Whats it going to take to convert IPhone/Android users to Windows Phone

Pronk

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I would be very surprised if iOS 6 didn't have a fairly substantial refresh. Apple style is minimalist, but it does change - OSX Lion compared to a few versions back (Panther) looks much sleeker and more modern, whereas the changes to iOS have been more subtle so far. It will fit with the Apple pattern of evolution/revolution/evolution too.

The problem with the Android refresh(es) is that half the time people don't see it because of custom launchers. Or worse, see a mish-mash of stock Android and OEM skins. iOS might need a new lick of paint, but at least it's consistent (as is WP7).
 

1jaxstate1

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They are going to want to make the switch. No matter what MS say or do. No matter what the marketing campaign is. If people are happy with Android, they are not going to leave it. Why would they?
 

Ridemyscooter86

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The app catalog isn't the issue at all. Like any other smartphone, you can go into a market and download apps. But being a smartphone, there should be alot more room to customize and organize the user interface. Also there are very limited settings for general phone use. Wp7 almost feels like a demo version.. You get to use the metro UI and you have a list of apps, but when you delve deeper into settings, you can't do much else.
I am not knocking this phone, just trying to state why people may not wanna convert to it.


As far as the settings go, you can change many of the aspects of the phone, and what you can do is very comparable to iOS. It seems to me that you favor android because of its customization, and you are right, windows phone 7 does have limited customization, but its every bit as limited as iOS. I will say that personally I am not an apple user, I don't use OSX, but one thing I feel that apple does right is that they don't let people customize iOS very much. I mean you can arrange around your icons, you can put stuff in folders, and it definitely has the best app selection, but with the setting its not as robust as android. If there is anything I have learned about people, Its that when they get access to a lot of in depth settings, most of them somehow screw it up. I work in a computer store, and people come in all the time when they did something like, disabled the wireless card by hitting a button on the keyboard or a switch, and a lot of people come in when they hit a button and turn off the mouse pad and can't figure out how to turn the mousepad or wireless card back on. stupid stuff, you might feel that this is obvious to you, but most people in general don't want to have to always be tweaking and trying to get there phone to work, they want a phone that just works well without them having to worry about it.

That's my main gripe with android, it is the freest OS to use, but its open source hurts it too. For example, the quality control from brand to brand greatly varies, not only that every android brand also works differently. Samsung touchwiz, HTC has sense, LG has their own, so does sony, etc. And the user experiences vary greatly from phone to phone, and in my personal experience, I don't think now that there is a single android skin that actually improves the user experience over stock android. If I were to buy and android phone today, the only phones I would even consider would be the nexus line because they are some of the only ones with stock android, or I would root the phone.

The thing I like more about wp7 is that it doesn't matter if you get a high end phone or a low end phone, since all wp7 phones use the same single core 1.4 GHz processor, all their user experiences are exactly the same, save for the features you get with different phones (like form factor, screen size, thin-ness, etc.) You can't say that a 50$ android phone runs like a 200$ android phone.

My other gripe with google is I feel that they have a poor sense for ui design compared to apple and M$. For example, itunes on iOS looks and feels like i tunes on the computer, which is like safari, and lion, and apple tv, and the ipad, and the iphone etc... WP7 metro is like the xbox, and soon to be windows 8, the uis on both companies are very consistent from device to device. Also when both companies change the look of things, they usually add significant improvements, google, i feel, will just change the look of things because it feels like it on a whim. I mean take the new youtube and gmail, was their any need to change it, I don't feel that it even looks more cohesive than it used to be and I don't feel they really added much functionality. When Honeycomb first came out, I had to re learn another OS that was very different the standard android: for example, how come android has four buttons on the bottom: home, back, search, options, and the notifications bar is at the top and the apps launcher is looks like a grid on the bottom.

On honey comb, there are no hardware buttons, there is a bar at the bottom that is home, app switcher, and back buttons, search is on a bar at the top left of the screen and apps are in the corner at the top right of the screen? and the notifications bar moved to the bottom? I know they are changing this with ice cream sandwich a little, that they are removing the hardware butons at the bottom, but the apps button is still located at the bottom and the notifications are still at he top, it seems that its inconsistent with itself. I'm not saying that apple and microsoft don't have a habit of doing stuff like this too, but I feel that they are much more consistent and sensible with their decisions compared to google.
 

dorelse

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Honestly...for me, I'm a former Treo Pro user, switched to a Pixi & Pre, and just moved to an Android (Motorola Photon).

