Why can't WP take off?

[HoosierDaddy]

My bad, Microsoft did show a Lumia... at 1:33 out of 1:51... waaaaay after the iPhone was showcased. Yet, you got my point... or not.

Even if 1 Lumia is shown, it's still not the main device in this ad. While it should have been the only phone displayed, period.

No, I haven't seen the video but if the subject is an app, all platforms the app runs on should be shown and pretty much in the order/percent expected on each platform. They should do subtle things to make the WP seem more appealing while it is being shown but that should be secondary to the objective of the video. People turn off if what they see doesn't seem relevant to them. For every load to a WP they gained by showing WP first (or only) they would lose dozens for IOS or Android users who already switched off because they think the app is for WP only.

I don't get the people who want MS to ignore other platforms for the software they make when many of those same people despise Google for actually doing exactly that. Smart phone OSs exist to accomplish things, not as ends to themselves. The OS should focus on the experience while doing those things. You can drive to the same places in a Ford Fiesta or a Bentley Continental GT. The latter is going to be more pleasant for most than the former but they wouldn't be able to give a Bentley away if it couldn't get you where you are going.

 

[Torontonian22]

I get your point, don't get me wrong... it's okay to build and develop cross platform software. However, you do not advertise the competition by making their devices and logos so obviously visible in your own ads.

Apple never doest that, neither google. Guess what? Only MS OS is not taking off. MS wants to be "the good guy" but that's not how it works. How can you vive people the need to buy your device if you know right of the bat that the software you want is actually available for the competition?

As a software developer, MS should develop for their own ecosystem FIRST and showcase their app and devices. Then, yes, develop the app or software for other platforms. No problem with that. Then you can advertise the fact that your app is cross-platform, after having reinforced your own brand image. Not the other way around.

 

[iamtim]

As a software developer, MS should develop for their own ecosystem FIRST and showcase their app and devices.

I concur. Use... Office, OneNote, Skype, whatever on Windows Phone. Then use them on iPhone. The apps are... SO MUCH BETTER on iOS than on WP. If those apps are crucial to a given user, why oh why would they adopt a platform where those apps are sub-standard when compared to another platform?

 

[Piratelooksat40]

This is simple to me. Apps. WP is always playing catch up and never on the cutting edge. I have had a Windows phone since they first came out and that has always been the problem. If there is 1-2 apps on WP there are 50 on iOS and Android. Some of the biggies don't even exist. I still have no SiriusXM. No Nike. No iTunes. Xbox Music is HORRIBLE to the point where I will probably switch phones when my upgrade is up in November. Understand, I worked at MSFT for 17 years and am a true kool-aid drinker, my brother still works there, but I am just about done. They either need to buy the market with killer cheap phones or get aggressive in the app market.

Also, there is no resale value on the phones. You have a screen cracked on a lumia you are screwed, have one on an iPhone and there are tons of places that can fix it(Yes they tried to replace my wifes 1020 screen, could not get it to work).

Really, do you see anything on the horizon that is going to dramatically change their position?

 

[Piratelooksat40]

To be honest, if Microsoft really wanted to win in this market, I would say they need to go old school. Back to their days of being very tough. Here is what I think they should do, but it may get the big eye of the DOJ looking at them again.

1. Start a wholey owned company that did nothing but build apps. Build apps for all platforms, Windows Phone, iOS and Droid. Buy promising companies or build similar apps that are successful and provide them cheaper.

2. Go to the big app companies and ask them to build on the windows phone platform and tell them they will have exclusive access to the windows desktop and xbox platforms, if they refuse, offer to pay them to build. If they refuse, then subsidize your "App" company to build better/cheaper apps and put pressure on their margins.

These app companies need an incentive to move to the platform. I think xbox and Windows is a good carrot, and they should really leverage that. The ones that refuse, they should really make it hard for them.

 

[Hotvak123]

3 things
1. you have to have desire to want something
2. It has to be available to feed your desires.
3. the cost has to be reasonable to tickle that desire
If any of these 3 are missing, you will not buy it.

If you own a Icon, 1020, 1520, you have the top of the line in windows phones.
anything up coming is a down/side grade. to these phone. so that means

You have no desire to want it, why would you, having one of the best
You don't care if it's in stock, Your not looking
I don't care what it cost,

so the question is how do you create desire, or better yet what make you want to buy something.?
like you first LCD HD TV , you had the desire #1,and want it bad, It was in stock,#2, but the price was not tickling you , not even close. but the desire still there and you start looking for a better price
until you create #3. then buy it.

