Is there any advantage to owning a Windows Phone anymore?

[dgr_874]

With the recent annoucement of XBOX music being avalible on other platforms "within 12 months" and the growing rumors that office will come out on the ipad soon next year, why even buy a windows phone? I like the windows phone interface and I really think it has alot of potential but what is the killer thing that makes me want to choose the Microsoft ecosystem over the Apple one? I can get my xbox companion, skydrive, Xbox music, and if the rumors are true, Office on my apple products. This does not seem to make any sense.

It used to be lackluster hardware that was holding windows phone back. Thankfully, thats not true anymore with the new HTC and Nokia phones. I believe that apps will come with the mass adoption of Windows 8, so thats not really an issue for me. I'm really looking at the ecosystem now to figure out what works better for me. Will Microsoft be implementing some sort of backup thing like Apple where they store my purchases and making it easy to back up and restore if I ever have any issues? How about allowing me to redownload any media that I purchased more than just a few times? How about letting my recorded tv with AC3 audio show up in Zune so I can sync it to my phone?

I don't mean to sound like im bitter, there is so much to love about windows phone. Its the small, nagging, things that keep me from switching over. Am I just misinformed about its capabilities? Please let me know what you think...good or bad.

 

[fwaits]

I don't have 100% facts on all those details, but from the sound of what I do know, that's exactly the kinds of things that Win8/WP8/Xbox/SkyDrive/Xbox Music/Video/SmartGlass are bringing to the table. We've seen evidence of shared profile data (apps, settings, backup, etc) in the cloud on Skydrive with W8/WP8 and with the push on Xbox Music and Video, the cloud sync features and such, I would expect to see the same kinds of shared usage abilities there as well.

 

[Zumanity]

Yes, there is an advantage.

Microsoft is a devices and services company, meaning they will have to move their products across to competitors in order to keep making money and stay to their purpose. However, you will only find the best experience to their ecosystem on the Windows Phone.

Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and Xbox are best together (also fit in any other MS service that crosses).

In addition, people who own a Windows Phone generally love the differentiation of the OS and UI it has to offer over competitors, so that's a huge advantage to us who own Windows Phones.

 

[oldpueblo]

Everything I love about WP exists in other platforms. They just do it worse. E-mail client, fluidity, interface, convenience, office integration, etc. If you value those things and the way WP does it, then yes there is a definite advantage.

 

[simonnyc]

The thing I enjoy the most about the Windows Phone OS is the fluidity of how things are done. My phone is mainly a communication device (duh) for me so having everything so tightly integrated without having to jump in and out of apps is why i love the OS so much. I'm looking forward to tighter integration in WP8+.

 

[Banstyle]

I'm not one to get jealous when other platforms get my services. Really, who cares! I'm not going to live my life like that. In the end, whatever OS you like most, use that one. Windows Phone is an exceptional OS. That's why I'm here.

 

[dalydose]

Yes, there is an advantage.

Microsoft is a devices and services company, meaning they will have to move their products across to competitors in order to keep making money and stay to their purpose. However, you will only find the best experience to their ecosystem on the Windows Phone.

Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and Xbox are best together (also fit in any other MS service that crosses).

In addition, people who own a Windows Phone generally love the differentiation of the OS and UI it has to offer over competitors, so that's a huge advantage to us who own Windows Phones.

I'm ON their platform and will be left out. They are supporting iOS and Android, but not Windows Phone 7. Forget about everyone who bought in and has to fulfill their two year contracts.

Photosynth took forever to get on WP
Skype SUCKS on WP and no word if it will get better for WP7 devices
XBox games will be avail on iOS/Android
XBox Music will be avail on iOS/Android
Office will be avail on iOS/Android

Seriously, do they not want anyone to come on over?

 

[pjs37]

The interface? I mean the whole interface to me is superior to that of any other smart phone platform out there at the moment.

 

[dgr_874]

Good posts everyone. Thank you for the feedback.

 

[based_graham]

Chill.

Windows Phone ties the Microsoft Ecosystem experience together with Xbox, Windows 8, Live Apps/Tiles, Marketplace, look and feel it's a must.

It's not about features its about experience WP will probably have
1. The best built-in social networking experience
2. Awesome camera experience especially with PureView and Lenses
3. Top of the notch GPS experience with Nokia Maps, Drive, City Lens, Transport (Nokia WP)
4. Awesome music experience with Xbox Music and Nokia Music for Lumia owners
5. Leave the plastic at home with NFC wallets
6. Good games maybe not now but with DX11 on the go a lot of potential in that area
7. Last but not least its Windows people are going to want a similar ecosystem experience that goes beyond the PC and Xbox 360 I can see it happening with a similar interface it can really catch the consumer.

 

[jmshub]

I wrote about this in another thread about a similar issue, it would be ridiculous for Microsoft to limit the availability of a key product to prop up Windows Phone.

I couldn't write it better the second time, so I am going to copy/paste myself from before...


Microsoft is a platforms company. And they are also a large company. Think of it like this... If MS Office were it's own completely separate company, and Office was their only source of income, they would be incentivized to put that product out in all the platforms: Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, iOS (prob a separate app for iphone and ipad), WP, BB, etc.

That would increase the strength of that product to be available everywhere. But we don't see Office in iOS and Android (yet) because Office isn't a separate company, it is a division of Microsoft, and therefore has the dynamic of MS vs Google vs Apple.

