Windows Phone has a new application problem

There's a worrying new trend in the Windows Phone world - applications are disappearing.American Airlines, Chase Bank, Bank of America, NBC, Pinterest, and Kabam have all discontinued their Windows Phone apps in the past year. These huge apps have simply disappeared or will no longer be updated. Some companies have cited a lack of Windows Phone users, and others have remained silent, but each removal has put Microsoft another step behind in the mobile race.It's not just third-party apps disappearing, either. Microsoft has removed several MSN apps and its popular Photosynth app, and the software maker has also killed off a number of special Lumia camera apps. Windows Phone users still don't have great Skype or Office apps like Microsoft produces for the iPhone. It's stunning that, after five years, the best experience of using Skype or Office on a phone isn't on one powered by Windows. This will change in Windows 10 Mobile, but it's not available yet.Considering Microsoft's broken promises, abysmal messaging, glacial development pace, endless resets, and confusing strategies, it's entirely and 100% understandable that developers are giving Windows Phone the boot. I'm sure we'll get comments about "just you wait until Windows Phone 10!", but nobody is falling for those empty promises anymore.Windows Phone could've been great, if only it hadn't been managed by utter incompetency.