Windows Phone 8.1 Features

theothernt

beauf wrote: »

Making the most commonly used buttons smaller is a bit daft. As its new to 8.1 you could argue its a feature... ; )

The team responsible for the Xbox Music apps are taking constant feedback...

http://xboxmusic.uservoice.com/forums/209733-xbox-music-suggestion-box

Add a new suggestion, or vote for existing ones - then post a link here to get more support for it.

For example, the 'smaller buttons' issue is probably down to the team not testing on physically smaller handsets eg. 520 and 620.

beauf

Not testing the 520 would be some omission.

http://m.wpcentral.com/one-year-later-nokia-lumia-520-owns-global-market

Its not even a different screen res

theothernt

beauf wrote: »

Not testing the 520 would be some omission.

http://m.wpcentral.com/one-year-later-nokia-lumia-520-owns-global-market

Its not even a different screen res

Sorry, what I should have said was - I'm sure they test on the 520, notice that everything is a bit smaller, don't see it as an issue, and continue on. Quick functional testing usually doesn't reveal longer-term usability issues.

liamog

As stated, post it onto the uservoice, they are actively taking suggestions there, the music app has improved dramatically since the beginning of the developer preview mostly based on uservoice priorities.

beauf

theothernt wrote: »

Sorry, what I should have said was - I'm sure they test on the 520, notice that everything is a bit smaller, don't see it as an issue, and continue on. Quick functional testing usually doesn't reveal longer-term usability issues.

In my experience it does.

MS has really lost it GUI standards across all of its platforms including the desktop and Mobile. One minute you have gigantic text and buttons, the next tiny buttons on the most commonly used controls. Style over function IMO.

zom

PaulieC wrote: »

and that's fair enough, but calling people idiots because they weren't aware of his particular favourite button size is idiotic in itself. There are channels for feedback, this forum is most definitely not one of them.

Judging from extremely negative feedback from most users all around the world for their Windows 8 for PCs, they don't mind any feedback (or are just idiots).

_Kaiser_

zom wrote: »

Judging from extremely negative feedback from most users all around the world for their Windows 8 for PCs, they don't mind any feedback (or are just idiots).

To be fair, they have (effectively/quietly) conceded that Win 8.0 was a mess - that's why 8.1 and the subsequent Update 1 have gone a long way to fixing some of the issues such as booting directly to Desktop, Metro apps in a window etc

Win 9/"Threshold" will be bringing back the "proper" Start Menu as well (albeit with Metro apps where the user folders are now on the Win 7 menu).

liamog

zom wrote: »

Judging from extremely negative feedback from most users all around the world for their Windows 8 for PCs, they don't mind any feedback

Since Nadella came in they have really turned around their response to customers. They're embracing uservoice as the medium of choice for feedback and using it to drive product development.

They're even down to open sourcing the .net compiler and actually taking contribs from the community. They are no longer your fathers Microsoft.

beauf

Seems to be they are still the developer led company they always were. More interested in can they do this rather than should they from a user perspective.

zom

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

To be fair, they have (effectively/quietly) conceded that Win 8.0 was a mess

No, they weren't - they just got a kick in their a55e5 from PC manufacturers in panic because of dramatic sale decline. So far Microsoft was always deaf to customers opinion.

My best mobile ever was HTC Himalaya from 2004 - based on Windows Mobile, it allow user to do incredible things like map hardware buttons:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH9p5DnOjT4

So all of you modern smartphone users, you can only dream about freedom we had years ago. Pity that gears can't cope any more - even the best piece of hardware got its limits, unfortunately.

liamog

beauf wrote: »

Seems to be they are still the developer led company they always were. More interested in can they do this rather than should they from a user perspective.

Did you even look at the uservoice sites? Or are you steadfastly refusing to?

They are quite literally taking user feedback and implementing it across the majority of their product lines. Its by no means an instant process.

Is they're anything specific that you can highlight where they are still just doing things whilst ignoring users as I'm quite intrigued at this point.

The Governor

Hey lads quick question.

My mother just got the Lumia 520 and it seems to be getting the 8.1 update.

I just want to know are these updates done via wifi or has it to be flashed or something?

Any idea when it's out for the 520?

awec

It comes via wifi. Phone will be unusable for about 15/20 minutes while it updates, but you have to tell it to update - it won't just randomly start without you knowing.

