Is it just me or are universal apps picking up momentum?

[Felipeicd]

im From Chile, and here the phone companies don't even sell Windows phones any more, much less Windows 10 mobile phones, so there isn't any bank app or any other app for any chilean service running in the store for me, last year movistar was selling Windows pone but for some reason every phone in the store or any marketing just dissapear, even Xbox don't have any marketing in there and just the ps4 reign supreme. i really think that Microsoft doesn't care anything for the latin america public, the only country that have some Microsoft marketing is mexico

 

[anon(6078578)]

Hope springs eternal as the saying goes. I think sometimes our wishes can color our perceptions in that it may seem like things are really taking off when they're not. To me it's more of a steady trickle than things are really taking off which in itself isn't a bad thing but the pace will need to pick up as time goes on

As was said earlier in the thread, we have to be careful of this being a honeymoon period and this applies to OEM phone manufacturers as well. The idea of UWA is a good one but the fact that an app developed on desktop doesn't automatically mean it will be work on a mobile device means developers still have the final say so as to whether mobile phones will be able to use it.

You also have to remember that the only reason Starbucks is coming to Windows phone is because of the ex Microsoft employee connection otherwise I am sure they still wouldn't have bothered.

The app ecosystem has about a year or less to get to a decent state otherwise it's going to make those surface phones a hard sell if they are planning on releasing them in early 2017.

 

[realwarder]

Like Techfreak mentioned, it's the local apps that will matter a lot.

The major apps have some form of workaround if the app doesn't exist in the W10 platform. Either it's another developer making the app on the app's behalf or we have ways of accessing via the browser.

But local apps are harder since they are not well known and hence other developers might not develop them

Maybe because I don't have a non-Windows phone I am somehow 'missing' a bunch of local apps, but I can say that I don't daily think I'm missing a local app as I have no experience or expectation of them.

If I want something I use a map app to find it. I can find out where something is and how to get there easily today.

What percentage of time do people actually use for all these super important local apps? What sort of things do they do that means I must have them?

I think the main players are required as people spend lots of time in them... whether social, media or entertainment. But an app for say a dry cleaners is not a make or break deal. I know where my dry cleaner is and when my stuff is ready. I don't need an app for that.

 

[Paul Stoner]

I have noticed UWP apps have been coming faster steadily...and decent stuff too...I think developers are starting to see the culture change, the shift of "love" back to Microsoft, the adoption rate of Windows 10, and above just Microsoft making it easy for devs to dump their code into UWP in a very short period of time - it's just more revenue for them with Microsoft making it easy...

 

[Axeelant]

What percentage of time do people actually use for all these super important local apps? What sort of things do they do that means I must have them?

They use the for breathing and drinking water i guess :winktongue: Ohh and making iphones waterproof (remember that app?) Haha good times, for Apple back then ))

All jokes aside, i don't really miss any big apps on this platform, only some google crap perhaps, but there is always some workaround.

I like the idea how people present local apps from where they are from. Good read. Here's my 5 cents:

I live in Slovenia, and of the apps existing on W10M, i have installed the following: Elan Skis (skiing app), another quality app that shows all companies working hours in the country, Bolha (local ebay-like app), Si.info (my provider's app for data, sms, other usage). There are quite many city map apps, tourist guide apps and TV apps as well. That's mostly all atm... Not bad for WP

 

[NatKingColeslaw]

I think an important point is that Windows 10 is still in its relative infancy. The ideas are there with Continuum and Cortana, but it will only improve. I do think Windows PHONE will drift along in relative obscurity until Windows as a platform matures a bit. As the possibilities of Windows grow, so too will adoption. At that point, I think we'll see an explosion in Windows phone adoption.

I manage 100 work at home employees, all who have flexible schedules. It is difficult to keep up with all the issues people have. I currently use my large screened Samsung Galaxy Note 4 to keep up as much as I can. I still have my previous Lumia 822, and am starting to experiment with person-based reminders. This has been an absolute game changer for me. From simple "remember to wish so and so a happy birthday" to more specific "ask so and so how their first 2 weeks have been", to "remind so and so about the software change" reminders, I am finding myself able to stay in touch with people much more efficiently. While I have set office hours, I have 100 people that reach out to me as their first point of contact. Being able to have thing sync to my Surface (including upcoming text messages) means I am less tied to my desk and am more able to enjoy my 14 month old and the new things he's doing each day.

