RIP Windows Phone

[edgedemon]

Im a WP fan, I have had a 920, 1020, 930 and now a 950XL, just so you know where Im coming from
The App gap is frustrating, I have 70-80% of what I need, but the final 20% is annoying me, more so as each day goes by.
Work recently paid for some training for me, it involved me having to by a Xiaomi Note 3 so I could have the app and watching the training videos on my daily commute.
Strangely it made me like WP even more, Android is just such a counter intuitive OS and has yet to recover from the design decisions first made when it was starting out. It feels so fragmented and poorly put together (IMHO) Wp feels so integrated and well designed and I can access what I need in a way that suits me far more, it feels so much cleaner.
However if they don't sort out the app gap they will hit trouble as it is becoming more of an issue not less, but android have to sort out their security as my work have now banned android phones for any work based tasks as the security flaws are now considered too much of a risk

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

Somebody once told me that all Windows Phone apps are Vietnamese clones. I didn't believe them until I searched on the Windows Store.

 

[OspreyO]

Ironically people here are very bothered about it for some reason lol.

You're doing more to keep the WP discussion/interest going than people who like it.

 

[OspreyO]

Somebody once told me that all Windows Phone apps are Vietnamese clones. I didn't believe them until I searched on the Windows Store.

At least you worked out how to search it. Some struggle with that.

The problems with the store are well known. I wonder will MS fix it or just give up.

 

[Kenai]

At least you worked out how to search it. Some struggle with that.

The problems with the store are well known. I wonder will MS fix it or just give up.

Surely them trying to get other platforms apps to run in their OS is effectively giving up?

 

[Skeeter]

While also investing heavily on building apps for other systems.

We do a lot with Microsoft PowerBI at work. It was launched in June last year, with an Android app. About a month later the iOS one arrived. The Windows Phone app? That turned up last week.

Microsoft aren't even bothering with Microsoft Windows Phone apps for Microsoft's own services!

 

[OspreyO]

Maybe they should withdraw it just to suit the rant.

 

[Quartz]

Microsoft aren't even bothering with Microsoft Windows Phone apps for Microsoft's own services!

Echoes of IBM & OS/2.

 

[gareth170]

some of you guys seem to be so bothered about it. and it feels like you won't be happy until everybody agrees yes WP is dead. is it hurting you that much to see WP around?

i honesty don't see the point of all this is WP dead or not dead.

just use whatever you want. if it works for you and does everything you want it to then good for you, if it doesn't then choose to another platform... and if WP does fade away, people can continue using they're WP as it is or choose to another platform

this is my very last post in this thread!!

 

[PapaLazaru]

Well having used all three OS's, I prefer WP.

I am not a big app user and there is no doubt in my mind it is the slickest and most visually appealing of the three and it syncs with my PC seamlessly, though one would have course expect that.

I just gave my Mum my old Lumia 520 and it is incredible how well the OS works on such low end hardware.

I'm using a 930 and will do so until the end of the year and will buy another WP phone then.

 

[chrislusty]

I'm a few hours into being back on Android from my Nokia 830, and whilts the OS is nicer IMO, its not complete enough. What appsbare available are poor, the Facebook and twitter app beignhigj on the list.
The way it rendors emails is not as good as the outlook app on android. I am missing the live tiles and the speed, now on moto g 2nd gen, camera is also worse, but I think the overall package is better, even my Microsoft Band is syncing faster and better on android than on WP.

 

[Skeeter]

some of you guys seem to be so bothered about it. and it feels like you won't be happy until everybody agrees yes WP is dead. is it hurting you that much to see WP around?

i honesty don't see the point of all this is WP dead or not dead.

just use whatever you want. if it works for you and does everything you want it to then good for you, if it doesn't then choose to another platform... and if WP does fade away, people can continue using they're WP as it is or choose to another platform

this is my very last post in this thread!!

This thread was started as a negative thread about Windows Phone. Why are you so butthurt about people then being negative about Windows Phone in it

The OP suggested Windows Phone is dead. I agree Windows Phone is dead.

 

[AndyCr15]

Just a small point, people saying Android is not so good on this page have based this a Xiami Note 3 and a Moto G 2nd Gen. Tbh, if I have to base it on just those two, I'd not be so impressed either.

That's not even about price. A Moto G 1st or 3rd Gen and you probably have a different opinion, or a Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 perhaps.

 

[Skeeter]

That is one of the problems with Android though. With iOS for example, everyone has the same experience, no matter what device. Windows Phone is broadly similar, as it (at least 8 and 8.1) ran really well on low end hardware and the UI and experience was always consistent.

Android on the other hand can swing from utterly amazing to down right awful, especially if you get that truly terrible combination of crap screen, crap hardware and a manufacturers own messed with version of the OS. There are large chunks of the Android devices that would genuinely struggle to be a competitor to even the worst Windows Phone.

 

[OspreyO]

Just a small point, people saying Android is not so good on this page have based this a Xiami Note 3 and a Moto G 2nd Gen. Tbh, if I have to base it on just those two, I'd not be so impressed either.

That's not even about price. A Moto G 1st or 3rd Gen and you probably have a different opinion, or a Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 perhaps.

I think that illustrates how much fragmentation and forced obsolesce, is a lot feature of android experience in general. (with obvious exceptions like the moto and nexus devices and such).

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

As an Android user, I agree fragmentation is an issue but I've found the average user to not really care what version they're on as long as the phone works.

They care when it lags of course but with better hardware that's becoming less commonplace also.

Compared to iOS, you can run more apps on older versions of Android as most apps support 4.1 and above whereas newer iOS apps really only support iOS 8 and above.

 

[Tuvoc]

Android fragmentation becomes an issue with security updates doesn't it ? Older phones and older versions of Android cease to be updated, and is that dependent on the manufacturer ? Or is it all controlled by Google ?

 

[Kenai]

Android fragmentation becomes an issue with security updates doesn't it ? Older phones and older versions of Android cease to be updated, and is that dependent on the manufacturer ? Or is it all controlled by Google ?

Manufacturer.

Google will pump out updates to the OS which is where your security improvements come.

Whether Samsung, Sony, Motorola, LG, Huawei, Xiami etc. etc. bother to adapt those updates (to match their initial meddling) is entirely on them.

Google's stance is very much 'here is an OS, you can use it if you want'. If the manufacturer takes that OS at version 4.1, releases a phone and then never bothers to sort an update whilst Google release 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0 .... then there isn't really anything Google can do about it.

Half of choosing a good Android phone, is picking a manufacturer who will maintain it.

Of course you do have the custom options and many phones will have 3rd party software floating around too, if you so desired.

 

[Tuvoc]

OK - so the articles about millions of Android phones currently in service with security vulnerabilities are true then. Better pick a good manufacturer as you say. My 1st Gen Moto-G was a good choice with Motorola being owned by Google, but that is no longer the case. I guess Lollipop 5.1 is the last OS version I'll see for that, which is fair enough and no big deal, but the question is whether any further security updates will come. I guess antivirus product can fill that gap to some extent, I have CM Antivirus on it.

 

[Skeeter]

My Motorola Milestone from years back was abandoned by Motorola about 3 months after it was launched. Obviously that was pre Google.

There are lots of phones that will never see an update in their entire life.