I had a few drivers that pushed my decision over to Android.

1) Sprint support & engagement of WP7 seems...marginal at best. 1 phone, and not a 4G phone either. They're obviously all in on Android, and more recently the iPhone bandwagon. I can't make a 2 year purchase decision on Sprint supporting 1 phone, that's getting long in the tooth. I've been down that road with WebOS!

2) Apps. Getting my work e-mails sent to my phone from Lotus Notes...there isn't an 'app for that' on WP7. That was a huge strike against WP7...but something I could live without if it were just this 1 issue.

3) Closed vs. Open...I am not a hacker/modder/rooter. I have spent the better part of 2-3 years investing in Amazon Music (not the cloud...) buying DRM free music that I can play on any device I want, anywhere, anytime. I don't want to be part of Apple's closed system, and I didn't want join up with the Zune marketplace for music on a recurring monthly charge. (Yes...I know I can buy them individually and they're mine.) I simply want more options for where/when/how I get my music, movies, etc, etc.

I just want a smartphone that works, and works well. Honestly, this was a huge plus for WP7 in my book. Android takes way too much effort to use, too many settings buried deep in the bowels of Android that I have to constantly tweak. Stock Gingerbread UI is horrible...hoping for better in ICS. Everything is just too many taps, clicks and effort to get anything meaningful done. (I love my Photon's integration kickstand though.)

However, when I look at where I mostly live online...my family uses gmail, picasa, amazon music, Lotus e-mail for work, youtube, pandora, etc, etc...It became pretty clear that I'm most invested in the apps Google puts out. (gmail, picasa, youtube), plus I can pick from multiple handset manufacturers, sync my work email, and know that Sprint will be around supporting Android in 2 years. I can't say the same for Sprint & WP7...I hope they do, and in 16 mos. I'll take a good look at WP7 again.

I wanted to be on WP7, but the scale's tip in Googles direction. So...for now, I run Launcher 7 on my Photon as a compromise of the hardware I want, running the UI I like the most, with an App Store that let me sync my work email's.

So...to speak to the thread...what would it take me to switch to WP7?

Hardware choices
Lotus Notes Sync'ing
Sprint showing more support/commitment
Increasing market share over time
 
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N8ter

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As far as the settings go, you can change many of the aspects of the phone, and what you can do is very comparable to iOS

iOS looks like Android and Blackberry compared to WP7 as far as settings are concerned. There are probably hundreds of settings in iOS, and maybe two dozen in WP7. They aren't even close to being comparable. There are granular settings for most everything on the phone and all the app settings are aggregated into one place to boot.

WP7 is nothing like that.

IRT Honeycomb/ICS Software buttons. That is preferable to Hardware buttons, especially on a Tablet becuase a tablet can be used either in Portrait or Landscape orientation and with Hardware buttons it becomes ungainly to use it. Apple can get away with their one button on the iPad because it's JUST one freaking button but an Android tablet would not be cute with 3-4 buttons lopsided on the side of the device when using it in a different orientation.

Going to Soft buttons on the phones is a marvelous decision, IMO, becuase it allows the devices to have bigger screens without having to increase the actual size of the device. Also, capacitive buttons are generally terrible (i.e. hitting back by mistake when playing a game) and it solves that issue elegantly.
 

DKDogz54

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I know one thing for sure: if there is one group that windows phones will have a hard time attracting, it will be the medical community. As a medical student, I try to show doctors, nurses, and students how easy the phone is to use and they get wowed by how different it compared to the other OS's.

But the conversation always heads towards this one question: Where is Epocrates or Medscape, or the other popular medical apps? Unlike most people who get mildly upset about missing crossword puzzle games or whatever, medical apps to a medical professional is pretty much a necessity. I know doctors who returned their windows phones for an android because of this.

People argue that the medical community is small, but these are the people who will likely invest more money into the phone than the average user. Medical apps alone cost almost $100. And the turn over rate for phones here seem to be pretty quick; I see people upgrading from the iPhone 4 to the 4s, hehe.
 

kevm14

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Going to Soft buttons on the phones is a marvelous decision, IMO, becuase it allows the devices to have bigger screens without having to increase the actual size of the device. Also, capacitive buttons are generally terrible (i.e. hitting back by mistake when playing a game) and it solves that issue elegantly.

