This is why there are no apps for Windows Phone

Forums › Legacy mobile platforms (Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Web OS, Symbian, Meego, Blackberry) › This is why there are no apps for Windows Phone

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

4054 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2652

Trusted

#1541552 25-Apr-2016 11:30

UHD:

dafman:

MikeB4, sadly, I don't think your enthusiasm for WP is enough to save the platform.

For several years now I have been keen to trial WP as I like the OS in principle. But I can't justify switching from android as the app void is just too great. And the sad thing is that as time passes, things don't get more encouraging for WP, they get more dim. Let's be honest, WP is dying a death of a thousand cuts.

I agree fully with an earlier post - WP Surface is last chance saloon (but I'm not holding my breath)!

Which apps are missing? I really don't notice anything beyond bank apps (except ASB).

Kiwibank (I know you mentioned bank apps, but they are such an useful daily app)

Google apps like Maps, Gmail, Chrome, Chromecast, Hangouts (not on WP, but all of which are available for iphone users - so not exclusive to android).

Diving into my app drawer, starting at A:

AirBNB

BBC news

BBFC

(I stopped after the B's as the list above is already a too great an app void for me to consider trialing).

Handle9

11925 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9675

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1541553 25-Apr-2016 11:35

billgates:

Good long read of AMA done today with 3 journalists that mostly cover Microsoft tech. Good hints as to why and what Microsoft is currently and planning to do with Windows Mobile.

ps - I honestly don't know why people keep touting marketshare figures from articles that clearly covers US only. There is a massive world outside US. Perhaps next time look at market share figures for Windows 10 Mobile in Europe, Asia and Australasia.

Really interesting read. It's fairly similar to Paul Thurotts views, although he's much more pessimistic about Windows Mobile. It was also fairly realistic that Nadellama won't let this go on forever.

Unfortunately the worldwide market share for Windows Mobile is pretty similar to the US.

http://www.engadget.com/2016/02/19/gartner-smartphone-report-q4-2015/

Handle9

11925 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9675

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1541558 25-Apr-2016 11:35

Finch:
This thread is turning out exactly like the one I made OVER 2 YEARS AGO.

Same stuff, different year. Some things never change...

Why wont you try windows phone

Yip, therein lies the problem.

wsnz

654 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 204

#1541651 25-Apr-2016 13:28

AFAIC the smartphone is a tool to provide mobility with some work related tasks and some light social or financial related tasks as an added bonus.

Most of the apps I need are available on the WP platform and for those that aren't, I generally either use the mobile website version or have found that those tasks are better completed on larger form factor such as a tablet or PC.

When I took a cold hard look at the volume of apps I'd installed on my previous android-based smartphone (having been using android for several years), it became apparent I was becoming an app collector and consequently was spending a huge amount of time just mucking around with them for the sake of it. My move to WP was to provide some consistency across my device collection (which I have also reduced significantly) and to simplify my workflow. For me, this is working extremely well.

IMO Microsoft's plans for Continuum, the various bridges, xamarin etc. and their vision of the evolution of the smartphone provide some interesting and unique directions for the ecosystem. Apple appears complacent in their iOS & MacOS platforms with shallow integration between the two, and from an enterprise perspective the secrecy around new products & services continue to irk me. An amalgamation of Android & ChromeOS could provide some fierce competition to Microsoft, but there are some significant hurdles to overcome that Microsoft have already dealt with.

One thing is for sure; it's an interesting time to be involved with mobile platforms.

UHD

655 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 298
Inactive user

#1541787 25-Apr-2016 18:28

dafman:

UHD:

dafman:

MikeB4, sadly, I don't think your enthusiasm for WP is enough to save the platform.

For several years now I have been keen to trial WP as I like the OS in principle. But I can't justify switching from android as the app void is just too great. And the sad thing is that as time passes, things don't get more encouraging for WP, they get more dim. Let's be honest, WP is dying a death of a thousand cuts.

I agree fully with an earlier post - WP Surface is last chance saloon (but I'm not holding my breath)!

Which apps are missing? I really don't notice anything beyond bank apps (except ASB).

Kiwibank (I know you mentioned bank apps, but they are such an useful daily app)

Google apps like Maps, Gmail, Chrome, Chromecast, Hangouts (not on WP, but all of which are available for iphone users - so not exclusive to android).

