[Eyes Pried Open]

Following the stories I have read on WPCentral regarding Windows (Phone) 9 I have become extremely interested in discussing this new OS forcing me to post my first forum thread.
I was wondering what people were thinking this new update would entail assuming of course it is a MAJOR upgrade? I realize that the Microsoft Stores for both Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 would essentially merge together. Does this leave out windows phone 7 and end it's relativity completely or would it be included?

I am hoping that this update, because of the fact that it is supposedly the OS/upgrade that brings the "three screens, one cloud" statement to reality, that there are numerous other changes to the phone OS as well. I have had a surface RT since Christmas (I choose to use it as a tablet not a portable PC hence RT) and I love it. Yes there are some learning curves, and numerous secrets to figure out, but once you know what your doing its flawless. I am hoping Windows Phone 9 has taken note. I love my Lumina 900 Pre 7.8 anyways... (my live tiles are stuck...) but I think introducing the gestures into the phone OS would make Windows Store apps for RT/8 as flawless as they are on your PC/tablet. This would in my opinion improve the OS we know and love, and also new people introduced to the mobile platform would have an easier time navigating it coming over from a tablet/PC.

I am in Canada so obviously my whole family (excluding me) have bought the new BlackBerry z10. The gestures in my opinion are not even on the same page as My Surface RT, but it is proof that a mobile platform could rely on this as a way to navigate around the OS.

I wanna know what you think??

[ttsoldier]

Does this leave out windows phone 7 and end it's relativity completely or would it be included?

Yes. It will be left out.

The gestures in my opinion are not even on the same page as My Surface RT, but it is proof that a mobile platform could rely on this as a way to navigate around the OS.

I wanna know what you think??

What I think? I think those gestures on BB10 are just TOO much. At first I thought it was cool but now, meh. I have not been able to get my hands on one as yet. Maybe if I do, my opinion will change.

[Eyes Pried Open]

I completely agree that the BB10 gestures are not top notch. On another note I think that the Windows 8 gestures would complement the mobile OS perfectly, and at the same time completely fix the multitasking, by swiping the app over to open it, swiping he app down to close it, and maybe even snapping apps side-by-side (probably pointless on a small screen). Atm our mobile os cannot close out of an app in the multitasking menu.

[a5cent]

I realize that the Microsoft Stores for both Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 would essentially merge together. Does this leave out windows phone 7 and end it's relativity completely or would it be included?

I'm going to disagree with ttsoldier here. Merging the stores really only means that MS has a single store, which can contain apps for any one of their platforms, be that WP7, WP8, W8RT or possibly even W8.

Otherwise I'm expecting a very similar approach to what you are describing. Gestures and visual cues in the metro interfaces will become very similar on all platforms. However, I'm expecting W8RT to actually become more like WP8 than the other way around (better discoverability of features, more visual cues, etc)

I'm also expecting all the apps like mail, xbox music, video rentals, skype, contacts/people-hub, etc. to offer identical feature sets accross all platforms including Xbox vNext.

I also expect more crossover features, such as W9 and W9RT being able to run WP9 apps in snapped mode.

[Samst22]

I think they will scrap 'phone' from the title with Windows 9. Perhaps to unify the experience they could make the mobile version like RT but with no desktop at all. However the RT style start screen would only be apparent when the phone is horizontal. This could be done vice-versa on RT by when in portrait the tablet becomes windows phone start screen style (would work extremely well on smaller 7 inch tablets). A screen lock would be a nice feature to include at this point!

I don't think that W8 style gestures will be put into 'WP9' however, this is because they would have to increase the phone bezel and phone screen size for it to work effectively (WP UI already uses side swipes to navigate within apps and could get confusing). Closing the app from swiping down from the top could work nicely though. Some variation of a charms/notifications bar would also be a nice idea.

[Samst22]

I also expect more crossover features, such as W9 and W9RT being able to run WP9 apps in snapped mode.

This.

However, not sure how well this would work with keyboard and mouse set up. Maybe would be an RT/touchscreen only feature. Otherwise, WP developers would have to think about mouse as a control input when developing.

[xWisp]

Wp7 is dead yo. Don't expect it to get any more upgrades sad as that is.

[wpward291]

I believe they need to include Xbox store as well. I should be able to buy a game in the store for my 360 or any windows device. I believe that Ms should have launched all rt surface with amd chips and sold them @ 499. Then the pro with Intel.

