The popular travel review site TripAdvisor recently launched its universal app for Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile.
The app appears to be a conversion from the TripAdvisor website using Microsoft's Project Westminster, but is much more than mere "web wrapper".
Here's a brief description of the app:
"Millions of traveller reviews, photos and maps from TripAdvisor. Book your best trip, every trip. With over 250 million reviews and opinions, from travellers all around the world, TripAdvisor makes it easy to find the lowest airfare, the best hotels, great restaurants and fun things to do, wherever you go. And booking options for hotels, restaurants and flights are just a tap away."
The app may be an example of how Microsoft's "Project Westminster" is supposed to work. Microsoft announced earlier this year it planned to release tools that would allow websites to be ported into universal Windows 10 apps with that code name.
The clues for such a conclusion comes from the popup ad to install the Android app and the nested hamburger menus. Still, the app is fast, responsive and certainly feels native.
Thanks to Ezekiel for the tip!
Reader comments
TripAdvisor launches its universal Windows 10 app for phone and PC
Looks like a web wrapper. What I love most is the banner at the top telling me to install the Google app. Apparently the developers took a short lunch to pull this together.
Wow....wow...wow
Well, this means I'll be using them for my next vacation.
Instead of focusing on universal apps ..focus on bringing google apps to windows mobile..its more important than the universal apps now..
My TripAdvisor is still the old one. I tried to update but no option other than OPEN. Grrrr... (Windows10Mobile)
universal web wrapper app. sad.
Great to see UWA coming.
No, it's a mere web wrapper. If it was useful the directions link would open out into maps for directions
If you open the directions link in Edge, does it automatically open the Maps app?
Wow.... So many top developers launching their apps.
Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
Well, if this really was built using the Web Bridge, it's really really impressive. It is fast a lightning on both my Surface Book and Lumia 950, integrates nicely with the system (share contracts, notifications, location, etc.). It doesn't at all feel like a "web app".
I think this is very promising for the future of the Windows Store.
Agreed, it feels like native app. Very fast.
Installed then uninstalled because I got an expired web page error message... Smh! Don't need a web app TripAdvisor.
Tried this app on the Linx 7 tablet, I think the app could of been designed alot better. Usability of the app feels clunky
trip adisor needs to update Athabasca Alberta listings. many are wrong an i have flagged them in the past. give me the ability to edit and fix my town!!!
These Windows 10 apps are so much better then the Windows 8 ones. Is Windows Central planning to get there own?
Windows Central has a universal app coming soon :)
In 7-10 days they're releasing a beta version of their app. It's teased in the latest #AskDanWindows video. They show the app running on screen.
The Windows 10 "App" is just the Website. Look at the WP8-App, which is a real App.
The real TripAdvisor App for WP 8 is way better. Why should WP 10 Users should use this cheap Webpage-App?
You're not allowed to say anything on WP8 is better than 10, didn't you know Windows 10 will save everything? /s
Finally! Greetings from Portugal
It can't find any restaurant if I use AutoDetect location. Had to put in my city. Nicer looking than the old app. Westminster allows web apps to use notification center, which is nice. Feels just like a regular app.
It seems nice at first but I don't believe they had tablets in mind when they designed this. For example when you search for a hotel it shows you a nice list of hotels and a map. And if you want to pinch to zoom the map it does that, but since the list of hotels and the whole menu is on the same "web page" with the map then the list and the menu goes out of scope and it feels ridiculous. Maybe if they put a map in it's own frame it would work OK.
Email their support and let them know that. Click the contact support link at the bottom of the store page for their app
Universal universal YAY!!
On my 1520 the screen goes nuts when I try to find attractions 'near me'. The 'getting location' has an impressively wild graphical glitch, and there's not request for location permission from WP10. Did they forget to plug in the WP10 compatible GPS API?
Same thing here with my 730.
I think Westminster is the best chance we have of getting a lot of necessary apps. Hopefully the banks put out webapps with camera support (check deposits), airlines do so with wallet and calendar support, etc.
Look, this is nice since a new TripAdvisor app was soo needed, but did you see the iOS one? It's not better, it's on another planet.
Yay! Guess the Universal platform is finally ringing bells!
Edit: That android pop-up in the app is literally annoying which sometimes makes me feel as if I'm using a wrapper. UI is good but that pop-up.!! Also, we cant use Microsoft maps.
U are using a wrapper. App is lazy trash.
Gradients? 2010 called.
Got to take what we get at this point, I guess it's a side effect of 'porting'. Other platforms use gradients a lot, only windows is truly 'flat'. But it's not so bad, makes the app look 'different'.
Good grief! This page is the only thing open on my SP4 and its usig 30% of y CPU. I cat ventype.
