My Opinion: The Death of Windows Phone: As a Windows Fan I Don't Need One

[Alain_A]

Ya know, I have been around here for a while, a Windows Phone like the OP, I make my living off supporting Microsoft stuff, servers, computers, etc. As I am a HUGE Windows Phone fan... I always followed the group here (instead of a iSheep, a Microsheep ?), and claimed Android was a laggy mess as other people keep saying.

When it comes down to it, I picked up a LG G3 for almost nothing. I did a test and used it for over a week, taking my ICON and just leaving it on a charger.

http://forums.windowscentral.com/android/385134-my-one-week-android-project.html

I was EXEPECTING a laggy mess and performance that sucked completely. You know what ? I noticed no major lag over the week, performance was over all pretty good, Battery life was what I expected in 8.1, about a day and ad the end maybe 25-40% left. But you know what the ONE thing I did notice ?

Apps, OMG apps, Bank of America ? Got it, NATIVE Pebble support ? Got it, How about Dish Network's sling app ? GOT IT, How about the newest games ? Yep ! How about my Local Radio and TV stations ? Yep, Got it. Tap to pay ? Yep they are there too. Microsoft apps ? Oh yea, they are there too, even Outlook is there.

Yea, the OS, not too crazy about it. Android is a mess... so I was going to sell my LG G3 in white but, I still have it because I am on the fence. I love Windows Phone, the OS is smooth, easy to use, live tiles ROCK. Windows Phone 10, on the other hand, looks good but, still is very buggy but, 8.1 is solid as a rock. The lack of apps are the biggest problem, The OS can only go so far, in a app controlled world that we are in, no matter how you look at it, it is a MAJOR problem.

I'm just lost now....Do I stay with Windows Phone, that the lack of apps are causing me issues.... Issues you say ? How about Bank of America app ? When we had it, I used to be able to deposit checks with the SWEET camera on my ICON, then it got pulled, so If I get a check, I need to drive about 10 miles (nearest BOA) to deposit the check. Tap to Pay was sweet when we had it, It was so easy, just slide out my phone, open a app, and tap to pay, cant do that any more because I have a Windows Phone... Or do I move on...

As a Microsoft person who has used HPCS, PocketPC, WIndows Mobile devices from 1.0 (PDAs then Smartphones)to 4 Windows Phone devices...I just don't know what to do now...

Maybe I should not of given Android a shot in the first place....The OS sucks but, the apps are beyond wonderful and I cant see Windows Phone ever getting to the level of Android or iOS.

Like a lot of things Microsoft does, a day late and a dollar short.... If Windows Phone came out right after the iPhone before Android, we would be right where we want to be with it...

And so would have been Blackberry if they had come out with BB 10 right after IOS.

 

[Lee B]

Like a lot of things Microsoft does, a day late and a dollar short.... If Windows Phone came out right after the iPhone before Android, we would be right where we want to be with it...

Except that MS was in the phone business and had sold millions of Windows Mobile phones before Apple launched the first iPhone.When Apple entered the market, MS was confident that the iPhone was the wrong device at the wrong price. In the years since, MS has tried hard and spent a lot of money in an effort to be a major player in the smartphone space. But they have struggled to put together an offer (hardware, software and ecosystem) that appeals to more than a limited segment of consumers. The many threads on this board debating whether the chronic app gap means it's time to give up on WP suggest pretty strongly that MS still hasn't solved that problem.

MS has lost a lot of money on Windows Phone -- the kind of money that only a big company with deep pockets could afford. But they don't want to keep doing that indefinitely. If the 950 series had debuted to lots of rave reviews from both tech writers and consumers, I'd be feeling more optimistic. But the response has been mixed at best. MS has already taken a big write-down on the Lumia phone business. It may not be so long before they do the same for the rest of the phone operation.

 

[cracgor]

Like you say. No one needs apps, but they do have the ability to make life easier. Is hard to understand when you, like most of us, live in a windows household

 

[Ed Boland]

I prefer using continuum on my tv. Oh wait, AOE:CS isn't universal.

Are you sure? I've been playing the same game; my same level 8 Keep on all my devices, Windows and Apple. Picks right up where I left off on the last device used.

Yeah, it works terribly...

A few iPhone-owning friends gave it a shot and gave up on it because it keeps saying it lost connection to the server, or checksum error, or unresponsive troops. So they gave it up and went back to Clash of Clans.

So you haven't actually tried it yourself... but are just going by what your friends said?

