The other day I had an email from Amazon:
Hello,
Our records indicate that you have previously installed the Amazon App for Windows Phone from the Microsoft App Store.
We will be retiring the app you currently have on your device, meaning its contents will no longer be updated. You will still have access to the app until 15 August, 2016.
We encourage you to visit Amazon.co.uk on your mobile browser where you will have access to our newest shopping features and customer experience.
We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Regards,
Customer Service Department
What does this mean? Is Amazon going to focus on delivering a dynamic, adaptive website which works well on all mobile web browsers - or is this the beginning of the end of app development for Windows Phones?
I'm not surprised at Amazon's decision. They have never really supported Windows devices, but it could be the first in a long line of developers deciding to kill off their work for Windows.
Even Microsoft-owned Skype will no longer work on Windows 8.1 devices from autumn 2016!
Microsoft keep on shooting themselves in the foot: They create a version of Windows which becomes unsupported after a couple of years. App developers are then forced to start from scratch each time.
Windows 10 is supposed to resolve this problem, yet things still seem to be following the same trend.
I have heard (anecdotally) that some web developers will be ceasing app development (for all platforms) due to the expense required - This money could be better spent on writing adaptive websites, which does make sense.
But, some people still insist on having apps (even if they barely use them), and whilst there are smartphones, people will want apps. I just hope that Microsoft realise that Windows apps are also supposed to work on all of their Windows devices - not just phones.
Friday, 22 July 2016
Thursday, 7 July 2016
PAYG Mobile Network Changes
One year ago I set up my long awaited website mobile-networks-uk.weebly.com
The mobile industry is highly volatile, and for years there have been positive and negative changes to tariffs and allocations which have benefited or adversely affected consumers.
In the year since I created my website, there have been some massive changes to tariffs.
Mobile contracts have become far more expensive (>£40/month) and allocations of data have been reduced.
4G is becoming more widely sold as the norm, though there are still many MVNOs which still don't provide 4G services.
PAYG monthly bundles have become worse value than they were in mid 2015.
I've often chosen MVNOs and monthly bundles due to the great value that they have offered. A year ago, even many SIM only contracts were only slightly better than PAYG bundles, and of course most of these contracts were based on 12 month contracts.
In July 2016, there are very few MVNOs that offer great value, so my website is struggling to really "sell" consumers PAYG bundles as a viable alternative to monthly contracts.
This change has been brought about due to MNOs clawing in more revenue.
These examples demonstrate just how tough the mobile industry is. Most MVNOs fold within a few years, and the fact that some of these haven't lasted anywhere near that long shows that no one network is safe.
Scratching around for a good value mobile deal has - once again - become much harder.
I'm currently still using Life Mobile as my main network. For £6 a month on a rolling contract I get all the minutes, texts and data that I need for my everyday use. I can't find anything else that comes close enough to this deal apart from Talkmobile.
I'd like to switch to Talkmobile, but all I ever read about them puts me off: Their contract customers (like parent MNO Vodafone) are complaining of being overcharged for mobile use, which then leads to a default on their credit file - Something that I'm not willing to risk!
Who currently offers the best PAYG bundle value?
I hate to say it, but giffgaff does.
There is currently so little good choice, that giffgaff's 30 day bundles are actually the best value for general mobile use.
Personally, I feel that giffgaff's bundles are really poor value from £10-15, and their PAYG prices are now the highest amongst MVNOs, which really ought to put a lot of customers off. Plus, there is also the major issue of giffgaff's data service which simply doesn't work for thousands of customers.
The mobile industry is in a bit of a mess. Many have threatened to increase prices due to brexit, as well as increase prices to cover the lost revenue from changes to European roaming charges.
All of this is squeezing the price of using your mobile in the UK, and right now PAYG monthly bundles and contracts are all pretty poor value.
The mobile industry is highly volatile, and for years there have been positive and negative changes to tariffs and allocations which have benefited or adversely affected consumers.
