Mobile OSs Why do people dislike Windows Phone?

[albertfallickwa]

I really enjoy Windows Phone quite a bit and honestly for the price the battery life is incredible on these suckers. My Lumia 635 outlasts my iPhone 5c and Samsung Galaxy S5 by a long shot. It's not even close. And what is sad is that my Android has to use a Mophie battery case to get through a day whereas my Lumia 635 outlasts anything in history.

Seriously, where's the love for Windows Phone?

 

[Cnasty]

App support

/Threaad

 

[ucfgrad93]

App support

/Thread

This, and the Metro UI is hideous in my opinion.

 

[sunking101]

Dyed in the wool iOS and Android fans who refuse to give another platform a go. That and the Windows App Store.

 

[placidity44]

I'd have to say when I had tested windows phone 10 beta and windows phone 8.1 it was lack of apps. Couldn't find a few of the apps I use...even though it's come leaps and bounds over the last year or two. Slightly above 500,000 apps. I had run into a few apps that were absolutely half baked and not near as complete as they were on Android or iOS. I also find the user interface to be too overstimulating for my tastes. With the tiles I get distracted and keep looking all over the place. I do firmly believe it will pick up a little bit of steam when Microsoft releases Windows 10 and lets you hook up your phone to a monitor seamlessly...although i'm a little skeptical. Microsoft over the years has over promised and under delivered. I'm psyched to try Hololens eventually though. I don't mean to sound biased here but there's nothing microsoft can do short of absolutely nailing hololens to get me to use any of their products. Was a Windows user until 2010 and iPhones weren't on verizon yet so I was stuck with Windows 7 and the original Motorola Droid until I got my first iMac in late 2010 and then bought an iPad near christmas and an iPhone in early 2011 when they came to verizon. I was a believer. Kind of got sucked into the ecosystem and upgrade my iPhone every year and iPad every two. The problems I experienced building pc's and with other operating systems have just gone away. I've had no issues and have been able to do everything and anything I need to do. Like I stated if Hololens works as advertised and isn't half baked I will 100 percent get a pair...but nothing and I mean nothing will get me to go back to windows on a desktop/laptop/phone.

 

[dontwalkhand]

Apps. I believe they still don't even have a credit card acceptance app like Square, GoPayment etc.

Compatibility with third party accessories is also low, like cars, watches, etc.

 

[MRU]

Many people like Google services. Lack of Google app support is a real issue for me. At least on iOS & Android using Google services I have a consistent cross platform experience, something sadly lacking when I use my Lumia 930.

Yes there are workarounds but I'd kill for a proper YouTube, Google Play Music etc.. App

Likewise some apps on Windows are now getting a little dated. At one point their simplicity and starkness was a really good differentiator however after a number of years they are looking tired and dated.

Calendar. Contacts, even Music all look dated now. Music in particular has had difficulties with its live tile and album / artist image support for over two years now and its still not fully fixed.

So for me whilst I really enjoy it... It just can't replace my daily drivers

Likewise lack of localised app content such as banks etc.. Here is another big step back.

 

[Oletros]

Many people like Google services. Lack of Google app support is a real issue for me. At least on iOS & Android using Google services I have a consistent cross platform experience, something sadly lacking when I use my Lumia 930.

Yes there are workarounds but I'd kill for a proper YouTube, Google Play Music etc.. App

Likewise some apps on Windows are now getting a little dated. At one point their simplicity and starkness was a really good differentiator however after a number of years they are looking tired and dated.

Calendar. Contacts, even Music all look dated now. Music in particular has had difficulties with its live tile and album / artist image support for over two years now and its still not fully fixed.

So for me whilst I really enjoy it... It just can't replace my daily drivers

Likewise lack of localised app content such as banks etc.. Here is another big step back.

Yap, this. And the irony is that it is not Microsoft's fault, it is Google's fault

 

[maflynn]

When MS rolled out Windows 8, it was with a certain philosophy, as time went on a lot of what they did caused a lot of extra taps, swipes and just plain old confused members. I like the UI but some of the stuff they have in there just causes me to scratch my head.

Then there's the lack of app support. IT may be getting better but I don't see it altering people's perceptions.

There also the carriers who barely carry the phones or they quickly direct people away from the windows phones and offer Android/iPhone instead.

 

[AppleRobert]

When MS rolled out Windows 8, it was with a certain philosophy, as time went on a lot of what they did caused a lot of extra taps, swipes and just plain old confused members. I like the UI but some of the stuff they have in there just causes me to scratch my head.

Then there's the lack of app support. IT may be getting better but I don't see it altering people's perceptions.

There also the carriers who barely carry the phones or they quickly direct people away from the windows phones and offer Android/iPhone instead.

