no one has the right answer for everyone.

Fair enough. I think there are some generally agreed upon standards for what is good design and what isn't when it comes to software and interfaces. How clearly information is presented is an important part of this. There are good reasons why the WP7 UI has won multiple design awards from notable organizations outside the industry and Android UI's like have won zero, except for inside the narrow Android or smartphone communities.

But we'll leave that alone for now. I don't have any intention of telling anyone else what is the right answer for them.

And this thread wasnt really about WP vs iPhone/Android and which system is the best.

The question was, why does not WP attract people?

There is already iPhone, the life style phone known for its design, good quality hardware and software "that just works".

And there is Android that attracts many people due to its flexibility, customization, community support and high end hardware.

WP 7 doesnt bring anything new, except it looks. The useful new functions is easy to count and at the same time it lacks functions that 10 year old Nokia smartphones had.

I don't think it's missing features that most people don't use that keeps WP7 from being more popular. It's not as if millions of people are picking up WP7 phones and then saying "Oh, I can't print wirelessly from the phone? Never mind I'll get an iPhone." or "Oh, it doesn't have NFC and Bluetooth file transfer?" Never mind I'll get an Android.

The average phone buyer doesn't even know what that stuff is and isn't cross-shopping for those features.

The biggest reasons WP7 isn't more popular are:

1.) MOST people are unaware it even exists and is an option. They walk into the store looking for an iPhone or a "Droid" and they don't even want to see a Windows Phone unless someone gives them a good reason to consider it. No one ever has before the Lumia 900 came to AT&T and they actually made an effort.

2.) The phones are tucked in a corner of the store, and until the Lumia came out, they didn't have a single interesting looking phone. People came in and saw 2 or 3 phones that looked 2 generations behind the new stuff in the center of the room and they are running some weird tile OS they've never seen.

3.) MOST average people make phone decisions based on the advice of more informed friends. Most people's friends will tell them to get an iPhone "because they just work" or get an Android "because Apple users are iSheep and Android is soooo powerful and it makes you smarter than an iSheep". Virtually no one's friend is telling them to get a WP7 phone.

4.) MOST average people are insecure about technology choices and are image conscious. They don't want to see old and out of touch by buying a BlackBerry. They aren't going to make a leap to an unknown (Windows Phone) which their friends may think of as nerdy or strange and then feel like they will be in a position of having to defend something they don't understand. Much easier to be compliant and buy the product their friends use and will approve of.

5.) Those first 4 cover about 80% of the customers out there. The other 20% are more informed tech consumers. Most of them don't give Windows Phone a chance based in part on misconceptions (It's like Windows Mobile, or the Windows XP they hate on their work computers) and real concerns (missing apps, features, questions about future of the platform)

6.) Once you boil through all that, you're left with the 2-3% of customers who think for themselves, investigate all the options, and in the end decide that they like Windows Phone more than the others, or like it enough to at least give it a try.

It's been said before, but it's worth saying again. People don't buy Phone OS's. They buy PHONES.

PHONES are what sell the OS.

This is why the Lumia 900 is so important. It's the first Windows Phone out there which is dramatically different enough from everything else to get noticed (not an easy task) and it has a massive ad campaign to boost awareness.

Interesting phones that people are aware of are key. Enhancing the image of the phones to raise them to the level of desirability and "coolness" are key. These things matter more than features when it comes to selling phones to the masses. Just ask Apple.


My wish would be a combination of Android and iPhone, take the best of them and make it a new experience, instead of trying to be something it isnt.

I think that Windows Phone already does offer some of the best of both platforms while being a new experience that doesn't try to be something it isn't. In fact it's totally unique compared to iOS and Android which copy heavily from each other. I expect WP8 will bring even more of the best of the two together in a whole new way.

And not to forget, ones taste does change over time. What I think looks nice today may be boring in a month or even tomorrow when I am in another mood. So the ability to customize is in my opinion a big limitation.

Some customization is good. Some uniformity is good too. I think Apple does not allow enough, but Android offers far too much, which is why it is a mess. Somehwere in between is the sweet spot. Let me change OS themes, but within strict parameters which insure the quality control for how third party apps look and function and follow strict design guidelines for the OS.
 

jbjtkbw007

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Your last paragraph sums it up perfectly in what I like to call the Goldilocks Reference (a la not too hot, not too cold and so on and so forth).
 

mb-dape

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Wait......WHAT?!?!? Have you even been reading what I've been saying? I changed stuff because I could, but I wasn't a customization wh*re. And I certainly am not an advocate of M$ going that route either. I think you need to review what I've been saying all along in this thread before saying something like your last paragraph before I DO take offense to your post.

