The current country of Windows Phone is dreadful. Subsequently using the operating arrangement for my review of the Microsoft Lumia 640, it's clear that Microsoft has been neglecting their smartphone platform. I was a large fan of Windows Phone viii when it launched, but the OS has slipped far behind Android 5.0 and iOS 8.

Information technology'due south a disappointing situation now and nonetheless there's bang-up opportunity for Microsoft to revamp, refresh and breathe some life into their mobile platform. Windows 10 is but around the corner, and although the desktop variant will be landing first, the phone team is currently hard at piece of work developing Windows 10 Mobile.

What follows is a listing of changes, improvements and new features we hope Microsoft includes when Windows ten Mobile lands quondam after this year.

Remove the Lengthy, Abrasive Animations and Splash Screens

Windows Telephone is irksome to employ. This was a controversial statement I made in my review of the Lumia 640 that upset some fans of the platform. They believed no other Bone could exist as smooth to utilize as Windows Phone. Merely the simple truth is that Android 5.0, running on similar hardware, loads and switches between apps faster than Windows Phone in its current state.

The main reason behind this is Windows Phone'south lengthy animations and abrasive splash screens. Whenever you open an application on a Windows Phone like the Lumia 830, you have to wait at to the lowest degree a 2d for an animation to consummate, then sometimes there'south too a splash screen that lasts for another 1.5+ seconds (these usually announced when opening the app for the beginning fourth dimension), and the additional fourth dimension for loading whatever data inside the app.

On a similar Android device, the Moto Thou 2022, equivalent apps open around 300ms quicker when accessed for the first time afterward a restart. This pb extends to roughly 600ms when the app is re-opened, due to the lack of lengthy animations in Android Lollipop. Shortening Windows Phone's animations, or modifying them so they're less confusing, combined with the removal of splash screens would get a long way to improving the perceived speed of using the Os.

Remove Large Headers

Some other attribute of Windows Phone that needs to amend are the larger headers institute throughout first- and third-political party applications. Smartphones inherently accept limited screen existent manor, and those headers that say "People", "Xbox Music", "Threads", "Xbox Games", "Store", etc. come at the expense of space that could exist used for bodily, useful content.

Large headers are annoying because when I purposely open up an app, I know I'm going to be taken to that app. I don't need 15% of my phone's usable screen space informing me of what app I'm using, instead of displaying more contacts, more songs, more tweets...

Some apps included with Windows Telephone, such as MSN News, Sport and Conditions apps, don't have massive headers, and tend to be some of the better bundled apps. I'd like to see Microsoft do more than of this throughout their stock applications and encourage third-party developers to drib the headers as well.

Amend the Utility of the Action Center

While Windows Phone'due south notification center (called Action Center), was only implemented in Windows Telephone 8.1, its functionality is lacking compared to the competition. Aside from a minor selection of quick setting shortcuts, the Activeness Eye only displays short notification snippets, with few ways to interact with them other than launching the associated app.

The ability to reply to letters from within the notification pane would be handy, and I'd appreciate an option to show longer notification snippets for emails. More interactions with notifications, combined with quicker controls, which information technology looks like Microsoft is implementing in Windows 10 Mobile, would be a welcome add-on.

Revamp the Stock Camera App

The camera application included with Windows Phone, whether it's the Lumia Camera or the standard Camera app, demand a major overhaul to bring them in line with the features y'all can expect from a modern operating system.

First, by adding automated HDR on every compatible smartphone, entry-level or high-end. Lenses and external applications are slow to access from within the camera application, so they should be removed entirely in favor of embedded shooting modes that can be expanded upon through the Windows Shop. And features like panoramas, slow motion video, and selective focus should be congenital in to complement the excellent manual mode features of Lumia Camera.

A shortcut to admission the photographic camera from the lockscreen, complete with fast commencement-upward, focus and capture times, and Windows 10 Mobile would exist an crawly platform for photography.

Integrate Cortana Through Stock Applications

1 of my favorite Windows Telephone features is Cortana. Microsoft'south personal assistant is smart and very effective, agreement an impressive number of commands even with my Australian accent. Nonetheless in its electric current implementation, Cortana is a static application, which isn't the best utilise of the tool'due south underlying engineering.

In Windows Phone 8.1, the search key on every Windows Phone is dedicated to launching Cortana, no affair what application yous're in. In Windows 10 Mobile, I'd like to see this central open a contextual version of Cortana that varies depending on the application at hand.

For example, if you're in the calendar app, opening Cortana should show upcoming meetings aslope weather and travel information. In the maps app, Cortana could show you restaurant suggestions depending on the time of 24-hour interval and your previous eating preferences. Cortana in the photo gallery could bear witness images taken from nearby locations, or info most the contents of the photograph. In the email app information technology could requite you an easy mode to add meetings to your calendar, or evidence extra info near things mentioned in the email.

With this sort of contextual engine enhancing the app feel throughout Windows 10 Mobile, relevant information becomes a lot easier to access, and in turn your phone becomes a much more powerful tool. Cortana would then have a contextual engine and characteristic set that could match rival Google Now on Android Yard.

Care for the Platform as a First-Class Citizen

Microsoft needs to showtime treating Windows Phone like a excellent citizen, rather than a forgotten child. Over the past year we've seen a wealth of Microsoft-developed applications launch on Android and iOS, and in many cases these applications are newer, better or even sectional to these platforms. To me this is baffling: why would y'all launch software on a competitor's platform earlier your own?

When Windows 10 Mobile launches, I want to see Microsoft embrace it as their true mobile platform. Whenever the company wants to launch a cool new characteristic, or update their included apps, it should launch on Windows 10 first. Apps on Windows 10 should exist at to the lowest degree equal in terms of quality, if non meliorate than their Android and iOS equivalents. When that happens, users will feel like they're being treated right by the very developers of the Os they have chosen.

Other Minor Tweaks

But wait, there'southward more than! Hither are few straightforward things that Microsoft could do to tweak and make Windows 10 Mobile smashing.

  • Replace Internet Explorer with Microsoft'due south new Edge browser to amend performance and web compatibility. This is confirmed to be happening with Windows 10 Mobile.
  • Allow third-party keyboards. The stock keyboard is pretty good, but it'd be great to get Swiftkey on Windows x Mobile to give it feature parity with Android and, more recently, iOS.
  • Simplify and consolidate the settings screen. This has never been Microsoft'south strong suit, just it really needs work.
  • Apply general smoothen to Microsoft's applications, especially the non-MSN ones, to make them more user friendly.

The App Trouble

I thought I'd shut past discussing The Great Windows Phone App Problem. It'due south no surreptitious that Windows Telephone is neglected by third-party developers, and although at that place are some actually awesome applications to exist found in the Windows Shop, at that place simply aren't as many high-quality, useful apps as yous'll find on Android or iOS. And that's a trouble Microsoft alone cannot solve.

I'd like to say that time volition fix this event, simply we all heard that when Windows Phone vii launched, and again when Windows Telephone 8 was released. The improvement in apps never came. Microsoft'south 1 OS vision is finally closer to realization, specially with its stiff focus on universal apps, simply information technology'southward hard to run into Windows 10 Mobile having an awesome app itemize in the near future. It's an unfortunate situation, and one I hope changes though for now information technology's difficult to be optimistic.