Windows 10 Mobile is close to RTM, with the official roll out expected to begin in a few weeks for the first wave of devices and to be honest, Windows 10 Mobile isn?t complete. Yet.
To begin with, Windows 10 Mobile has seen a big leap from Windows Phone 8 days, and a lot of features added (and a lot removed too). With all that taken into account, what?s still missing in Windows 10 Mobile, when compared to rival mobile operating systems that may hinder Windows 10 Mobile?s chances of taking over the major share of the mobile market which is now dominated by the likes of Android and iOS.
Here are some of the major features/problems that are prevalent in Windows 10 Mobile?s latest mobile build when compared to iOS/Android and previous versions of Windows phone.
1. Lack of Apps
Oh boy! This is told by everyone, and I will tell it again. Apps aren?t just there. Facebook, Uber and many other major app developers have promised universal apps for Windows 10 which are expected to come later next year, but what about other major apps? Google app suite, Snapchat, Clash of Clans and tons of other apps whose absence on the Windows store is driving away major sales. Though with Project Astoria (which is abandoned for now) and Project Islandwood, this is set to get better. But still, at the time of RTM, these major apps just aren?t there.
2. No interactive live tiles to replace Android Widgets
Windows 10 Mobile was expected to get interactive live tile support, where a user can control the app right from the live tile without evening going to the app. But unfortunately, Microsoft hasn?t thought about doing so in Windows 10 Mobile.
3. Edge is still itchy
Microsoft Edge replaces the cranky Internet Explorer on Windows Phone. Microsoft Edge though loads most web pages better than how Internet Explorer did before, it just isn?t a stable as Explorer was. Edge still crashes when large-content webpages are loaded, and background downloads are not reliable. Extensions and ad-blocking are still missing. Option to disable images, or enable smart internet data saving options which are expected on mobile browsers are still not there.
4. No pattern/picture lock
Though some may argue that this is not a ?must have? feature on mobile devices, an easy and secure way to unlock your device will always be welcomed. Microsoft should have added the picture unlock which Windows 8 PC had.
5. Interactive lock screens out of fashion?
Back when Windows Phone 8.1 was released, Microsoft had made APIs to enable 3rd Party Lockscreens and even got out their own lock screen app. Though the APIs weren?t made public and the lockscreen app was last updated over an year ago. This had a lot of potential to customize how Windows Mobile looked.
6. All in One Camera app
Microsoft Camera aims at replacing the Lumia Camera app that is found in Windows Phone 8 and does a good job too. But it lacks a lot of features that just have to be there on a modern day smartphone?s camera like Panorama, Refocus, Vision, Smart cam, slow motion video recording on all phones, advance photo editing and more. Nokia had made separate apps to for these like the Lumia Panorama and Creative Studio. Apps like Photobeamer and Storyteller were removed from the store by Microsoft and these aren?t replaced. Microsoft even removed Photosynth for reasons unknown. Microsoft needs to integrate these camera features into a single app and make the camera experience good which Lumias have done in the past in terms of its hardware.
7. Store lacks functionality which it previously had.
The Microsoft Store is largely improved in terms of app searching. It is now easier to find the apps that you need but it looks like Microsoft has forgotten (deliberately) to incorporate some features that Store previously had like ?Last Updated?, Version Number and more.
8. Ugly people app and circles to go with it.
This has been said since Windows Mobile 10 Previews are out. Super ugly round contact images. Pictures are meant to be squares, not circles. Circles crop out parts of the picture making the person?s contact picture look messed up. And windows is all about being square, right from the tiles. And circles just feel out of place. The people app has been striped down so much that it is no more a hub, but just an app to show all your contacts. The news feature doesn't work well now and people have already thundered about the removal of the ability to post to multiple social networks at a go since Windows Phone 8.1 days. Microsoft just hasn?t cared to hear user feedback in this segment or believes it is too difficult to handle the backend services.
9. Inconsistent UI to back it up all.
Take, for example, the people hub and the photos app, both developed by Microsoft. One has a grey underlying bar behind the pivot labels (as in the Photos app) while the other doesn?t. One shows the battery, time and network (as in the People hub) while the other doesn't. Look at the Windows store and suddenly you have the concept of hamburger menu in the UI. Some may argue that different apps need different UI. But in my opinion, the core OS apps must have a consistent UI. Windows phone has inconsistency in terms of hamburger menu usage, pivots and sometimes even fonts in system apps.