Sorry, like I said I didnt mean to offend you, it was just a question in a ;) -way. And since english is not my first language I am sure I could have misunderstood you. I was not really serious, but at the same time I dont buy your arguments that more options and flexibility is something negative. I have a little sister with a Sony Ericsson Arc S and she doesnt know about different ROMs, rooting etc. But she likes to switch backgrounds, download the latest Hannah Montana theme, having different ring tones for different people and so on. She and her friends does not even know what Android is but think it is just as fun and good as the others iPhones. Her phone has got at least three updates and works perfect for her even100% stock.

My point is, I think that is a strenght, when the same phone OS can attract the very basic users and at the same time being a tool for the nerdiest nerds.

Here in Sweden we even have a phone OEM that uses a customized Android version in phone models for very old people and disabled people, with really big buttons, big text, loud sound and easy menus.

I agree with you on other aspects, that WP is mostly more good looking and faster than Android. And that WP has a unity design that appeals to me.

But your argument that more options and the community ROMs creates a need to play more with your phone than use it is quite lame.

All the best, have a nice weekend.
 

jbjtkbw007

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What you just wrote is the exact scenario that I wrote about as a target for customization on an earlier post. You just provided proof of what I was saying. Choice is good for some people, but the level of customization can be overwhelming for some people.

And I would have a better weekend if i was in Sweden. ;-)
 

textomatic

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I do believe that having the name "Windows" on the phone has hampered its sales. I've seen the reactions, first hand, where people have automatically get turned off when you say "it's a Windows Phone." People see "Windows" and they think headaches, viruses, crashes, etc. And that's unfortunate because truth be told this phone OS is so stable and efficient that it deserves to be more popular than it is right now. Windows Phone just WORKS! Yes, things could be better (and they will be) but by no means is this phone unusable for the average person.

One major reason why its hard for me to recommend Windows Phone is because it's deeply tied to Zune. Most people don't use Zune and I honestly don't think it was a good idea to make Zune the app to sync your files. I think people should have a choice of how they want to sync their content or make the sync app totally independent from what you use to catalog your media. I personally hate iTunes and it's the number one reason I won't get an iPhone. I love Zune and think its fantastic but I'm sure there are many people out there that have put countless hours into getting their media libraries in order on some other program only to have to redo it again because they have to use Zune to sync to Windows Phone. Thankfully this will change in Windows 8. Hopefully it will be similar to how it works on the Mac except that you would be able choose which program to sync with (iTunes, Windows Media Player, Zune, MediaMonkey, etc.)

I know there are people that love tinkering with their gadgets and getting them all pimped out. If that's your thing then yeah, go to Android. Have a blast. Pimp the stew out of it. But you are in the minority. Don't think for a second that most people just want a phone that just works. Most people don't want to spend countless hours installing ROMs and hacks. The only reason Android is so popular is cause you use to only be able to buy an iPhone on AT&T and people that where on other operators wanted something like the iPhone. Plus the phone manufacturers flooded the market with countless number of cheap Android devices that performed nowhere near as good as the pricier ones. I predict that Androids market share is going to drop drastically in the next two years. I'm not sure Windows Phone will be at the top because of the perception that people have about "Windows" but the iPhone is everywhere. And 9 out of 10 people will buy an iPhone over an Android. The trick for Microsoft is to convince the public that Windows Phone is an awesome alternative to the iPhone and definitely better than Android for people that want a phone that just WORKS.
 

bear_lx

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its not always about looks either. sure you can make android look like whatever you want, but you cant make it work like what you want... i found too many times that apps dont work right, nothing is unified, and behaves like a stubborn child. where as wp seems to be more matured and fluent.

additonally , having the ability to over-customize your phone means you never truly get it. always flashing new roms, changing widgets, wallpapers, launchers... i agree with the fact people dont want to deeply customize their phones to make them work for them... too much time and effort required.
+1 to socialcarpets comments

i dunno, i get the idea behind android, and ive experienced on many deifferent high end devices.. just not for me. and man, my worst complaint on my last android device, bionic", was the keyboard was awful!!! even tried swift key, and go sms, nothing like wp keyboard
 
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