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why are there no Vodafone apps for the Windows phone?

leemalpas1
3: Seeker
3: Seeker
why are there no Vodafone apps for the Windows phone?
27 REPLIES 27

froggerty
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

Why don't you put the question to Vodafone over live chat? We are the same as you, often frustrated and less than satisfied customers. As I said before, perhaps Vodafone does not have license from Windows to put their Apps on Windows phones but perhaps other service providers do. The 'issue' would not apply to non-Windows OS phones.

The most likeley reason is that Windows wont give Vodafone license for Apps.

adamwpjones
2: Seeker
2: Seeker
Well cant u make it supported? Its silly o2 ee and Tesco has they own apps even bloody giffgaff why not Vodafone u have the app on other models of the Nokia Lumia just not 535 bloody outrageous!

Manicdevil
4: Newbie
As someone in software development, the costs for a company to create and maintain support for the pathetically tiny market share that Windows phones have (less than 3%) just isn't worth it.

Over 95% of the market is covered by IOS and Android so it's most logical and cost effective to develop for those 2 platforms o only.

Additionally on all of these devices you have a browser and can go to the website so there isn't anything you can't do.

jeffkinn
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

Unfortunately this is very true. A company like Vodafone will have a host of internal procedures and different departments will be competing for scarce resources. Unless a strong business case can be made for a development programme that will derive enhanced revenues and profits for the business over and above another area, the work won't get done.

 

For those customers with Windows phones it's a 100% as has been said that is a tiny proportion of the customer base and despite the promise of Windows 10 across all platforms, that isn't likely to change.

Jeffkinn_Sig.png

thesoupdragon
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

Microsoft themselves are targeting the corporate world who have different ways of managing accounts.

As mentioned you can access everything from a web browser especially in desktop mode, which is my preferred way of doing things with my Lumia 930.

I pin the web page to the start screen, it then opens just like an App anyway! 😉 

Sure Windows Phone market share is around 3% in California - home of Apple and many online "experts".

In the UK its considerably more - over 10% in Q2 this year ( see http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2420813/bad-news-android-ios-windows-phone-and-blackberry-see-uk-smartphone-growth ).

 

Vodafone not only refuse to release a Windows Mobile version of their app, ( though O2 EE have ) they also appear to have blocked access to the My Vodafone section of the website when I attempt to access it from a mobile - which seems totally bizarre for a company selling MOBILE phones.

They recommend access via a PC - which in over 95% of cases will use a Landline!! Great business decision for a mobile phone company to promote landline use and block mobile access.

thesoupdragon
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

My Lumia 930 can access the Vodafone website including the account sections quite happily.

I do use the web in desktop view, so that might make a difference?

 

As mentioned previously, I pin the Vodafone account page to the Start screen. 

Manicdevil
4: Newbie
AJL where do you get your info and figures from??

Firstly, blocking access to the Vodafone site through browsers? You are definitely mistaken on that. Vodafone are a very poor company and customer service is awful, but you are wrong regarding your belief that they block access. Lots of reasons you can't get to it, including your connection, your ISP if you are at home using your own rather than vodafone, even if using vodafone it could be one of the hops causing problems if there are servers / Reuters down anywhere, content settings on your handset, loads of factors could be causing your problem.

In regards to Windows handset %... 10%? That's far from accurate for a company who are global rather than single market I assure you they will not even have 5% of their customers using Windows handsets. Global figures are still holding at sub 3% and Microsoft have not really done much to push Windows handsets in all honesty at this point. That may change but as said before, everything you can do in an app you can do in a browser so why would companies waste time and money developing Windows apps for the tiny market share. 3 people out of every 100? If that's all they are going to get complaint wise, they wouldn't even bat an eyelid at that. Better to keep the approx 95% of combined iOS and android users happy.

As for your final comment on PCs and 95% being landlines. With the data plans out there and speeds achievable, think you will find many using mobile data plans for their laptops and even home PCs. I often tether data using my iPad or iPhone with my laptop due to the amount of travelling I do. Most providers including Vodafone offer data packages that suite this. Plus this is all irrelevant as I've already pointed out, Vodafone don't block phone access to their site, so you need to look into your problem further.

I'm certainly not one to defend Vodafone, but the tiny group of Windows phone users that seem to be screaming / complaining at companies right now for not supporting them more is quite amusing

I'm not sure of the value of continuing this discussion, Manicdevil, you clearly have little or no interest in (or knowledge of) Windows Phone. But I will try to make the point one more time:

1. Yes the global market penetration of Windows phone is very small, mainly driven by low support iin China and USA. The figures for Europe (including UK) are significantly higher. I said "over 10% in Q2 of this year", in fact the figure for the UK, reported by Kantar is 11.3%, up from 9.6% a year ago.

2. You ask for the source of my information - did you not think of looking at the link I provided?.

3. I am NOT mistaken in my assertion tat Vodafone block browser access.  If you try to log on to your account on Vodafone UK mobile site you get a message:

    Unable to Login

    Sorry - we've not been able to log you in.

    My Vodaone isn't supported on Windows phones.

As is explained in another thread on this forum, you have to force your phone to pretend its a PC and access the full desktop version of the Vodafone site to be able to log in.

4. Yes, I wll admit my 95% figure was plucked out of the air. The point though is still valid, by far the bulk of PC traffic is via landline -- Vodafone are a mobile operator they should encourage mobile  use not discourage it.