I don't think it does. I noticed on my Titan that I can keep scrolling down with my finger past the edge of the screen. It seems like the capacitive zone is one giant thing, so I'd argue the current buttons are almost software buttons, except their icon never changes. I think you're pressing on the same capacitive grid as the screen, which would be the same as ICS.
 

KingCrimson

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I know one thing for sure: if there is one group that windows phones will have a hard time attracting, it will be the medical community. As a medical student, I try to show doctors, nurses, and students how easy the phone is to use and they get wowed by how different it compared to the other OS's.

But the conversation always heads towards this one question: Where is Epocrates or Medscape, or the other popular medical apps? Unlike most people who get mildly upset about missing crossword puzzle games or whatever, medical apps to a medical professional is pretty much a necessity. I know doctors who returned their windows phones for an android because of this.

People argue that the medical community is small, but these are the people who will likely invest more money into the phone than the average user. Medical apps alone cost almost $100. And the turn over rate for phones here seem to be pretty quick; I see people upgrading from the iPhone 4 to the 4s, hehe.

Microsoft does own the medical offices when it comes to PCs and backrooms. But it just goes to show how hard it is to own it all. Apple is attempting to own the living room but I don't think they will succeed.
 

DKDogz54

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that's true. Every pc I've seen in the building was running windows... XP... It would be nice to see them upgrade to windows 7 though. But you see this setting often because there are more medical applications on windows desktops, but not much on their phones.

one thing I noticed today is the increasing interest of tablets in my hospital. Hopefully windows 8 won't have any shortcomings here for long or it will be the same case here. And like what one person said above, once a person is comfortable with an os, it will be hard to switch.
 

KingCrimson

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that's true. Every pc I've seen in the building was running windows... XP... It would be nice to see them upgrade to windows 7 though. But you see this setting often because there are more medical applications on windows desktops, but not much on their phones.

one thing I noticed today is the increasing interest of tablets in my hospital. Hopefully windows 8 won't have any shortcomings here for long or it will be the same case here. And like what one person said above, once a person is comfortable with an os, it will be hard to switch.

Another thing is are these mobile medical apps tied to some backend that isn't Microsoft? Because if they are bypassing that - they have no more need for any Microsoft products in their office. Dangerous days ahead for Redmond.
 

DKDogz54

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most of us just use the apps as a quick reference just in case we might have missed something. But a lot of hospitals implemented iPhones that are able to access patient information on the fly, I believe the information and programming still relies on pc's. I really doubt there will be any changes to a total mac platform soon since their computers are way too expensive and hardly play nice to anything non apple, so Microsoft is good there.
 

KingCrimson

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most of us just use the apps as a quick reference just in case we might have missed something. But a lot of hospitals implemented iPhones that are able to access patient information on the fly, I believe the information and programming still relies on pc's. I really doubt there will be any changes to a total mac platform soon since their computers are way too expensive and hardly play nice to anything non apple, so Microsoft is good there.

True enough, but that won't last for long if Microsoft doesn't get their act together. Hopefully Windows 8 makes enough of a splash to keep the desktops in the fold when the next upgrade cycle comes. Heck, more medical offices are still on XP.
 

WPLuver

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Ask yourself why people flocked to iPhones in the first place. Until you can, you will have any solution on how to grow Windows Phone.

Well, isn't that easy to answer. I mean nothing even came close at the time. But that was then, and this is now. I can only take a guess on what might cause people to switch

In order for people to want to switch..

From IPhone to WP
- iOS stays visibly the same for the next year or two. People get bored, see more WP phones in their friends hands, get hit with the grass-is-greener-on-the-othe-side-of-the-fence bug, and switch
- The novelty and cool factor with IPhone wears off (it already is) as everybody has one and yet people are finding they are still getting hit with that $30-$40 Apple tax (aka Data Plan), it gets old and they say enough is enough and switch.
- Apple screws over its users with some new feature/tax and people leave in droves aka Netflix
- Apple messes up a few updates that like iOS 5 and iOS 5.0.1 and so on, people get fed up and switch

From Android to WP
- People continue to have niggling issues with their phones, they see WP phones that are rock-sold, so they switch
- OEMs continue to push out Android phones at the current furious pace, everyone has one, its no longer cool to have one, so they switch to something "new"
- OEM take forever to roll out patches and updates. This is a really possibility - take a look at Print Page - Why OEMs need months to deliver Android updates to your phone | ExtremeTech
- OEM continue to tweak the Android code causing more and more Apps to work on some phones and not on others. They have had enough, they switch
- Malware on the Android platform start to steal from users. This is a BIGGIE!! I definitely see this happening.
- Certain OEMs loose faith in Android and decide to no longer support it. Given that Android is free, Microsoft is going to really have to make it worth their while.


