How do you differentiate on Windows Phone when Microsoft have dictated so much of the look and feel, size, and specifications? When Nokia's first Windows Phone handsets arrived, it appeared that the Finnish answer was going to be 'software'. That has proven to be the case, and Paul Thurrott argues that anyone looking at a Windows Phone would be giving up a huge amount of value if they don't go for a Lumia handset.

If you choose an HTC Windows Phone 8X or, god help you, whatever mid-level toss-away that Samsung is foisting on us this year, the biggest thing you’ll give up, compared to users of Lumia handsets, is those apps. Yes, there are other advantages to discuss—camera optics comes to mind—but the apps are the big one.

Nokia Counters - an example of value add in the Lumia range.

Nokia have committed significant resources to build up the 'app gap' between the Lumia and other handsets. Their own software takes engineering time at all parts of the process; mapping requires a herculean effort to stay up to date; music services will need an army of lawyers in every region to read over the deals; while exclusive gaming titles require negotiation, exclusivity period, and presumably some financial guarantees.

But the reward for all that is a dominance of the Windows Phone sales, with almost 4 out of 5 WP handsets coming from Nokia. Thurrott sums it up:

When it comes to Windows Phone exclusive apps, there’s Nokia. And then there’s nothing else.

You can read all of Thurrott's thoughts on Nokia's app advantage on his website.