Skype and all “top 25 apps” to be released in first half of 2012

January 15, 2012 | By Liwen Guo

Just yesterday, we reported on an interview with Skype’s VP of products, Rick Osterloh, in which he confirmed that a Skype app for Windows Phone would be “coming soon”. Now, thanks to Paul Thurrott, we’ve gotten a slightly better timeframe: the app should be out in the first half of 2012.

However, there’s something even more interesting: According to Thurrott, Microsoft actually plans to get all “top 25 apps” from both iOS and Android onto Windows Phone before the end of the first half of 2012. What’s more, for those apps that will not come to Windows Phone (Pandora is cited as an example), Microsoft will promote competing apps with “tens of millions of dollars” over the next three years.

This might sound a bit, well, crazy, but considering Thurrott’s excellent track record, and the fact that he got these bits of information from the same documentation which revealed Nokia’s marketing plans and the upcoming LTE Windows Phones, both of which have proven to be accurate, we can’t help but believe him. If the 25 most popular apps of the two (currently) leading smartphone platforms and many other important key apps really become available on Windows Phone in the next six months, that would improve the app selection a lot, partly negating its arguably biggest disadvantage right now.

Source: WinSuperSite

About Liwen Guo

I've been tinkering with smartphones since the old Windows Mobile days, creating the popular Livven Themes series. Since then I've moved on to an HTC HD2, running Windows Phone 7.5, and Galaxy Nexus, running Android 4.0. I also have an iPod touch. Visit my website and follow me on Twitter.

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Tagged apps, skype

http://profiles.google.com/tourehenry Touré HENRY

Any place we can get the list of top 25 andoid and iPhone apps ?

Just to know what to expect.

http://www.facebook.com/EDDS86 Rick Dodkins

wondering this also

http://twitter.com/jessenic Jesse Leskinen

So… We are going to get a task killer app too from android top 25?

http://livven.me/ Livven

Haha, sure!
Anonymous

They will probably excuse task killer.

Instead, they should go for banks and airline apps. Those are the other category of apps missing from the marketplace. Wishful thinking, but hoping Tango allows or brings with it on device encryption and VPN for enterprises!

Hassan

I second VPN!
http://www.facebook.com/david.tomilson David Tomilson

I would LOVE if Canadian banks such as TD Bank offered an app. I had it with iOS and Android. Come on TD, get off your ass!

http://twitter.com/JohnCollins24 John Collins

I’m just digging the aggressive approach. I am really starting to see the commitment.

http://www.facebook.com/sandrem Sandré BreakDabox Malcolm

I concur
http://twitter.com/digthenoise Dig The Noise

I agree.

http://twitter.com/sayonical Sayon

Im expects apps like Audible will make the list. Hoping to also see Instagram does as well!

Emi Cyberschreiber

Audible will be available soon. if you used wmpoweruser search and searched Audible, you will see on december there was a news about how in 3 months Audible App would be ready. http://wmpoweruser.com/audible-working-on-a-windows-phone-7-app-will-be-ready-in-3-months/

http://twitter.com/sayonical Sayon

i know that which is why i posted i expect this will be in the list of top 25 apps to be released!

Anonymous

First quarter would have been more appropriate..
http://www.facebook.com/marsupy Paul Renda

I can’t understand what is all the commotion with Pandora. I’ve never used it so I’m just wondering, what am I missing here? Can anyone please explain? I use Spotify for all my music needs.. and it has got everything I need.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1300735256 Andrew Bares

And other people use Pandora for all thier music needs. If Windows Phone didn’t have Spotify, you wouldn’t be happy, just like for others, they’re not happy with not having Pandora.

Anonymous

LastFM > Pandora
Anonymous

So basically “every” platform has to have “every” app before “everybody” will be happy. I am betting that “peace on earth” will happen first.

Anyone want to start making a list of WP apps that currently do not exist on iOS or Android. Mobile Fax would be a good start. Coming to iOS soon.

http://twitter.com/SirCatalyst Justin Vincible

It’s really just choice and some people (like myself) have been using Pandora for a while (since 2005 for me) so that’s what we’re comfortable with. If you want to take a hands off approach of streaming music mixes, use Pandora. If you want more control over your streaming playlist, use Spotify.