From iPhone or Android to WP
- Microsoft presents some really compelling use-cases (like XBOX) that get the college-going public to want to switch
- Microsoft makes it incredibly cheap to listen to any music you want so iTune-vested users dont have a reason not to switch
- Microsoft starts to invest heavily in the enterprise-class Mobile device management stack so that managing WP devices is just and extension of the tools IT admins already use to manage other windows devices.
 

KingCrimson

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^^^
You pay the data plan regardless of iPhone/Android/WP7. That's not a legitimate point. Also medical offices won't care about being bored with iOS, they want the killer apps.
 

DontHate707

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Its not going to be a easy thing but honestly word to mouth is the best bet people actually talking about windows phone and seeing it as a legitimate alternative. Even to get new users to recognize that windows phone even exist is hard with little marketing and not really offering anything more even equal to the competition. We dont have that many apps are hardware isn't as appealing think about why the titan and Lumina are selling so well there hardware is actually different and refreshing. People already have two choices in mind maybe three if you consider rim. IOS is not going anywhere people truly love the iphone its easy to use and it just works. Android is for people looking for more its harder to use but it's gives you more freedom. I think Microsoft needs to meet these things in the middle keeping windows phone easy making sure everything works and well, but giving customers the freedom to customize and personalize there phone. The specs will come and so will the apps Microsoft just needs to set itself apart giving people the best of both worlds with there os.
 

DontHate707

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Lets put it this way I mean if you hear anyone talk about getting a new phone there either gunna say android or iPhone. Im 19 I see it all the time I never seen someone say I think im gunna get a windows phone. im not one to put windows phone onto anyone because it honestly never works people who aren't into tech dont really know lol they see specs apps and what they hear and they ain't hearing windows phone! Ive tried to get close friends to get windows phone I can easily convince them not to get a iphone but they end up getting a android lol. its going to be a uphill battle and ms needs to be reading these forums or something like honestly there going to need to step up these next two years or else were gunna see another webos. :'( id hate that I loved webos like I now love wp7 it would be a shame for such a good product to not catch on and die.
 

Pronk

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The thing I like more about wp7 is that it doesn't matter if you get a high end phone or a low end phone, since all wp7 phones use the same single core 1.4 GHz processor,

No they don't. Most of the first-gen phones have 1GHz processors, and some second-gen ones (the HTC Radar) too. The Titan also has a 1.5 GHz processor.
 

mprice86

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I was actually chatting with a guy on G+ yesterday who was looking at iPhone, Android and the Lumia 800 for his wife. He took very little persuasion to go for the Lumia, I got the impression that was what he was really after.

He's going for the Lumia because:

- His wife isn't very technologicly minded and WP is easy to learn and use quickly.
- She's not mad into mobile gaming.
- The Lumia is significantly cheaper than both the iPhone and an Android handset that would run ICS suitably well.
- WP7 is a very smooth and stable OS.

Just thought that was interesting for this thread.
 

jdd77

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I was actually chatting with a guy on G+ yesterday who was looking at iPhone, Android and the Lumia 800 for his wife. He took very little persuasion to go for the Lumia, I got the impression that was what he was really after.

He's going for the Lumia because:

- His wife isn't very technologicly minded and WP is easy to learn and use quickly.
- She's not mad into mobile gaming.
- The Lumia is significantly cheaper than both the iPhone and an Android handset that would run ICS suitably well.
- WP7 is a very smooth and stable OS.

Just thought that was interesting for this thread.


Well thats a big fight waiting to happen...lol. He wouldn't of gone wrong with getting the iPhone for her, because most chicks like the iPhone. He wouldn't of gone wrong with Android, because even if she hated it she could customize it to something she loves.
Windows Phone is something you gotta play with and decide for yourself whether you like it or not. Just getting one unknowingly has the potential to really piss someone off.
This is where MS has an uphill battle. The metro UI either works for you or it doesn't. Whether your not open-minded enough to try to make it work for you.. or its something you simply dont like, there is really no room in between.
 

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