Forgetting to Be the Underdog

JNM

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It appears that Microsoft has a fantastic mobile operating system. I rarely see a review of a Windows Phone device that is anything less than glowing, heaping praise upon the uniquely smooth and aesthetically pleasing mobile OS, and impressed at how it is able to best competing devices in speed and fluidity with arguably inferior hardware. There must be some reason for an operating system and the platform overall to be gaining so little traction in the market.

The problem is easy to see. They forgot to make us want it. They see the beauty of their product, as do we as consumers, and the assumption is that just seeing it will be enough. It is not. Microsoft knows Windows Phone is usually faster at completing most common tasks and the assumption is that we will see this and that will be enough. It?s not. Microsoft and their Windows Phone partners forgot to try. Being faster and smoother is not enough. A pretty OS is not enough.

Aspirational devices sell a platform. Consider past high-end smartphones like the Palm Treos, various BlackBerrys, Pocket PC Phones (before becoming Windows Mobile), Nokia?s N95 and many others. People wanted them. I had a Treo because I just wanted to have a Treo, then I found uses for it, and this was back in college. The BlackBerry was a must have as the Treo was on the way out, as they provided an even better keyboard, better email, a better everything. Windows Mobile was the most powerful so I had to own that as well, and I loved it, as I was able to type my notes cleanly and have them waiting at home by the time I was done. Then there is the iPhone that initially had a $600 price tag and no carrier subsidies or the Nexus Android devices. These devices were so well liked that even if people could not quite buy the one they really wanted they would by the more affordable model that offered much of the same. Those who could not really afford the iPhone often bought one anyway just to be one of the people to own one.

The nicest Windows Phone devices are not aspirational. The supposed best of them, the Nokia Lumia 900, arrived late to the platform, has a mediocre camera, and barely more inspiring specifications than most other Windows Phone devices. It offers the same screen resolution as all other Windows Phone devices are currently limited to, which is significantly lower than what is available on competing platforms, plus it offers only 16GB of storage and that is not upgradeable. There has not been a ?Wow!? moment for Windows Phone. Some might argue that the Titan II from HTC is a better phone than the Lumia 900, but it is limited to the same screen resolution, the storage is not expandable, the battery is not replaceable, and otherwise has the same limitations as the Lumia 900. No true advantage.

I am not knocking Windows Phone as an operating system or platform here. Without question or qualification it is the best looking, most thoughtfully organized, smoothest operating, most reliable, fastest, and most polished mobile operating system I have used to date. The hardware that Microsoft is allowing, or forcing, their hardware partners to release it on is currently Windows Phone?s biggest hurdle. If I can buy a Samsung Galaxy Nexus with a 4.7? screen at 1280x720 resolution, a fast dual-core processor, a relatively good camera, and the best version of Android yet, how can I justify a purchase of a device for the same price that is limited to 800x480 resolution on the same size screen, a disappointing camera, and a single core processor, even if all of the praise I lay upon the OS is valid? A Porsche motor in a Porsche versus a Ferrari motor in a Honda? Great hardware and really good software versus acceptable hardware and excellent software? Maybe the car metaphors mean little to you, but my point is that Windows Phone needs to be delivered on something that makes me want it. Something impressive needs to happen. Android devices are exciting us with ever-faster processors, increasing screen resolutions and quality, and just some great hardware overall. Apple is swaying people with really good hardware that looks fantastic, competitive processors, and a consistently simple experience. Both of them are managing this while offering features that Windows Phone still does not, but more importantly, they are using better hardware.

There is no way around it and I feel like I cannot say it too much: Windows Phone needs better phones. Right now, it seems like they are only going through the motions, releasing devices to the market only to be a part of that market rather than try to win a significant share of it. The Lumia 800 is not available with a US carrier. The Lumia 710 is only for T-Mobile. The Lumia 900 is only for AT&T. The Titan was largely ignored by AT&T, the only carrier to offer it for a few months, and the same appears to be happening for the Titan II. There has been nothing released remotely recently for Verizon or Sprint. Worst of all, as nice as some of these devices may be, they have yet to give me a reason to get excited.

