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“You can’t sell a phone without the apps”, says Nokia — so Microsoft needs to pull its finger out if Windows Phone is to be a success.
Nokia vice president Bryan Biniak
has revealed frustration with the app situation for Windows Phone devices. Windows Phone is still behind rivals Apple and Android in terms of apps, so “To give you a reason to switch,” Biniak told IBTimes, “I need to make sure the apps that you care about on your device are not only on our phones, but are better. I also need to provide you unique experiences that you can’t get on your other devices.”
Nokia has released no fewer than ten new Lumia Windows Phones in the last year, but the platform still holds only a relatively small fraction of the phone market.
“It’s not just about the hardware, it’s about the tools that are on the hardware. You can’t sell a phone without the apps, you just can’t.”
“If there is an app that somebody cares about that’s not there that’s a missed opportunity of a sale.”
The Windows Phone Store currently has 165,000 apps on its shelves, compared to the 900,000 or more in the Apple App Store, and the million apps in the Google Play shop.
Biniak reveals frustration with Microsoft’s pace, as a software company that’s relatively slow-moving. “We are trying to evolve the cultural thinking to say ‘time is of the essence.’ Waiting until the end of your fiscal year when you need to close your targets doesn’t do us any good when I have phones to sell today.”
Is Nokia right to stick with Windows Phone? Are apps as important as Nokia says? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