 

[WrenFGun]

Just for me, I'm trying to give Windows Phone a real shot [I have a Lumia icon that I got for a great price on ebay]. The battery is very good, the camera is the best I've used on a mobile phone, or at least matches the 5S, and since I use a Surface, I use onenote and onedrive frequently. Google Calendar (and for that matter, iCloud calendar) integration are great, and overall works best of the three ecosystems I've tried. Google Contacts are not a problem, either, and google mail also wouldn't be but I just forward to outlook.

Biggest problems for me are really not having hangouts [IM+ works, but its not as nice looking], not having google voice for voicemail [ISeeVM is better than carrier voicemail, but nothing amazing] and not having chromecast support for apps beyond tubecast. Still, all seem relatively minor for the great camera and os design right now.

 

[sracer]

The only reason why I am not using my Windows Phone (Lumia 520) as a phone is because of the poor (non-existent) integration/support for Google services. In all other respects it is a terrific phone.

 

[iSheep5S]

As a self confessed tech geek i like to try all the tech. I went from iPhone to Android sooo much that i thought i would try Windows phone.

I had a 630 to start with and liked it but the camera was real bad but hey i experienced the platform cheaply. I then got a 1020. Great camera as you know. In the process i pulled my iPhone dedicated wife over to Windows phone. She started with an used cheap 925 (just incase) and now has a 930. She won't touch an iPhone now! Says they are boring.

My impression is the same as Amazon devices. Great... probably better in theory but needs the support for apps and for people to try them. Also as i read tech news daily i got tired of the doom and gloom 'Windows phone is dying/will be obsolete soon' stories. I went back to and am genuinely enjoying iPhone again.

As far as being clean and bug free i think Windows could compete better than Android. iOS still wins for me.

 

[nordique]

I don't mean to sound biased here but there's nothing microsoft can do short of absolutely nailing hololens to get me to use any of their products. Was a Windows user until 2010 and iPhones weren't on verizon yet so I was stuck with Windows 7 and the original Motorola Droid until I got my first iMac in late 2010 and then bought an iPad near christmas and an iPhone in early 2011 when they came to verizon. I was a believer. Kind of got sucked into the ecosystem and upgrade my iPhone every year and iPad every two. The problems I experienced building pc's and with other operating systems have just gone away. I've had no issues and have been able to do everything and anything I need to do. Like I stated if Hololens works as advertised and isn't half baked I will 100 percent get a pair...but nothing and I mean nothing will get me to go back to windows on a desktop/laptop/phone.

Very similar story I have here too. Except I didn't my first mac until 2011, though my first iPhone was a 4 in 2010.

Was a pretty hardcore Windows guy myself but once I got used to OSX, I never looked back.

Though I do own a Surface Pro 3, and it served its function well, however that I may be looking to sell that soon.

 

[Breaking Good]

I really enjoy Windows Phone quite a bit and honestly for the price the battery life is incredible on these suckers. My Lumia 635 outlasts my iPhone 5c and Samsung Galaxy S5 by a long shot. It's not even close. And what is sad is that my Android has to use a Mophie battery case to get through a day whereas my Lumia 635 outlasts anything in history.

Seriously, where's the love for Windows Phone?

I don't believe the issue is a dislike for Windows Phone, but instead a dislike for Microsoft's business philosophy over the past thirty years.

Microsoft has long had the attitude that they can do whatever they want because people had no other choice. This attitude culminated with the release of Windows 8 which was slap in the face to every desktop user of Windows.

I believe that between the success of iPhone and Android coupled with the thrashing Microsoft received in the tech media for Windows 8, Microsoft's management has finally gotten the message that the old way of thinking won't work any more. We will see whether or not this is true with the release of Windows 10.

 

[placidity44]

Very similar story I have here too. Except I didn't my first mac until 2011, though my first iPhone was a 4 in 2010.

Was a pretty hardcore Windows guy myself but once I got used to OSX, I never looked back.

Though I do own a Surface Pro 3, and it served its function well, however that I may be looking to sell that soon.

Very similar stories haha. The only reason I built pc's was for gaming performance but when the PS4 came out I don't miss pc gaming at all. The drivers, updates, mods, etc. Can just plug and play. Sure the resolution and frames per second might not be on par but the older I get the less time I have to play games. I liked the surface Pro 3 when I played with it extensively at bestbuy. I think it'd be cool if the iPad Pro ran iOS when you wanted a tablet experience and OS X when you needed to get work done. Although if I was Apple I wouldn't go that route it's just a neat concept to think about.

 

[sunking101]

I don't believe the issue is a dislike for Windows Phone, but instead a dislike for Microsoft's business philosophy over the past thirty years.

Microsoft has long had the attitude that they can do whatever they want because people had no other choice. This attitude culminated with the release of Windows 8 which was slap in the face to every desktop user of Windows.