Diving into my app drawer, starting at A:

AirBNB

BBC news

BBFC

(I stopped after the B's as the list above is already a too great an app void for me to consider trialing).

Google apps are worse options than the MS stuff built in to WP, I'm glad they aren't available on WP or at least would not install them anyway. I suppose Chromecast could be cool but casting from a phone to a television is a pretty niche activity and WP has Continuum which I prefer anyway.

AirBNB, BBC News, BBFC are all available from their mobile sites and the apps you have installed are merely website front ends.

dafman

4054 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2652

Trusted

#1541835 25-Apr-2016 20:43

UHD:

dafman:

UHD:

dafman:

MikeB4, sadly, I don't think your enthusiasm for WP is enough to save the platform.

For several years now I have been keen to trial WP as I like the OS in principle. But I can't justify switching from android as the app void is just too great. And the sad thing is that as time passes, things don't get more encouraging for WP, they get more dim. Let's be honest, WP is dying a death of a thousand cuts.

I agree fully with an earlier post - WP Surface is last chance saloon (but I'm not holding my breath)!

Which apps are missing? I really don't notice anything beyond bank apps (except ASB).

Kiwibank (I know you mentioned bank apps, but they are such an useful daily app)

Google apps like Maps, Gmail, Chrome, Chromecast, Hangouts (not on WP, but all of which are available for iphone users - so not exclusive to android).

Diving into my app drawer, starting at A:

AirBNB

BBC news

BBFC

(I stopped after the B's as the list above is already a too great an app void for me to consider trialing).

Google apps are worse options than the MS stuff built in to WP, I'm glad they aren't available on WP or at least would not install them anyway. I suppose Chromecast could be cool but casting from a phone to a television is a pretty niche activity and WP has Continuum which I prefer anyway.

AirBNB, BBC News, BBFC are all available from their mobile sites and the apps you have installed are merely website front ends.

A matter of opinion about the google apps being worse, and one I would disagree with you on. The main issue is choice - at least Android and Apple users have the choice of using these, and these apps have have enough global momentum behind them now that WP simply can't compete by not having them.

And the mobile sites for AirBNB and BBC have less functionality than their dedicated apps available on other OS. It's a compromise punters shouldn't have to make - and one they are not making, evidenced by WPs slow decline in sales.

Mighty Ape

Shop now at Mighty Ape (affiliate link).

Handle9

11925 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9675

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1541843 25-Apr-2016 20:53

UHD:

dafman:

UHD:

dafman:

MikeB4, sadly, I don't think your enthusiasm for WP is enough to save the platform.

For several years now I have been keen to trial WP as I like the OS in principle. But I can't justify switching from android as the app void is just too great. And the sad thing is that as time passes, things don't get more encouraging for WP, they get more dim. Let's be honest, WP is dying a death of a thousand cuts.

I agree fully with an earlier post - WP Surface is last chance saloon (but I'm not holding my breath)!

Which apps are missing? I really don't notice anything beyond bank apps (except ASB).

Kiwibank (I know you mentioned bank apps, but they are such an useful daily app)

Google apps like Maps, Gmail, Chrome, Chromecast, Hangouts (not on WP, but all of which are available for iphone users - so not exclusive to android).

Diving into my app drawer, starting at A:

AirBNB

BBC news

BBFC

(I stopped after the B's as the list above is already a too great an app void for me to consider trialing).

Google apps are worse options than the MS stuff built in to WP, I'm glad they aren't available on WP or at least would not install them anyway. I suppose Chromecast could be cool but casting from a phone to a television is a pretty niche activity and WP has Continuum which I prefer anyway.

AirBNB, BBC News, BBFC are all available from their mobile sites and the apps you have installed are merely website front ends.

YMMV but the market has pretty clearly spoken that apps are the preferred way to utilize services and content. The arguments that you are making are similar to the ones apple was making before the apple app store existed. The dominance of apps vs web links speaks volumes for what the market actually wants.

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1630
Inactive user

#1541898 26-Apr-2016 04:46

Handle9:
billgates:

Good long read of AMA done today with 3 journalists that mostly cover Microsoft tech. Good hints as to why and what Microsoft is currently and planning to do with Windows Mobile.

ps - I honestly don't know why people keep touting marketshare figures from articles that clearly covers US only. There is a massive world outside US. Perhaps next time look at market share figures for Windows 10 Mobile in Europe, Asia and Australasia.

