Possible trouble in paradise for Nokia and Microsoft? According to a new report, Nokia’s VP, Bryan Biniak, has made comments indicating that the company is not happy with Microsoft’s “end of the bargain” since many important apps are missing from the Windows Phone platform. Is this the start of trouble to come between the two companies, or a realization that more apps are indeed needed for Windows Phone to succeed?
Back in February of 2011, Nokia and Microsoft formed a “strategic” partnership to hopefully make a big impact in the smartphone arena. Fast forward to today, Nokia has played a big role in the success of Windows Phone, pitting Windows Phone 8 in third place against Android and iOS. However, Nokia’s VP believes that people want a reason to make the jump to Windows Phone.
“To give you a reason to switch, 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. People rely on applications for their day-to-day life and if you don’t have something which I use in my day-to-day life I’m not going to switch [operating systems] because I don’t want to compromise the way I live my life just to switch to a phone. 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,” Biniak argues.
Nokia is excellent for releasing new smartphones, especially in its Lumia line of Windows Phone devices. Recently, Nokia revealed the Lumia 1020, which is the company’s newest flagship Windows Phone 8 device. Biniak makes a great point, however. Who cares about new phones when you don’t have the apps that people care about?
“We are releasing new devices frequently and for every new device, if there is an app that somebody cares about that’s not there that’s a missed opportunity of a sale,” Biniak states. He adds that “time is of the essence” and that important apps need to be in the Windows Phone Store right now, not later.
Nokia also recently revealed that the company was working on an Instagram app for Windows Phone 8, an app that has been highly sought after. “As a company we don’t want to rely on somebody else and sit and wait for them to get it right,” Biniak adds.
Do you agree with him?
