Over the past week we’ve seen a huge influx of new information on Windows Phone 8.1. You can thank the beta Windows Phone 8.1 SDK leak for supplying us with info that’s helping to give a better sense of what’s coming next for Windows Phone. The next big update is a mix of headline grabbing features, like Cortana, and small improvements, like muted conversations, that together add up to create the best version of Windows Phone yet. You don’t want to miss the entire list of Windows Phone 8.1 features that we just compiled earlier today. It’s a pretty impressive set of features coming, but is it too late?
That’s the question you guys are asking in the forums. Despite the impressive gains made by Windows Phone 8.1, is it too little and too late? Windows Phone 7 launched over three years ago and Microsoft has only managed to grab somewhere around 3% of the global smartphone marketshare. While Android controls nearly 80% of the market and iOS controls about 17%. Is that an unsurmountable gap for Windows Phone?
Here’s what paulm187 asks in the forums:
"The rumored features for Windows Phone 8.1 has got me excited for the platform. But there is a nagging feeling that it may be too little too late. After 3 years in the market place, it has only managed a paltry 3% market share. Android, love it or loath it has become the default choice for tablets and smart phones. It has in fact become bigger than Google itself in that they themselves have lost control of the OS and are trying to rein it in. As for the future of Windows on phones & tablets, I'm not sure where it will be heading. Somehow, I feel whatever changes and features are announced at Build, the market gap has widened so much that Windows Phone will never be able to catch up. It may be the case of closing the stable doors after the horse has bolted. I'm a WP fan and love the OS, but in all honesty what do you really think? Are you as optimistic as when you first bought into the platform?"
Paul brings up a few good points. The numbers and market share that Android and iOS control are crazy high when compared to Windows Phone. The conversation in the forums has people arguing for and against the assertion that it’s too late for Windows Phone.
Head to the Windows Phone Central forums to answer Paul and take part in the conversation.
