Poll reveals that consumers desperately want a notification center in Windows Phone 8

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In a poll conducted this by weekend here at Windows Phone Central, 7,640 participants voted on the superlative-three features (out of an optional ix choices) they wanted most in Windows Phone viii.

Although the full consumer feature list has still to be revealed by Microsoft, due to the leaked SDK a few weeks ago a lot of the new options have been detailed already. In turn, nosotros asked users what they thought was missing (or we saw no evidence for) in Microsoft's side by side-gen mobile operating system.

The results are certainly interesting and by large margins the tiptop three choices by users are clearly discernable...

The top-3 results from customs feedback

A total of 22,922 votes were collected over the iii-day catamenia on the ix features users desired the about. Since each participant could vote upwardly to three times that reduces to a possible 7,640 individuals. That ranks as our highest poll in terms of customs participation and makes the results quite significant (voting was cookie and IP logged, reducing the chances of "spam" voting).

The top three results are certainly interesting:

Notification Center – 22%
Close App – 17%
Full organization back up – 14%

Although Windows Telephone 8 is confirmed in having notifications extended to the Lock screen via 3rd party applications the ability to have a centralized area where notifications can be checked is highly desired past users. We saw this both in comments leading up to the poll and in the early on voting where it quickly took the atomic number 82 and never allow go.

Consumers evidently want the choice of a Notification Center for a few reasons. While Windows Phone 8 allows multiple Live Tiles with counters, Toast notifications ("pop ups") and now the ability to take visible updates on the Lock screen for threerd party apps, users want the more traditional model of managing notifications that is found on Android and OSX 'Mount Lion'.

The complaint by people has some merit—after all, not anybody wants to pin every app to the Start screen and having an area where one can pull everything upwardly in ane shot does take its advantages. Even so, with Toasts, Live Tiles and now the Lock screen options in Windows Phone 8, it seems as if Microsoft has tried to expand them where possible. Having said that users yet conspicuously want another option and it will be curious to see if Microsoft obliges in the future by including some type of notification centre.

Coming in 2d was Close App by which users can close apps running in the Multi-tasking expanse on Windows Phone. The model is based off what is already found in the multiple tabs of Internet Explorer where ane has may "windows" of opened tabs and the user tin can only close tabs by simple borer a traditional "10" in the upper right corner.

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Multi-tasking in Windows Telephone currently lacks an "10" for apps

Once again, although Windows Phone does an admirable job of "freezing" apps in the background and managing retention for them, users still desire the ability to close out apps. Part of that is considering the multi-tasking ("tombstoned") apps are limited currently to just 5 slots and information technology will reportedly be upped to 7 in Windows Phone 8. Some experience that is not enough and one style to manage that is by closing out a game or another recently opened app to complimentary that slot.

We concur with Microsoft that users shouldn't have to manage such things and adding an "10" could lead consumers to focus on retention instead of simply using their phone. On the other mitt we don't really see the harm in adding it as it would seem very intuitive (Android and iOS accept like options bachelor to users today) Other people have suggested the webOS model by which users flick the app carte upwards to remove the app from "the deck". Though certainly original and fun, the IP issues surrounding such a method may be prohibitive.

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The current unofficial backup method for Windows Phone users

The third meridian requested characteristic is a Full-system backup for device transfers garnering fourteen% of the vote. Windows Phone 8 does allow app (and presumably game) backups by saving the settings and hopefully game progress but users clearly want a uncomplicated ane-click solution to saving everything either on their estimator's hard-drive or "in the cloud".

Currently it is not known if Windows viii and Windows Phone 8 will allow the user to backup their entire phone and although the need seems rare to restore we're sure once a users loses a telephone or upgrades to a new one the need becomes very high.

Issues that may stand in the mode include OEM hardware differentiation which could outcome restores to new devices in addition the amount of space required for the backup (not to mention the time). Still, iOS tin can practise this via iTunes and it seems similar something that evidently people truly want.

Odds and ends

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Our poll asked users their top three choices so that we sympathise the level of importance. Having said that conspicuously users may adopt to have all of the choices available to them in a future update.

We found it interesting that things like Universal Search (the ability to Bing search within the device, including email and Office) ranked fivethursday with 10.5% of the vote and that it ranked below Folders (11.78%).

Universal Search seems like one of those features that users could have advantage of nearly everyday. Indeed we've seen an early shot of what looked to exist a universal search option back in 2022. Will that make it into Windows Phone eight in the cease? Nosotros're non certain only we would certainly like to come across it at some indicate.

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How homebrew 'Folders' look on Windows Phone

Folders is something that users besides rank highly amongst new features they want to see in Windows Phone 8 especially since there is no testify that it is coming with the initial release. Folders, which are currently available as homebrew option on Windows Telephone vii, are a neat and intuitive way to organize apps of the same diversity. For instance, we have a lot of photographic camera and photography apps on our Titan II so having a folder name "Photograph" with all our apps lumped together makes sense. Otherwise those apps are simply organized alphabetically with no sense of semantic connections. In turn we cease up forgetting virtually those apps unless nosotros roll through our massive app list.

The folders model, familiar to those who use PCs has recently been extended to both iOS and Android again making them conducive for people switching over. In that regard, we think adding them, every bit an selection would do good Microsoft.

Rounding out the bottom was more than background colors (7.ix%) landscape Start screen (7.half dozen%), more security options for the lock screen (four.71%) and the most interesting, more keyboard options (4.5%).

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Windows Phone users love their keyboard

The fact that Windows Telephone users ranked more than keyboards and so depression is a attestation to just how happy they are with the native keyboard'south operation. Currently, Windows Phone users cannot add any 3rd party keyboards to the Os and given the option it seems most users simply don't want nor desire Swype or Swifkey, which are extremely popular on Android. Though there is zero evidence that Microsoft will allow third party keyboards anytime soon, even if they granted permission information technology would seem that Swype and SwifKey would have a difficult sell to end users.

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Wrapping it upward

In the terminate, the data collected gives a skilful snapshot of what consumers want out of Windows Phone viii in the future and Microsoft would best be served by trying to match these preferences. Microsoft conspicuously take an interest in user feedback and nosotros accept shared the results with them and their engineers for future consideration in later Os updates.

From the data gathered though nosotros can see where Microsoft has excelled (their keyboard, user interface, pattern) and where users think they are lacking (device backups, managing notifications, closing out apps).

Hopefully users will get what they want with future versions of Windows Phone eight. Thanks to the Windows Telephone community for your participation!

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