[thegamevg]

I have been noticing the app gap of late. My child's school uses a msg app that isn't available, the PTA have a calendar thing that doesn't work on WP. Gumtree doesn't work properly on the browser and there is no app. No app for Schpock. No PopJam app for my daughter. I am grateful for no Snapchat though, as it's the main tool for cyber bullying at my kid's school.
My daughter is saving hard for an iPhone and this is the generation that WP is losing. Not one of her friends has a WP.

Islandwood and Astoria should really help out in such scenarios... I certainly hope Microsoft gets those projects out of the gates and promotes the hell out ot them ! They really should be breaking down doors and even offering to migrate existing apps for such institutions and companies..

[HoosierDaddy]

I have been noticing the app gap of late. My child's school uses a msg app that isn't available

When you asked or demanded they accommodate people like you, what did they tell you? If nobody asked, its not on them.

Is it a public school? If it is, there is a VERY good chance you can get access on WM because of TWO factors: (1) if the app/service was paid for even partially with taxpayer money including the salaries of anyone who sends the messages, anyone who pays those taxes has equal rights to use those services. So unless the school provided the devices, they would need to accommodate taxpayers who use Windows Mobile. (2) govt entities do not want to be guilty of promoting or requiring a particular brand. They couldn't tell parents their kids could only bring Mott's brand Apple Juice to school and they shouldn't be able tell parents they have to use an Apple (pun intended) brand phone to get a service.

If those arguments fail, provoke some official to say something like only morons use Windows Phones, then you have them on an ADA violation.

[Poirots Progeny]

When you asked or demanded they accommodate people like you, what did they tell you? If nobody asked, its not on them.

Is it a public school? If it is, there is a VERY good chance you can get access on WM because of TWO factors: (1) if the app/service was paid for even partially with taxpayer money including the salaries of anyone who sends the messages, anyone who pays those taxes has equal rights to use those services. So unless the school provided the devices, they would need to accommodate taxpayers who use Windows Mobile. (2) govt entities do not want to be guilty of promoting or requiring a particular brand. They couldn't tell parents their kids could only bring Mott's brand Apple Juice to school and they shouldn't be able tell parents they have to use an Apple (pun intended) brand phone to get a service.

If those arguments fail, provoke some official to say something like only morons use Windows Phones, then you have them on an ADA violation.

That's not how public service works. And it's highly probable the app isn't on the WP system yet. Whether that changes is a discussion for another time b

[Ixia]

When you asked or demanded they accommodate people like you, what did they tell you? If nobody asked, its not on them.

Is it a public school? If it is, there is a VERY good chance you can get access on WM because of TWO factors: (1) if the app/service was paid for even partially with taxpayer money including the salaries of anyone who sends the messages, anyone who pays those taxes has equal rights to use those services. So unless the school provided the devices, they would need to accommodate taxpayers who use Windows Mobile. (2) govt entities do not want to be guilty of promoting or requiring a particular brand. They couldn't tell parents their kids could only bring Mott's brand Apple Juice to school and they shouldn't be able tell parents they have to use an Apple (pun intended) brand phone to get a service.

If those arguments fail, provoke some official to say something like only morons use Windows Phones, then you have them on an ADA violation.

I'm in the UK, they use Parentmail, a well known service here. I do manage using the browser, but it's not ideal. The funding for it is raised by the PTA, asfaik I am the only WP user.

[Poirots Progeny]

I'm in the UK, we use parent mail too. I know in the only one rocking the 1520 - everyone else is on an ithing. The browser gets tedious, unfortunately, but I have a surface for each of the kids so sorted.

[ghaikal]

Apps gap is getting wider. Alot of developers are dumping the WP. Basic apps for average users. FB messenger, FB, are way behind compared to IOS and android. Snap chat do not exist !! Banks, airlines and carrier apps are missing. It's all because of market share of WP. !! Without the basic apps, No market share. .... Some one will jump and say blame the developers of those apps. It's a closed circle of blaming. And the looser is the WP.

[Krystianpants]

Apps gap is getting wider. Alot of developers are dumping the WP. Basic apps for average users. FB messenger, FB, are way behind compared to IOS and android. Snap chat do not exist !! Banks, airlines and carrier apps are missing. It's all because of market share of WP. !! Without the basic apps, No market share. .... Some one will jump and say blame the developers of those apps. It's a closed circle of blaming. And the looser is the WP.

