Hey Ricky,

I really enjoyed your post about WP8 and, now that I've had a few days to play with WP8 myself, I figured we could have a [semi-]public conversation about it.

But first question:

What, if any, are your top five KILLER Windows Phone 8 apps?

KILLER apps as in 'apps that rock my face off' or 'apps that make it so I can use WP8'? I'll assume the latter.....

Honestly, I don't have any. Most of my 3rd party apps are simply substitutions for a similar app on Android, given that's where I'm coming from.

Ha, I meant the former. The reason I ask is because, as a power user, I'm struggling.

Don't get me wrong, I really like the tile interface (as I did on WP7.X), but I'm struggling to find *the one* app that makes me go 'WOW! THIS IS AWESOME!'

I honestly thought the lack of Instagram would annoy me more than it actually does, but the whole no Spotify thing is killing me. Xbox Music is no replacement.

So to the former: what's your KILLER app list?

I don't have a KILLER app on WP8 that blows my mind. SmartGlass is available on Android and iOS, and everything else is a compromise.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy using the phone, but it doesn't do anything that my Android phones didn't, that I can come up with.

I was thinking about this the other night on the way home from work (and again, it was more the absence of Spotify that drove this thought) -

WP8 is a fairly OK OS, but it's lacking in both top-rated apps (that exist on other platforms) as well as the one KILLER app that makes it a must-have.

So - in that respect - my question is this:

Does WP8 [currently] suffer from a case of 'The Symbians' ?

I don't think so. For the majority of people looking to either move from a dumbphone to a smartphone, or to replace their iPhone, WP8 is going to do just fine.

Yes, I said replace their iPhone - I've talked to A LOT of people lately who were unimpressed with the iPhone 5 and are bored with their 4 or 4S. They're looking for something new, and they already know that Android isn't it.

I think that's a valid point and (for the Lumias and HTCs specifically) the colour choices are a refreshing change from the black/white slabs that dominate currently.

But, I'm *still* struggling. I'm opening this out to a few other folk to see what they think. Mac just mentioned he liked the Xbox integration, but to your point - that's available on other platforms too now...

So?

yep - HELLO :)
Xbox is quite a big deal and a major - WOW when I demo it to people. When your avatar runs on its a great integration. As James said, anything to escape the dullness of iOS.

Also iOS feels a bit sheep like nowadays, WP8 is a breath of fresh air, that its up there with all the apps now is an improvement - instagram and g+ are the only things I used daily on android that are missing. games wise its not the same games but theres still plenty.

My wifes a great example of a potential WP7 user, she uses a handful of apps, mainly facebook and google maps, she wont upgrade to apple maps, and now facebook wont install on here old OS version.

That's a good shout re Xbox. When I did the 920 unboxing the other day with @BennyCrime, he thought that whole avatar thing was awesome.

As you saw the other day, I don't rate the Facebook app that much (it's terrible really) - but a decent G+ app wouldn't go amiss.

Instagram, G+ and Spotify all MIA.

Any others?

there's a few games missing, but then there's plenty that are only on wp8 that make up for it. basically the Microsoft studios titles.
I miss sky+

comicX would be good too. Basically I've gone though all the apps on my oneX and that's all I miss

The problem I have with the Xbox integration is that it's not - it's a separate setup. There are NO games that allow me to switch between the Xbox and my phone, nor is there even any cloud backup. Two examples:

1. ilo milo - cool little game, available on both Windows Phone and Xbox Live Arcade. I bought it on both. It doesn't sync progress. If I sit on the can for an hour plowing through levels on my phone, I don't want to have to play them AGAIN on my Xbox (and yes, they're the exact same levels).

2. Tiger Woods (or any similar character-driven game). Why can't I work on my putting game, or any other skills-based thing on my phone, which then syncs, so when I get on my Xbox to play a tournament, my skills have improved?

(continued)

There are MILLIONS of people who pay ~$60/year for access to Xbox LIVE - they sit in front of their Xbox for various amounts of time, until they leave the house, and then, well, they're removed from the Xbox LIVE experience. This is an opportunity to keep them in it while they're away from a TV, and Microsoft have blown it.

I don't even at least get notifications when someone sends me a message, which is ridiculous that it can't at least do that.

true I don't have any cross play titles, and cloud saves is sorely missing - though that's an issue on all mobile platforms.