In the year since I created my website, there have been some massive changes to tariffs.
Mobile contracts have become far more expensive (>£40/month) and allocations of data have been reduced.
4G is becoming more widely sold as the norm, though there are still many MVNOs which still don't provide 4G services.
PAYG monthly bundles have become worse value than they were in mid 2015.
I've often chosen MVNOs and monthly bundles due to the great value that they have offered. A year ago, even many SIM only contracts were only slightly better than PAYG bundles, and of course most of these contracts were based on 12 month contracts.
In July 2016, there are very few MVNOs that offer great value, so my website is struggling to really "sell" consumers PAYG bundles as a viable alternative to monthly contracts.
This change has been brought about due to MNOs clawing in more revenue.
- Vodafone, for example have killed off one of their few MVNOs (Mobile by Sainsbury's), leaving a real gap in the market.
- Since O2 MVNO giffgaff provided 4G "at no extra cost" in September 2015, their data speeds have been getting progressively worse, yet their prices have increased.
- Post Office Mobile launched in July 2015 with some brilliant value PAYG bundles, but soon reduced allowances to sustain their business. They are to close down this network in August 2016.
- GT Mobile similarly had some good value PAYG bundles, then later increased their prices. GT Mobile has just closed and become part of Lycamobile.
- As You Go Mobile launched in April 2016. By June 2016 the website had been offline for a few months with an announcement that there would be more news in late June. There was a delay of several days, and now their website simply doesn't work and this MVNO has folded.
These examples demonstrate just how tough the mobile industry is. Most MVNOs fold within a few years, and the fact that some of these haven't lasted anywhere near that long shows that no one network is safe.
Scratching around for a good value mobile deal has - once again - become much harder.
I'm currently still using Life Mobile as my main network. For £6 a month on a rolling contract I get all the minutes, texts and data that I need for my everyday use. I can't find anything else that comes close enough to this deal apart from Talkmobile.
I'd like to switch to Talkmobile, but all I ever read about them puts me off: Their contract customers (like parent MNO Vodafone) are complaining of being overcharged for mobile use, which then leads to a default on their credit file - Something that I'm not willing to risk!
Who currently offers the best PAYG bundle value?
I hate to say it, but giffgaff does.
There is currently so little good choice, that giffgaff's 30 day bundles are actually the best value for general mobile use.
Personally, I feel that giffgaff's bundles are really poor value from £10-15, and their PAYG prices are now the highest amongst MVNOs, which really ought to put a lot of customers off. Plus, there is also the major issue of giffgaff's data service which simply doesn't work for thousands of customers.
The mobile industry is in a bit of a mess. Many have threatened to increase prices due to brexit, as well as increase prices to cover the lost revenue from changes to European roaming charges.
All of this is squeezing the price of using your mobile in the UK, and right now PAYG monthly bundles and contracts are all pretty poor value.
Saturday, 2 July 2016
Android vs. Windows 10 Mobile. Again.
A few weeks ago I was waiting for an important phone call on my Microsoft Lumia 640. The phone started to ring but the touchscreen absolutely refused to unlock, despite increasingly frantic upwards swipes.
Eventually, I managed to unlock the phone before I missed the call.
- This shouldn't happen to any phone, but the one reason that I've stuck with Windows Phones has been the solid call and text handling. Now that this is a bit dodgy, I've decided to go back to Android for the second time this year.
Now that I'm back to using Android, I miss the simplicity of Windows Phone, but everything seems to work a lot better. This is a pity, because Windows Phone has always been a lag-free, easy to use affair, but Android appears to have caught up.
Ok, without Windows Phone I miss the Live Tiles, the dark interface, the easy call and text handling, but everything on Android seems more "fluid". Oh, and of course the apps are far better quality - including (crucially!) the browser.
And Google Maps is of course much better at finding directions and re-routing you than Microsoft Maps.
But, Android lags badly. I've gone into the developer options and limited the maximum number of running services to four, which makes the phone usable.
