The Windows Phone 8.1 update sounds fantastic, but is it too little late?

[paulm187]

The rumoured features for Windows Phone 8.1 has got me excited for the platform. But there is a nagging feeling that it may be too little too late. After 3 years in the market place, it has only managed a paltry 3% market share. Android, love it or loath it has become the default choice for tablets and smart phones. It has in fact become bigger than Google itself in that they themselves have lost control of the OS and are trying to rein it in. As for the future of Windows on phones & tablets, I'm not sure where it will be heading. Somehow, I feel whatever changes and features are announced at Build, the market gap has widened so much that Windows Phone will never be able to catch up. It maybe the case of closing the stable doors after the horse has bolted. I'm a WP fan and love the OS, but in all honesty what do you really think? Are you as optimistic as when you first bought into the platform?

 

[quotethepigeon]

I'm looking forward to 8.1 , it'll bring much needed updates . Is it too little too late? Yes.
I came to windows phone to test the waters and although i was pleasantly surprised at the same i was rather disappointed .
Whilst we wait for things like the notification centre (why we've waited this long is beyond me) , the ability to store apps on sd card ( sd cards in phones being phased out by the looks of things lol) and a siri/google now rival (again with playing catch up), Android and apple users await genuine innovative features on their devices. Actual exciting technology that hasn't been seen before. My contract is up at the end of July and its going to be a struggle not to go back to Android ...

 

[Kebero]

Enjoy

 

[DennisvdG]

The growth is indeed very slow, but it's still growth! (BB lol)
I don't feel the need to become the no1 smartphone os, if MS can pull it up to 25% marketshare and just keep it around that number then that would be great imo

 

[chinesepiratefood]

No. It came into the fold after the fact that multiple competitors were well established, so I think WP has done alright given the fierce competition. I am far more optimistic for WP now then when I first discovered it (had little interest in it at the time).

 

[irvin792]

I am more optimistic, because when I bought into windows phone it didn't have the features it has today (though I do miss Zune syncing), and its getting many more so how could one not be optimistic?

I buy things for what they can do in the present, I feel if you are buying things for what it "could" do, well you are just setting yourself up for disappointment.

The main reason WP will always beat iPhone and android for me is the overall design and performance of the OS (love the keyboard) and the looks of the hardware (love Nokia design language) my focus and titan looked like any other android device.

 

[Zulfigar]

The rumoured features for Windows Phone 8.1 has got me excited for the platform. But there is a nagging feeling that it may be too little too late. After 3 years in the market place, it has only managed a paltry 3% market share. Android, love it or loath it has become the default choice for tablets and smart phones. It has in fact become bigger than Google itself in that they themselves have lost control of the OS and are trying to rein it in. As for the future of Windows on phones & tablets, I'm not sure where it will be heading. Somehow, I feel whatever changes and features are announced at Build, the market gap has widened so much that Windows Phone will never be able to catch up. It maybe the case of closing the stable doors after the horse has bolted. I'm a WP fan and love the OS, but in all honesty what do you really think? Are you as optimistic as when you first bought into the platform?

IIt's interesting you mention Android.. It didn't get to where it's at today over night. I see Windows Phone as slowly growing, which it has, and hopefully 8.1 might add some growth serum into the mix as well. I'm going to see how this year fans out before I let the whole "it is too late for Windows Phone to take off" hit me at heart. If everything goes well, this'll e the year.

 

[irvin792]

The sky is falling!!!!!!

Jk, sometimes its okay not to be first, so you can learn from others mistakes and do things better.

 

[Peter McNeill1]

To late, not to late, means nowt to me. Consider, Android has 90+% share of hacks and malware, yet so far not one for WP8 and Apple has their share of hacks and malware. What's most important, phone security or tons of cute apps that may or may not contain hidden treasures. I don't game on my phone or need cutie apps, just that it phones, messages, and can browse. OTOH I'm a near geezer so I"m not into the whole OMGOD my rocks with a gazillion apps.

 

[Dadstar0410]

I actually couldn't disagree more with the OP.

I actually do not feel it is "too little, too late." In fact, it's the exact opposite in my eyes. They spent so much time on these projects to perfect them for the public and to dish out something that is better than the competition. This is why Belfiore has used and will continue to use Android phones; he wants to find flaws in the OS so he can capitalize on what it missed.

Example: the Action Center that can "intelligently" manage notifications. He and his design team probably noticed that the way Android handles notifications (or the lack thereof; they're not really managed, more like stored) is sloppy and disorganized (at the time; vanilla Android does this better). So, knowing that his loyal WP8 fans want a darn notification center, he sought to make a notification center that was better than the competition, given his experience with them.