Really interesting read. It's fairly similar to Paul Thurotts views, although he's much more pessimistic about Windows Mobile. It was also fairly realistic that Nadellama won't let this go on forever.

Unfortunately the worldwide market share for Windows Mobile is pretty similar to the US.

http://www.engadget.com/2016/02/19/gartner-smartphone-report-q4-2015/

It's not about killing something or not letting something go on for ever.

We build OSes, in this case Windows 10.
We build it and it runs on ARM, x86, x64 etc
We build it and it powers PCs, phones, Xbox, Surface Hub, HoloLens

It would be foolish to think that smartphones are the future of personal computing and will never be disrupted

As foolish as a large software company thinking that the PC is going to be the center of the universe for everything.

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1630
Inactive user

#1541899 26-Apr-2016 04:50

Handle9:
UHD:

dafman:

UHD:

dafman:

MikeB4, sadly, I don't think your enthusiasm for WP is enough to save the platform.

For several years now I have been keen to trial WP as I like the OS in principle. But I can't justify switching from android as the app void is just too great. And the sad thing is that as time passes, things don't get more encouraging for WP, they get more dim. Let's be honest, WP is dying a death of a thousand cuts.

I agree fully with an earlier post - WP Surface is last chance saloon (but I'm not holding my breath)!

Which apps are missing? I really don't notice anything beyond bank apps (except ASB).

Kiwibank (I know you mentioned bank apps, but they are such an useful daily app)

Google apps like Maps, Gmail, Chrome, Chromecast, Hangouts (not on WP, but all of which are available for iphone users - so not exclusive to android).

Diving into my app drawer, starting at A:

AirBNB

BBC news

BBFC

(I stopped after the B's as the list above is already a too great an app void for me to consider trialing).

Google apps are worse options than the MS stuff built in to WP, I'm glad they aren't available on WP or at least would not install them anyway. I suppose Chromecast could be cool but casting from a phone to a television is a pretty niche activity and WP has Continuum which I prefer anyway.

AirBNB, BBC News, BBFC are all available from their mobile sites and the apps you have installed are merely website front ends.

YMMV but the market has pretty clearly spoken that apps are the preferred way to utilize services and content. The arguments that you are making are similar to the ones apple was making before the apple app store existed. The dominance of apps vs web links speaks volumes for what the market actually wants.

It's more blurry than that

Frankly a lot of apps just are websites with a skin over them. This speaks more to the way the user wants to discover, install, run said app.

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12766

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#1542827 27-Apr-2016 14:51

I wasn't going to return to this thread but the link below is relevant....

http://www.windowscentral.com/microsofts-committed-windows-10-mobile

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Pommelhorse

16 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 3

#1542878 27-Apr-2016 15:57

MikeB4:

I wasn't going to return to this thread but the link below is relevant....

http://www.windowscentral.com/microsofts-committed-windows-10-mobile

Good news. However I feel no amount of positive news will win over some naysayers.

HP

Shop now for HP laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

MikeAqua

8024 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3818

#1542888 27-Apr-2016 16:16

I have a W10 Surface Pro 1 (personal) and a W8.1 Surface Pro 3 (work) and will soon have a W10 mini PC for on-demand/web-streaming/plex etc.

I use a Samsung Android phone (S4) and I find with Office 365, OneNote and OneDrive I have consistency and portability in the productivity space between the two SPs and my phone.

For entertainment ditto google music, kindle books, spotify, google movies, lightbox, sky go ... the list goes on.

I generally like MS products but something special would have to happen for me to ditch Android phones for a Windows phone.

I would like to see that something special, but I don't yet.

Mike

jonb

1796 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 545

Trusted

#1546585 4-May-2016 13:10

Interesting analysis/speculation on Intel canning production of ARM and Atom chips, and implications for Windows Phone..

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/05/03/intel_mobile_microsoft_analysis/

The surface phone was possibly going to be powered by atom, and makes Continuum and UWA more difficult. Good read anyway.

UHD

655 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 298
Inactive user

#1546684 4-May-2016 15:11

Interesting, I do note that the Lumia 950 is ARM and is supposed to be able to run the universal apps though...

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1630
Inactive user

#1546748 4-May-2016 16:53

UAP apps work on ARM x86 x86-64

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6