Windows 10 Mobile Apps - When Will the Floodgates Open?

[Windows Central Question]

I have been an Insider for over a year now, and have been an avid believer in the newest Microsoft products since their release. I am the proud owner of a laptop with Windows 10 installed, a Lumia 950, and a Microsoft Band 2.

But something sits amiss with me...

The app situation seems to be getting dimmer and dimmer every day. I see phenomenal games and apps being produced regularly for iOS and Android, however these same apps that are allegedly easy to port to through UAP has not been adopted by the development community at large.

It is well known the pre-Nadella era of Microsoft really hurt Microsoft's mobile and app business. However, now with such a massive adoption rate for Windows 10, and the amazing capability of Windows 10 Mobile, the UAP has hardly dangled a carrot in front of developers.

My big question is, why? It would seem logical to me to port the apps to Windows 10 / Mobile to give users a true third option to a PC / Tablet / Smartphone community.

I am trying not to leave my 950 - because what it does for me is beyond incredible. But the lack of a solid app base...the feeling is making me quaver...

Any thought?

 

[mrmobileperformance]

My two cents worth are:

Be patient. While it is true that Windows 10 has been and continues to be rapidly adopted, you cannot reasonably expect developers to react immediately. Even porting an app -however easy- is an investment in time and effort. What's more, once you put an app in the store, you have an obligation to support it. If it fails, the developer keeps paying by continuing to support an app that doesn't make any money or he pays for the failure with a damaged reputation as the disappointed buyers of the now unsupported app voice their disappointment on the internet.

The above considerations notwithstanding as developers see Continuum in action, they will see the salability of it eventually. As time goes on we will see better apps in the Windows Store. An example of that is the appearance of mTalk. Until it appeared the only decent forum reader app was Tapatalk, which no good on a small form factor. mTalk on the other hand excels on small (mobile) form factors. This will spur development in two ways: When users switch from Tapatalk to mTalk,, Tapatalk will have to up their game and fix their user interface. Other developers will see the possibilities and release an even better app.

I also think that the HP Elite X3 could showcase the potential of Continuum. Remember that when Samsung introduced the Galaxy Note all audible opinion was dead set against it, and yet the Note ushered in a trend of large screen smartphones that even a company as stubborn as Apple had to bow to.

So be patient. I think Windows is on the right path.

Sent from mTalk

 

[colinkiama]

Also, the store app sucks when it comes to discovering newly released apps and games. There are new apps and games that could be awesome but we can't see them. If someone has a way of finding the latest indie apps and games in the store, please reply ASAP

 

[The_Black_One]

Don't know if killing Astoria was a smart move... I still think it could have helped to lure Android developers to Windows.

 

[ADGrant]

Why would App developers want users have a third platform option. They have their hands full already supporting the two major mobile platforms. Windows has almost no market share on phones.

 

[MikeX74]

My two cents worth are:

Be patient. While it is true that Windows 10 has been and continues to be rapidly adopted, you cannot reasonably expect developers to react immediately. Even porting an app -however easy- is an investment in time and effort. What's more, once you put an app in the store, you have an obligation to support it. If it fails, the developer keeps paying by continuing to support an app that doesn't make any money or he pays for the failure with a damaged reputation as the disappointed buyers of the now unsupported app voice their disappointment on the internet.

The above considerations notwithstanding as developers see Continuum in action, they will see the salability of it eventually. As time goes on we will see better apps in the Windows Store. An example of that is the appearance of mTalk. Until it appeared the only decent forum reader app was Tapatalk, which no good on a small form factor. mTalk on the other hand excels on small (mobile) form factors. This will spur development in two ways: When users switch from Tapatalk to mTalk,, Tapatalk will have to up their game and fix their user interface. Other developers will see the possibilities and release an even better app.

I also think that the HP Elite X3 could showcase the potential of Continuum. Remember that when Samsung introduced the Galaxy Note all audible opinion was dead set against it, and yet the Note ushered in a trend of large screen smartphones that even a company as stubborn as Apple had to bow to.

So be patient. I think Windows is on the right path.

Sent from mTalk

Unfortunately, WP/W10M users have told to "be patient" for years. Why should someone continue to wait while developers continue to ignore the platform and maintain their focus on iOS and Android?

 

[mrmobileperformance]

The difference is that now Windows 10 is well received while Windows 8 was not.

Sent from mTalk

 

[TheZeeMan]

The difference is that now Windows 10 is well received while Windows 8 was not.

Sent from mTalk

I have to second this, but my opinion, is that enterprise will join first, once enterprise is complete, then all these developers that don't believe in a failed platform will be scurrying to get apps out, but it will be too late.

The reason I mention enterprise is the company I work for uses Good for Enterprise, which in case those don't know, kind of took over email like how blackberry used to. It's supposed to be really secure and crap. Well, anyway, I've had their windows version forever. I've emailed them countless times complaining about how lackluster the app was compared to the iOS/Android version, they didn't even add in livetile features like to show unread messages.

Well fast forward to last week, I feel with the announcement that mobile is expanding into governments and the HP Elite has 30 companies waiting for it or whatever, Good finally updated their app...it's miles from what it should be, but the notifications are finally working.

So in this example, and solely in my opinion, Good realized where Win10 mobile is going along with UWP, and I feel they will eventually come through. If you think about it from an enterprise view, if they have a UWP, how nice would it be to have secure email on any windows device (I'm in IT, so it makes my life 100 times easier), and in turn, they could charge for licensing, so it's really a win win.

If this is the model to be followed, more enterprise apps will start getting priority for windows, once it deploys to companies and proves it's enterprise ready, businesses will jump on the bandwagon and then, and only then, all these faithless developers will jump on, but as I said, it will be too late. Someone will beat them to the punch unless it's a proprietary app that connects to specific hardware.

 

[mrmobileperformance]

You may be right. Enterprise customers have depended more and been more loyal to Microsoft than consumers have been. I'm filing your case away as an interesting first-hand example, and I'll keep my eyes open for more evidence of enterprise driving universal app development. (However, a single case does not a trend make.) But you may well be on to something here.

Sent from mTalk

 

[ADGrant]

The fly in the enterprise ointment is Windows 7 which many enterprises have only recently deployed.

 

[Barstow15]

It'll take more time for the Windows 10 mobile platform to gain substantial ground. The other two platforms are fast in what they do because their systems are polished compared to Windows. They have a big start. After Windows 10 gets tweaked and refined I would expect things to move faster. I've been disappointed that the W10 update for older phones has taken too long.

 

[mrmobileperformance]

It'll take more time for the Windows 10 mobile platform to gain substantial ground. The other two platforms are fast in what they do because their systems are polished compared to Windows. They have a big start. After Windows 10 gets tweaked and refined I would expect things to move faster. I've been disappointed that the W10 update for older phones has taken too long.

I wouldn't pin any hopes on app development for Windows phones in the short term, with the possible exception of an existing app in the Windows Store getting a Windows Phone Version. So if there's an existing app in the Windows Store that doesn't currently have a Windows Phone version, there's hope for you otherwise make your next smartphone an Android phone.



Sent from mTalk