Microsoft's slow development of Windows Phone frustrates Nokia

Nokia is apparently frustrated by the slow pace of Microsoft's Windows Phone platform development, suggesting that there is not enough of a reason to switch, and that this has the company facing an uphill battle to sway users to picking up one of their Lumia smartphones.

Nokia vice president Bryan Biniak said in an interview with International Business Times that apps on Windows Phone need to be better than on competing platforms, and that Nokia needs to provide "unique experiences that you can't get on your other devices". Microsoft's mentality of delivering minor updates, such as GDR2 which enables FM radio and Bluetooth 4.0 on select phones, in between major releases, such as the upcoming Windows Phone "Blue" update, is not fast enough at delivering the features users want.

Biniak laments every "missed opportunity of a sale" that comes from "an app that somebody cares about" not being on Windows Phone, stating "you can't sell a phone without the apps, you just can't". Nokia is trying to evolve the thinking at Microsoft that places Windows Phone development far behind its big guns like Office and Windows, with Biniak saying "waiting until the end of your fiscal year when you need to close your targets, doesn't do us any good when I have phones to sell today."

Critically, he says that Nokia doesn't "want to rely on somebody else and sit and wait for them to get it right." He believes the app situation is improving and that by the end of 2013 people won't be complaining about the lack of key applications, promising important apps are on their way, but progress is still slow.

Recently Nokia has been pushing their own software updates to Lumia devices to address shortcomings in Windows Phone's feature set. The setting to show the time on the phone's display even when it's turned 'off' will be soon coming to most Lumia phones, as will the Lumia 1020's Pro Camera app that gives greater control over Nokia's PureView-packing cameras. Hopefully Microsoft can release Windows Phone "Blue" in reasonable time, before competitiors can stride far ahead.