I've also installed Greenify, which helps to boost battery life by about a third!
I miss my Lumia phones, but each time I consider going back to them I remember how many more things now "just work" with Android - whereas a year ago Windows had the edge overall for day to day ease of use.
The other main reason that I'm not returning to Windows 10 Mobile is that Microsoft will not be manufacturing any more handsets.
OEMs are now left to carry the torch for Windows Phone, which let's face it is heading in the same direction that BlackBerry did a few years ago. I can't see many manufacturers building Windows Phones at any point in the next few years, by which time anyone who may be considering moving to this OS will have surely sided with Android or iOS.
Here in the UK, unless you buy one of the current handful of Microsoft Lumia phones available, your choice is limited to a couple of mediocre (but good value) handsets from BLU, as well as another cheap (but good value) Windows 10 Mobile from Bush (which is currently available SIM free from Argos for about £50).
Once these handsets have sold, even though there will be a gap in the market, I can't see any company filling this Windows Phone shaped gap at any point.
If my handset breaks, or I want a different handset, I want to be able to buy one: Android gives you a choice of handsets at different price points, Windows Phones are becoming rarer by the day.
Eventually, I managed to unlock the phone before I missed the call.
- This shouldn't happen to any phone, but the one reason that I've stuck with Windows Phones has been the solid call and text handling. Now that this is a bit dodgy, I've decided to go back to Android for the second time this year.
Now that I'm back to using Android, I miss the simplicity of Windows Phone, but everything seems to work a lot better. This is a pity, because Windows Phone has always been a lag-free, easy to use affair, but Android appears to have caught up.
Ok, without Windows Phone I miss the Live Tiles, the dark interface, the easy call and text handling, but everything on Android seems more "fluid". Oh, and of course the apps are far better quality - including (crucially!) the browser.
And Google Maps is of course much better at finding directions and re-routing you than Microsoft Maps.
But, Android lags badly. I've gone into the developer options and limited the maximum number of running services to four, which makes the phone usable.
I've also installed Greenify, which helps to boost battery life by about a third!
I miss my Lumia phones, but each time I consider going back to them I remember how many more things now "just work" with Android - whereas a year ago Windows had the edge overall for day to day ease of use.
The other main reason that I'm not returning to Windows 10 Mobile is that Microsoft will not be manufacturing any more handsets.
OEMs are now left to carry the torch for Windows Phone, which let's face it is heading in the same direction that BlackBerry did a few years ago. I can't see many manufacturers building Windows Phones at any point in the next few years, by which time anyone who may be considering moving to this OS will have surely sided with Android or iOS.
Here in the UK, unless you buy one of the current handful of Microsoft Lumia phones available, your choice is limited to a couple of mediocre (but good value) handsets from BLU, as well as another cheap (but good value) Windows 10 Mobile from Bush (which is currently available SIM free from Argos for about £50).
Once these handsets have sold, even though there will be a gap in the market, I can't see any company filling this Windows Phone shaped gap at any point.
If my handset breaks, or I want a different handset, I want to be able to buy one: Android gives you a choice of handsets at different price points, Windows Phones are becoming rarer by the day.
Saturday, 7 May 2016
Back to Windows Phone after TWO MONTHS on Android
There are times when I firmly believe that not one of the major smartphone operating systems is actually any good.
This isn't an iOS vs Android vs Windows 10 Mobile showdown, merely my thoughts on what is a journey in the world of mobile phones.
When I used feature phones back in the day (2001-2010), all I wanted was a way of syncing my important data (contacts and calendar).
To be honest, I'm beginning to feel that I want to go back to this basic concept after just two months of Android use!
Two months ago I became frustrated with Windows Phone (8.1) and most notably the HERE Maps app that crashed continually on me on every journey that I made. This frustration made me move all of my contacts, calendar and email back from Windows Phone to Google/Android.
So what went wrong? Well, not one but two Android phones later, I don't think that it's possible to use any Android phone for longer than one month without the damned thing lagging like half a rabbit.