Closed the tab and CPU immediately dropped. Opened it again and it shot up to 40%, then dropped to about 12% now. Crazy.
Windows Central seems to make Edge really resource intensive. Send feedback while in Edge about the site and tell them it makes your computer slower.
Wow AWESOME! Things are looking up!
Good news on more Universal apps!
Hey guys, off topic but my W10M preview is running warm all of sudden. I think this started after they pushed some sort of "accessory finder" app yesterday or the way before. Anyone else?
Good thing they haven't forgotten about us. The windows phone app wasn't updated since 2012.
Keep em coming! Make Balmer eat his words!
Next generation of web wrappers. Oh wait, sorry. If it can get them Banking and other utility apps. Keep them coming.
Web Apps are th future for ALL the platforms. This way they can share the majority of code and only do the extra work to take advantage of the platform specific features. Did you know that Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Onedrive are web apps?
No, they are not.
Wooow!!! How many Universal Apps we have got this week?
This one has actually been out for a few weeks. I only just remembered to tell windows central.
Is it different than the Windows Phone app they already had?
yes, it runs on desktop / tablet too
I was wondering if there is a difference in the mobile app now that it is a Universal App.
That Android popup is getting so annoying.
agreed; wonder how MS will get around that
I'm sure it'll be removed soon now that Google is penlaising websites for having those "download our app" popups.
It's still the old app for me
If you do a search in the app store for the developer (TripAdvisor LLC), you will see two Trip Advisor apps. The first is the old app and the second is the new one.
That hamburger within a hamburger is even more annoying. Hamception. This app is garbage. Laziness.
But...but.....but...if Project Astoria was on hold, windows mobile was dead right???
According to those ppl who are looking everything for free
Funny. I'd much rather have the ported iOS apps and stuff than an Android emulator.
This. iOS apps are way more better.
Explain that to those the so called Windows phone users who are so loyal that are looking everything for cheap to totally free.
I have stated this numerous times and will say it again. Apps from iOS are better cuz, they're from the App store while the apps are side loading from the other project but then again, they want free stuff!
Lol. "iOS apps are better because they're from the App Store"
iOS apps are better because they are optimized for that specific hardware and screen size.
And you can side load apps on iOS as well btw.
Yes this is true.
Unfortunately, you didn't understood my point.
Yes I do know that they are optimized for specific hardware which is typically one per year as compared to 10 models of Lumias and 1000s of Android.
In case of sideloading, here's the fun part. They're in minority. There's a reason why devs select iOS first even though its market share worldwide is lower than android because, ppl actually buy and support the devs. What about about our community?
Go check any paid app/game reviews and 90% are "Make it free" which offer trial.
That's why ppl want Astoria! So ppl can sideload paid android apps/games free and the rest of the story, I hope you got it.
People ask to make it free because those apps/games which you are saying, are already free on ios/Android!Then why make it paid on windows platform?
I wish there were more games I could just pay for and then not be prompted by in app purchas etc. And be able to play offline if needed.
I get why so many companies go down the free route, and it's because people just aren't as willing to pay for games /apps on mobile platforms. I'd always prefer to just buy the game myself.
One big annoyance was Spartan assault which you had to buy and then have the option of buying credits on top of that (I think they took that out on Spartan Strike, which I also bought)
Let's see when someone actually bothers to put in the extreme amounts of extra work to use Islandwood to bring a popular iOS app to the Store. So far that would be King, with Candy Crush and the sweetheart deal Microsoft gave them to preinstall the app. Even if Islandwood does half the work for the developer, that other half is likely to be way too much for the low market share of W10M.
Astoria would require little developer work, which meant that it actually had a chance to succeed. But feel free to keep living in your utopia where developers care enough about W10M to port iOS apps to it.
Astoria was just emulation, it didn't always work good,and for lots of apps it wouldn't work at all.
Because we didn't get access to the Microsoft interop library which the developers would include when submitting their APK for the Windows Store. Also, emulation isn't strictly accurate either.
For the thousandth time, stop thinking only in terms of mobile. Islandwood also covers desktop and before people say, "But they'll just use the web in desktop", many websites aren't optimized for touch and 2-in-1 computers are a real thing.
Right, which is why TripAdvisor just put all that work in to port over their (far superior) iOS app. Oh wait, right, they packaged up their website and called it a day. I mean, this very article is a perfect example of developers not seeing any value in porting over iOS apps.
Let's also keep in mind that a large portion of new iOS apps are developed in Swift, not Objective-C. Swift is not at all supported by Islandwood.
