Why can't WP take off?

Byrese

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So I'm here on my 1520 and a thought just occurred to me. This OS (not to mention a great of a phone in the 1520) is simply unbeatable.

It's smooth and fluid. Must of all i love how it communicates my information whether it be Live Tiles, OS integration with Cortana, our through Office 365. In Office all my stuff in my cloud or the lady thing I viewed in Word is right there! The OS has Wordflow, tells me my flight information, and runs my presentations. But its not just that it can do all these things and more...its how it does it. This gets back to MS vision of cloud and mobile. You've The screen is so vibrant and my camera kicks ***. heard it all before. Oh and unlike some I beehive in Windows 10.

Tonight while out everybody kept looking at my phone and asking me questions as I took some great shots. They never seen it or even heard of it before... really?!

Anyway I'm confused. Why isn't WP getting any love? I don't care what anybody says this OS is the best. In fact it's not even close. Is it the apps? Marketing? Slow start? What?
 

Laura Knotek

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I think the carrier exclusives are the biggest issue. I'm guessing you are in Canada, based upon your avatar. I believe that only Rogers has the 1520. It would probably be more successful if Bell and Telus also carried it.

It's the same here in the US. AT&T is the only carrier that has the 1520. T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint do not have it.
 

WanderingTraveler

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I think the carrier exclusives are the biggest issue. I'm guessing you are in Canada, based upon your avatar. I believe that only Rogers has the 1520. It would probably be more successful if Bell and Telus also carried it.

It's the same here in the US. AT&T is the only carrier that has the 1520. T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint do not have it.
This too.
And, if you manage to be lucky enough to be in some place where carriers don't act as phone distributors to a significant degree, you still have the slow rollout of devices around the world.
 

Byrese

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I think the carrier exclusives are the biggest issue. I'm guessing you are in Canada, based upon your avatar. I believe that only Rogers has the 1520. It would probably be more successful if Bell and Telus also carried it.

It's the same here in the US. AT&T is the only carrier that has the 1520. T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint do not have it.

No I'm in US but i am Canadian (it's time to change that thing). But i hear you... It does have problems in Canada true.
 

s2mikey

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Apathy is certainly #1. It's really too bad since I have found android to be extremely annoying to use and apple phones are just so damned expensive. The windows phone experience for me has been delightful. I wasn't sure what to expect but it's been great. If you hate the idea of contacts and subsidized phones then windows phone should be your top choice!
 

apinkel

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I'm not sure I want to see the kind of meteoric rise of WP that Android had/has or that Microsoft had with windows 95/XP/7.

It seems like you end up with a really flexible but unmanageable platform that becomes a nightmare to maintain and keep stable.

I do hope that WP keeps growing but I don't really want to see it go spinning out of control either.
 

Mike Gibson

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I can think of several reasons:

1. Preexisting consumer-oriented ecosystem. AAPL had iPod and Google had search/gmail/etc. Both of them were able to leverage their existing consumer brands into phones. MSFT had no consumer-oriented ecosystem. Windows is thought of as a more "productive" environment (which, I believe, will make a comeback soon in the minds of consumers). MSFT tried to leverage that productive brand with Win8, by making it look like Windows Phone, and failed miserably.

2. No massive advertising blitz. How many distinctive Android ("Ddddrrrroooiiiiddd") ads did you see on TV five years ago when Android first came out? They were everywhere. It also helped that carriers made more money when they sold Android phones than they did from iPhones.

3. Only one real WP OEM, Nokia, and now that's the house brand. Fewer players means less advertising (see item #2 above).

4. There is a concerted effort by MSFT competitors to keep MSFT out of the phone and tablet space. Google being the most egregious with their YouTube/Gmail crap.

The counter to the "what's wrong with WP" for another company would be "what's wrong with Mac/OSX?". AAPL has a huge consumer base in iPod, iPhone, and iPad yet that hasn't translated to increased Mac sales. Windows still holds 90+% of the productive computer market even with the Win8 disaster. I expected that to change by now but it hasn't.
 

Toan Le

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It's because of the way people think about Windows Phone.

Windows Phone used to has a big lack of apps at the time of WP7, though no longer, the Store is growing everyday, people still keep relating "Windows Phone" with "lack of apps" until now. It's like... habitual.