I've tried hard resetting both phones, but still they lag.
When an app took over a minute to open, that was the final straw and I have promptly moved all of my services back from Google into the clutches of Microsoft.
I'm past caring if the apps are rubbish. I just want a smartphone that syncs my contacts, email and calendars and makes calls/sends texts - Windows Phone does that, whereas Android has required tinkering, menu after menu of settings - and the OS still lags.
Windows 10 Mobile is good, and not dissimilar to Android 5.1+ but it still has problems, but at least it works as a phone.
This isn't an iOS vs Android vs Windows 10 Mobile showdown, merely my thoughts on what is a journey in the world of mobile phones.
When I used feature phones back in the day (2001-2010), all I wanted was a way of syncing my important data (contacts and calendar).
To be honest, I'm beginning to feel that I want to go back to this basic concept after just two months of Android use!
Two months ago I became frustrated with Windows Phone (8.1) and most notably the HERE Maps app that crashed continually on me on every journey that I made. This frustration made me move all of my contacts, calendar and email back from Windows Phone to Google/Android.
So what went wrong? Well, not one but two Android phones later, I don't think that it's possible to use any Android phone for longer than one month without the damned thing lagging like half a rabbit.
I've tried hard resetting both phones, but still they lag.
When an app took over a minute to open, that was the final straw and I have promptly moved all of my services back from Google into the clutches of Microsoft.
I'm past caring if the apps are rubbish. I just want a smartphone that syncs my contacts, email and calendars and makes calls/sends texts - Windows Phone does that, whereas Android has required tinkering, menu after menu of settings - and the OS still lags.
Windows 10 Mobile is good, and not dissimilar to Android 5.1+ but it still has problems, but at least it works as a phone.
Sunday, 17 April 2016
Giffgaff Outage 2016
Last week O2 MVNO giffgaff experienced the first major outage of 2016.
As usual, customers took to the online-only Help and Support section, but were fobbed off with the usual "It's not our fault, we can't do anything about it" excuses that were relayed from giffgaff themselves via the online community of customers.
I do use giffgaff, but never as my main network as the service is far too unreliable day to day - as well as experiencing more outages every year than any other network that I've used.
On average, giffgaff has around four outages nationally/regionally every year, which can't always be attributed to O2 or parent company Telefonica.
O2 manages to hold onto a much more acceptable network failure rate than giffgaff, which does make you wonder if "cheap and cheerful" is maybe not the best policy if you want a reliable mobile service.
I hope that giffgaff eventually manage to sort out these regular outages, as it would be a shame to see this network operator fail after five years. As Britain's third largest MVNO, giffgaff should have big enough balls to fix these problems quickly, if not prevent them from occurring as often.
The least that giffgaff should do is hold their hands up and tell customers that it is their fault for not investing in more robust systems, rather than hiding behind the online community of customers and saying that there isn't anything that they can do.
As usual, customers took to the online-only Help and Support section, but were fobbed off with the usual "It's not our fault, we can't do anything about it" excuses that were relayed from giffgaff themselves via the online community of customers.
I do use giffgaff, but never as my main network as the service is far too unreliable day to day - as well as experiencing more outages every year than any other network that I've used.
On average, giffgaff has around four outages nationally/regionally every year, which can't always be attributed to O2 or parent company Telefonica.
O2 manages to hold onto a much more acceptable network failure rate than giffgaff, which does make you wonder if "cheap and cheerful" is maybe not the best policy if you want a reliable mobile service.
I hope that giffgaff eventually manage to sort out these regular outages, as it would be a shame to see this network operator fail after five years. As Britain's third largest MVNO, giffgaff should have big enough balls to fix these problems quickly, if not prevent them from occurring as often.
The least that giffgaff should do is hold their hands up and tell customers that it is their fault for not investing in more robust systems, rather than hiding behind the online community of customers and saying that there isn't anything that they can do.