Anonymous

And then, of course, there is always Zune
http://www.brainfruit.com/ Marcus Bastian

But why is it such a problem to get Pandora on board?

Anonymous

Damn you all.. Using the New Zealand WP marketplace I can’t get any of the music streaming apps

Avatar Roku

Another garbage rumor from Paul Thurrott. The top 25 apps on Android includes a bunch of keyboards, task killers and file managers; things which have zero chance of coming to WP7. Half the apps are already on Windows Phone. So unless you’re really excited about a Yahoo Mail app, not sure why anyone should care.

The only apps in that top 25 that matter are Pandora, Skype, and Cut the Rope.

http://livven.me/ Livven

Don’t take the top 25 literally. It’s just some of the most popular apps, that’s all.

http://twitter.com/SirCatalyst Justin Vincible

So we’re going to get a flood of non-XBL games? Because that’s all I see in both top 25s.
http://www.facebook.com/Chaitanya.HG Chaitanya Gopinath

First thing needed is a Music app with an equalizer. Lumia sounds dumb without this.

Anonymous

Agreed, the lack of an EQ is starting to be a little disappointing. Nokia could also try to partner up with Dolby or something like that, and give us proper sound enhancements.
Anonymous

You mean having an HTC WP actually gives me an advantage for once???

Anonymous

Viber and skype are all we need
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1417130590 Victor Schnee

So we get GTA 3? Neat!
Anonymous

This tells me the Lacks of apps will soon not be a issue for cellphone users to try these devices
Anonymous

android users are a bunch of pirating theives. no wonder developers cant make money and must give in for free. bunch of pimple faced nerds circle jerking with their nes emus and task killers. too bad carriers give these devices away like candy so we have to hear these idiots gloat about how it is the greatest thing. i mean just check out the top apps to know what kind of people use these things
https://profiles.google.com/christopher.gull/ CG

Please MS, after the app, please upgrade by building Skype right into WP7/8! I want to have as few apps as possible.

http://www.facebook.com/david.tomilson David Tomilson

They said they were going to bundle it into Apollo.. Don’t you worry!

https://profiles.google.com/christopher.gull/ CG

If true: YAY.

I hope it’s not just bundling an app!

Anonymous

As others have said, the key to this story is the action by Microsoft and not the specific apps themselves. Thurrott is right more often than not about this stuff (we can overlook his confusion about updates last year and the resulting tantrum-induced prediction that Mango wouldn’t be out in 2011) If anyone (other than Scoble) still doubts the level of commitment to WP and the willingness to spend some of that $57 billion as needed, this should put it to rest.
http://94octane.com Beezer

I really just don’t understand how hard it is for them to make a Skype app? If people are making killer apps in their bedrooms, why can’t 2 straight up guys from Skype make the app on just a few hours of overtime? I haven’t coded in years, but I imagine after making an iOS, and Android version, you’d have at least 50% of it done. I could be wrong, last type of code I touched was C++ and PHP.
Anonymous

All I wanr for Q2 is Audible ^^
Anonymous

Photosynth should be built-in to Apollo
Anonymous

wp7 really needs tiny towers. i know two friends who are willing to switch to wp7 but can’t because they’re addicted to tiny towers
Anonymous

I’m inclined to think that for MOST people, WP7 has all the apps they need right need.

The number of apps in each platform is just a convenient way for “bean counters” to keep score on which platform is “the winner”. Any of the platforms could be a viable choice for consumers depending on their needs. Therefore there are no “losers”—just products filling somewhat different needs depending on the customer.

I would be very hard pressed to find a use for a hundred apps, let alone 55,000 or 200,000. It’s just a way of keeping score for bragging rights, that’s all.
Anonymous

It would be sweet if instagram is one of them. And it would be even sweeter if it comes out on WP before android
http://twitter.com/counterblow the person

Top 25 as of when?
Anonymous

Hopefully they’ll spend a few millions to get MetroTube back on the marketplace as an official app.
Alain Hajj

is Nimbuzz one of the 25 app ?