Microsoft is now the underdog and they have forgotten to fight for the win.
 

freestaterocker

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I actually thought the car metaphor was perfect... On e question, though: which Honda is it? One of their many front wheel drive options? (500+hp is terrifying in a front wheeler) Or is it the diminutive powerhouse rear wheel S2000, whose chassis handles so beautifully that many competitive drivers leave the engine untouched? You maybe should've used a different make... ;) Great post, though! Love the title.
 

bigkevbosky

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Ugh. Why does iOS get to avoid the spec race discussion? Android hardware manufacturers compete with EACH OTHER on specs, not with WP7 or iOS.

This is like saying you need an Ivy Bridge processor to run Doom. Its just not true. Why do you NEED all these fancy specs for a platform that runs fine without them? It keeps hardware costs down and keeps a uniform experience across all devices if the OS is fine on current hardware.

Why do we need more ram and dual core processors? So I can open the Calendar or Calculator .003 seconds faster? What's the point?
 

fisci

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How dare people want to have hd screens, play good games, record good hd video, etc. etc....

Give me a 5 year old processor/gpu and I'm happy. As long as microsoft says that's all we need!

Also the point about ios is moot...

It has a very good processor/gpu, and screen (albeit small)
 
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bigkevbosky

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Maybe to help future proof our phone a little? It's not like WP's are cheap for the specs they have it them. Anyway, I would like more GB.

I don't understand what you mean. WP's are cheap - a Lumia 900 costs $99 on contract (or cheaper if you know where to look) and $399 off contract. That's really cheap for a phone with the specs it has.

You want more GB - ok, I get that. WP *should* have support for MicroSD. But that's not the argument here. The argument is processors/ram/screen/etc. Besides, you have two options if you want more storage - use the cloud or buy a first gen Focus that has a MicroSD slot. I think most people are fine with 16 - 32 gb that come standard on most higher end Windows Phones. And the speed the phones run WP7 is fine - is anyone out there really unhappy with that? Microsoft has shown you can run WP7 on low end or high end devices, and the experience is the same. Why dual core or quad core if it offers no real advantage? I get WP8 might be more processor/ram intensive, but I doubt it. I bet MS codes it well enough that it'll run fine on a first gen Focus.

It wouldn't make sense for them to be pushing hard for Windows 8 to run on really old hardware smoothly and NOT do the same for Windows Phone 8.

How dare people want to have hd screens, play good games, record good hd video, etc. etc....

Give me a 5 year old processor/gpu and I'm happy. As long as microsoft says that's all we need!

WP plays all games I've tried on it fine. It also records 720p. And I've had two Windows Phones (one SAMOLED and one SAMOLED plus) and I'm fine with how both looked, screen wise. Again, what are you doing with your phone that you need such high def screens? Movies look great, games look great, pictures are vibrant.

I guess I'm just less picky than you are. I don't care about whats under the hood, as long as it does what I want quickly and accurately I'm good.
 

selfcreation

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How dare people want to have hd screens, play good games, record good hd video, etc. etc....

Give me a 5 year old processor/gpu and I'm happy. As long as microsoft says that's all we need!

Also the point about ios is moot...

It has a very good processor/gpu, and screen (albeit small)

first of all , learn to EDIT your post and not double post. please.

thanks.

================================

second.

Splinter cell couldn't run on Android Single core...they only got it on dual-core phones.

Yet the same game with the same graphics runs perfectly on my FIRST GEN , single core , 5 year old processor.

yeah, failed argument.

if you only buy into specs then your gona get lied to your whole life...
Do you know what Gullible means? :happy:
 

fisci

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first of all , learn to EDIT your post and not double post. please.

thanks.