As You Go Mobile Network Collapses?
Only a few months ago, a new O2 MVNO entered the UK market.
As You Go Mobile offered 6p/minute, 5p/text and 3p/MB PAYG rates (no monthly bundles) on the O2 network.
Proving that the MVNO market is a dynamic - and very tough - place, the company appears to have gone bust.
Around the 7th of April 2016, the As You Go Mobile website appeared to have been taken offline, with Google reporting issues with the website's security certificate.
I went to the company's Twitter account to see what was going on. They currently have four followers (including myself) and are following one other Twitter account, so it's safe to say that they aren't using this as their primary means of contact!
I tried to contact them, but they have not responded to either of my requests for information, so all I can do is assume that the company has sunk without trace.
The As You Go Mobile website is no longer visible, though there is a holding page that says asyougomobile.com is currently unavailable.
If As You Go Mobile has folded already, this wouldn't be a surprise, as MVNOs go under regularly, though this is the first time I've seen an active MVNO fold within such a short space of time.
It's a pity if As You Go Mobile has folded already, as they were offering some very good value, basic PAYG rates on the O2 network.
Given that O2 MVNO giffgaff has recently increased their standard PAYG rates to a rather outlandish 15p/minute, As You Go Mobile were really good value for low users, and certainly much better value than the other new O2 MVNO GT Mobile, whose national rates are bizarrely poor value (19p/text, 19p/minute to a mobile!?)
My own best value PAYG bundles website has been updated today to reflect the possibility that As You Go Mobile has ceased trading.
If As You Go Mobile respond to me, I'll update my website and this blog accordingly.
As You Go Mobile offered 6p/minute, 5p/text and 3p/MB PAYG rates (no monthly bundles) on the O2 network.
Proving that the MVNO market is a dynamic - and very tough - place, the company appears to have gone bust.
Around the 7th of April 2016, the As You Go Mobile website appeared to have been taken offline, with Google reporting issues with the website's security certificate.
I went to the company's Twitter account to see what was going on. They currently have four followers (including myself) and are following one other Twitter account, so it's safe to say that they aren't using this as their primary means of contact!
I tried to contact them, but they have not responded to either of my requests for information, so all I can do is assume that the company has sunk without trace.
The As You Go Mobile website is no longer visible, though there is a holding page that says asyougomobile.com is currently unavailable.
If As You Go Mobile has folded already, this wouldn't be a surprise, as MVNOs go under regularly, though this is the first time I've seen an active MVNO fold within such a short space of time.
It's a pity if As You Go Mobile has folded already, as they were offering some very good value, basic PAYG rates on the O2 network.
Given that O2 MVNO giffgaff has recently increased their standard PAYG rates to a rather outlandish 15p/minute, As You Go Mobile were really good value for low users, and certainly much better value than the other new O2 MVNO GT Mobile, whose national rates are bizarrely poor value (19p/text, 19p/minute to a mobile!?)
My own best value PAYG bundles website has been updated today to reflect the possibility that As You Go Mobile has ceased trading.
If As You Go Mobile respond to me, I'll update my website and this blog accordingly.
What is Handset Fatigue?
The latest buzzword to be passed around by mobile phone retailers and resellers is "handset fatigue".
What is handset fatigue? To start with, it's not badly designed smartphones bending or cracked LG G3s.
The term refers to customers simply having too much choice in the mobile marketplace.
Global smartphone sales are slowing, especially in the EMEA regions, and much of this is down to smartphone saturation - where most people who want a smartphone now have one.
Smartphones have also come on in leaps and bounds, and a capable smartphone can be bought for around £100 these days. Many potential customers simply don't need to buy the latest smartphone, especially if the one that they already use is perfectly ok to use.
I'm not a fan of upgrading for the sake of it, unless I have effectively reached the end of my current phone contract, in which case I'd expect a downgrade to a SIM only contract, or a shiny new smartphone on another 24 month contract.
