We lost track of just where Windows Phone's YouTube app situation stood, so it came as a nice surprise to learn that the app was updated to version 3.2 today.
Our contented smiles were quickly smacked from our faces however when we discovered the update turned the app into nothing more than a web player, taking mobile WP users straight to the browser whenever they try to do anything YouTube related.
As noted by WPCentral, even tapping an installed YouTube icon on a Windows Phone handset will land you on the m.youtube.com page, which on the bright side does save you the step of having to open your browser directly.
Microsoft has long bemoaned not being able to offer its users a premier YouTube experience on par with that enjoyed by iOS and Android device owners. Today's update is about as far from premier as it gets.
Even the app's Windows Phone Store description is a limp attempt at sounds appealing.
Not friends
It seems that Microsoft and Google, the two protagonists in this long tale, are getting nowhere fast in developing a legitimate Windows Phone YouTube app.
We left off in August with Google blocking Microsoft's own YouTube app because the latter didn't comply with Google's requirement to build it using HTML5.
Microsoft rebuttled with a missive that had two essential arguments; that Google unfairly asked Microsoft to use HTML5, something it didn't require of Android or iOS, and that Google simply didn't want to give Windows Phone users the same experience as users of other platforms.
Things look pretty bleak for the video app on Windows Phone at the moment, especially for users.
"Doesn't work anymore. Really ****** me off. Have to borrow other peoples phone to watch a **** video," one app reviewer wrote.
"Broken," wrote another. "After update give a new feedback. ****** Google."
- Google is doing something on the tablet front. Check out our new Nexus 7 review to see what we mean.
