The Microsoft Store is under scrutiny for the new Outlook app, set to replace the popular Mail & Calendar app. An AI-generated summary, reflecting user reviews, has cast the latest email client in a negative light.
Microsoft introduced AI-powered summaries in the Store last year to help users quickly assess apps without reading numerous reviews. Based on user feedback, these summaries can highlight an app’s flaws if it receives predominantly negative reviews. This is the case with the new Outlook, which the summary criticizes:
Mail and Calendar app review summary using Copilot mentions users praising the Mail and Calendar app over the New Outlook app byu/ceoadlw inwindows
“Users highly recommend the Mail and Calendar app over the new Outlook, citing its simplicity, ease of use, and lack of ads. They appreciate the app’s ability to handle multiple accounts and create custom background images. Users hope that Microsoft will not discontinue the app and allow offline access.”
This AI-generated summary was spotlighted on Reddit by a user named “ceoadlw”. Microsoft is under pressure to improve the app with the new Outlook set to replace Mail & Calendar later this year.
The new Outlook has faced criticism not only from users but also from tech experts. Senior Editor Zac Bowden described it as “the worst built-in OS email client of any OS platform on the market right now.” Issues include the absence of a unified inbox, poorer performance, higher RAM usage, and frequent reliability problems.
As a web app, the new Outlook feels disconnected from the Windows environment, as being bulkier and less intuitive than native apps. If the Microsoft Store continues using AI summaries, the new Outlook is likely to face ongoing negative feedback, highlighting the need for significant improvements before its full release.