[Flagz]

im really hoping for most gesture support. I believe they don't need a notification tray, but a charms bar that has easy access to settings, notifications and universal search. I also am constantly trying to swipe top to bottom to close programs and swipe left to right to switch between programs.

[a5cent]

I believe they need to include Xbox store as well. I should be able to buy a game in the store for my 360 or any windows device.

I think that is a good idea.

What people aren't allowed to confuse though, is that a unified store doesn't necessarily mean that you can buy an app once and then run it anywhere.

It just means all software is collected and sold from one centralized location.

[pedenske]

I also expect more crossover features, such as W9 and W9RT being able to run WP9 apps in snapped mode.

So basically what canonical is doing with their Ubuntu OS. Side stage as they call it. I think this could work very well with windows 8/RT if done correctly. Here is the link for anyone who wants to know more.

[Eyes Pried Open]

I don't think that W8 style gestures will be put into 'WP9' however, this is because they would have to increase the phone bezel and phone screen size for it to work effectively (WP UI already uses side swipes to navigate within apps and could get confusing). Closing the app from swiping down from the top could work nicely though. Some variation of a charms/notifications bar would also be a nice idea.

I didn't even think about this. Some gestures on the RT start off the screen. I don't think they would have to increase the screen all that much (unless they were to incorporate the snap view which would be pointless). The unified charms would be useful but where would you out the notifications??? Maybe have them like the BB10 where you swipe a certain way??? I always wondered why they don't just out the notification center to the left of the start screen?

[interopbyt]

I don't know, it sounds cool to have one OS and one app version but if you think about it more deeply you'll probably take that back.

You've tried out windows 8 right? Putting that start screen on our phones would be disastrous. Everything would have to be rescaled, and its simply not going to be convienent.

What about the gestures? How do you access the charms in windows 8? Swiping from the right. How will that be possible on our phones, and think about the people with cases on. You want more black space at the edges for our phones? Not going to happen. Just not practical enough.

Even windows rt takes several gigs. Windows phone takes barely a gigabyte. The HTC 8X and 8S cant update then. How are we going to get our WP9 update? Do we have to be on WiFi for 3 hours watching the gears turn? And, what if power runs out during the install? Dead. Bricked.

Also, the apps. WP8 and W8 both can use almost the same code on .net framework, but the UI would look very screwed up. And also, the APIs are very different as well, which means if MS is stupid enough to update our phones to W8, most apps will be broken. Our bare selection of apps will be rendered useless. And, windows 8 requires a high resolution for the metro apps to run on the PCs. Even our HD screens won't be compatible.

Finally, w8 is a desktop/tablet OS. The OS takes LOTS of power. Laptops have big big big batteries. Tablets have big big batteries. Even with all of the battery issues on our phones right now, you would want it to die even faster? I don't think so.

So there's my point. I should have used Windows instead of Windows 8 but I'm on my phone so I won't bother to correct it :P

[Eyes Pried Open]

Wp7 is dead yo. Don't expect it to get any more upgrades sad as that is.

It does suck but you have to understand why it is dead. I'll upgrade to 8 as soon as I can. I think I'm gonna wait for the next Nokia... hopefully more internal memory and expandable storage! :)

[Eyes Pried Open]

I believe they need to include Xbox store as well. I should be able to buy a game in the store for my 360 or any windows device. I believe that Ms should have launched all rt surface with amd chips and sold them @ 499. Then the pro with Intel.

I think there should be unified game sales. Sucks we have to buy the same game separate for each screen.

[a5cent]

I think there should be unified game sales. Sucks we have to buy the same game separate for each screen.

So, you want to buy crysis5 for your Xbox and then play it on your phone? It should be obvious that won't work. In some cases, with simpler games, it will work, and thanks to a unified store developers can make such offers if they so choose. Just don't consider it a general rule.

[Eyes Pried Open]

Putting that start screen on our phones would be disastrous. Everything would have to be rescaled, and its simply not going to be convienent.

What about the gestures? How do you access the charms in windows 8? Swiping from the right. How will that be possible on our phones, and think about the people with cases on. You want more black space at the edges for our phones?

I agree with some of your argument.
What I'm trying to suggest is keep the start screen of wp8 not to change it to w8. Just add some features from windows 8. The charms on w8 only appear when you swipe from the left to right (essentially pulling them out). I think that would work on windows phone. You could make them the same size as the charms on the bottom of the screen on wp8 just move them to the side.