So what do you think Microsoft should do., or what would you do to create the desire?

 

[GroundSpartan]

Why is windows phone not taking off? Here is what I believe :smile:
1.
Because of the ignorant people who get i phones or think apple is big just because of the brand name. These are the same people that get phones just to fit in with the rest of the majority with "apple devices". Unfortunately this method blind people of the benefits of windows phone over apple. I am not saying that all people with apple products just want to fit in, some people actually like their products for a legitimate reason.

2.
People look for high end competitive phones, and the high end windows phone products I believe are not advertised as well. (HTC ONE M8, Lumia 1520, Samsung Ativ Se, etc.

3.
Apps. Period, Many people who think of Iphone or Andriod think about applications. I actually believe that most people use apps 80% of the time than actually calling on the phones. Windows Phone does not have many apps as android and apple ios, and that what kills the mainstream windows phone sales

 

[EBUK]

Why isn't WP getting any love?

People have pre-existing perceptions of Window on the desktop and they assume that Windows Phone must suffer from the same issues...

• slow
• bloated
• constant updates
• malware
• viruses
• security issues
• buggy
• BSOD
• inexplicable crashes
• unintelligible error messages

The list goes on.

Frankly, MSFT hasn't done anything to educate potential customers that WinPhone is NOT the same as desktop windows, and they have given not reason to more to the platform rather than sticking with Android or iOS.

 

[Geodude074]

Coming from an Android user, there's a bunch reasons why I prefer Android over WP (besides the obvious, glaring lack of apps).

1) Software features. Compare a feature-rich phone like the Galaxy Note 4 to a WP8 phone and you'll know what I mean. S-Pen, multi-windows (the irony), image cropping, etc. etc. What does WP8 have to offer in comparison?
2) Hardware features. IR Blaster, tap to wake, touchless controls like the Moto X, etc.
3) File management. As a PC user (the irony), I like to be able to move my files from one folder to another, and have ownership of my files.
4) Customization. Custom launchers, custom backgrounds, custom ROMs even.
5) Rooting and development. This is more for advanced users, but Android allows you to modify the data within an application, very useful for when you want to cheat on a mobile game (the modern equivalent of Game Genie).
6) Allows the installation of third-party apps.

The one championing reason why WP8 is better than Android, from what I've heard from WP8 users repeatedly, is the increased security. Which is true, I'll give WP8 that credit, with its locked-down OS. But personally, I've been an Android user for years, and I've never had a security risk, so it's not a problem for me.

So when WP8 can do all of the above that Android can do, I'll gladly switch over, and I'm sure many other people will too.

 

[Geodude074]

Oh, one other thing I'd like to add, which is pretty huge and I can't believe I forgot to mention it... is name brand recognition.

When WP8 users talk about Nokia devices, namely the Nokia 530, 630, 730, 830... I have no idea what any of these phones are or how they differ, and the only way I could possibly know is if I look it up.

Whereas with the iPhone it's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus... the Plus means it's bigger and better, it's a no-brainer.

Everybody knows what an iPhone 6 is. Very few people will know what a Nokia Lumia 735 is (or is it Microsoft Lumia now? Even more confusion.)

It's instant name brand recognition and distinction, and it's much more significant than you realize.

 

[tgp]

People have pre-existing perceptions of Window on the desktop and they assume that Windows Phone must suffer from the same issues...

• slow
• bloated
• constant updates
• malware
• viruses
• security issues
• buggy
• BSOD
• inexplicable crashes
• unintelligible error messages

The list goes on.

Frankly, MSFT hasn't done anything to educate potential customers that WinPhone is NOT the same as desktop windows, and they have given not reason to more to the platform rather than sticking with Android or iOS.

Ironically, even with these issues which Windows has become known for over the years, it has a 90% market share in its category. Maybe Windows Phone SHOULD have some of these problems! Think about it: Android has a similar list, and it also has a similar market share (85%). Along with these "problems" are benefits that outweigh the downside.

This tells me that even though we always bring these up as detriments and reasons to avoid a certain platform, users actually don't care about them. I personally use Windows on my PCs and Android as my primary phone in spite of it.