But to your point, sure, if a developer uses Islandwood then they can make a universal app. How many Windows 10 users care about the Store at all though? Definitely not the large majority.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love for this all to catch on, but this is the real world, where there's little reason for that to happen.
Unless you have hard numbers, how do you know the large majority have no interest in the store? I'm not saying this to start an argument or anything but I will say that Windows 10 has only been out for a little over four months and, by all accounts, the number of store downloads have increased. I still believe that with 2-in-1 computers becoming more and more popular, the need for universal apps will continue to increase. Same for desktop users since people are being trained to get their programs from whatever store is available on their system. Still, only the future will tell and it might be that companies are going the web wrapper route first to test the waters and see if it's worth it to do the heavy work.
@jhoff80 you've jumped a whole leap of logic with your assertions. Do you have any stats on "new iOS apps are developed in Swift not Objective-C"? As I don't see this huge uptake you've seen. I just did a quick Bing ;)
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/swift-vs-objective-c-winner-gergely-orosz
That article suggests there hasn't been a wholesale rush to Swift.
The store is awesome. You might not not care, but store apps are secure, elegant to install and uninstall, and restore when you rebuild your PC or get a new one. Store = the future. Single store for phone/PC/tablet = awesome.
You are trying to pointlessly rain on something as you have some agenda, or strong view. But its not fact, its ultimately just a reflection of your desires and preferences and baseless opinion.
First of all, in your linked article about Swift vs Objective C, even there it is stated that "Swift has become the most desired programming language to work with." Of course it's not an overnight switch, but instead a steady migration... in which most new development of new apps will favor Swift, which Islandwood (also known as WinObjC) doesn't support.
Also, jeez, you're totally right, I'm clinging to my Lumia 1020 because I want Windows Phone to fail. Sure. And I see nothing good about Store apps, right. That's why I nearly exclusively use them on my Surface Pro. In fact I've argued extensively for why Store apps are better... because of high DPI support, settings sync, and some of the things you state, among many other advantages. Unfortunately, that all is irrelevant to the problem at hand. It doesn't matter how much we as users in a small minority prefer Store apps or Windows Phone. The last five years should demonstrate how we can't just will apps into existence.
Moreover, the existence of Universal apps isn't nearly the draw for phone apps that people here seem to think it is. It's all about return on investment for developers. Islandwood still requires a ton of work for very little return on investment. Do you think developers are going to do that out of the kindness of their hearts? Software development is a business. As mentioned, this very article we're commenting on is demonstrating everything I've said. The TripAdvisor developers are taking the quickest path that requires the least work to support Windows, which is submitting their web URL to the Store (and removing their native app). This is an exact demonstration of why Astoria was necessary. It required little work from the developer.
Seriously, the last time I saw people so eager to put their heads in the sand and expect the best was on webOS. I've said on this very forum before that it's very possible that some people might not be AFFECTED by the problems, but I can't believe how eager some are to pretend that it doesn't exist at all.
@jhoff80 and at the same time have the android emulation layer running on every phone?
No thanks.
Plus Android app support did wonders for native blackberry app development right?
Ohh yeah nice tripadvisor!!
Yup, tripadvisor did say mid December in response to my email...glad they stuck to the timeline...! :)
Nice! Keep 'em coming! ^^
Yo with app count increasing.. My hopes increasing.. May this count now just go on increasing :-)
I love Trip Advisor! Fan for life now. :)
Oh wait, doesn't work on Continuum? :(
Glad this one is more featured than their previous offering and looks nicer.
Would be nice if Google would come down and make universal Youtube app! ^^
Tubecast is enough for me
Love tubecast and metrotube.
Metrotube is good but some people care for official apps. Just saying ^^
Tubecast and mytube. Metro tube has been broken on pc for a while.
...and some choose the best option. I'd still use MetroTube as its better than the "official" on Android.
PerfectTube is great.
Hyper for YouTube. You can even save movies.
Mytube pretty sweet
Tubecast is by far better than the official youtube. With tubecast you can stream to any devices such as Xbox, PS, TV with miracast, Roku etc....
Cool to know this! I haven't tried it before. I usually used MetroTube. ^^
I prefer Microsoft making its own video service.
Ehh, I'll just use the website as there is literally no advantage to this.
It's an advantage if you have a phone. It's also likely faster and more intuitive via the app instead of a webpage. I prefer apps to webpages.
But how many apps am I really going to have. I actually travel a lot, and use trip advisor a lot. I had the app on my phone but never used it... Some apps just dont make sense and this is one of them.
i agree with you, but some people want the option to just have the app in the store just for that, and having apps like this helps windows phone a lot.
Keep it coming
Great. We potentially get more on the UWP quicker via developers taking advantage of Microsoft's migration and development tools.