• Diyan
• On August 11, 2013

From customer’s point of view, the lack of important apps is still one of the most problematic areas of the Microsoft’s ecosystem. The Windows Phone store is growing rapidly. Since its introduction a lot of new apps have been released. However, there are still some essential apps not accessible for the users. Below is our list of the top 10 critical applications missing on Windows Phone, their expected launch dates and alternatives.

1.       Instagram

Instagram is a popular photo & video sharing app and social networking service. The app allows users to take pictures and videos and then apply different filters. The files can be shared on the social networks. Originally designed for iOS, Instagram made its debut on Android in April 2012. An official WP8 app is under development by Microsoft.

Expected launch: 2013 (an official app by Microsoft)

update 21/11/2013: Instagram Beta is available for Windows Phone

2.       Vine

Vine is a new service acquired by Twitter. It captures short video clips (up to 6 seconds) that can be shared on social networks. The service itself is the video alternative of Twitter – instead of short text messages you can post time-lapsed videos. In the Windows Phone store you can find a good alternative – 6sec. In fact, 6sec is better than the official Vine app available for iOS and Android. Meanwhile, Nokia has announced that Vine is one of the popular apps that will soon be available for WP8.

Expected launch: 2013 (collaboration between Vine and Nokia)

update 12/11/2013: Official Vine app finally available for Windows Phone 8

3.       Google Apps

The lack of native Google apps is among the largest reservations many users have, switching to Windows Phone from Android. All official Google apps are missing on WP8 – YouTube, Gmail, Drive, Maps, Google + and the rest. Of course, there are many third-party alternatives you can use, but you should be selective – most of them are too bad and they are not worth trying.

Expected launch: unknown

Alternative: third-party apps

4.       Dropbox

Dropbox is a cloud storage service with more than 100 million users, available for iOS and Android. A good alternative of Microsoft’s SkyDrive is a necessity for Windows Phone and Dropbox is the best one. Currently, there is no word about a launch date.

Expected launch: unknown

Alternative: SkyDrive

5.       Pinterest

With Pinterest you create theme-based image collections around a certain topic. Users can pin images from the web, explore other people’s collections and browse different pin categories. Pinterest is available on iOS and Android but nothing for WP8. Moreover, all third-party Pinterest clients are blocked and users don’t have an alternative.

Expected launch: unknown

Alternative: none

6.       Flipboard

Flipboard is a social network aggregation service. It collects the content of websites and social media and presents it in a nice format. The app let users flip and explore all feeds and news in one place. They can search for a topic, people, blog or anything. The information is presented in a modern magazine format. Flipboard for Windows Phone 8 will be available soon.

Expected launch: later in 2013 (collaboration between Flipboard and Nokia)

Alternative: Weave News Reader

7.       Yahoo Messenger

Yahoo Messenger is an instant messaging client. The free voice & video call service was launched in 1998. Now, the service is available for the leading mobile systems, except Windows Phone. With the messenger you can chat with your friends, send free international SMS or share photos and videos.

Expected launch: unknown

Alternative: Yahoo Buddy

8.       Opera

Opera is a web browser for tablets, smartphones and desktop computers. Unfortunately, there is no version that works on Windows Phone. If you want to connect your Opera browser with Windows Phone you can use “Opera Link for WP”. It gives you an access to your speed dials, bookmarks and notes from your mini, desktop or mobile browser.

Expected launch: unknown

Alternative: none

9.       Expedia Hotels & Flights

Expedia is an essential app if you travel a lot. It can save you up to 40% of the price and the booking process is easy and fast. With a few clicks you can get the best offer for a hotel room or a flight anywhere in the world. With Expedia you can search and then sort the results by different criteria – by price, deals or time for hotels, and by airport, city or code for flights.

Expected launch: unknown

Alternative: Hotels.com, Expedia Mobile, Booking com (unofficial)

10.   SnapChat

SnapChat is one of those apps that have become extremely popular. With SnapChat users can snap a photo or a video and share it with their friends. When the snap message is open and seen, it disappears from the screen. We expect an official Windows Phone app this month or in September. Meanwhile you can download “Swapchat Free” – the unofficial SnapChat client.

Expected launch: August /September 2013

Alternative: Swapchat Free (unofficial client)