Windows phone - state of the platform

[jamezr]

Have you used windows 10 on a phone? They've been updating and making changes to the UI. I like windows phones, and wp8 is a solid mobile OS, though the UI decisions they've made haven't been that well received. Based on that feedback, they've made quite a bit of alterations to the UI.

I had to revert back to win8 because the latest build was too unstable to be used unfortunately.

I am excited to try W10 on a phone. I would love to see MS hit it out of the park with W10. The app porting issues remain to be worked out though.
I have tried WP8 twice in the last year with Nokia Icon and Lumia 1520. Great phones but I need more customization from the UI. They need to make all tiles be transparent and live tiles. Some of the bundled apps on WP8 do not support this. As a whole I think MS is moving in the right direction under the new leadership. I think app porting can sometimes lead to a not so great a user experience.

 

[spinedoc77]

Honestly I don't know if this is going to help. It won't change the basic UI changes that need to happen. If you port more apps to WP will they function the same as on IOS/Android? If they do not then it will lead to even more dissatisfied customers leaving the WP platform. If you have a favorite app like Swiftkey for example on Android. Now try it on IOS. Its not the same user experience. This will happen a lot when apps get ported over to WP.

I think the UI is fine, actually I think it's great. The main issue with WP is the lack of apps. If you read how they are incorporating ios/android apps they will be able to have WP functions like live tiles, etc. They are not just going to be apps in a sandbox. So now instead of completely rewriting their program code a developer can just plug it in and make minor changes. I think this, and if they follow through with making phones act like full PC's will catapult them over the top. Microsoft can leap android this way as they already have cheap phones, androids main selling point besides apps. iOS isn't difficult to leap over in functionality they are stuck in 2010, and Microsoft has shown it has the hardware pedigree with the surface line. That combination may be enough to put a sizable dent in the market.

 

[jamezr]

I think the UI is fine, actually I think it's great. The main issue with WP is the lack of apps. If you read how they are incorporating ios/android apps they will be able to have WP functions like live tiles, etc. They are not just going to be apps in a sandbox. So now instead of completely rewriting their program code a developer can just plug it in and make minor changes. I think this, and if they follow through with making phones act like full PC's will catapult them over the top. Microsoft can leap android this way as they already have cheap phones, androids main selling point besides apps. iOS isn't difficult to leap over in functionality they are stuck in 2010, and Microsoft has shown it has the hardware pedigree with the surface line. That combination may be enough to put a sizable dent in the market.

Have you tried Swiftkey on Android? It is one of the best keyboards you can get on an Android phone. Have you tried it on IOS? It is totally not even close to the same user experience. the app crashes and doesn't have the same options and features. This is even after a ton of feedback and the dev trying to make it the exact same app from one platform to the other. Sometimes what make a app function perfectly on one platform does not carry over to another platform. I have seen this so many times over the years when apps get ported over to another platform. They have to change just enough that the great user experience people had on the original platform the app was written one does not carry over to another platform. You will see this ten fold when IOS/Android apps get ported over to WP.

Sorry but the UI does need to change. It has the market share it does for a reason.

 

[maflynn]

Have you tried Swiftkey on Android? It is one of the best keyboards you can get on an Android phone. Have you tried it on IOS? It is totally not even close to the same user experience.

I think your example is not representative of the porting advantages/disadvantages.

The bugs and issues with keyboards on iOS are not be the result of the UI. I agree those keyboards are not as usable as they are on Android. That's an issue with how Apple bolted on that capability in iOS much later after the fact. To be honest, I find there implementation a bit kludgey.

On the other hand, allowing xcode to be ported, and tweaked on win10 is a completely different topic. The developer can then after having the code in Visual Studio update/tweak as they see fit.

 

[spinedoc77]

Have you tried Swiftkey on Android? It is one of the best keyboards you can get on an Android phone. Have you tried it on IOS? It is totally not even close to the same user experience. the app crashes and doesn't have the same options and features. This is even after a ton of feedback and the dev trying to make it the exact same app from one platform to the other. Sometimes what make a app function perfectly on one platform does not carry over to another platform. I have seen this so many times over the years when apps get ported over to another platform. They have to change just enough that the great user experience people had on the original platform the app was written one does not carry over to another platform. You will see this ten fold when IOS/Android apps get ported over to WP.

Sorry but the UI does need to change. It has the market share it does for a reason.

WP UI is there strongest point, they would lose a lot of users if they change that. I love the UI and most that use it love it also. What are they going to do, copy the iOS UI?

You are right that there is great risk involved if the apps end up sucking so MS better make sure that doesn't happen, but apps sucking doesn't necessarily mean the UI is what's making them bad. There are lots of apps on Android which function just as well if not better than their iOS counterparts but with a different UI.

On some level it will come down to the tools MS offers, and also the laziness of the developer to adapt to the UI.

 

[jamezr]

I think your example is not representative of the porting advantages/disadvantages.

The bugs and issues with keyboards on iOS are not be the result of the UI. I agree those keyboards are not as usable as they are on Android. That's an issue with how Apple bolted on that capability in iOS much later after the fact. To be honest, I find there implementation a bit kludgey.

On the other hand, allowing xcode to be ported, and tweaked on win10 is a completely different topic. The developer can then after having the code in Visual Studio update/tweak as they see fit.

I will take your word on the coding part Mike. I am not a coder at all.

I am basing my thoughts on the experiences i have had over the last 10 years of watching and using apps that have been ported over from one platform to another. The experiences that made them great on one platform does not always carry over to the next.
But I am excited to try W10 later this year when it comes out.

 

[jamezr]

WP UI is there strongest point, they would lose a lot of users if they change that. I love the UI and most that use it love it also. What are they going to do, copy the iOS UI?

You are right that there is great risk involved if the apps end up sucking so MS better make sure that doesn't happen, but apps sucking doesn't necessarily mean the UI is what's making them bad. There are lots of apps on Android which function just as well if not better than their iOS counterparts but with a different UI.

On some level it will come down to the tools MS offers, and also the laziness of the developer to adapt to the UI.

Nope don't want an IOS UI copy to W8. How about just being able to change all the size of any tile I want? Some you can some you can't. Now i want to have a wallpaper and actually have all the tiles be transparent. No matter what app i put on my screen I want it to be transparent. Next i don't want just a white or black interface. I want to have customization throughout the UI. How about GPS does that work on W8....didn't work so well on my Icon.
I am excited to try WP again with W10 and a handset designed to be used with W10.

 

[jamezr]

Have you used windows 10 on a phone? They've been updating and making changes to the UI. I like windows phones, and wp8 is a solid mobile OS, though the UI decisions they've made haven't been that well received. Based on that feedback, they've made quite a bit of alterations to the UI.

I had to revert back to win8 because the latest build was too unstable to be used unfortunately.

I haven't used it yet. I don't have a Windows phone anymore. I will probably get one later this year when W10 is released.