Windows Phone = lack of apps = low market share = no developer support = lack of apps... Then the cycle begins.
 

spazzmeister

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Apps. I never recommend WP to people I know simply because it lacks the apps they need. I switched to a Note 3 hoping that Microsoft would get apps this year. Not the case. The little they do have are in beta forever.
The Facebook app is a joke. At least WhatsApp is useable. Absolutely no medical apps. Drugscape is cobbled together and functions poorly.
Phones rollout later in my region as well. But here I am. On my 930. I'm a sucker for Nokias hardware that way.
 

anon(123856)

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Lets not forget the carriers role in this either. I went to three major carriers websites today looking at coverage as I am getting sick of Verizon. All of them were cramming an iPhone 6 down my throat. They are all pushing iPhones and Androids. They also all have a crappy selection of Windows Phones. I'm thinking about upgrading to the 830 but now it's looking like (although unconfirmed) that Verizon may not get the 830 because AT&T is releasing it. In my local Verizon store good luck finding any Windows Phones on display. It's disheartening because I want to stay with WP but the carriers are making it difficult.
 

Torontonian22

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Yes, wp is great. Now that i said it, let's stop being blind for a moment and open our eyes.

1. Marketing. This is key to success. MS and Nokia have made little to no effort in marketing. No ads, no visibility... and when they do it, they spent more time advertising the competition than their own devices. Pathetic and made them needy. Wrong approach.

2. Lack of apps and/or completely outdated apps. Yes, the number of apps is growing everyday but what kind of apps are we getting? Have you at least used an android or iphone to say the gap doesn't exist anymore? The gap is still as big as before. Having the name of an app in the store is great, having a working and up to date app is better. Here are a few examples of apps that are half-baked: fitbit, facebook, youtube, twitter, xbox music, spotify, instagram and so on. Yes, we have third party apps... who cares? People want the genuine apps, they don't care about third party apps. And when people jump from android or iphone to WP, they want the same experience than before, which is NOT the case. Just to be clear, i'm okay with third party apps, i'm making a general statement on behalf of the average users.

3. Confusing line-up of phones. The phone names are confusing and most of the time are irrelevant. For a time being the 6xx series were better then the 7xx series. There is no real flagship either. Not everyone wants the 1520. You'll tell me: get the 930! Well, no sd card (found on the 830), no glance (one of the most distinctive features of the lumia brand), bulky and heavy, still prone to overheating and other defects, very generic design (the icon has been discontinued for a reason). Most people want a flagship with the real pureview technology. Where is it?

4. One step forward, 2 steps backwards. The updates are supeeeer slow to be deployed. Updates are supposed to add features, not removing them. People who bought wp7 waited for 2 years and wp8.1 still isn't on par with the competition. It's catching up a little but it's not evolving fast enough. You'll tell me: "it's still a young platform". No, it's not anymore. It's time for wp to get out and kick ***. When i got my first wp7, i was told: wait for wp8. Got wp8 (still half baked). I was told: wait for wp8.1. we are still behind. What's next? Wait for windows 10 and so on... the problem? Windows 10 on phone will be shown "sometime next year". Even joe belfiore has no idea what it will be. Therefore, at best, windows 10 mobile will be shown a year from now. Released in approximately 2 years from now. So is that it for WP8.1? Not sure people will wait for windows 10. In the meantime, the new android will be released and ios8 will get more updates while we are still waiting for a decent version of a music player...

5. Lack of accessories. Android and ios have tons of compatible accessories. WP just got support for fitbit... yeah! Really catching up! People who have some devices paired with their phones will never make the jump until their devices are supported which will not happen anytime soon. Still no sign of a smartwatch. No, a smartwatch is not useful, i know. But it catches attention and shows your os and ecosystem is evolving towards something new. Once again, wp is way behind the competition.

6. Slow releases. The iphone 6 is shown on stage, released 2 weeks later almost worldwide. How long did the 930 take to be released? What about in-house accessories? You want a wireless charger, case, treasure tag or anything else, they are usually inexistent, even at Microsoft stores.

Yes, wp is great, but over time, i switched from "i love my 920" to "meh, it's ok". After 2 years, i still haven't changed the way i use my phone because there is almost nothing new.