So here are, to list out a few, drawbacks in Windows 10 Mobile which Microsoft needs to work on to help get in users to switch and really push the platform and get something out of it. Start commenting down below!
To begin with, Windows 10 Mobile has seen a big leap from Windows Phone 8 days, and a lot of features added (and a lot removed too). With all that taken into account, what?s still missing in Windows 10 Mobile, when compared to rival mobile operating systems that may hinder Windows 10 Mobile?s chances of taking over the major share of the mobile market which is now dominated by the likes of Android and iOS.
Here are some of the major features/problems that are prevalent in Windows 10 Mobile?s latest mobile build when compared to iOS/Android and previous versions of Windows phone.
1. Lack of Apps
Oh boy! This is told by everyone, and I will tell it again. Apps aren?t just there. Facebook, Uber and many other major app developers have promised universal apps for Windows 10 which are expected to come later next year, but what about other major apps? Google app suite, Snapchat, Clash of Clans and tons of other apps whose absence on the Windows store is driving away major sales. Though with Project Astoria (which is abandoned for now) and Project Islandwood, this is set to get better. But still, at the time of RTM, these major apps just aren?t there.
2. No interactive live tiles to replace Android Widgets
Windows 10 Mobile was expected to get interactive live tile support, where a user can control the app right from the live tile without evening going to the app. But unfortunately, Microsoft hasn?t thought about doing so in Windows 10 Mobile.
3. Edge is still itchy
Microsoft Edge replaces the cranky Internet Explorer on Windows Phone. Microsoft Edge though loads most web pages better than how Internet Explorer did before, it just isn?t a stable as Explorer was. Edge still crashes when large-content webpages are loaded, and background downloads are not reliable. Extensions and ad-blocking are still missing. Option to disable images, or enable smart internet data saving options which are expected on mobile browsers are still not there.
4. No pattern/picture lock
Though some may argue that this is not a ?must have? feature on mobile devices, an easy and secure way to unlock your device will always be welcomed. Microsoft should have added the picture unlock which Windows 8 PC had.
5. Interactive lock screens out of fashion?
Back when Windows Phone 8.1 was released, Microsoft had made APIs to enable 3rd Party Lockscreens and even got out their own lock screen app. Though the APIs weren?t made public and the lockscreen app was last updated over an year ago. This had a lot of potential to customize how Windows Mobile looked.
6. All in One Camera app
Microsoft Camera aims at replacing the Lumia Camera app that is found in Windows Phone 8 and does a good job too. But it lacks a lot of features that just have to be there on a modern day smartphone?s camera like Panorama, Refocus, Vision, Smart cam, slow motion video recording on all phones, advance photo editing and more. Nokia had made separate apps to for these like the Lumia Panorama and Creative Studio. Apps like Photobeamer and Storyteller were removed from the store by Microsoft and these aren?t replaced. Microsoft even removed Photosynth for reasons unknown. Microsoft needs to integrate these camera features into a single app and make the camera experience good which Lumias have done in the past in terms of its hardware.
7. Store lacks functionality which it previously had.
The Microsoft Store is largely improved in terms of app searching. It is now easier to find the apps that you need but it looks like Microsoft has forgotten (deliberately) to incorporate some features that Store previously had like ?Last Updated?, Version Number and more.
8. Ugly people app and circles to go with it.
This has been said since Windows Mobile 10 Previews are out. Super ugly round contact images. Pictures are meant to be squares, not circles. Circles crop out parts of the picture making the person?s contact picture look messed up. And windows is all about being square, right from the tiles. And circles just feel out of place. The people app has been striped down so much that it is no more a hub, but just an app to show all your contacts. The news feature doesn't work well now and people have already thundered about the removal of the ability to post to multiple social networks at a go since Windows Phone 8.1 days. Microsoft just hasn?t cared to hear user feedback in this segment or believes it is too difficult to handle the backend services.
9. Inconsistent UI to back it up all.
Take, for example, the people hub and the photos app, both developed by Microsoft. One has a grey underlying bar behind the pivot labels (as in the Photos app) while the other doesn?t. One shows the battery, time and network (as in the People hub) while the other doesn't. Look at the Windows store and suddenly you have the concept of hamburger menu in the UI. Some may argue that different apps need different UI. But in my opinion, the core OS apps must have a consistent UI. Windows phone has inconsistency in terms of hamburger menu usage, pivots and sometimes even fonts in system apps.
So here are, to list out a few, drawbacks in Windows 10 Mobile which Microsoft needs to work on to help get in users to switch and really push the platform and get something out of it. Start commenting down below!
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