It'll come whenever her network release it, not sure on date.

beauf

WiFi and when ever your network releases it. If you have the developer preview you can skip all that. 520 had it for ages on the preview.

beauf

liamog wrote: »

Did you even look at the uservoice sites? Or are you steadfastly refusing to?

They are quite literally taking user feedback and implementing it across the majority of their product lines. Its by no means an instant process.

Is they're anything specific that you can highlight where they are still just doing things whilst ignoring users as I'm quite intrigued at this point.

They shouldn't need users to tell them basic features. For example one of the popular things on the uservoice is a data toggle. It's been around since mobile data was invented.

I see they are taking away the camera hard key now. I doubt that was user demand.

WP8.1 is a vast improvement over 8.0. But the rate of change is glacial.

The Governor

awec wrote: »

It comes via wifi. Phone will be unusable for about 15/20 minutes while it updates, but you have to tell it to update - it won't just randomly start without you knowing.

It'll come whenever her network release it, not sure on date.

Ah ok thanks Well it's a sim free version and she's on 48 so not sure what will happen there

Fingleberries

beauf wrote: »

They shouldn't need users to tell them basic features. For example one of the popular things on the uservoice is a data toggle. It's been around since mobile data was invented.

I see they are taking away the camera hard key now. I doubt that was user demand.

WP8.1 is a vast improvement over 8.0. But the rate of change is glacial.

Data Toggle is already there - the request is to have it as an option you can add to the action centre.

Microsoft essentially have four sets of customers.

1. Enterprise - this is where the big money is at. Businesses big and small, many of whom will spend vast sums of money for software assurance - look at how many companies or government agencies paid for extended support for Windows XP.

2. Hardware Manufacturers - without these guys, there'd be no point for Microsoft to do anything because there'd be nothing for them to run. Again, there's huge money here from licensing fees.

3. Consumers - You and I. The ordinary Joe soap who will fork out a couple of hundred euro for a phone, Xbox or PC.

4. Internal Microsoft teams - for example, the office team, the visual studio team, the OS team. So they can try to coordinate releases and features.


Let's face it, any sane company is going to go where the money is. So a lot of the changes in Windows Phone recently have been to get it "Enterprise Ready" and also to get more Manufacturers on board.

Dropping the Hardware Camera button might seem a big deal (I like it on my 920, but it's too spongy on the 520), but it brings in other manufacturers who didn't want to have to redesign existing successful hardware (big risk for unknown reward). Now, we have the likes of HTC coming on board with their 'One'.

Dropping the licence fee for Windows Phone, again a decision that brings a whole host of manufacturers on board.

Internally Microsoft is changing so there aren't all the little fiefdoms and there is more collaboration - something that will take some time to fully implement when you're the size of Microsoft.

Recently, they just announced 300,000 apps in the Phone Store. Ok, not 300,000 quality apps - but how many of the million plus apps in the Play store are quality (and how many floppy Burdz games are there?)

So, the visible changes for us the consumer may not appear at the rate we would like, but the background and under the hood changes are going ahead to improve the ecosystem (More manufacturers = More WP handsets = More Customers, potentially = More Market Share = More App Developers take note = More Apps .... Etc.)

Having a third ecosystem in the Smartphone market is a good thing and Microsoft seem to be determined to make an effort of it. If it works out, fair play. I have to say that WP 8.1 has been really good since the Update, and it looks like getting better.

liamog

beauf wrote: »

They shouldn't need users to tell them basic features. For example one of the popular things on the uservoice is a data toggle. It's been around since mobile data was invented.

I see they are taking away the camera hard key now. I doubt that was user demand.

WP8.1 is a vast improvement over 8.0. But the rate of change is glacial.

We've had 8.0 and three updates and now 8.1 and and its 1st update. So in 18 months that's six releases of updates. Not a particularly glacial pace if you ask me.

As to people telling them what they want, yes this is something people need to do.

You want a data toggle, I don't, but there are new features that I would like. How do you decide which one to spend time on? My guess is that a data toggle will be in update 2 for 8.1 because users who give feedback have said that's what's wanted.

senordingdong

I'm running the dev preview on my 920 and since i installed it the phone had been sluggish on some apps and games.