That's why I like where WP is going. They wait for the best time to innovate, and then they strike. And this couldn't be a better time; Windows Phone slowly but very surely gaining market share and popularity, as it is being mentioned in the media more and more often. With WP8.1 around the corner, more people will recognize the true meaning behind the "Windows Phone Experience" and they will want to dish in, just as all of us have.





I'm not worried one bit.

 

[irvin792]

I actually couldn't disagree more with the OP.

I actually do not feel it is "too little, too late." In fact, it's the exact opposite in my eyes. They spent so much time on these projects to perfect them for the public and to dish out something that is better than the competition. This is why Belfiore has used and will continue to use Android phones; he wants to find flaws in the OS so he can capitalize on what it missed.

Example: the Action Center that can "intelligently" manage notifications. He and his design team probably noticed that the way Android handles notifications (or the lack thereof; they're not really managed, more like stored) is sloppy and disorganized (at the time; vanilla Android does this better). So, knowing that his loyal WP8 fans want a darn notification center, he sought to make a notification center that was better than the competition, given his experience with them.

That's why I like where WP is going. They wait for the best time to innovate, and then they strike. And this couldn't be a better time; Windows Phone slowly but very surely gaining market share and popularity, as it is being mentioned in the media more and more often. With WP8.1 around the corner, more people will recognize the true meaning behind the "Windows Phone Experience" and they will want to dish in, just as all of us have.





I'm not worried one bit.

+1520

 

[Boris Lozac]

I actually couldn't disagree more with the OP.

I actually do not feel it is "too little, too late." In fact, it's the exact opposite in my eyes. They spent so much time on these projects to perfect them for the public and to dish out something that is better than the competition. This is why Belfiore has used and will continue to use Android phones; he wants to find flaws in the OS so he can capitalize on what it missed.

Example: the Action Center that can "intelligently" manage notifications. He and his design team probably noticed that the way Android handles notifications (or the lack thereof; they're not really managed, more like stored) is sloppy and disorganized (at the time; vanilla Android does this better). So, knowing that his loyal WP8 fans want a darn notification center, he sought to make a notification center that was better than the competition, given his experience with them.

That's why I like where WP is going. They wait for the best time to innovate, and then they strike. And this couldn't be a better time; Windows Phone slowly but very surely gaining market share and popularity, as it is being mentioned in the media more and more often. With WP8.1 around the corner, more people will recognize the true meaning behind the "Windows Phone Experience" and they will want to dish in, just as all of us have.





I'm not worried one bit.

+520

 

[3earnhardt3]

I think its too much too early seriously the amount of changes in wp8.1 is massive. iOS and android better watch out, their arrogance will be their downfall. MS is proving that they actually care about their customers opinions, and aren't "just" trying to sell your soul to advertisers.

 

[Kaushik Dash]

After 8.1, I would say wp will be on par with ios and android (if not in customisation) but with good marketing, the market share gain is going to be faster than ever before.

 

[Shubham Kumar4]

Windows Phone is giving updates regularly. Every year they push at least 4 updates. That is good. Windows Phone 8.1 update will take our handsets to the top level smartphone experience.

 

[planoman]

Too little too late? This will attract more users than ever to WP! It is not like iOS and Android are evolving so quickly now...in fact I think they are both a lit boring now...whihc is why i picked up a Lumia 925 and am looking forward to the 8.1 devices!

 

[haikallp]

I do think that the features in the WP 8.1 so far has been available for Android users since Android 4.2. Sure WP 8.1 is a huge upgrade from WP 8 but I've yet to see something from WP 8.1 that sets it apart from the competition. I will say this though. With WP 8.1, MS has beat Apple's iOS 7 in terms of features.

I digress abit..But does anyone knows if we call finally create our own folders in the photos hub right from our phone? And I hope the dialer is improved too. I want smart dialing! One more thing, I really hope IE work like that of Windows 8; where when you swipe from the right/left edge of the device it works like back and forward.

 

[AndrewL920]

I am looking forward to fix the camera issue! I bought a windows phone because of its camera! 920's camera results are yellowish and blurry! Fix the efin camera algorithm! That would be the most innovative update of 8.1!

 

[N_LaRUE]

I am looking forward to fix the camera issue! I bought a windows phone because of its camera! 920's camera results are yellowish and blurry! Fix the efin camera algorithm! That would be the most innovative update of 8.1!

That's a firmware issue, nothing to do with WP8 OS.

 

[ShreyansShah]

late or no late, i am waiting.