I believe that between the success of iPhone and Android coupled with the thrashing Microsoft received in the tech media for Windows 8, Microsoft's management has finally gotten the message that the old way of thinking won't work any more. We will see whether or not this is true with the release of Windows 10.

To be fair, Windows 8 was a response to tablets and the potential death of laptops. If Microsoft had continued to release operating systems designed purely for use with an 'old style' pc and mouse, then they would quite rightly have been accused of sitting on their laurels and waiting for the end. Of course Windows 8 was a mess and they ended up pleasing nobody.

As for Microsoft's business philosophy over the past 30 years, one could argue (quite easily) that Apple and Google are heading the same way.

 

[ozaz]

It's basically the apps situation which is the big turn off for me.

I'm not a big fan of the start screen either (mainly because I prefer Android Widgets to Live tiles) but this wouldn't prevent me from using Windows Phone if the app situation were better.

 

[placidity44]

To be fair, Windows 8 was a response to tablets and the potential death of laptops. If Microsoft had continued to release operating systems designed purely for use with an 'old style' pc and mouse, then they would quite rightly have been accused of sitting on their laurels and waiting for the end. Of course Windows 8 was a mess and they ended up pleasing nobody.

As for Microsoft's business philosophy over the past 30 years, one could argue (quite easily) that Apple and Google are heading the same way.

I completely understood where Microsoft was trying to go with 8 but it was an absolute disaster. The Windows 10 beta is great....it's what they should have done with 8. Getting rid of the start menu and i'm very tech savvy i've tinkered around with building pc's watercooling them, tinkering with linux etc, but it took me a good 2 minutes to figure out how to shut windows 8 down. The UI wasn't intuitive at all. I disagree entirely that Apple and Google are headed the same way. Until Satya Nadella took over their business philosophy had pretty much stayed the same with an emphasis on using windows and office as their cash cow. They had been very hesitant to adapt. I don't like google as a whole and I have my reasons so I have no reason to defend them. Google is well suited for the future and they aren't afraid to experiment and look toward the future. I firmly believe Apple is extremely well suited for the future as well. They're not going to let go of their core philosophy of simplicity, design, and looking to where the puck is going to go and not where it's been. Sure they may not be the first with a new product line but they're darn sure to make what they believe to be the best. Apple doesn't care about being first they want to make the absolute best products they know how to make. Comparing companies with entirely different philosophies such as Microsoft to Apple isn't an accurate way. I don't believe they're headed down the same path. Microsoft shot themselves in the foot by clinging onto the desktop. No matter how good Windows mobile gets they were way too late to the party even though they had a mobile operating system way back.

 

[sracer]

I completely understood where Microsoft was trying to go with 8 but it was an absolute disaster. The Windows 10 beta is great....it's what they should have done with 8. Getting rid of the start menu and i'm very tech savvy i've tinkered around with building pc's watercooling them, tinkering with linux etc, but it took me a good 2 minutes to figure out how to shut windows 8 down. The UI wasn't intuitive at all.

I agree. I got the feeling that Microsoft initially sat on their duff thinking that tablets were going to be as short-lived as netbooks, but when that didn't happen, they scrambled to cobble together Windows 8. Hopefully Windows 10 will be a better fit for notebooks, tablets, and hybrids. The lack of quantity of quality touch-optimized apps will continue to plague Windows tablets. Maybe Win10's Continuum will help bridge that gap.

As for Google and Apple, there is an arrogance about them that is reminiscent of Microsoft back-in-the-day.

 

[Breaking Good]

I agree. I got the feeling that Microsoft initially sat on their duff thinking that tablets were going to be as short-lived as netbooks, but when that didn't happen, they scrambled to cobble together Windows 8. Hopefully Windows 10 will be a better fit for notebooks, tablets, and hybrids. The lack of quantity of quality touch-optimized apps will continue to plague Windows tablets. Maybe Win10's Continuum will help bridge that gap.

As for Google and Apple, there is an arrogance about them that is reminiscent of Microsoft back-in-the-day.

I guess I kind of viewed things differently from everyone else. I saw Windows 8 as an attempt by Microsoft to move to an operating system that would scale across different devices and allow the user to access their data stored in the cloud from any screen size they chose.

It looked to me that Microsoft's hubris got in the way and they screwed it up. They thought they could be Steve Jobs and tell people what they wanted, but it backfired on them big time.

Based on the fact that Microsoft is giving away Windows 10 to anyone currently using Windows 7 or 8, this leads me to believe that Microsoft finally has developed some humility.

I'm very interested to see the Surface Pro 4 running Windows 10. I think this will be a bellweather for Microsoft.