The important thing is to be patient and to start building a bit of momentum. I don't think it'll take one big name app to start the cascade, but I do think we'll see more and more apps coming to Windows 10. For now, we need to look at the rate of new companies adding apps compared to the number of companies discontinuing their apps. Starbucks, Bank of America, the more of these that are announced the better. Between 1st party apps, 3rd party apps, new features of Windows, and more Enterprise clients finally upgrading to Windows 10, the future is definitely bright. This isn't me drinking the kool-aid, this is just how I see it.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[halflifecrysis]

im From Chile, and here the phone companies don't even sell Windows phones any more, much less Windows 10 mobile phones, so there isn't any bank app or any other app for any chilean service running in the store for me, last year movistar was selling Windows pone but for some reason every phone in the store or any marketing just dissapear, even Xbox don't have any marketing in there and just the ps4 reign supreme. i really think that Microsoft doesn't care anything for the latin america public, the only country that have some Microsoft marketing is mexico

I don't think we have real banking apps in the U.S.

BOA may come back, no Chase, Huntington etc.

 

[EMINENT 1]

IF BOA comes back as a W10M app, I will switch banks.
IF Starbucks also releases a USP app, I will stop the boycott and begin buying coffee there with my app and Band 3.

 

[sd4f]

As I've learnt a bit more about it, my opinion is changing about W10M. I'm noticing that there does appear to be some reinvigorated interest from developers now that it ties the desktop to the mobile. I still really think MS dropped the ball and should have worked on improving the transition from WP8 to W10M much more smoothly.

I really want the platform to succeed, I should give W10M a bit more of a look in (i'm on a L920, and just want a reliable phone, so never tried any insider builds), hopefully MS uses some of the feedback they get to declutter W10M though. I think they start to worry and change things which don't really need to change, although, it does appear that they are trying to change the app issue.

I think that really it's the chicken and egg scenario with the apps and adoption rate. You won't get one without the other, and vice versa. For quite a while, the lack of apps didn't bother me, as I had what I wanted/needed. More recently, however, with a few apps closing down, I can't say it's quite the same. I'm keeping a close eye on microsoft maps and navigation. I'm quite a fan of here drive, so until the MS app behaves very similar, I'm not going to consider W10M, seeing as I can't have here drive on it.

I also think that a few quality games would go a long way to help the platform. I know that they're looking at all platforms, but they should try to leverage xbox with more quality games that work on the phones, on xbox, on desktops and try to make it much more than the plethora of microtransaction games available.

 

[Queen Kong1]

Is facebook out of beta? that's all i want .

 

[Keith Wallace]

They seem to be, at least for the mainstream folks. For me, the platform keeps degrading, in some respects. With the latest build of W10M on the Insider Fast Ring, IM+ no longer works. It'll open from a toast, but not on its own. I tried resetting my phone and uninstalling the app, no dice. Then, it lost its connection, so I can't get toast notifications, making the app unusable. IM+ was probably one of 3 heavily used third-party apps for me (the others being TeamViewer and Unified Remote). Without it, I can't use AIM, and I can't expect all of my contact to switch to Skype. There's no alternative on the platform, so I'm just hosed. MLB.TV was also delisted on W10 and W10M, so my favorite sport is lost to me. Unstream still isn't installable on my PC or phone, with the Windows Store crashing on both anytime I try to get to it.

So, we might have more apps. I don't keep count. I can't say I feel better with W10M than WP8.1 right now, though. I was really happy when I got my 950. After losing MLB.TV and IM+, I'm very disappointed.

 

[mikepalma]

The store should have a category for Universal apps, so they are both featured and easily listed / found

 

[Cruachan 11]

What percentage of time do people actually use for all these super important local apps? What sort of things do they do that means I must have them?

I think the main players are required as people spend lots of time in them... whether social, media or entertainment. But an app for say a dry cleaners is not a make or break deal. I know where my dry cleaner is and when my stuff is ready. I don't need an app for that.

IMO it wouldn't be apps like the local dry cleaners that make the difference, I interpreted "local" apps as meaning some country specific apps but I may be misreading there.

