Bad reviews... Bad reviews everywhere!

[LumiaWorld]

Are the apps and games we have in the WP Store really THAT bad? I've been checking the reviews of some of the official apps that we have in the Store and most of them don't look good. There are lots of one/two/three star/s ratings... Lots of frustrated users...

Maybe us, WP users, are just too demanding... Or maybe not?

Oh and before I forget, I also noticed that most of the apps and games in the Store only get high ratings when they are 'new'. As they go old, their high ratings diminish... Bugs and issues are popping up from nowhere... Is this normal?

BTW, sorry for my English

 

[streifenleopard]

Hi, for the Xbox Music app one star is still too good. I wonder why MS doesn't care.

 

[Silviu Bogusevschi]

I agree with you in a way, the WP UX makes users more demanding to the app quality, but at the same time some apps (even official ones) really need some polishment (like XBM, which is awesome after yesterday update).

 

[LumiaWorld]

Well the Xbox Music app deserves the ratings that it gets. What bothers me though is that there are some apps such as Here Maps, Messenger, etc. which performs okay in my opinion and yet gets low ratings... For me it's just a bit unfair. It makes me think that the users are just too demanding

 

[wuiyang]

same thing as whatsapp, they wanted to publish their product FAST, and so the GUI look weird, whatsapp setting using normal button.....

 

[Ashish Gupta888]

Exceptions to my below thoughts: Xbox Video and Music and Games too!
Problem with those reviewers is that they are accustomed to compare stuffs with other ecosystem which brings stuffs in completely different approach. Most of the official apps are good for not-so-called a power user. However, when it comes to those demanding users, it does not fulfil their needs and trust me they will keep demanding more and more features since they are sort of "Comparing" creatures!! They do not get how how unique the WP ecosystem is and they need to give more time to developers to completely utilize this OS. Even Droid took many years to emerge as leading OS.

 

[loofmodnar]

Many apps are rushed, incomplete and missing major features when released on Windows Phone. People are comparing them against iOS and Android and WP apps generally fall short.

The other downside is if the apps ever get better people are unlikely to go back and update their original review unless reminded.

 

[dlalonde]

In truth, we sometimes get less quality. I mean you have Xbox Music, an official Microsoft app, that is still subpar after months of being released, Instagram which has been in beta and lacking important features since its release, same with Vine (not beta mind you but still).

The sad thing is that it's the "important" apps (as in getting users to adopt the platform) that lacks quality. Because you have Rudy Huyn's apps for example that are top quality. But if you tell people coming from another ecosystem to adopt third party apps for these services, they'll look elsewhere because they don't know if they can trust them or because they'd rather have the official app (rightfully so I might add). Even Rudy says that companies should all have their own app on Twitter.

 

[ViciousJay]

I swear I must be the only person who hasnt had a single issue

 

[dlalonde]

I swear I must be the only person who hasnt had a single issue

With Xbox Music? Good for you! But you can be certain that the people who claim they have had problems are neither difficult, spoilt nor lying. Not saying that's what you're saying, just want to make sure that this doesn't ever come out.

 

[Geddeeee]

Can we stop harping on about the XBox Music app??

We get that it is lacking in some areas. Continually flogging that particular horse is not going to change that fact. Use it or don't. Mixradio is freely available.

Let it go!!!!

 

[Torcher Death]

Bad reviews are mostly due to comparisons to their android & iOS counterparts.
WP8 was a good OS which showcased simplicity thanks to hubs, then came WP8.1 which is a great OS, but focuses on apps rather than features.
The problem with this move is that, since its still a maturing OS, developers are yet to fully utilise the OS, even MS themselves are pretty clueless (skype, xbox music & video).
My salutes to the hero, Rudy Huyn.

 

[Jazmac]

The best review of any app is how well it performs for you IMHO. Its never a smart move to crowd source your own opinion or decisions on what works. If you can't think for yourself, you've seriously given too much over to the meaning of a "smart" phone.

 

[badr0b0t]

MS is focusing their attention on how to improve their WP OS not realizing that the life of all smartphones revolve around APPS! They want to make their OS as fluid as it can be. Crap! What is the use of a smartphone with a fluid OS if you can't do much with it? All WP apps are unstable and broken. They should step back, think and start getting in the APPS game.
I also have an HTC One X with a buggy JB 4.2 OS but very useful. Thanks to all stable android apps.

