You can now add Zappos to the list of companies slowly making their way to Windows Phone.
The Las Vegas-based retailer launched its first Windows Phone app Tuesday. Zappos developed the app through a partnership with Microsoft.
Unlike some Windows Phone apps — such as the one recently launched for Pinterest — Zappos' app is a true native app, and not just a shortcut to its mobile site.
"Windows Phone doesn't have a lot of native apps," Aki Iida, Zappos' head of mobile, told. "When you build web apps, one of the main challenges that you have is you have to build the same experience for all devices. With native experience, you can build technology that allows you to make all the transitions much smoother and easier."
The Windows Phone app has the same basic functionality as Zappos' existing iOS and Android offerings, including free shipping on all orders placed through the app. However, it has fewer features overall. For example, the Windows Phone app doesn't allow users to initiate returns, track orders or manage their account information.
This highlights a much bigger problem with the Windows Phone platform. Companies are often reluctant to spend the time and resources developing native Windows Phone apps, and even when they do — as we've seen recently with Pinterest, Spotify and Instagram, which is still in beta more than a year after its launch — the apps are rarely on par with their iOS and Android counterparts.