Yup. This.
Why have I given up on Windows Phone? Blame Verizon | ZDNet
In my opinion, the MS/VZW situation with the Icon has done huge damage to the WP brand. Whereas 7 months ago I would have advocated for anyone switching to the platform, today I have to say I couldn't recommend it. When the largest carrier in the US can't -- for whatever reason -- get it together with MS, Nokia, and 8.1, there is basically no hope.
Sadly, I think this may be the end of the line for WP, at least in the US. If you spend all summer advertising Cortana and 8.1, and then can't deliver it on the largest carrier, it leaves a big "WTefF" in your mind about this platform. Yanking the Icon and going radio-silent on the updates means VZW simply doesn't care.
The perfect 1-2 punch to Windows users on Verizon occurs if AT&T soon comes out with a flagship Microsoft WP10 while Verizon still can't even deliver the Cyan/8.1 update.
For those of us sticking with WPs, we're outta here!
I wish I could disagree but frankly I see this as a pivotal moment for WP, and regardless of who's to "blame", Verizon is the company that stamps their name on the subsidized product. So as I said before, VZW is one of the large factors that will end WP. You can't get a foothold in the US like this, and I really don't think VZW even cares to try. It's not a money maker for them, and the MSFT cash handed out to market and support can only go so far in some organizations....
Ed Bott on ZDNet seems to sum it up pretty well:
In short, this is Verizon's fault. They have over 40% of the US market and refuse to release the 8.1 Cyan update despite the fact that every other carrier already has.
Verizon is playing a game here, and part of that game is to kill Windows Phone by holding it back every way they can. That is just purely blatant at this point. Windows Phone customers who don't know any better will blame Microsoft. Windows Phone customers who do know better are going to leave Verizon and switch to AT&T - that's a fact. Oh, and in case you haven't noticed, AT&T carries better WP Phones than Verizon, like the Lumia 1020 and 1520. Unfortunately for people like my wife who has a company phone on Verizon, and loves her Windows Phone, she's just stuck.
In all honesty, I'd rather stick with Verizon but my days with them are numbered. I've decided to give them a few more weeks. After that, if there's no news about the update I'm marching straight to an AT&T store. If Verizon does come through with the update by some miracle, I'll stick around a bit longer. But if they pull the same kind of <male cow fecal matter> with the next update, or don't offer newer WP phones when they become available from manufacturers, I will drop them like a hot rock. But you know, I truly feel like I'm giving Verizon another chance that they obviously don't deserve.
I have the HTC one M8 so I have the 8.1, but for me its the lack of app support, which I didn't really notice till i traveled recently. then it hit like a brick, no airline app, no hotel app, no taxi app etc... And this is blame squarely on MS they need to get off the pot and pay companies to develop the apps and help them if needed. If they want a smart phone market share its the only way to do it. If they can't pony up the cash and incentives it wont happen no matter what update verizon provides. i'm giving them till next septmeber which is sad cause i love the WP OS over Droid so much
I agree that the lack of apps for specific businesses is a much bigger problem than i wanted to admit. I wanted to stick with WP (had the Trophy for 3 years, bought the flagship Icon in Feb'14) and it's only gotten worse. Need an app for your bank? Hope you don't use PNC (or many others). How about one for SparkPeople? It's been "in the works" for 5 years, not coming. Airlines? Forget it. Even the new Angry Birds release I saw today is ported for WP7, not WP8 (or windows desktop, for that matter). My Healthcare provider? Applestore or GooglePlay links, nothing else. Even my online health care records service has a great lineup of apps, login options (6 separate login services!) and links to their apps on Applestore, Googleplay, but NO WP apps at all. WP has already lost on the apps front, and Verizon is putting the nail in the coffin. I think the wheels fell off when Microsoft purchase of Nokia took effect approximately one month after the release of the Icon. All promotion of WP phones went in reverse, with Verizon stores and sales actively steering customers away from Windows Phones. And now, the flagship WP (Icon) that was 'exclusive' to Verizon is mothballed less than 8 months after release, and no upgrades to 8.1 or cyan, and no honest communication about its status. I've been pretty stubborn in my active support of WP, even promoting it to friends and family - but no more, I can longer recommend this platform. Due to financial reasons, I'll wait until March 2015 and will be moving on - away from Verizon AND WP. I still find this platform superior, but lack of support on the largest US carrier and lack of apps has finally worn me out.
Very well put, and very much echo's my sentiment. I can't recommend this platform anymore. The app situation is a big catch-22. What developer (well, and the people who pay the dev) wants to waste time developing around features on a platform that won't get released by the largest US carrier? I'm a dev myself, and I won't.
Blame Verizon???
It is not Verizon which is killing the WP platform IF it is indeed being killed. MS need to put more into it.
Was the iPhone KILLED when Verizon passed on a contract to be the sole provider with iPhones? No, Apple just went with their 2nd choice of AT&T. If Verizon could kill a platform, iPhone would not be a major player today. Now the iPhone is a popular choice on all providers. Possibly MS could learn something from that.
MS needs to build demand and UNTIL their app store has comparable apps for what people want and currently use on their platforms of choice, as indicated in posts in this thread, that will NEVER happen. In the past, I have considered purchasing a WP. I did not do so, not because there were not phones available which were attractive, but because the apps I use on a regular basis WERE NOT available in the Windows Phone App Store. THAT is the bottom line.
You can't seriously compare the launch of the very first smart phone against the launch of a new smart phone platform in an already mature market. C'mon.