Taking the UK as an example again, almost all of the major banks aren't multinational, so you could count those as local apps, and we already have most of them in the UK although admittedly they are 8.1 apps and not universal yet. Most chain fast food or coffee shops are though (E.g. McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks etc) but there are some that are not such as Greggs. Greggs already have an app in the Apple and Google stores for their contactless payment and loyalty scheme.

Then you can move to other things people want on the go, examples I can think of are online bookmakers (in play betting being something I see advertised a lot, not a gambler myself), the English Premier League Fantasy Football app, local traffic news.

 

[Totoy Bibo]

i think slowly but surely it is indeed getting better.

 

[Chintan Gohel]

They seem to be, at least for the mainstream folks. For me, the platform keeps degrading, in some respects. With the latest build of W10M on the Insider Fast Ring, IM+ no longer works. It'll open from a toast, but not on its own. I tried resetting my phone and uninstalling the app, no dice. Then, it lost its connection, so I can't get toast notifications, making the app unusable. IM+ was probably one of 3 heavily used third-party apps for me (the others being TeamViewer and Unified Remote). Without it, I can't use AIM, and I can't expect all of my contact to switch to Skype. There's no alternative on the platform, so I'm just hosed. MLB.TV was also delisted on W10 and W10M, so my favorite sport is lost to me. Unstream still isn't installable on my PC or phone, with the Windows Store crashing on both anytime I try to get to it.

So, we might have more apps. I don't keep count. I can't say I feel better with W10M than WP8.1 right now, though. I was really happy when I got my 950. After losing MLB.TV and IM+, I'm very disappointed.

Platform seems degrading since you're on insider program and those redstone builds are early buggy builds. Check back in a couple of months time and you'll be surprised with the difference with newer redstone builds with new features

 

[TLRtheory]

Though sites like The Verge try their damndest to convince the world that the Windows Store is dead on all platforms, it's been picking up significant momentum for years now.

As for UWP specifically, it's no surprise that they're picking up momentum because it's something neither Google nor Apple are doing to the same level of ambition. Since I own an iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro as well as a Nexus 5, gapps-enabled Kindle Fire and Chromebook, I can speak volumes about how thick the disconnect is between platforms. iPhone/iPad and Android phones/tablets play together well, but then you get to the Mac App Store/Chrome Web Store and there's a huge disconnect. Microsoft's come closer than the other giants ever have to unifying this, and it's pretty damn appealing.

How tightly WP worked with the platform all my work requires me to use forms a lot of the reason Windows Phone was able to steal me from Android.

 

[EBUK]

Is it just me or are universal apps picking up momentum?

How fast are you going?

Seriously, Android apps are more 'universal' than Windows apps. I can run ? and do run ? Android apps on my Android phone (of course), Windows 10 desktop, Windows 10 tablet, and Macbook. OK, so I need to be running Bluestacks, but the apps run without any problem on all those devices. When my workplace Office 360 subscription ran out, I just installed Word for Android. Worked a treat.

And that's a great shame. Windows Mobile is a great OS, but Microsoft screwed up. Again.

 

[Will Gilliland]

... there with my app and Band 3.

Cool, did they make the Band 3 waterproof and with a better battery?
Snarkiness aside, I'm in the Microsoft ecosystem with Surface Pro 3, Band 2, XBox 360, XBox One and Lumia 640. Microsoft is now really driving the convergence in all platforms, except W10M.

It’s like their game plan is to develop everything BUT the phone market to such a saturation/acceptance level that consumers will want to get a W10 Phone just to round out the otherwise perfect ecosystem.

 

[Johnny Tremaine]

No, I think it's just you.

 

[realwarder]

IMO it wouldn't be apps like the local dry cleaners that make the difference, I interpreted "local" apps as meaning some country specific apps but I may be misreading there.

Taking the UK as an example again, almost all of the major banks aren't multinational, so you could count those as local apps, and we already have most of them in the UK although admittedly they are 8.1 apps and not universal yet. Most chain fast food or coffee shops are though (E.g. McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks etc) but there are some that are not such as Greggs. Greggs already have an app in the Apple and Google stores for their contactless payment and loyalty scheme.

Then you can move to other things people want on the go, examples I can think of are online bookmakers (in play betting being something I see advertised a lot, not a gambler myself), the English Premier League Fantasy Football app, local traffic news.

Interesting. Yes, I can see how Local could be national rather than regional.

At that level, yes, national apps are important.