It seemed to me that it took Microsoft several attempts to figure out what the Surface should be. First they marketed it as a competitor to the iPad which failed miserably. I think they finally decided that the Surface represents the evolution of the personal computer from "ultrabook" to "tablet PC".

To the OP, I think Windows 10 will be very telling for Microsoft. If people are impressed with Windows 10, I believe that they will be willing to give Windows Phone a chance.

I think Microsoft realizes that it will lose if it tries to go head to head with Apple's iPhone and the high end Android devices. It seems to be focusing on mid-tier and lower-tier devices. I think that (in the U.S. at least) this will play well for Microsoft as the carriers are attempting to move away from the contract subsidy model.

If people have faith in Windows 10 and decide that they don't feel like paying US$650 or more for a smartphone, they may be willing to give Windows Phone a chance.

 

[spinedoc77]

I completely understood where Microsoft was trying to go with 8 but it was an absolute disaster. The Windows 10 beta is great....it's what they should have done with 8. Getting rid of the start menu and i'm very tech savvy i've tinkered around with building pc's watercooling them, tinkering with linux etc, but it took me a good 2 minutes to figure out how to shut windows 8 down. The UI wasn't intuitive at all. I disagree entirely that Apple and Google are headed the same way. Until Satya Nadella took over their business philosophy had pretty much stayed the same with an emphasis on using windows and office as their cash cow. They had been very hesitant to adapt. I don't like google as a whole and I have my reasons so I have no reason to defend them. Google is well suited for the future and they aren't afraid to experiment and look toward the future. I firmly believe Apple is extremely well suited for the future as well. They're not going to let go of their core philosophy of simplicity, design, and looking to where the puck is going to go and not where it's been. Sure they may not be the first with a new product line but they're darn sure to make what they believe to be the best. Apple doesn't care about being first they want to make the absolute best products they know how to make. Comparing companies with entirely different philosophies such as Microsoft to Apple isn't an accurate way. I don't believe they're headed down the same path. Microsoft shot themselves in the foot by clinging onto the desktop. No matter how good Windows mobile gets they were way too late to the party even though they had a mobile operating system way back.

MS didn't blow it with Win8 IMO, they blew it with marketing, lack of education and winRT. I am still baffled to this day what people complained about in Win8 other than the start menu, which was a valid complaint. I still believe a large part of the issue is the iOS dumbification consumers have gone through since the iPad was released. Anyway MS didn't do enough to educate consumers and prepare them for the dual tablet/desktop OS. They also confused the heck out of everyone with WinRT, which should have never ever existed.

So now after all the complaining we get garbage like Win10 which trashes most of the tablet functionality of Win8, trashes OneDrive and has that awful start menu.

With that said though I think continuum is a VERY strong feature and in the long run I have the feeling that it will be quite popular *IF* MS gets it's marketing head out of its butt and can properly market it. Having a smartphone which can dock and act just like a desktop PC is very exciting and IMO is the next revolution. I also disagree that keeping the desktop was a bad idea, it actually is what will buoy Microsoft in the future. There is this odd belief that the desktop is dead, as if there are no professional or corporate desktop users in the world. It's this odd expectation that you should be able to write your masters thesis with an iPad one handed on the subway. No, the desktop is as important was it ever was and Microsoft was right in preserving it, they just went about it the wrong way in some aspects.

 

[spinedoc77]

Many people like Google services. Lack of Google app support is a real issue for me. At least on iOS & Android using Google services I have a consistent cross platform experience, something sadly lacking when I use my Lumia 930.

Yes there are workarounds but I'd kill for a proper YouTube, Google Play Music etc.. App

Likewise some apps on Windows are now getting a little dated. At one point their simplicity and starkness was a really good differentiator however after a number of years they are looking tired and dated.

Calendar. Contacts, even Music all look dated now. Music in particular has had difficulties with its live tile and album / artist image support for over two years now and its still not fully fixed.

So for me whilst I really enjoy it... It just can't replace my daily drivers

Likewise lack of localised app content such as banks etc.. Here is another big step back.

Add Google Voice to that list. It's such a freaking incredible service and I can't live without it. Not only having a Google voice app but having it integrated so deeply into Android that I use it for almost every single call I make and receive, and it's completely seamless and invisible to use.

 

[Wrathwitch]

When they were still with Nokia and the first Lumia came out, I was BLOWN away with the hardware. Nicest looking phone to come out since iP4. However, like everyone else here has mentioned, apps apps apps. If I didn't care too much about apps and just wanted a text, email, and camera type phone I would give it a go, rumour has it that you can get them quite reasonable at the MS store.

 

[maflynn]

Microsoft has long had the attitude that they can do whatever they want because people had no other choice.

That describes Apple to a "T" They do what ever they want. People often complain about their business practice.