I know it will be a year too late but I'm hoping Windows 10 will change the app problems being the apps will be universal across all Microsoft platforms. Personally I'm not an app junkie and the apps I have installed are what I need and if not, I'm comfortable going to websites to get what I need done.
For me it's just VZW doesn't take Windows Phone seriously even though they lied through their teeth saying they wanted Windows Phone to be their third ecosystem. You can't say that and the piss all over the platform.
I really do hope when Microsoft releases Window 10 to the phones via the Preview for Developers program that in will include the firmware as rumors alluded to.
Contrary to what Apple history re-writers would like you to believe, there WERE smartphones BEFORE the iPhone. It WAS NOT the "very first smartphone".
People keep for getting about Apple's Reality Distortion Field :smileyhappy:
We had the Windows Phone Mobile(Windows CE/Pocket PC), Palm OS and Blackberry.
pa2k4p wrote: You can't seriously compare the launch of the very first smart phone against the launch of a new smart phone platform in an already mature market. C'mon.
pa2k4p wrote:
Just to use 1 manufacturer, RIM:
BB 5810 released 2002
BB 6210 released 2003
BB 6510 released 2003
BB 7210 released 2003
BB 7750 released 2004
BB 7100t released 2004
BB Pearl 8100 released 2006
BB Curve 8300 released 2007
I am sure I may have missed a few Blackberry devices in this list.
The very first iPhone was released in 2007, WELL AFTER there were already smartphones on the market!!!!!
Oh, by the way, I was using a windows phone 3-4 years ago with the HTC Touch Pro 2. I stopped using Windows Phones because of the lack of app support. It has not improved much in those years since I left. THAT is what is killing WP, not Verizon. Simply because they update their OS does not make it a new "smart phone platform". iPhone has updated its OS, Android has updated its OS, they don't call themselves a "new smart phone platform" every time they do so. C'mon.:smileyhappy:
I never realized people thought apple made the first smartphone. I used to sell lots of Palm/Treo/Windows/Blackberry devices back in the day before the iPhone. Even back then and thru my 19 years of cellular we always sold less of the windows devices, and saw more returns in them than any other platform. As this has continued I'm sure that's why.
Oy Vey.
You know what I mean. Go ahead and throw some Windows Mobile devices in your list too. Sure, there were "smart" devices at the turn of the 2000's. I know, I worked on them and wrote what we used to call "programs" for Palm and CE devices. Derp.
There are many apps that now require WP 8.1 to run. Primortal mentioned a few in another post.
In effect, by Verizon not releasing the Cyan/WP8.1 update, they are further limiting the marketplace apps we can use on our Windows phones.
Because of this, they can take a little responsibility for causing an even smaller marketplace for WP users.
Verizon screwed me when they never released Mango (WP7.5) for my HTC Trophies and now they are screwing me by not releasing Cyan/8.1 to my Lumia 822, 928, and 929 Icon.
We're done, Verizon. When the contract is up, I will go to AT&T.
corkwatchr wrote: There are many apps that now require WP 8.1 to run.
corkwatchr wrote:
There are many apps that now require WP 8.1 to run.
We are talking about 2 different things. It appears you are talking about apps available in the Windows Phone App Store BUT require WP 8.1 to run. I am talking about apps available on iOS/android and ARE NOT available in the Windows Phne App Store, regardless of which WP OS version you are using. These are apps not available EVEN if your device has WP 8.1 which I use on a daily basis. That is what is keeping me from giving WP another shot. Verizon could release WP 8.1 today and those apps would STILL not be available.
I will admit, rcschnoor, because I have never owned an iPhone or Droid, I do not know what I am missing in the Marketplace store. Instead, if there is not an app available for my WP, I end up using the phone's web browser to view a web site that offers me that same information. I suspect this is commonplace for WP users.
I do place blame on the software developers for not creating WP apps. I enjoy using the apps available. For example, there is the the Wells Fargo app. I appreciate that WF stepped up to the plate and created it for WPs.
As phone screens have become larger ("phablets") and more web sites are using HTML5/CSS3, I have usually found the web browser (WP8 w/IE10) to be adequate to get information. As well, with the larger screens and higher resolutions, mobile versions of the most popular sites are less needed.
Note that WP8.1 with IE11 offers even greater HTML5/CSS3 support. This is another way Verizon is at fault of limiting my web browsing experience and browsing security, albeit small.
HTML5test - How well does your browser support HTML5?
What is still surprising to me is that the SyFy Now application is only available for iOS and Windows phone but not Android devices. http://www.syfy.com/nowapp
Something just seems fishy about the whole situation. To me it doesn't matter anymore who's fault it is, we won't ever know the true story because people are not allowed to discuss such internal issues to the public. What concerns me is the fact that it is not out yet. Yes, I know that sounds trivial, and everybody probably is concerned about that same thing, but let me explain: I have more confidence in the ability of professional developers and engineers to fix any bugs in a shorter period of time. Due to that reasoning something seems fishy...
Apple passed on Verizon for the iPhone release because Apple wanted greater control over their own device including updates & VZW bloatware. If Apple decided to go with Big Red for exclusivity back then I'm sure iPhone would not be as popular as it is today. We see it with Windows Phones today. I would like to see a breakdown of WP users by carrier to see who has the larger market share. I'd bet on AT&T.
I have to give props to Apple for going with AT&T and controlling their own destiny.
Another great link
Mary Branscombe on Twitter: "Interesting discussion with @JackMcKethan from Verizon makes me think of @edbott http://…
Don't really need an app... Cortana tracks travel data... she did for me. Even let me know when to leave for the airport.
