Nokia has expressed frustration with Microsoft's failure to give smartphone users a convincing reason to switch to Windows Phone, in comments representing the first public signs of strain in the pair's relationship.
The Finnish company's vice president Bryan Biniak said Microsoft has not held up its end of the bargain because essential, frontline apps are still missing from the Windows Phone store.
In an interview with the IBTimes, Biniak said smartphone users are unwilling to compromise their mobile lives by switching to the platform, regardless of how impressive recent hardware releases have been.
He said Nokia is trying to 'change the culture' at Microsoft' in order to stress that the battle to overhaul iOS and Android cannot wait any longer.
Give me a reason
He said: "To give you a reason to switch, I need to make sure the apps that you care about on your device are not only on our phones, but are better. I also need to provide you unique experiences that you can't get on your other devices."
"People rely on applications for their day-to-day life and if you don't have something which I use in my day-to-day life I'm not going to switch [operating systems] because I don't want to compromise the way I live my life just to switch to a phone.
"It's not just about the hardware, it's about the tools that are on the hardware. You can't sell a phone without the apps, you just can't."
No time to waste
Nokia's recent launches have included the impressive Lumia 925 and the soon to be released 41-megapixel Lumia 1020 cameraphone.
However, the Finns are concerned these great handsets will stay under the radar for potential buyers due to Microsoft's lack of haste in attracting top developers to the platform
Biniak added: "We are releasing new devices frequently and for every new device, if there is an app that somebody cares about that's not there that's a missed opportunity of a sale.
"We are trying to evolve the cultural thinking [at Microsoft] to say 'time is of the essence.' Waiting until the end of your fiscal year when you need to close your targets, doesn't do us any good when I have phones to sell today."
If you want a job doing well...
Although the app gulf between Windows Phone and iOS and Android isn't as large as it was, Microsoft's platform is still missing apps like Instagram, a Facebook app worthy of the name, and of course, Google's impressive suite.
Nokia has attempted to take matters into its own hands, campaigning for the launch of Instagram on Windows Phone, while also securing an exclusive deal to bring FIFA '13 to Lumia Phones.
On that note, Biniak saved his most scathing comment until last. He said: "As a company we don't want to rely on somebody else and sit and wait for them to get it right."
Will Biniak's comments jar Microsoft into caring as much about Windows Phone as it does about Windows 8 and Xbox? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