In Italy where WP commands over iphone you can find any app there. A developer from reddit was there on vacation and they had every major service or anything he wanted to use. It's about market share. And so far MS doesn't have it here. And I think the more flagships they push the more it will grow. North America is all about the big bad flagships. Even when it comes to cars they want their big bad powerful cars hehe.

[Ixia]

I'm in the UK, we use parent mail too. I know in the only one rocking the 1520 - everyone else is on an ithing. The browser gets tedious, unfortunately, but I have a surface for each of the kids so sorted.

Mainly Samsung things amongst the parents, there's a few fruit phones too. The kids mainly covert iPhones, daughter has a 535 or 530(?), she's apparently deeply uncool.
Also I supposedly get WiFi calling with my carrier, but it requires an app, which they don't make for WP.

[HoosierDaddy]

Also I supposedly get WiFi calling with my carrier, but it requires an app, which they don't make for WP.

Worth double checking. T-Mobile used to require an app for Wi-Fi calling but iPhones and newer Windows phones have WiFi calling baked in if a carrier allows it. Ask your carrier if new iPhones need an app. If they don't, the 950 shouldn't either although the carrier could still withhold it.

[npoe]

In Italy where WP commands over iphone you can find any app there. A developer from reddit was there on vacation and they had every major service or anything he wanted to use. It's about market share. And so far MS doesn't have it here. And I think the more flagships they push the more it will grow. North America is all about the big bad flagships. Even when it comes to cars they want their big bad powerful cars hehe.

The fact Microsoft is allowing pre-orders and has more information available for European countries reflects this. A friend of mine and I have been complaining about Microsoft not giving 1st class treatment to European countries for the market share and now that they are doing that I feel saddened and my friend is bitterly complaining.

Hopefully Microsoft is now focusing on where they are being well received.

[Ixia]

Worth double checking. T-Mobile used to require an app for Wi-Fi calling but iPhones and newer Windows phones have WiFi calling baked in if a carrier allows it. Ask your carrier if new iPhones need an app. If they don't, the 950 shouldn't either although the carrier could still withhold it.

It's a 1020 on Three. I was told I needed an app, but will double check as WiFi calling would be handy.

[saulgould13]

Seriously . This rant is old.. Get an iPhone.. Life moves on ..

[Ixia]

I've no wish for an iPhone, but thanks for the suggestion.

[dalydose]

They (other software companies) do just like Microsoft does, they go for the volume of users. Look how much effort MS is putting into iOS/Android! Should MS blame anyone else when they do the same themselves?
Even readers on this forum find this new MS move brilliant as “Microsft can only make money where the users are”.

I don't find it brilliant to sacrifice your own brand chasing short term numbers. I have always said that I agree with INCLUDING Android/iOS at this time, but not PREFERRING them. No app should be made for iOS/Android by Microsoft without Microsoft also making that app for Microsoft's mobile OS. If they did that, they'd be closer to "brilliant". Now, they look foolish, are adding to the app-gap themselves, and look hypocritical if asking developers to consider developing for Win10m.

[dalydose]

Fans always seem to focus on "market share", but companies make money on actual numbers of users. I'd rather have 10% share of a market of 100 than 20% share of a market of 5. The United States has more Windows Phone/Mobile users than any other country. So if Microsoft is focusing on where the users are, that's still in America. I wish they'd just go for it and do a massive global push. I wish they'd have crazy trade in/up deals. I wish they'd have bundle deals with XBox (that would have been better when Cortana was WP only) and The Band. I see their phones on TV, but I'm not sure that this product placement approach is convincing anyone. I'd rather they refocus those funds on transaction promotions. Heck, I wish they'd even throw in a logo'd baseball hat or t-shirt. Considering we don't even get headphones in the US anymore, I'm just crazy dreaming. :)

[Krystianpants]

I don't find it brilliant to sacrifice your own brand chasing short term numbers. I have always said that I agree with INCLUDING Android/iOS at this time, but not PREFERRING them. No app should be made for iOS/Android by Microsoft without Microsoft also making that app for Microsoft's mobile OS. If they did that, they'd be closer to "brilliant". Now, they look foolish, are adding to the app-gap themselves, and look hypocritical if asking developers to consider developing for Win10m.