My Xbox has cloud saves supported - every time I load, it asks if I want to use my hard drive or the cloud. Why isn't that cloud accessible to the phone?

That's something that NO ONE else is doing, and would be a killer feature. It's a point of differentiation for Microsoft - Sony can't do it (en masse) and neither can Nintendo.

yep, sony does do cloud game saves now, and just added plus to vita too. with PS+ you get free games too. its gone from being a joke to killing Xbox live.

But yes they need to insist on cloud save on any xbox live titles.

I believe there are a few games that have SmartGlass integration built-in, but the main-to-mobile switching you're looking for doesn't exist yet.

That's more like the Wii U than anything else.

I agree with Ricky, the Xbox Live integration (from my use of WP7.5) was superficial at best. It's merely an with a Live Tile that shows your avatar's head bobbing about. If I remember right the Beacon feature gave notifications, but who the hell uses that?

Have you guys had any luck on the apps front? I have a 920 on the way.

Stuff I have (and use):

- 4th & Mayor for Foursquare
- Amazon Kindle for reading
- Battery Level for WP8 for obvious reasons (dead useful)
- Connectivity Shortcuts for handiness
- GDocs for Google Doc viewing + editing
- Linkedin
- Lomogram
- Wordpress

And that's it.

I'm currently looking for some way to upload to YouTube direct from the handset. Ball. Ache.

Oh, apparently YouTube sucks on WP because of Google

winrumors.com

Not a huge amount then. Well, good job I've still got the SIII and Nexus 7 around.

No, not really.

It's all utility stuff, y'know? Nothing ZOMG AMAZEBALLS.

*shrug*

This is ridiculous. Not being able to upload full quality videos direct to YouTube - in this market - is a complete and utter joke.

One for you Matt - guardian.co.uk

Cheers chap, I'll dig through these when the handset turns up tomorrow.

You can of course upload any video to SkyDrive. But yes the horrors of the ecosystem wars.

For YouTube uploads - there's a couple of third party apps that do this (e.g. PrimeTube). The catch is you have to record the video through the app in question. On Windows Phone 7 this is due to a platform limitation.

I think this may have changed for 8, but I've not seen any app updated to use the newer APIs.

But as James mentioned the reasons its not built in is that Google wouldn't play ball. Or rather they wouldn't agree to guarantee a service level (nothing to stop them pulling things from their end if they felt like it).

From what I can tell, SkyDrive uploads compress the quality also?

This conversation, which includes contributions from someone from (but not representing) Google, is quite useful also -

facebook.com

Rafe says - "But yes the horrors of the ecosystem wars."

((O.o)) I would rather put the CEOs of all the major players into a hot oil wrestling pit and let them duke it out or slip it out rather than drag the rest of us into their vertical silo wet dreams.

Last year, when James left 1000 Heads on his way to Olgivy, we had dinner & a good chat. At the time, I was badly frustrated with the Lumia 800 & its yawning gulfs between what mature Symbian could do and what the fledgling WP7 was not doing.

At that dinner, James claimed that this year we would be BLOWN AWAY by the WP8 phones. Xbox integration, super cool stuff he couldn't tell me about because of Nokia NDA.

Here we are. This time it is not Nokia, but Microsoft falling short.

Y'know, you're right; my rant on The Voicemail - thevoicemail.wordpress.com - was mainly software-based.

No app this, no feature that...

Hardware-wise the Lumia 920 is pretty sweet. It's just a shame it [WP8] is missing so much.

To James' original question to Ricky, "What is your killer app?"

With the death of my dearly departed beloved in 2008, of which I won't bother all you with now, Gravity has become my killer app. It keeps me connected to my social networks of choice, it allows me to upload my photos to Flickr and then tweets time out.

My daily apps that I use and would miss if I didn't have them on my mobile are: Gravity, Flickr Uploader, Foursquare, Stellarium mobile or similar, Maps (I prefer Google for traffic Layer - essential in LA, but use Nokia Maps), FM Radio, and a good music player.

My wish list is a mobile blogging app that works via the Atom Protocol and will blog to any major self-hosted blog software and not just WordPress.

And you?

I'm all about wordament and contre jour at the moment - though still playing geoDefence. App wise twitter is beginning to get on my nerves it often crashes and is a little lacking.

roll on instagram and google+ though the latter may only be web still :( though iOS version is identical to android so there is hope.

I dont carry my one X around all the time - but its normally in my work bag.