Windows Phone 8: The 7 Platform Mistakes

I have been using the system for some time. Windows Phone on my Nokia Lumia 820. It was even the subject of a review, which can be seen using this link. As you can see at the time, the device has very good hardware, considering the proposed price (the Nokia currently sell it for R$1.427,51 – unlocked model).

But the operating system that makes this machine work, the Windows Phone 8 da ecosystem, still can and should evolve. Therefore, in this post, I will point out 7 items in which I believe the developers of the mobile OS of ecosystem should strive to make this a better and better system:

1 - Notifications:

If you want to have a more familiar and complete experience in Windows Phone, it is recommended to access the system app store and download the app from Facebook. All goes well until you get a friend request on Facebook. By the way you don't get it, at least not in the WP8.

The truth is, in my tests, I didn't receive notifications from the Facebook in the official app, even though you have enabled receiving settings in the app menu. And, to prove that this is not an isolated case, I recommend a visit to the forum of ecosystem, where similar cases are presented for users to present suggestions (often valid) to solve this type of problem.

2 - Telephone

When using one of the smartphone's basic features such as the “Phone” application, we noticed that the system has not yet thought of all the important points to facilitate its use. For example, by clicking on the “tile” Telephone, the numeric keypad is missing. Alright, we imagine the developer thought of a future where we no longer need to memorize phone numbers. But this is not always the case (or will) of the user, is it?

Anyone who wants to use the numeric keypad will have to click on one more button within the application, the tiny one at the bottom of the screen. If for some it is enough, for those who prefer to type numbers this additional step can be annoying. The suggestion here would be a screen that already presents the two options: search field by name and numeric keypad, at the same time.

3 - Calendar

Now, it's time to work! We will then use the calendar application of Windows Phone 8 to organize everyday events. OK, the system ecosystem was thought to be simple and minimalist (which, by the way, is a beautiful choice). But, try to find out in the image below which event we have scheduled on March 22, 2013:

On the main screen of the calendar, it's impossible to know, isn't it? It can be said that the overview of the calendar is exactly that, not so designed for the “small” screens of smartphones. I should note that as a system user Android, I am also not very satisfied with the Calendar default OS of the little robot, but this one from Windows Phone it's not practical. Both should learn (amazingly!) with the Samsung and his S Planner, calendar that accompanies smartphones like the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note (I and II).

4 - Personalization

The biggest advantage of Android, in my opinion, it's its power of customization. O Windows Phone is, without a doubt, an innovative system with an interesting proposal for the tablet and smartphone market. Not for nothing, the ecosystem already incorporated its interface to the new Windows 8 for PCs, giving more joviality to the system.

But, this is still a rather rigid interface, which can quickly turn into something boring and tiring, right? A suggestion at this point would be to ask the platform developers for greater freedom in creating and customizing the device (either in the applications or in the system's user interface), although I recognize that this is a difficult task in a system as "distinct" as the Windows Phone. Today it is beautiful and innovative, but I confess that I cannot imagine how MS will be able to keep it visually more interesting than the competition in the near future.

5 - Applications

Everything I said above could easily be disregarded if the operating system had a diversity of applications, at least similar to what we have in stores Google Play (Android) ou na App Store (iOS). Unfortunately, the difference between these stores and the Windows Phone Store it's still big. Just as an example, we can cite the Dropbox – well-known cloud file storage service – which has versions of applications for the Android, iOS, Blackberry, Kindle Fire, etc…. but has no plans to release an app for the Windows Phone.

There are also no official apps for the Pocket, Instagram and even for services Google, which is known to be present on the most diverse platforms, except for the WP8. The fact is that not even third-party applications work satisfactorily and, when they do, they are far behind in functionality compared to competitors on other platforms.

6 – Windows Marketplace

The app store of ecosystem o Windows Phone has improved a lot, but we should note that some basic problems persist unfixed. First: the credit card registration process is confusing and obscure, even using the Brazilian store. With national address and cards, none of my 6 cards (from different operators) were accepted. I tried in every way to find answers and even, as far as I understood, the store only accepts international credit cards.

The process of transferring applications to the smartphone, when done download by the desktop store version is also confusing and annoying. Practically every time I tried to do the download of applications on the web, I ended up coming across this not very enlightening screen:

When this happens, an email is sent with the download to the address you are registered at WP8. Then, you must click on the link sent in the email for the software to be downloaded and installed on the device. Confused, no?

7 - Uncertainties

Perhaps it is possible to say that what most bothers the system Windows Phone is the constant climate of uncertainty. It is clear that the ecosystem is making an effort, acting on all fronts to gain market share. We have reports of numerous marketing campaigns, presentations and even cash bonuses aimed at attracting developers to the platform. Still, most manufacturers aren't thrilled.

So far, the only one that seems to be betting all its chips on the company's mobile OS ecosystem is Nokia. LG e Samsung they have already stated clearly that in their plans there is no priority to develop smartphones and tablets with Windows Phone.

Therefore, considering the high prices paid in some of the high-end phones with the system WP8, what guarantees do I have that the investment applied to my Lumia 920 will be compensated with system updates and bug fixes in the future. On the current treadmill, chances are high that my model will be “abandoned” in a recent version of Windows Phone.

Windows Phone 8 worth it?

After two weeks, I gave up on the platform Windows Phone, at least for the moment. Many might say that I'm exaggerating, that these are small bugs that can be fixed, etc. But, honestly, I'm tired of having an experience of use hampered by these (and other) small defects in my day to day.

Considering the current state of platforms for mobile devices, it might be the case if I dock my ship in safer ports (at least, currently), like the systems Android e iOS. After all, why should I insist on a platform, with the risk of losing money, if I have 2 other options that are much more consistent?

If the ecosystem interested in hearing my opinion, I would recommend that she focus on reducing the price of her devices (instead of investing in campaigns against other operating systems), thus justifying the purchase of those who are interested in betting on a new and still uncertain OS.

Of course, these are just my “two cents”. I would love to hear (provided politely) your comments from you readers.