The problem is that until it goes RTM the Api will likely change. Also as a developer, do you want to make an app on an OS that is not stable and then have it down voted because it's causing issues and not the actual app? That's basically what people in the store do. As a result early down votes bring the app down even if it's actually good. After it goes RTM I'm sure their developers will be able to focus on it more. Consider only the insiders have the OS. I'm sure with RTM there will be a flood of updates coming often. Right now even the apps are in testing mode. Also after RTM the focus will be more on adding features. So my guess is that like windows 10 desktop which has come a long way since RTM, mobile will get better in the same manner. Developing apps take time too. They have been working on ios and android apps for a while as well. They weren't as good initially as they are now. I know because I've been on all systems. The share in north America is saturated. So how do you get people to move over to windows phone? You show them good apps. Phone contracts will expire and people May consider windows. By then MS would have had more time to improve their own apps. They need to hook people somehow and their approach is great because people don't just leave their current OS and purchase a new phone just to try it out, given how expensive they are. They need some sort of motivation. Converting users is the hardest part and in north America that's what has to be done. And in the event they don't convert they at least have the users hooked on their OS of choice and still get revenue. North America is a tough nut to crack. Satya has a 2 year plan and that's how long it will likely take to gain a nice market share here. Show off your goods and work on creating a better experience in the meantime. As long as market share is growing, developers will notice. And in a growing market being first has advantages. Gameloft and game Troopers know this. What apps show up in best rated or top when you have had lots of time on a platform that's growing and others were ignoring? The early adaptors of course.

[anon(7929613)]

Will Windows 10 Mobile launch with all these apps already at least in a beta stage?

One thing is certain as far as Windows platform is concerned. Apps eventually do come, although after some delay. There may be app gap for YOU or people like YOU but NOT necessarily for EVERYONE. It's wrong to GENARALIZE this. This depends upon the lifestyle of people in a particular region. For instance, in India, no body uses snapchat, even the ones owning Android smartphones!
Still there are many people who like the interface and various aspects of Windows so much that they do not mind using 3rd party apps!

[Poirots Progeny]

One thing is certain as far as Windows platform is concerned. Apps eventually do come, although after some delay. There may be app gap for YOU or people like YOU but NOT necessarily for EVERYONE. It's wrong to GENARALIZE this. This depends upon the lifestyle of people in a particular region. For instance, in India, no body uses snapchat, even the ones owning Android smartphones!
Still there are many people who like the interface and various aspects of Windows so much that they do not mind using 3rd party apps!

Rather ironically I think you just generalised - inverse what? Lol

[Lee B]

My Sunday New York Times today came bundled with a Google Cardboard viewer which, combined with an app available for iPhone and Android, provides a virtual reality experience that my wife and son both thought was totally cool – on their iPhones, of course. It might be great on my Icon, too, but, well, you know the problem. So it’s one more addition to my personal app gap that seems to keep growing (travel, banking, home automation, tap-to-pay, etc.). I sometimes feel like I'm bombarded with ads promoting some app that’s available on the Big 2, but, alas, not for Windows Phone. It's surprising to me that there are multiple people posting on this thread to say, "App gap? What app gap? I've got everything I need." Clearly, their needs are different from mine.

Meanwhile, Windows phone sales "dropped dramatically between July and September, with the company reporting a 54% slide in demand in its latest financial results," (http://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/news/2015/10/windows_phone_sales_slump/) and the new flagship phones probably won’t be available on Verizon, the carrier I have no plans to leave.

For me, WP is not a marriage or a religion. I didn’t promise undying loyalty. I came to the platform several years ago because I liked what it offered. I still do, but the world has not stood still. Maybe the price of loyalty will drop at some point, but I’m finding it hard to stay optimistic.