I've never had any of those issues on either my 1520, my iPhone, my iPad, or my Win10 desktop. The game has always run perfectly on every device I've played it on.

Your friends probably didn't have their Microsoft/Xbox account set up correctly or something.

And you don't have to give up one to play another you know... I play Clash of Clans as well on my iOS devices.

 

[Leonel Funes]

So you haven't actually tried it yourself... but are just going by what your friends said?

I've never had any of those issues on either my 1520, my iPhone, my iPad, or my Win10 desktop. The game has always run perfectly on every device I've played it on.

Your friends probably didn't have their Microsoft/Xbox account set up correctly or something.

And you don't have to give up one to play another you know... I play Clash of Clans as well on my iOS devices.

I've tried it, that's why I believe them. Not a great experience. They logged in to their Xbox accounts, no success. And they would've given up on CoC since apparently only one game of that genre is more than enough... To me there's no such thing as too much of one genre!

 

[delaPau]

I tend to agree with you on this. For those of us living in Europe, Cortana isn't available unless you change the regional settings, and even then it's fairly useless. Apps are better on Android, including Windows apps. Microsoft shot itself in the foot when it bought the phone business from Nokia: they simply didn't know what they were doing, which is why they've gone from about 10% smartphone market share to below 3%. My favourite phone will always be my Lumia 920, but I'm only keeping it as a spare now, and I'm doing everything I need to on my Samsung Galaxy Edge. It's a shame: I always preferred the WP experience

 

[ntice_521]

I've been wanting Microsoft to ditch WP but keep WinRT. Imagine Microsoft had their own store (Like Amazon) on Android. Android and Windows developers can have their apps in the store, and Microsoft can provide incentive by decreasing rates.

That's the road Nokia was going down (Nokia X) before Microsoft bought them. As far as I know, Microsoft is still operating this Android app store!

Now, assuming Microsoft wins over companies like Samsung and LG, Microsoft would have effectively stolen Android from Google! Microsoft Store, Outlook, Office, Groove, etc...

Seriously, how isn't this a good idea? XD

It's not that easy, you have to entice the user with something. You can't just take away features.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Its about owning the platform. When did BBM become cross platform? ))

BlackBerry Messenger is available for Windows Phone, Android, and iOS in addition to BlackBerry. BBM for Android & iPhone iOS - Download Free Instant Messaging - US

I've used BBM on Windows Phone and Android.

 

[pedmar007]

I get exactly what you're saying in your post, I often wonder why those who attend the conferences never ask MS why do the make their own apps 10X better on rival platforms compared to those found on their own. Never ? really how will they get consumers to take notice when the app makers neglect to entertain WP knowing they don't even have a finished OS to at least sign up for a race vs IOS and Android.

Finish the damn OS for mobile!!! Stop announcing OS updates, upgrades and then having consumers waiting over a year for it. So faqn stupid the top brass and those who run these development departments as MS.

 

[Shatznr]

How can anyone be surprised by posts like this. The market share of Windows Phone has been slipping and slipping while the race to close the app gap just keeps getting wider. I don't think this is a case of people complaining to complain - these are legitimate points. This is years of wanting a platform to succeed and watching it fail.

Microsoft already has a backup plan - that is make all the services for the other platforms....first and better. Accept it or not that is simply the reality.

 

[cracgor]

I've tried it, that's why I believe them. Not a great experience. They logged in to their Xbox accounts, no success. And they would've given up on CoC since apparently only one game of that genre is more than enough... To me there's no such thing as too much of one genre!

Unfortunately for a lot of iPhone users, apps like AOE and Skype are betamax to their VHS.

 

[X-topher]

The market share where? In Europe Microsoft holds 10-15% and growing Apple only average 20-25% in a android dominated market. With android being only trusted with spotty teenagers who like happysnappychat apps etc from a security point of view Android is a complete no no. We can count out Apple as their phones battery is horrendously rubbish and gives you no more than happysnappychat app quality. People who work, who have a PC, Who have a surface or even a xbox are the target for Microsoft. When Enterprise start the port to win 10 next year it is almost a certainty that these companies will upgrade their phones to the win 10 family. The question you have to ask yourself is 'Do I really need to use my phone as a spirit level'?

 

[cracgor]

The market share where? In Europe Microsoft holds 10-15% and growing Apple only average 20-25% in a android dominated market. With android being only trusted with spotty teenagers who like happysnappychat apps etc from a security point of view Android is a complete no no. We can count out Apple as their phones battery is horrendously rubbish and gives you no more than happysnappychat app quality. People who work, who have a PC, Who have a surface or even a xbox are the target for Microsoft. When Enterprise start the port to win 10 next year it is almost a certainty that these companies will upgrade their phones to the win 10 family. The question you have to ask yourself is 'Do I really need to use my phone as a spirit level'?

