Interesting Hardware
Although software is more important than hardware, the device itself is still what gets people excited–you can see it in the way people freak about new iPhones, even though updates to iOS are much more meaningful. With Windows Phone 8, Microsoft has laid the groundwork for better hardware by supporting dual-core processors and screen resolutions up to 1280×768. But it’s still up to hardware makers to create exciting phones that pique the interest of consumers. Nokia’s done some good work with its existing Lumia phones, but let’s see HTC, Huawei and Samsung wow consumers as well.
Better Marketing Campaigns
When I think back to how Android got on the map, Verizon’s original “iDon’t” ads for the Motorola Droid stand out. They were perfect for the time, pointing out the iPhone’s weaknesses while offering an alternative to Verizon customers, who in December 2009 couldn’t buy the iPhone anyway. Nokia’s recent “Smartphone Beta Test” ads, which suggested that all other phones are broken products, seemed like a cheap imitation, and AT&T’s Lumia 900 ads are pretty tame. Microsoft can do better, and finally get people talking about Windows Phone.
Google Search
Call me crazy, but I think Microsoft makes a mistake by not letting users choose their default search engine on Windows Phones. Devout users–that is, Microsoft fans–probably don’t mind, but most people prefer Google, and forcing them to use Bing means they’ve got one more unfamiliar thing to deal with when they consider a Windows Phone. I understand that Bing needs to be at the heart of the phone’s search functions, but Microsoft should at least let users default to Google in the web browser.
Developer Support for the Cool New Features
In Windows Phone 8, app developers can incorporate spoken input, so users can search by voice or dictate commands. It sounds useful, but it’s entirely dependent on developer support — and that’s not a given. Windows Phone 7.5 has a similar problem with “secondary tiles,” which allow users to create home screen links to a specific part of an app, but only if developers add support for it. I’m worried that voice input could see slow adoption from app developers–especially if they’re just porting iPhone and Android apps using the new native code support in Windows Phone 8 without doing much extra work.
Cloud-Based Media Services
Apple’s iTunes has always been a huge hook for iPhone users, and with iCloud, it’s even more alluring. Users know that if they buy a new iPhone–and for that matter, an iPad or iPod Touch– all their MP3s purchased from iTunes will be immediately available, and that they can always plug into iTunes to get the rest or pay $25 a year to sync their music. Android users can sync all their music with Google Play and their songs on any device.
Windows Phone doesn’t have any similar cloud services. To sync music from a PC to a Windows Phone, you’ve got to use Microsoft’s Zune software, but Zune is a dead brand walking. More SkyDrive integration is rumored for Windows Phone 8, but music and video syncing needs to be free, or priced very aggressively, to get people on board.
Serious Verizon Wireless Support
So far, the largest wireless carrier in the United States has only offered a single Windows Phone handset, the HTC Trophy, and that was back in early 2011, before the launch of Windows Phone 7.5. Verizon told PCMag that it “will support the Windows Phone 8 platform,” but its exact plans are unclear. I define “serious Verizon support” as multiple phones, a big marketing push and retail staff that are eager to sell Microsoft’s platform.
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