 

[Chregu]

The best review of any app is how well it performs for you IMHO. Its never a smart move to crowd source your own opinion or decisions on what works. If you can't think for yourself, you've seriously given too much over to the meaning of a "smart" phone.

Well, this is interesting. What you are telling me is that I shouldn't read peoples review to get an idea about the quality of an app? I mean that's okay for an app that is free and has no alternative. But it's an entirely different issue for paid apps, regardless whether they have a trial or not as there could be issues that only show up later. Also, when there are many apps that do the same, crowd sourced opinion can help to make a selection what to look at.

But you might be right, all the companies that have ratings in their stores might be wrong. It might be a stupid move to look at these things.

Or it might be that you have just enough time and money to look at every single app extensively. Then you really should extrapolate your situation to everybody.

 

[envio]

Bad reviews are mostly due to comparisons to their android & iOS counterparts.
WP8 was a good OS which showcased simplicity thanks to hubs, then came WP8.1 which is a great OS, but focuses on apps rather than features.
The problem with this move is that, since its still a maturing OS, developers are yet to fully utilise the OS, even MS themselves are pretty clueless (skype, xbox music & video).
My salutes to the hero, Rudy Huyn.

This is exactly what I see. Although more official apps are appearing in the store, there is a distinct tendency to take an existing iOS or Android version and port that in its entirety. WP has such a wonderful and modern UI (far better then iOS or Android IMHO), with clean, simple, clear and uncluttered elements that are described through great typography rather than shiny boxes, drop shadows, faux gradient button surfaces and fancy transitions. When these official apps appear, they completely jar against the OS making them look even more ugly than they do in their native environment.

Worse still are apps that are simply web wrappers of existing webapps that are already available through the mobile browser. It shows absolutely no regard or real support for the OS and in particular, they don't even try to exploit the capabilities of what a native WP app can do.

Perhaps we should start naming and shaming. Here's a first stab - Next (large UK retailer) released their first official WP app only a few weeks ago. On the left is the official WP app. On the right is the mobile webpage. Spot the difference.

 

[Karthik Naik]

This is exactly what I see. Although more official apps are appearing in the store, there is a distinct tendency to take an existing iOS or Android version and port that in its entirety. WP has such a wonderful and modern UI (far better then iOS or Android IMHO), with clean, simple, clear and uncluttered elements that are described through great typography rather than shiny boxes, drop shadows, faux gradient button surfaces and fancy transitions. When these official apps appear, they completely jar against the OS making them look even more ugly than they do in their native environment.

Worse still are apps that are simply web wrappers of existing webapps that are already available through the mobile browser. It shows absolutely no regard or real support for the OS and in particular, they don't even try to exploit the capabilities of what a native WP app can do.

Perhaps we should start naming and shaming. Here's a first stab - Next (large UK retailer) released their first official WP app only a few weeks ago. On the left is the official WP app. On the right is the mobile webpage. Spot the difference.
View attachment 70977 View attachment 70978

true though,most apps on all platforms are HTML ports from their webapps anyways
take the fb for instance(old version) same on all platforms and webapp as well

 

[Jazmac]

Well, this is interesting. What you are telling me is that I shouldn't read peoples review to get an idea about the quality of an app? I mean that's okay for an app that is free and has no alternative. But it's an entirely different issue for paid apps, regardless whether they have a trial or not as there could be issues that only show up later. Also, when there are many apps that do the same, crowd sourced opinion can help to make a selection what to look at.

But you might be right, all the companies that have ratings in their stores might be wrong. It might be a stupid move to look at these things.

Or it might be that you have just enough time and money to look at every single app extensively. Then you really should extrapolate your situation to everybody.

Exactly the opposite. I never said not to use your best judgement. Keyword, your.

 

[bijak_riyandi]

I noticed that some people are stupid enough not to understand how an app works
and then they blamed the devs after that

*facepalm*

 

[Aredubu]

I am enjoying my Lumia Icon and the apps. There are some differences, but nothing that frustrates me. But then again, I use my phone as a phone, with a few exceptions. For other needs, I use either my Android tablet or Windows laptop.

Now, if I could get a WIndows tablet that worked as well as my Icon and had the same apps, I would be a very happy camper!