I don't think my wife's iPhone battery is any worse than any I have on windows phone. She may use it more since switching on a consistent basis, but she does not have to charge it during the day.

I think calling SnapChat an app for teenagers shows how out of touch people are. All age groups use it. I don't understand it anymore than I understand why instagram, vine, or twitter took off, but it has.

Worldwide...no time to look up country by country.

http://www.idc.com/prodserv/smartphone-os-market-share.jsp

 

[DavidinCT]

Except that MS was in the phone business and had sold millions of Windows Mobile phones before Apple launched the first iPhone.When Apple entered the market, MS was confident that the iPhone was the wrong device at the wrong price.

And so would have been Blackberry if they had come out with BB 10 right after IOS.

Nah, blackberry 10 ? The OS that emulates Android apps ? Talk about a day late and a dollar short... Delay and delay even worse than Microsoft.

Pre-iPhone, there was Black Berry and Windows Mobile. Black Berry was boring and was really limited to corporate use if you wanted to take full advantage of the feature set, if you wanted email on the road, this is one of the most accepted option at the time (requiring a BLACK BERRY server in the corporate world). Windows Mobile was a buggy mess because of all the 3rd party themes for it. One you dumped in HTC sense or one of the other front ends, it took a good phone and slowed it down to a crawl.

Truth is, if you got a custom rom on a Windows Mobile 6.5.3 device, and just did the OS, no 3rd party front ends, it was an impressive phone, It did most things that a modern smart phone today does (dated TODAY), email, texts, web browser, TONS of 3rd party apps and games (store and downloadable), there was even an app store. The Problem is was all the front ends for it, No one could get the Windows Mobile experience because of this, and ONE of the reasons when Windows Phone 7 came out, No OEM could make front ends for it (Microsoft was VERY CLEAR ABOUT THIS)

If Microsoft could of released 6.5 devices with NO OEM front ends, There might of been a higher acceptance of the phone at the time. It was very easy to use, very slick, full featured and performed VERY well on mid line hardware (with NO FRONT ENDS)

The iPhone was the phone at the right time, Android was always known as a poor mans iPhone... it was cheap, not everyone could afford an iPhone or carried it (AT&T lock for years), so by nature, someone who wanted a new phone and could not access or afford a iDevice, got an Android device.

There is no going back from it, for both phones, WP and BB, They needed to redesign from the ground up, for apps and a solid device, Apple just did it first and Android followed up...where WP SHOULD of been.

 

[cracgor]

Plus windows mobile in the day was seen as cumbersome and a small PC that didn't work as well. Maybe because of the onlays. That's my reason for not getting one before and going for BlackBerry. Blackberry's appeal in the day was that the interface was pretty much the same as the phone's. I remember seeing windows mobile hand sets with a tiny start menu and stylus and I wasn't really interested. It is kind of an interesting analogy though because one of the things I thought would Save the platform is bringing in a pen and continuum which makes the phone into a PC. Granted it is a different interface, but still funny to come full circle.

 

[Ed Boland]

I've tried it, that's why I believe them. Not a great experience. They logged in to their Xbox accounts, no success. And they would've given up on CoC since apparently only one game of that genre is more than enough... To me there's no such thing as too much of one genre!

Well, like I said, I've never had a problem with it. When I'm playing it, whether it's on my iPhone or my 1520, the experience is exactly the same.

 

[izik770]

I came to a realization that Microsoft is going to be responsible for killing its own product.

YEAH AND YEAH!
I got rid of my lumia 950xl just one day after receiving it.
I never ever believed that Microsoft will make fun of all us and sell unfinished phone with horrible bugs, horrible people app and more!

This CEO should GO!

 

[Herb Enmarch-Williams]

Interesting to see all these posts and comments in the Forum (I haven't been a regular Windows Central reader - I come back from time to time). Lots of ****** / anti-****** stuff (which to be honest is quite tiring - I see enough of that on TechCrunch, or Applecrunch as some now call it).

I (too) am a longtime Windows phone user. In fact, I've been into Windows Phone since the days of Windows CE and my first Windows Phone, the XDA Serra (manufactured by HTC). And I've stuck religiously with Windows Phone ever since.