Splinter cell couldn't run on Android Single core...they only got it on dual-core phones.
Yet the same game with the same graphics runs perfectly on my single core 5 year old processor.

yeah, failed.

if you only buy into specs then your gona get lied to your whole life...
Do you know what Gullible is? :happy:

what??

spinter cell was running on my xperia x10 hahahaha

it came out for android early 2010.

Why do you make so much stuff up?
 

fisci

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ok yeah it wasn't splinter cell its an other game we got ,

forgot the name .. BUT ill be back to tell you witch one :p

there even was an article on this.

in the mean time , read this: Why Windows Phone doesn't need dual-core processors - Neowin

lol wow dude...

Aso, I never said it needed dual core.

Though current specs (dreno 220 at least) would be nice.

No matter the platform, graphics are graphics.

With the xbox integration, in order to win over gamers (which is a ot of what xbox integration is about), you need some games.
 

pjs37

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Could it be lack of advertising on MS's part? They have the beat by windows this but that is only useful if you are near a store, how many ads do you see on TV for it in the US?

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
 

Squatting Hen

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I don't understand what you mean. WP's are cheap - a Lumia 900 costs $99 on contract (or cheaper if you know where to look) and $399 off contract. That's really cheap for a phone with the specs it has.

I don't have the ability to look a phones here at work to show examples (blocked), but for the same price or not much more you can get other phones that have much higher specs. So really for what is in the WP's they should cost less. It is what it is though.

*Edit - A coworker just got an HTC One X for $149. Do you think with the specs it has compared to the Titan II they should cost the same? Might not be the best example, as I am unable to verify specs thanks to my IT department.

Also...are there WP's with 32GB?
 
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theefman

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Again with the misinformation that raw power is what's preventing better games on WP, its not, rather its API's and native code. Just get an android if you want to be ahead in the specs race, cuz even with Apollo MS is not going to allow OEM's to just run wild with hardware as that would cause the experience to be inconsistent across different devices which is not what they are aiming for.
 

eric12341

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Again with the misinformation that raw power is what's preventing better games on WP, its not, rather its API's and native code. Just get an android if you want to be ahead in the specs race, cuz even with Apollo MS is not going to allow OEM's to just run wild with hardware as that would cause the experience to be inconsistent across different devices which is not what they are aiming for.

Exactly! Don't know why this is so hard to understand, also it's impossible to always have the top of the line phone. That person would be buying a new phone every month, sure hate it for them.
 

anon(5335877)

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I don't have the ability to look a phones here at work to show examples (blocked), but for the same price or not much more you can get other phones that have much higher specs. So really for what is in the WP's they should cost less. It is what it is though.

*Edit - A coworker just got an HTC One X for $149. Do you think with the specs it has compared to the Titan II they should cost the same? Might not be the best example, as I am unable to verify specs thanks to my IT department.

Also...are there WP's with 32GB?

I don't think we should compare subsidized cost, instead I think we should compare the full price of the phones.
 

fisci

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Again with the misinformation that raw power is what's preventing better games on WP, its not, rather its API's and native code. Just get an android if you want to be ahead in the specs race, cuz even with Apollo MS is not going to allow OEM's to just run wild with hardware as that would cause the experience to be inconsistent across different devices which is not what they are aiming for.

so then better gpu does not equal better graphics performance??

Wow I guess everything I learned in electrical engineering was completely false and you wp7 fans know the true way.

So explain how graphics processing works then??

Enlighten me
 

fatclue_98

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How on Earth did we go from the OP's wonderfully lucid, well written indictment of Microsoft's efforts with WP7 to another discussion of quad-core processors and Android spec supremacy. Mind boggling.
 

eric12341

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How on Earth did we go from the OP's wonderfully lucid, well written indictment of Microsoft's efforts with WP7 to another discussion of quad-core processors and Android spec supremacy. Mind boggling.

Because the OP was implying to begin with that the reason WP wasn't doing well was because of specs.
 

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