Microsoft Looking To Put Windows Phone On Android Devices, Starting With HTC

http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/04/microsoft-reportedly-looking-to-put-windows-phone-on-android-devices-starting-with-htc/

by diminish • 13 years ago

30 44 13 years ago

techcrunch.com

JimmaDaRustla2• 13 years ago

Of course they mean release the same hardware with Windows pre-installed.

Would be funny if Google developed something like UEFI if mobile opened up to multiple operating systems.

stinos2• 13 years ago

Funny or not, it would be awesome if phones could boot multiple OS as easily as a plain PC/Intel Mac

hayksaakian2• 13 years ago

not sure why drivebyacct2 is dead, but his comment was useful

UEFI+SecureBoot can be implemented on ARM devices. And already is in almost every case, it just isn't turned on except for, as an example, most Verizon/ATT variants of phones.

bornhuetter• 13 years ago

drivebyacct2 has been dead for a long time, but he frequently makes insightful and informative comments.

anonymfus• 13 years ago

UEFI is actually requirement for WP8.

option_greek• 13 years ago

Of course, now that Nokia is assimilated, the Borg needs to move on to the next target.

Touche4• 13 years ago

Why doesn't Microsoft just fork Android like Amazon did, give it a Metro interface (it could look exactly the same as WP does today)? I can't think of any reason for them not to do this now...

smackfu• 13 years ago

I can't think of any reason for them not to do this now...

Besides the fact that it would be a total rewrite?

Touche4• 13 years ago

A rewrite of a failing product shouldn't be an issue.

stinos2• 13 years ago

Because a fork with a metro skin on top isn't Windows?

Touche4• 13 years ago

Microsoft existed long before Windows, if they make Windows a perpetual requirement it will be their ultimate downfall.

larrik• 13 years ago

Because then they can't control the toolset like they do currently. Or anything else, really.

JimmaDaRustla2• 13 years ago

Infinite loops - they'd have to pay themselves royalties...then it gets messy and confusing...

anologwintermut• 13 years ago

Because Microsoft thinks the Windows internals have value both to developers and, more importantly, to Microsoft's own engineers who are better at doing engineering on Windows. They can deliver features that stand out.

IF they just stuck metro on android, they'd just be a UI skin.

fnordfnordfnord• 13 years ago

I can't think of any reason for them not to do this now...

The insufferable propaganda that would ensue, plus a lot of Windows customers making an inconvenient conclusion.

pmelendez4• 13 years ago

That would be great if Android would be a far better OS than WP8 which comparing the performance/hardware requirement ratio on both OSs doesn't seem to be the case.

untog2• 13 years ago

Because Android isn't necessarily a great OS to fork from. In my experience, the cheap, low powered Windows Phone devices work much, much better than the cheap Android ones.

jsz0• 13 years ago

Seems like a smart move to me. Windows Phone is irrelevant to most consumers despite years of advertising by Microsoft. People just don't have a compelling reason to use it over more popular alternatives. If they can try it out risk free perhaps some will stick with it. Kind of a long shot move but at this point they are running out of options.

Pxtl• 13 years ago

This could be critical if they make any headway in enterprise. Look at it this way: if MS figures out the "Killer App" for enterprise phones, they can easily have an IT department do a migration of their Android-based phones to WinPhone8.

wtracy• 13 years ago

If you're familiar with the what happened between Be Inc. and Microsoft back in the 90s, this is pretty hilarious.

(Be wanted OEMs to sell computers that dual-booted Windows 95 and BeOS. Microsoft retaliated by cutting off those manufacturers from the normal OEM discount on Windows licenses.)

sremani3• 13 years ago

Does Google sell Android OS and of course any retaliation on HTC by Google would start Anti-trust, as happened in the case of Microsoft

barista• 13 years ago

This would be great for me as a user. I am not a big fan of the android UX but they got the apps I want. So I can use Windows phone for day to day use and only when I want the app that windows doesn't have I can go to android. Of course having to boot would suck but maybe that can be made faster.

stfu2• 13 years ago

I am having a hard time imagining what functionality you are missing in Android that Windows is providing? Not trying to defend either one of both, just being curious.

pmelendez4• 13 years ago

As a user of both I like the experience on WP8 way better. I don't know about OC but I would be missing Xbox music, Office, Skydrive, Live Tiles and People Hub. Here in Canada there are not really an alternative to Xbox Music (Nokia music maybe), Google Docs doesn't provide the same experience as Office and between DropBox and Skydrive I prefer the last one.

ArcticCelt• 13 years ago

Even if I am an Android long time user I would love to have an easy way to experiment with two OS on the same device. I'll be then able to end up using the one I like the most. Competition is great.

camus2• 13 years ago

Microsoft wants your phone to be a PC , then the embrace - extend - extinguish walk will be on, with all the dirty tricks,racketeering and blackmailing MS can do like it did for over 2 decades with it's OEM 'partner'.

And MS wonders why it has such a bad reputation now.

sremani3• 13 years ago

Troll

unwiredben• 13 years ago

There's enough interesting IP out there for running Android apps on other OSes that I could see MS adding that as a subsystem on WinPhone, but it looks like this is more about dual-boot. I find dual booting a phone to be silly, but could see the draw in having an Android VM for app use in WinPhone.

wrl• 13 years ago

Unless I'm mistaken, WP8 phones have UEFI Secure Boot too, and it can't be turned off like on desktop systems.

So now that Microsoft wants more market share, suddenly dual-booting phones is okay, but I doubt they'll lift the secure boot restriction on their own devices.

ethana• 13 years ago

I'm pretty certain if they would've name it Banana Phone or xPhone or AnythingButWindows Phone, their market share would be much better than what it is now.

Windows Phone 7 came out grabbing the tail of the disaster that was Windows Mobile 6.1 did not do them any marketing good.

I'm not so sure a dual OS booting phone will be a mainstream success.

w1ntermute• 13 years ago

This seems like a total waste of time. The biggest problem for Windows Phone is the ecosystem. The OS is good and the hardware (Lumias) is good. They have phones in stores and with most carriers. Installing WP on more devices isn't going to solve the problem.

untog2• 13 years ago

There's always a fundamental demand/supply problem. People won't buy a WP device until there are more apps. Devs won't make WP apps until there are more users. This is an interesting attempt at shortcutting that.

Microsoft Looking To Put Windows Phone On Android Devices, Starting With HTC

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