![]() We've also seen releases of hit apps Dropbox, Instagram, and Vine, as well as apps for widely used services such as Mint and Evernote. Don't forget that Windows Phones come with Microsoft Office Mobile, letting you view, edit, and sync Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents with the ultimate in file compatibility. The Windows Phone app situation isn't as bleak as it used to be: It's got you covered with pretty much all the essentials: Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Pandora, Spotify, Angry Birds, Temple Run, Words with Friends, Yelp the list goes on. There were plenty of quality candidates that we weren't able to include. Of course, with that number available, our top 30 may not include your top app, but our choices are intended to have wide appeal. Yes, a lot of them are of questionable quality, but Microsoft recently announced measures (Opens in a new window) to improve their profile. But with over 300,000 entries now in the Windows Phone store, it's hard to complain about a dearth of apps. There's no denying that Windows Phone still trails iOS and Android in both the sheer number of apps and the speed with which hot new apps appear on the platform. Some unique models are available for the platform as well, including the unmatched 41-megapixel camera-boasting Nokia Lumia 1020 ($199.99 at Amazon) (Opens in a new window), the Lumia Icon, the Lumia 1520 ($229.00 at Amazon) (Opens in a new window) phablet, and the stylish HTC One (M8). ![]() Indeed, people who own Windows Phone love their operating system, according to PCMag's Readers' Choice survey. But another motivation to switch to Windows Phone is that you're an iconoclast and don't want to be another iPhone- or Android-toting clone you want to stand out from the crowd. A bragging right over Android is that you're more likely to be running the latest OS version, since Microsoft will bypass the carriers (Opens in a new window) when updating it. Other advantages include the Cortana voice-response digital assistant. Windows Phone's shape-writing keyboard with word prediction is the best I've used, blowing away any of the iOS add-in keyboards and even the Android stock keyboard. And the Rooms family sharing space and Kids Corner mode make the OS more family friendly than the alternatives. The tiles can be translucent, showing your image through, and the lock screen is more customizable and informative than that of the Apple iPhone, too. The Facebook app shows your latest activity, and weather apps show current conditions and forecasts-without you even having to launch the apps. The tile home-screen design not only makes getting to the app you want easier (even with one-handed operation) but also displays info relevant to the app right on the home screen. That should help open the floodgate of new apps to the Windows phone ecosystem and lessen people's apprehension about making the switch.īut why make the switch? There are several reasons this is an appealing mobile OS. At its Build developer conference, Microsoft announced that Android and iOS apps would be a cinch for developers to port so they could run on Windows 10 Mobile. Internet sleuths have discovered an Android subsystem in the latest Windows 10 Mobile Technical Preview build. Another fillip will be the new "hero" phone to be released with the new OS.Īnother development that will have massive effects for the Windows Phone app landscape will be Android near-compatibility with Windows 10 Mobile. The tight integration with the leading desktop OS could give Windows on smartphones the boost it really needs, with lackluster sales of the handsets. Those that make sense for both will be dubbed Universal apps. There will still, of course, be apps that make more sense for phones than for desktops. This is huge, as it will become a flavor of the same operating system that runs on more computers than any other. Before the end of the year it will be replaced by Windows 10, or more specifically, Windows 10 Mobile.
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