Wait, don’t close the tab, I am not going to be talking about the impressive growth in Lumia sales or the fact that Windows Phone has begun to surpass competing platforms in various locations. Enough has been said about those things and putting it frankly, ridiculing Windows Phone as a mobile competitor in today’s market is just plain silly. Wait, I am getting ahead of myself again…

I am going to take a different angle here. You see, there are a few things that make a mobile phone a success. Let’s break it down here.

Hardware: Remember, that thing that existed before apps?

Some may say that hardware has become borderline irrelevant. While in many ways, hardware has taken the bench while apps make up the starting team, hardware is not yet irrelevant. Let’s not forget, the way a phone feels in your hand is important, being that it is going to be spending a lot of time there. Cameras, batteries, displays, these all fall under the category of hardware and come on, who doesn’t care about those things?

Now, I am not going to say that the S4 feels like crap in your hand and that the plastic of all Samsung phones make them feel cheap and not something I want to spend $700 on. Oops, I just said it. Yes, the iPhone feels pretty solid and premium, there is no denying it, but have you held one of these Lumia phones? Have you?

In fact, it is not only the Lumia phones that feel great, my other Windows Phone, the HTC 8X is just plain sexy (Yes, I know, it is a phone.) But back to the Lumias for a second. The Lumia 920, which is the phone I am using a bit more nowadays just feels amazing. It is not as slim as some others but I have yet to hold a phone that feels as solid as the 920, 925, the 928, and my 1020 is on the way, so stay tuned for that. Anyway, I think you get it, the Lumia phones, as far as hardware goes, feel pretty amazing. And, by the way, that shouldn’t surprise anyone since they are made by Nokia. Say what you will about Nokia but they know how to make a phone!

And Now for the Elephant in the Room

Ok, ok, I know, you think I’m stalling. “Stop talking about hardware. What is this? 2005? The Razr had nice hardware too. Move along now…” Fine, bring it on. Apps, let’s discuss them. Now if we were having this discussion two years ago or even last year, you would have had an advantage over me, because, let’s be honest, the 3rd party app ecosystem on Windows Phone wasn’t just lacking, it was painful.

Let’s examine it now. Now, if you want to talk about the million of apps on iOS or Android, sure, go ahead. Then unlock your phone and count how many of those million you have installed. You know what those million apps represent? Some great marketing on the part of Apple to lure you into their ecosystem when in reality, all you really need is 10, maximum 20 apps. Ok, if you are a super geek, you may even have as many as 100 apps on your phone. Not a million. Great, can we move on now? Fabulous.

Here is how I look at this issue. I am not looking at consumers to see what apps they have on Windows Phone. I am looking at premium developers and whether they view Windows Phone as a platform worth spending resources on. Do the big guys think Windows Phone is worth their time? Let’s take a look.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Waze, Foursquare, Linkedin, Netflix, Microsoft Office (Ahem, Apple… Awkward!), Skype (obviously), Vine, Viber, Spotify, and on and on.

Listen, are all the apps that you like on Windows Phone? Not yet, still waiting for Flipboard, for example. But even Flipboard already released a Windows 8 app, which clearly indicates that this ecosystem is on their radar. Again, it would be silly of them not to take it into account.

So, for me, and I can’t speak for anyone else, the vast majority of apps I use on my iPhone or Android device are now present on Windows Phone. Of course, this was not the case as recently as last week but Waze and Instagram made their way to the platform yesterday and that brought me two steps closer to embracing Windows Phone.

 Accessibility to my Information: Good news and bad news

So here is where Windows Phone gets a bit tricky. You see the live tiles on Windows Phone are pure awesomeness. Get access to your email or Instagram notifications faster than any other platform, period. No, really, much faster. The live tiles enable you to see info on the home screen without touching the phone and without ruining the esthetic of the design, like the old Windows Mobile Today screen did.

Except when it comes to access to information on Windows Phone, we are not quite there yet. In fact, the reason I am still using an iPhone and the reason I love the Moto X as much as I do is the notification system on these phones. Windows Phone has none. No really, the notifications on Windows Phone are just plain annoying and ineffective. An email comes in, the phone makes a sound and that is where it ends.

What was that email? Was it something important worth stopping what I am doing to read? Well, you are going to have to stop what you’re doing, and open the mail app to find out. Yep, not great.

And the Jewel in the Crown… “Wait, that was taken with a phone??”

Let’s talk a little bit about Android for a second, and specifically, the new Nexus 5. Take a look at any of the reviews on Google’s new flagship and you will notice one thing in common almost across the board. People want a better camera, a better photography experience. The iPhone 5s, on the other hand, takes fantastic shots and it does it lightning fast. It’s like nothing else. Nothing, except pretty much every single high-end Lumia phone, that is.

Depending how fast your internet connection is, feel free to click on the picture below to see that picture in full resolution. Then, in case your mind is not yet blown, zoom in on any part of the picture, including the man sitting on the bench in the distance. Yes, that was taken with a phone. A phone. That fits in your pocket!

The 920 and above take pictures in both low and regular lighting conditions that blow any other mobile device out of the water. The Nokia photography app suite is nothing short of astounding and whether you are talking about advanced photography, photo editing, or even refocusing a picture after it was taken, Nokia Lumia phones are unparalleled by anyone. Full stop.

A Mobile Ecosystem is A Lot More than the Sum of its Parts

“Wait, what?” You see, everyone talks about the need for a supportive ecosystem when they discuss the mobile operating systems. In most cases, the people who use the word ecosystem are referring to a lot of apps. That is a misuse of the word and is actually a ridiculous requirement, as we discussed above. An ecosystem, at least a healthy one, is a lot more than just some apps that are not connected in any way.

Android, or better yet Google, has a great ecosystem integrated in Android at the most basic level. Gmail, Google Docs/Drive, Calendar, Google Now, Google+, etc. Apple obviously wants to replicate that but still has room for improvement.

Windows Phone, as far as its ecosystem is concerned, and no, not just number of apps, is pretty spectacular. Full Office, Skydrive integration, Skype, deep social integration, and more. Now all that is left is for Microsoft to complete the acquisition of Nokia and to integrate all of its apps including Drive, Here, City Lens, Nokia Smart Cam, and Photobeamer (awesome awesome app!).

Not to end on a negative note, but…

The only remaining element besides the notifications and some apps here and there missing from Windows Phone is for Google and Microsoft to enter into peace talks. Seriously, Google, Windows Phone users are people too. We also need Gmail, YouTube, Google+ (Don’t go there!), and Google Now (a man can dream, right?). So please Google, be nice to Microsoft, it wasn’t so long ago that you too were struggling to make a dent in the mobile universe. Remember those days?

In other news, watch this Lumia ad. Just do it. Thank me later.