But the idea is the gestures. Everything disappears just like on w8 so it doesn't clutter the screen. Options you swipe from the top or bottom... you know what I mean??? The only issue is the bigger screen unless you made the gestures work on the screen as is. Would that not be possible in an update?

Cases are the problem. My mother has an otterbox for her BB z10 and it is a problem on that phone, so that would have to be accounted for in new cases. Would a little bit more of the black on the Edge of the screen be that much of a bother. If you used these gestures you wouldn't need the search or back buttons. Just the start button.

its just a thought, but even if they just added the gestures used in w8 for switching between, and closing apps, I think it would complement the mobile OS immensely.

[Eyes Pried Open]

So, you want to by crysis5 for you Xbox and then play it on your phone? It should be obvious that won't work. In some cases, with simpler games, it will work, and thanks to a unified store developers can make such offers if they so choose. Just don't consider it a general rule.

Haha no no. I just mean like these games like skulls of the shogun and such. Not big blockbusters. If the idea is to pick up your game where you left off on the last device I just want to buy it once. I already bought the necessary "screens." Maybe up the price a couple of dollars. I mean we are buying the same game right?

Also on another note its frustrating to have 2 of the same game with the same achievements, but you have to earn the same achievements twice. ie. I have Wordament for wp7 and my surface rt, but it shows up twice in my achievements list on my Xbox live profile.

[Eyes Pried Open]

im really hoping for most gesture support. I believe they don't need a notification tray, but a charms bar that has easy access to settings, notifications and universal search. I also am constantly trying to swipe top to bottom to close programs and swipe left to right to switch between programs.

I don't NEED a notification center, but I believe it would be useful.
Swiping from left to right to change apps I think would be confusing with the metro UI. I like the idea of swiping the apps in from the left side. I donno if that's what you meant or not;)

[Flagz]

Yep that's what I meant

[interopbyt]

I agree with some of your argument.
What I'm trying to suggest is keep the start screen of wp8 not to change it to w8. Just add some features from windows 8. The charms on w8 only appear when you swipe from the left to right (essentially pulling them out). I think that would work on windows phone. You could make them the same size as the charms on the bottom of the screen on wp8 just move them to the side.

But the idea is the gestures. Everything disappears just like on w8 so it doesn't clutter the screen. Options you swipe from the top or bottom... you know what I mean??? The only issue is the bigger screen unless you made the gestures work on the screen as is. Would that not be possible in an update?

Cases are the problem. My mother has an otterbox for her BB z10 and it is a problem on that phone, so that would have to be accounted for in new cases. Would a little bit more of the black on the Edge of the screen be that much of a bother. If you used these gestures you wouldn't need the search or back buttons. Just the start button.

its just a thought, but even if they just added the gestures used in w8 for switching between, and closing apps, I think it would complement the mobile OS immensely.

I think my reply was a bit misleading, sorry about that. I meant that Windows shouldn't ever be ported over to our phones because of the limitations I pointed out. Some people in WPCentral think that doing that is a great idea, and that was my point against it.

But back on the real topic that I missed, yes I think that gestures in Windows Phone would be welcome. As long as the phone tells you the gestures you can use :)

[Eyes Pried Open]

That one phone they covered tho looked pretty cool. The windows 8 phone, with the dock that has an accompanying tablet and monitor. Neat.

Windows 8 Phone? No... it's not a typo | Windows Phone Central

[iHuGi]

Windows 8, RT and Phone 8 will all merge together with Blue just like Android with Phones and Tablets...

Apps for Phone will work and came out on Pc and Tablets and that is the way to go, it save time and Money to developers and i still got Apps on my WP that arent available on Windows 8 like VEVO per example.

That will make the library of apps grow, a thing that i couldnt care less... i just want quality apps, a decent Facebook App, Instagram and a Decent Youtube app that isnt paid.

[interopbyt]

Windows 8, RT and Phone 8 will all merge together with Blue just like Android with Phones and Tablets...

Apps for Phone will work and came out on Pc and Tablets and that is the way to go, it save time and Money to developers and i still got Apps on my WP that arent available on Windows 8 like VEVO per example.

That will make the library of apps grow, a thing that i couldnt care less... i just want quality apps, a decent Facebook App, Instagram and a Decent Youtube app that isnt paid.

MetroTube is an amazing YouTube app on the Windows Phone store that's for free (try) and if you need to donate you can buy the app :)