I assume this is just a problem worth the dev preview and won't be an issue with the official release.

beauf

I've not noticed any slow down on the 520.

beauf

liamog wrote: »

We've had 8.0 and three updates and now 8.1 and and its 1st update. So in 18 months that's six releases of updates. Not a particularly glacial pace if you ask me.

As to people telling them what they want, yes this is something people need to do.

You want a data toggle, I don't, but there are new features that I would like. How do you decide which one to spend time on? My guess is that a data toggle will be in update 2 for 8.1 because users who give feedback have said that's what's wanted.

Thats why we have Nokia storybook bit no data toggle, or a working timer.

Makes perfect sense.

beauf

Fingleberries wrote: »

Data Toggle is already there - the request is to have it as an option you can add to the action centre. ....

That is a perfect MS reply. User requests light. They redefine darkness as light.

If its there, why do they need to add it to the action center. Unless of course its not a toggle as the world has understood that term for the past 20yrs.

PaulieC

beauf wrote: »

Thats why we have Nokia storybook bit no data toggle, or a working timer.

Makes perfect sense.

I'm not sure if you are intentionally trolling, but until a couple of months ago, Nokia were a separate company. Nokia (the separate company) made the storyteller app. Microsoft make the OS.

PaulieC

beauf wrote: »

That is a perfect MS reply. User requests light. They redefine darkness as light.

If its there, why do they need to add it to the action center. Unless of course its not a toggle as the world has understood that term for the past 20yrs.

There is a toggle under Settings/cellular+SIM. The request is to move the toggle to the Notifications area. Simples.

beauf

PaulieC wrote: »

There is a toggle under Settings/cellular+SIM. The request is to move the toggle to the Notifications area. Simples.

Well if you're happy with that great. But many people aren't. Having onscreen toggles has be defacto for a very long time. I don't see why they need a user group to tell them these things.

http://blogs.computerworld.com/windows-phone/24202/windows-phone-continues-slide-now-under-3-share-worldwide-it-finally-dead

Most of these "features" should have been in Windows Phone 7.0. Its taken 4yrs to get features its competitors had 4yrs ago. I think a lot of people waited for WP8/8.1 to give it a try. Tried it, find things missing, then go back to IOS/Android.

For example. There was a big fuss about getting Skype working in. Here we are in 2014 and they are removing the front camera off their low end models. In its own thats a cost cutting measure, but when your biggest sellers are the low market, it becomes a different issue.

Thats the problem with MS and WP. It does so much, so much better than Android and IOS. But that last 10% it completely fails on.

liamog

beauf wrote: »

That is a perfect MS reply. User requests light. They redefine darkness as light.

If its there, why do they need to add it to the action center. Unless of course its not a toggle as the world has understood that term for the past 20yrs.

The action center has only just been added, the toggle for data has been in the OS since WP7.

Your actual request is for the Data Toggle to be added to the Action Center. I think this is a reasonable request and that you should vote it up on UserVoice so it's given the priority you think it deserves.

How are you defining a toggle, in the WP OS its a switch to turn something off and on, that's in the settings already.

beauf

liamog wrote: »

...How are you defining a toggle, in the WP OS its a switch to turn something off and on, that's in the settings already.

I'd like all the most often used controls buried in the settings menu.

Because the important issue is that we get what its called right. How it works, that's a non issue. I know you're trying to be helpful but you're missing the bigger picture.

beauf

Why don't we forget that line of discussion. Its not really Wp8.1 features.

Anyone have a problem with files? I find it copies/movies small batches of files (usually photos) around no problem. Do a good few say 10+ and it crashes back to the desktop?

smacg

senordingdong wrote: »

I'm running the dev preview on my 920 and since i installed it the phone had been sluggish on some apps and games.

I assume this is just a problem worth the dev preview and won't be an issue with the official release.

I too have noticed this on a 520. Might do a software recovery on it and re-install to see if that makes a difference as the official release is now available.

_Kaiser_

smacg wrote: »

I too have noticed this on a 520. Might do a software recovery on it and re-install to see if that makes a difference as the official release is now available.

Since updating my 1320 to the final/official Cyan + 8.1 (+ Dev Preview Update) I've found it to run better and smoother generally. Battery life seems improved as well.

Bear in mind that 8.1/Dev Preview is only OS/Software updates
Cyan is the underlying hardware so driver and firmware updates and hardware-specific tweaks

You need both for best results