Is Nokia causing fragmentation on Windows Phone with their exclusive apps? Nope.

With yesterday's announcement from Nokia describing a planned gear up of "exclusive" apps and fifty-fifty more games for their Lumia line of Windows Phones (and presumably anything else they accept up their sleeve), Nokia has won both praise and some scorn for their bold motion.

The business concern, as echoed by some in the tech printing, is that Nokia'due south move will cause that dreaded "F word" to happen. No, no that one, the other one – fragmentation.

Fragmentation is the boogey discussion of the yr due near entirely to Google and their Android OS. But equally ex-Microsoftie Charlie Kindel astutely pointed out, there isn't just one blazon of fragmentation.  Rather, there's at to the lowest degree vi ways yous can divide upward the terms with some of it being positive and some of it negative, affecting consumers or developers. Point is, they're not the same and what is causing problems for Android is not the aforementioned every bit what Nokia is doing.

The real question is, will Nokia'due south strategy to get these apps and games on their hardware hurt Windows Phone?  We say "no" and here's why.

The Reality

First, allow's not kid ourselves: Windows Telephone Bone currently garners well-nigh 2% of the mobile Os marketplace. Sure it has the globe alee of it and the potential for information technology to explode at any moment is real but information technology's going to exist quite some fourth dimension before we start to see headlines akin to "Microsoft catching upwardly to Android".

In other words, Microsoft and Windows Phone accept much bigger problems in front of them, like getting noticed, picking up those "must have apps" and getting phones into customer hands, a lot of hands.

Fragmentation, which ever blazon you're referring to, is a business concern when your platform gets so large and successful that yous accept nothing else to really worry nigh. Or at the very least, something that hinders growth and adoption. It's a luxury that Android users have this problem and it's only relevant because Android is so massive. Yet despite all the talk of negative fragmentation, it hasn't made a dent in Android sales so far.

With less than two% of the mobile Os market, there'southward really aught to fragment -- harsh, yes but that's the truth.

Will Nokia'southward move injure Windows Phone partners HTC and Samsung?

If Nokia keeps getting all of these exclusive apps and games, will information technology hurt HTC and Samsung's efforts? That's a proficient question and yes, the potential is certainly in that location. Later on all, Nokia's movement is as much to abound the platform every bit it is to best their competitors.

Still, HTC and Samsung don't accept to sit idly by. In fact, in the final ii years either ane could have washed what Nokia are doing now but they didn't. Currently nosotros take a few interesting OEM apps from Samsung and HTC only they didn't throw their weight around to try and ignite the OS, they left that to Microsoft and their wallet.

What's to end HTC and Samsung from doing the aforementioned? They probably didn't want to invest any more money into the ecosystem or perhaps they underestimated how long information technology would take for Windows Phone to have off.  Or maybe they were just inexpensive. All we know is they didn't selection this path and Nokia has so it seems odd to penalize Nokia for their admittedly adventurous conclusion.

Nokia: Taking ane for the team?

What nearly developers?

Hither'southward is where one of Android's fragmentation situations arises. With all the varying degrees of hardware, custom UIs, resolutions and irresolute SDKs developing on Android is not equally smooth as Windows Phone.

As far every bit we tin can see, Nokia's move to garner exclusive apps for the Lumia line has ZERO impact on developers – quite the contrary, in fact.

Nokia'southward movement will accelerate Windows Telephone adoption. Mostly for their hardware but once consumers commencement buying Nokia phones, the OS volition grow and developers will have even more than incentive to develop, not less. We've already seen that happen in the concluding few months. (And nosotros've heard nothing but great things from devs who've worked with Nokia straight).

Nokia but lit the fuse to a potential powder keg to become this Os moving. That benefits everyone, even Samsung and HTC. Somewhen.

Will Nokia's apps hurt Windows Phone consumers or but their feelings?

Not straight, though we could imagine some HTC and Samsung Windows Phone owners sighing with disgust every fourth dimension we announce a new Nokia-sectional game or app. That'south fair.

The message is clear: if you want the best Windows Phone experience, go with a Nokia telephone. Is that a bad thing? Well, if Nokia wasn't making some of the most interesting, best looking and talked near Windows Phones to appointment, nosotros'd say yes. (Imagine if LG was doing this and you had to buy a 'Fantasy'!).

Just Nokia is the one OEM here who is putting everything on the line with Microsoft and this Bone. Literally. There is no plan 'B' for them. Their hardware is distinct and if they want to accept the lead for the OS and design, we're actually okay with that.

Sure that'southward biased and unfair simply does anyone actually recall HTC and Samsung are going to "hero" this Os?

Some volition say that Nokia should but make these apps available to everyone right away, you lot know, basically eat the costs of making these software deals. To us that sounds ludicrous. And if you endemic Nokia stock it would exist an odd conclusion to champion every bit Nokia should get some advantage, albeit temporary, for taking the risks they are with Windows Telephone.

If all of a sudden Samsung and HTC started playing the same "exclusive" game as Nokia, that would admittedly be frustrating; just we encounter no indication that such a path will be chosen by either company now or in the future.

And so who does win?

The consumers exercise, of course. Windows Telephone is finally getting an OEM that it deserves, one who is grabbing these companies past the lapels and getting these most-wanted apps made.

Paypal, Rovio, ESPN, Groupon, Time Mag, Newsweek, CNN, etc. all could have fabricated some of the near cutting border Windows Phone apps out at that place in the past. We're certain Microsoft would have lent developer support as they always practice and the apps would be regularly featured in the Windows Phone Marketplace.

That didn't happen. Face it, the only reason we're getting these apps is considering Nokia did whatsoever it is they did to get these companies to the table.

The choice comes down to no i having these apps or Nokia having them (at least, temporarily) and if that is the option, we'll accept the latter -- Windows Phone Bone needs the boost.  We'll be the first to admit technically it'south "unfair" but as we mentioned earlier, Windows Phone doesn't have the luxury to worry about exclusive-app fragmentation right now.

We need to propagate the Bone, the ecosystem and the user base by whatever means necessary, considering with the current adoption rates and RIMs BlackBerry 10 looming this fall, competition will only get more violent (even if we call up RIM is DOA).

We do lament that it has to come to one OEM leading the charge for Windows Phone app development, no argument there from us. It would take been better if these apps were but available to anybody simply if that were the example, we probably wouldn't exist talking about disquieting marking share, would nosotros?

Bottom line: nosotros don't see Nokia'south potential "fragmentation" every bit beingness a negative value. Instead, information technology's positive equally it won't hinder the growth and adoption of the OS, which is the just type of fragmentation we should be concerned about. We look the reverse effect: Nokia will go on to spur growth and adoption of Windows Phone and we're okay with that.

It's here

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/nokia-causing-fragmentation-windows-phone-their-exclusive-apps

Posted by: harrisonabitte54.blogspot.com

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