Google drops a bomb on Windows Phone & Google not building any apps for Windows Phone

[HotelUser]

http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/14/3...-windows-phone

Google drops a Gmail-shaped bomb on Windows Phone
For Windows Phone users, the news out of Google today couldn't be much worse.

The company announced it's removing support for Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync protocol for new devices from January 30th, 2013. Google Apps for business accounts will be unaffected and existing devices that are setup to sync mail, calendar, and contacts will work fine, but new devices will not be able to use the Exchange ActiveSync protocol with Gmail. It's a big blow to Windows Phone and part of a bigger feud between the companies over the past few months.


MICROSOFT HAS JUST OVER A MONTH TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM


For iOS, Google's email solution is IMAP support and a dedicated Gmail app, CalDAV for calendar, and CardDAV for contacts. Apple and Google both support CalDAV and CardDAV natively, but Microsoft has chosen not to support either standard in Windows Phone 8… yet. This leaves Windows Phone users in a tricky position: at present, they’re offered two choices to set up a Google account. You can pick between email only or a combination of email, calendar, and contacts. The email-only option will set up an IMAP connection to Gmail which won't support push — it’ll sync every 15 minutes at best. The second option with calendar and contacts lets Windows Phone 8 users setup a Gmail connection using Exchange ActiveSync, with push email, calendars, and contacts. This solution will cease working from January 30th for new devices, leaving Microsoft little over a month to provide an acceptable alternative for end users.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/12/3...s-windows-apps

Google has 'no plans to build out Windows apps,' according to product manager
Despite the fact that Google showed Windows 8 users how to "get your Google back" a few weeks ago, it sounds like the company won't put much support behind Microsoft's latest OS going forward. Speaking to V3, Google Apps product management director Clay Bavor said that "we have no plans to build out Windows apps." Bavor had some harsh words about the installed base for Windows on both the PC and on mobile, saying "we are very careful about where we invest and will go where the users are but they are not on Windows Phone or Windows 8." He did leave some wiggle room by noting that if the trends changed, "we would invest there, of course," but it sounds like Google hasn't exactly been blown away by what it has seen so far. There's also a chance that Google is getting tired of Microsoft's constant attack ads, though we'd be surprised if it stopped developing for Windows over some cheeky commercials.

I'm annoyed about the exchange thing because that's how I have GMail set up on my iPhone (their IMAP pushing doesn't work that well for me on my iPhone for some reason).

Sort of upsetting news for Windows Phone users in general though. I'm surprised Google's taken this course of action. I would of thought they'd want their services to be available to as many devices as possible.

[xxMATTGxx]

It also includes Windows 8 and not just the phone OS from Microsoft. This will only hurt the users and that isn't a good thing at all.

[mrwoooooooo]

they'll change their mind

[HotelUser]

they'll change their mind

Only after Microsoft gains more marketshare in the tablet space, and it's not even for sure that they will. RIM couldn't do it, HP couldn't do it, and Microsoft's surface sales haven't been so great thus far. It wont help Microsoft that Google's basically just said they wont develop for them because they're not popular enough.

[GommeInc]

Pretty poor decision but if Google want to disobey the "Don't be Evil" slogan then on their head be it

I was sat behind someone using Windows Phone 7/8 yesterday evening and it looked amazing. There's a lot of potential but news like this completely ruins it for both Microsoft and their customers, and Google and their customers who do not prefer Android devices. It's not exactly a win solution for anyone really, just pure bitterness :/

[peteyt]

I can understand Google not wanting to design apps for something with a small audience but I wonder if this will actually prevent people from going to Windows Phone. Could be a way to try and persuade more people to stick/move to android.

[Mr-Trainor]

I can understand Google not wanting to design apps for something with a small audience but I wonder if this will actually prevent people from going to Windows Phone. Could be a way to try and persuade more people to stick/move to android.

I don't think Google cares as much to which OS people are using - as along as people are using Google's products, Google will make money. That's what I've heard, anyway .

[xxMATTGxx]

I can understand Google not wanting to design apps for something with a small audience but I wonder if this will actually prevent people from going to Windows Phone. Could be a way to try and persuade more people to stick/move to android.

Well no because they could just go with an iPhone as that supports Gmail and other Google services just fine. It's just there's a fight between Microsoft and Google at the moment but it's the users who will be hurt the most at the end of the day.

[peteyt]

Well no because they could just go with an iPhone as that supports Gmail and other Google services just fine. It's just there's a fight between Microsoft and Google at the moment but it's the users who will be hurt the most at the end of the day.

Yeah which isn't right. I feel like Google may hold Windows Phone back. I have my Android and some Google apps and if some I used regularly where not available via Windows Phone and I was looking to upgrade it would put me off. I'm sure Google can easily afford to do it.

[HotelUser]

Well no because they could just go with an iPhone as that supports Gmail and other Google services just fine. It's just there's a fight between Microsoft and Google at the moment but it's the users who will be hurt the most at the end of the day.

Hold on here. Surly Windows Phone 7 supports IMAP out of the box in some way, and if not then Microsoft deserves some blame here.