[Paul1266]

...and nobody expects undying or any other type loyalty from you. If your needs aren't being met you are probably better off with one of the other platforms. Why? Because any rational person realises that the situation isn't going to alter radically any time soon. Some people, myself included are perfectly happy with the Windows offering. Our needs are broadly being met. We don't sit about pining for this or that app because the ones we need are here. So, the app gap IS real for some but not so for others. It's subjective. If you notice it, you are probably not getting your needs fully met. If it positively annoys you then there are serious gaps and that user would probably be better off trying another platform. You may find it hard to believe but I have all 3 available to me (currently owner to an iPhone 5S, a Sony Z3 and 4 windows phones) but choose to use windows phone as my daily driver roughly 5 days a week because, well I just prefer the OS and to me at least there are no gaps in my needs.

[luxnws]

The only possible savior for Windows Phone is universal apps.

Continuum probably won't be a driver for Windows Phone among consumers. Not with $100 computers already available that could easily add mobile phone features in the near future.

History may be repeating itself in the Microsoft Band/Band 2. The Band has been out for a year. Third party apps for the Band are limited and hard to find even with apps like Band Companion.

They need to do what WC suggested and tie in the Band software more to an achievements system like XBox. Maybe get those Microsoft Health app developers to take a class on gamification or something. The social aspect of the app is extremely limited. The only option now is going to a third party site.

Maybe if Band 3 comes out with W10 IoT?

[ZiKhan]

Let me give you a developer point of view. App companies put their resources where the money is. Microsoft's user base isn't big enough to make ad money, unlike android. Apple gets some apps because Apple's user base is the 'high class' group of mindless consumers who are more likely to spend money based on popular culture. I've tried to develop apps for both those platforms, but they require being a masochist and extreme amounts of Bing/Google searches. On the other hand, developing for Windows is so much simpler (disclosure: I haven't used swift, Apple's new language), but the easiness isn't worth the money. Microsoft also has the best development documentation, in my opinion, verse the other platforms. Microsoft has definitely tried their best, but companies just like the koolaid...

[WildCatW]

I've been on Windows 8.x for around two years. I've no interest in the social media apps. Which seems to dominate all these discussions about an app gap, or banking.For me its just the normal things like local news, music players, local transport or services that are missing or poor. There's very few apps, and most are very limited, or very poor quality. Often you can replace an app with a good mobile website. But the IE is brutal on 8.x. Edge might be better, but don't think it will be here quick enough to save WP.

When you talk about an App Gap. WP has needed a decent browser from day one.

[DavidinCT]

If you think Windows 10 will save Windows Phone.... WAAAYYY to soon to tell. Again, this is Microsoft and with Windows Phone, they should change their name to "Coming Soon !™" .

Windows 10 Mobile (or WP 10) is not officially released yet and even when it is released (later this month?), it wont hit the main stream phones (upgrades to RTM) till December if not Jan/Feb range. So, to get W10m off the ground, models MUST be available and upgrades for 95% of phones must be available (with upgrades installed in at least 50-60% of the phones out there).

If your asking SHOULD you buy the 950XL if Windows 10 apps are going to save it, I would say "NO" at this point. After these are all released and available on the market, then you need to wait about 6 months (apps take time and late to the table apps), If at that point you DONT see the apps you need, I would not get your hopes up.

I hate these posts here " No app problem" or "Change the tile App problem....for ME". These people should get a clue. really. For ever 1 person who is 100% happy with the apps on WP, there is 9 people who have a problem with them. If your supporting Windows Phone, you should be upset about the app problem.

If you have been with WP for a while and your biggest complaint is the Apps (as you NEED them for your work), no matter how nice WP is, it cant replace some apps, the OS can only do so much. It might be time to check out your other options.

It might really be time for you to just move on....

[michaelaf]

I know what you mean. I've been on since Windows Phone 7 and I've always had the "it'll get better" mentality. Well its been 3-4 years and it only gotten worse.

I'm afraid to say that Windows Mobile is dead and version 10 isn't going to save it. No developers are interested in it except those that are using it who haven't already switched. You make a good point with Windows 10 being out for a few months but we still haven't seen any new mainstream apps.

I recently dropped my Lumia 928 and had to get a replacement. A friend gave me an old galaxy 3 and I have to say as old as it is it still blows windows mobile 10 out the waters. Its just nice to have all the apps that everyone else is using and with the same features. And even the Microsoft apps work WAY better on android than they do on windows. I'm pretty happy and won't be going back