But now I'm having to consider a switch, and I've been looking at both the iPhone 6s Plus and the Sony Xperia Z5. I'm no Apple ******, but neither am I anti Apple and I must say that what I've seen so far in the iPhone 6s Plus impresses me (less so, the Xperia Z5), especially the design aesthetics and the app eco system (Garage Band anyone?). With regard to the latter, whilst I don't actually use all that many apps (I've downloaded hundreds of free apps from the Windows Phone Store - probably like other WP users - but many of these I've looked at just once or twice, and in some cases I've never even got round to using them at all) it still irks me when I see an interesting or useful app advertised or reviewed only to discover that I can't get it because I'm a WP user. And for those whose response might be "well all the main apps are available in the WP Store", I still for example can't get an app to use with my bank (HSBC) because this global financial giant doesn't regard Windows Phone as having a sufficiently large enough user base to justify developing a banking app for them.

So, what has led me now to considering heresy (i.e. switching away from Windows Phone)?

Well let me make it clear, I love Windows. I've just upgraded to Windows 10 on my laptop, and I'm loving it. It's given my 3 year old laptop a new lease of life! And I have high hopes for Windows 10 mobile. But ... I'm a Nokia Lumia 1020 owner. And when the groundbreaking 1020 came out I was in heaven. It was (and in my opinion, still is ... at least for those of us who want to delve into photography and video a little deeper than the average user) the best cameraphone around. Now, my 2 year contract is coming to an end and I can (and want to) upgrade my phone. Yes, I will still use my 1020 for video and higher end photography stuff, but it's a bit slow now as a "daily use" phone when compared with other smartphones on the market, and the perennial Windows Phone app ecosystem problem persists. I have waited and waited and waited for Microsoft (especially after the Nokia purchase) to bring out a true successor to the 1020 but alas it's just been a case of continued disappointment (despite the Nokia buy out). There was some excitement when Microsoft announced the 950 and 950XL but once the reviews came in it was clear that these were not 1020 / 1520 successor flagship phones, far from it. To be honest if I didn't know better I might suspect that Microsoft is dampening down expectations for the Lumia range in anticipation of launching a more enterprise market focused Surface Phone in 2016 / 2017 and focusing upon that. The 950 / 950XL looks like a stopgap solution designed to avoid the perception that Microsoft has given up on Windows Phone hardware altogether - to avoid the market perception that Windows Phone is dead (like Blackberry) - and given what MS is doing elsewhere with hardware (the Surface range) I cannot believe they would come out with something so downbeat as the 950 if that was what they were pinning their hopes for the future of Windows Phone on (doesn't sound much like the new, innovative Microsoft under Satya Nadella). I mean, come on ... the 950 / 950XL isn't exactly earth shattering, is it (unlike the Surface Book)?

So here I am, at a crossroads. I still can't find anything on the market that inspires me as the 1020 did (and still does); the best I could do seems to be an iPhone 6s Plus, but that has it's drawbacks - the camera though good isn't the equal of the 1020, especially for video (particularly because of the quality of the optical image stabilisation on the 1020; and I love the audio on the 1020 too) and it's a very expensive phone (but hey, congratulate Apple for having figured out how to make the smartphone business profitable where almost nobody else has). What do I do? Do upgrade my 1020 to Windows Mobile 10 once a stable build comes along? (I'll probably do this anyway). Do I wait for a Surface Phone (but then that might not be a 1020 successor at all). The (many) reviews I've read of the 950 have convinced me that going down the route of buying that phone would probably lead to regret or disappointment (and after buying the 1020 I'm not used to disappointment or regret). Sometimes I wish I had several billion in the bank myself so that I could buy the WP hardware division back from Microsoft and create my own flagship phone (just for me?!?).

So I'd be interested to hear the comments and advice from other readers on my very real predicament (but non-abusive, please?).

 

[trivishal]

Death of Windows Phone, welcome to new era of Windows 10 Mobile, this would be Microsoft Lumia era, soon...

 

[Madam ImAdam]

I can appreciate all of the negative talk regarding the future of Windows Mobile, which does seem bleak after the latest stats, but after two years of experience with a Lumia 1520, I wouldn't switch to anything else unless Microsoft actually, officially abandons the platform and I am forced to.

I just like the experience of using W10M too much, and appreciate that it is different and the way I see it, a bit quirky and eccentric compared to other platforms. I feel that there is a similarity in its underdog, outsider status to some marginal auto manufacturers, like Saab and Volvo. In this regard, I much prefer driving a Saab 9000 Aero to a Honda Accord (Android), BMW 325 (iPhone).