I love WP and I want to see it succeed, but it only makes good business sense for Microsoft to make the best apps they can for their products for all operating environments, even when that competes with their own products.

The ideal future of Microsoft won't be "buying a Windows Phone because it is the only platform with real MS Office support". It will be "buying a Windows Phone because the integration between the WP8, Skydrive, and MS Office offers a better experience because of deeper integration than can be had in iPhone or Android".

http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-7-os-discussion/195081.htm#post1683225

 

[1jaxstate1]

I hear they releasing Halo and Gears of War for the Playstation. Since they are a platform. Get outta here with that.

Also, these consumers are not buying phones for MS office.

 

[jmshub]

Office was just a for instance. Locking MS platforms like Office or Xbox in this case won't help Microsoft sell more Windows Phones, nor will it sell more copies of Office or X Box music.

 

[ironsoulreaver]

Just riding on what everyone else is saying, MSFT is a software company and their hardware divisions always start as "hobbies" such as Jobs called the Apple TV. There is no way they would ever keep their software to limited platforms because thats where the bacon is. What you really need to do is try to forsee the future through third party software.
With WP8 taking on the NT kernel that means the door has opened to an unlimited amount of software developers through cross coding. Almost every program written for windows 8 should be able to be recompiled to WP8/RT with only a few hours of coding. Not that I will need half the programs for windows to be available on my phone, but the potential exsists. I forsee WP8/RT to have a software boom within a 6 month timeframe of the launch of WP8. I also forsee alot of exlusive applications due to these developers being windows only developers. It's all a part of that unified echosystem of windows 8. There will be many Doom ports in our future .

 

[cckgz4]

I'm ON their platform and will be left out. They are supporting iOS and Android, but not Windows Phone 7. Forget about everyone who bought in and has to fulfill their two year contracts.

Photosynth took forever to get on WP
Skype SUCKS on WP and no word if it will get better for WP7 devices
XBox games will be avail on iOS/Android
XBox Music will be avail on iOS/Android
Office will be avail on iOS/Android

Seriously, do they not want anyone to come on over?

it is NOT going to be on ios or android until next year. Later next year.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I hear they releasing Halo and Gears of War for the Playstation. Since they are a platform. Get outta here with that.

Also, these consumers are not buying phones for MS office.

That isn't always the case. A lot of people might need MS Office on their phones, especially business users and university students.

Yes, many of these same folks will also want Xbox games too.

 

[sconrad308]

The thing is that those services will be available on other os's but I figure that they will charge for them, especially Office. But like the others have said, they will be available but not integrated and not as robust probably as the WP version will be.

 

[dgr_874]

I wrote about this in another thread about a similar issue, it would be ridiculous for Microsoft to limit the availability of a key product to prop up Windows Phone.

I couldn't write it better the second time, so I am going to copy/paste myself from before...


Microsoft is a platforms company. And they are also a large company. Think of it like this... If MS Office were it's own completely separate company, and Office was their only source of income, they would be incentivized to put that product out in all the platforms: Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, iOS (prob a separate app for iphone and ipad), WP, BB, etc.

That would increase the strength of that product to be available everywhere. But we don't see Office in iOS and Android (yet) because Office isn't a separate company, it is a division of Microsoft, and therefore has the dynamic of MS vs Google vs Apple.

I love WP and I want to see it succeed, but it only makes good business sense for Microsoft to make the best apps they can for their products for all operating environments, even when that competes with their own products.

The ideal future of Microsoft won't be "buying a Windows Phone because it is the only platform with real MS Office support". It will be "buying a Windows Phone because the integration between the WP8, Sky drive, and MS Office offers a better experience because of deeper integration than can be had in phone or Android".

http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-7-os-discussion/195081.htm#post1683225

OK, I'm with ya on most of this. But, what is this "deeper integration" that you talk about? I can control my XBOX with the XBOX companion app on my iphone. I can also use my Sky Drive on my iphone the same way. Having MS Office on my windows phone was one of the few things that was swaying me to stick with the windows phone platform. I like the ability to work on office documents natively from my windows phone. If that exclusivity goes, what separates windows phone from iphones? Why not just stick with apple and have a great selection of apps, an easy way to backup and restore your phones without losing everything, great hardware, and knowing that your phone will have at least two OS upgrades and great resale value?

I'm not trying to be obtuse, these are real questions my friends who all ask about my windows phone ask me. They love the interface when I show it to them but, after that, I really cant explain how its better than their iphones. Does all this stuff really come down to a personal preference?

 

[blakjedi]

Office on Mac is slightly less featured than office on pc... So expect win 8 to keep a half generation lead on products in non ms platforms

 

[Laura Knotek]

I'm not trying to be obtuse, these are real questions my friends who all ask about my windows phone ask me. They love the interface when I show it to them but, after that, I really cant explain how its better than their iphones. Does all this stuff really come down to a personal preference?

It might actually come down to personal preference. In my case, I have an intense dislike of iTunes, since the time I first tried it on a PC. I will never get a Mac, and iTunes on a PC was a painful experience. I only used it to get some free songs that Starbucks offered. Once I got the songs, I actually removed iTunes from my PC and deleted my iTunes account.

Given the fact that I despise iTunes so much, I could never use an iPhone.