My ride with wp has been fine but it's time for us to part. When my 920 dies, will i get another wp? Probably not, unless they finally release a flagship with a 41mpx camera. Tired of waiting for updates, improvements, accessories and new features to come. And maybe that's why people are not buying wp.
 

Ruined

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Every person I recommend a WP to states they get talked out of it by the carrier (specifically Verizon). While the typical Verizon salesman knows jack about technology, they know the right buzzwords to steer someone towards android or iOS.
 

Byrese

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Lets not forget the carriers role in this either. I went to three major carriers websites today looking at coverage as I am getting sick of Verizon. All of them were cramming an iPhone 6 down my throat. They are all pushing iPhones and Androids. They also all have a crappy selection of Windows Phones. I'm thinking about upgrading to the 830 but now it's looking like (although unconfirmed) that Verizon may not get the 830 because AT&T is releasing it. In my local Verizon store good luck finding any Windows Phones on display. It's disheartening because I want to stay with WP but the carriers are making it difficult.

Yeah..its like u always have to buy an unlocked phone to get what u want unless ur with ATT. And they keep that iPhone pushing on you too. It's sad... Is really a great product.

The marketing had been crap too!
 

Ebaneeezor

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WP's are available, consumers will pursue if the desire is in place. The problem with windows phone is perception - Example, look at blackberry. fundamentally the same, what's changed? how we "feel" or the perception. We are very much an emotion based society now, and emotions drive all kinds of false notions - look at any thread and sooner then later the os wars start, more examples of misguided "feeling/perception" - we don't see the world as it is, we see it how we want to no matter what truth is staring you in the face. More proof, Apple has a great product thanks to Mr. Gates, and they found a way to make it premium via perception plain and simple. Once MS accomplishes this, they will rise again. MS is a slumbering giant, about to get to its feet again with WIN10, hopefully when MS stands it can leverage some updated perceptions as people talk and get the word out. that's just my 2cents worth :)
 

jnetSYNATK

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It will. Word has is that MSFT is branding their own phone to release. This is why they ultimately bought Nokia.

One phone. Less fragmentation. Easier to promote. Better updates.

Game on crApple.
 

Pete The Penguin

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It will. Word has is that MSFT is branding their own phone to release. This is why they ultimately bought Nokia.

One phone. Less fragmentation. Easier to promote. Better updates.

Game on crApple.

I heard they'll be 2, one low/mid tier and one high tier. It'd be nice if we actually get the rumoured "Surface Phone".
 

spaulagain

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3 things...

1. late to the game, the market had already been established

2. Ongoing app gap issue. Most major apps are there, but niche local apps or fad games either never show up on WP, or waaaay to late and under par with their equivalent in Android and iOS.

3. Carrier sales clerks. It's insane how bad and biased the sales people are at Verizon, and even ATT. It's so bad, they should be fired. One of them actually got in a fight with my step-mom over the phones.
 

maj71303

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3 things...

1. late to the game, the market had already been established

2. Ongoing app gap issue. Most major apps are there, but niche local apps or fad games either never show up on WP, or waaaay to late and under par with their equivalent in Android and iOS.

3. Carrier sales clerks. It's insane how bad and biased the sales people are at Verizon, and even ATT. It's so bad, they should be fired. One of them actually got in a fight with my step-mom over the phones.

all of this but #3. The reason the carriers always push certain phones is contracts with that particular OEM. The apple contract with the carriers is ridiculously tilted in apples favor. The carriers have a set amount to sell each year and they have to pay apple full cost upfront for those phones whether they sell or not. Not many phone OEM's can do it like that. But when a phone is popular that is what happens. But some carriers do hold out and not do that with OEm's. That is why it took so long for the iPhone to get to Chinese carriers.

Your #1 is dead on in that regard microsoft has always been slow to the game. They lack the ambition to jump in the rapids and go with the flow. Your #2 is bigger than most realize as it is an ongoing issue when people buy phones. Alot of consumers want to be able to run the same apps as family and friends. Peoples friends hold a lot of sway in this regard. Most people don't want to be the odd ball out.

Microsoft has always tried to be the boss of everything and call the shots to much and that has soured developers to them. Also the WP7 Fiasco as a stopgap hurt as well. IMO they should have waited till they got a real deal competitor out. WP7 put them behind and keep them always trying to catch up instead of being a leader in the mobile realm.
 

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