Certainly, the recently released Samsung Galaxy S7 is a good example of this: The Galaxy S6 that many customers own is still barely a year old. These customers are probably on a two year contract, and does the S7 really offer that many new features to require customers to upgrade? Probably not.
Customers have grown wise to SIM only contracts, and many will use these whilst their current smartphone is still working. Porting your number in/out of a network operator is much easier these days, and given that monthly tariffs for the latest flagship phones is now around the £50 a month mark, it's hardly surprising that people are sticking with what they've got until the contract term ends and they can get a much cheaper SIM only contract.
The other reason that handset fatigue is kicking in is down to the sheer number of new high end phones that are released every year.
Each manufacturer is pushing out ever more phones in the £200+ region, and many of these are now so similar it's understandable that customers can't see the reason to upgrade.
- High end phones are the "feature phones" of today, and marginal improvements between them isn't enough to warrant ditching last years' model for one that has a fingerprint scanner, for example.
Even last years' upcoming manufacturer Huawei is touting their latest handset, the P9, but with a £449 price tag, this is a pretty expensive phone from a manufacturer who is known for decent budget phones. Why would anyone choose this over a Samsung Galaxy S6?
Handsets are all very similar, and to be honest are pretty uninteresting these days. A year ago one of my favourite mobile phone websites Mobile Gazette closed down due to new smartphones being black, slabby phones with no outstanding features. Five or ten years ago, Mobile Gazette was filled with weekly handset releases which made you actually look forward to getting a new phone - as well as wanting a different one only a few months later, as they all had something that set them apart from other phones.
Handset fatigue = Lack of choice in a world of all very similar smartphones.
What is handset fatigue? To start with, it's not badly designed smartphones bending or cracked LG G3s.
The term refers to customers simply having too much choice in the mobile marketplace.
Global smartphone sales are slowing, especially in the EMEA regions, and much of this is down to smartphone saturation - where most people who want a smartphone now have one.
Smartphones have also come on in leaps and bounds, and a capable smartphone can be bought for around £100 these days. Many potential customers simply don't need to buy the latest smartphone, especially if the one that they already use is perfectly ok to use.
I'm not a fan of upgrading for the sake of it, unless I have effectively reached the end of my current phone contract, in which case I'd expect a downgrade to a SIM only contract, or a shiny new smartphone on another 24 month contract.
Certainly, the recently released Samsung Galaxy S7 is a good example of this: The Galaxy S6 that many customers own is still barely a year old. These customers are probably on a two year contract, and does the S7 really offer that many new features to require customers to upgrade? Probably not.
Customers have grown wise to SIM only contracts, and many will use these whilst their current smartphone is still working. Porting your number in/out of a network operator is much easier these days, and given that monthly tariffs for the latest flagship phones is now around the £50 a month mark, it's hardly surprising that people are sticking with what they've got until the contract term ends and they can get a much cheaper SIM only contract.
The other reason that handset fatigue is kicking in is down to the sheer number of new high end phones that are released every year.
Each manufacturer is pushing out ever more phones in the £200+ region, and many of these are now so similar it's understandable that customers can't see the reason to upgrade.
- High end phones are the "feature phones" of today, and marginal improvements between them isn't enough to warrant ditching last years' model for one that has a fingerprint scanner, for example.
Even last years' upcoming manufacturer Huawei is touting their latest handset, the P9, but with a £449 price tag, this is a pretty expensive phone from a manufacturer who is known for decent budget phones. Why would anyone choose this over a Samsung Galaxy S6?
Handsets are all very similar, and to be honest are pretty uninteresting these days. A year ago one of my favourite mobile phone websites Mobile Gazette closed down due to new smartphones being black, slabby phones with no outstanding features. Five or ten years ago, Mobile Gazette was filled with weekly handset releases which made you actually look forward to getting a new phone - as well as wanting a different one only a few months later, as they all had something that set them apart from other phones.
Handset fatigue = Lack of choice in a world of all very similar smartphones.
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