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Microsoft Looks to Embrace Android Apps

posted by janrinok on Tuesday January 20 2015, @06:02PM   
from the too-little-too-late dept.

sigma writes:

With Windows 10 intended to unify Microsoft’s PC and mobile platforms with a single operating system and app store, Microsoft needs a plan to win back consumer support to their mobile devices. 2014 was a very bad year for Windows Phone, with stagnant market share and few new devices on offer.

Android Authority says

[...] according to a former Microsoft employee, the biggest priority for Microsoft this time around is to “stop the leakage” and prevent Android and iOS users from completely abandoning Microsoft’s operating system. Apparently, this has led Microsoft to discuss whether or not Android apps should be allowed to run on Windows Phones.

Both ZDNet and Android Authority say that MS insiders have stated that the company plans to first try other ways to increase developer enthusiasm and close the “app gap", but will open the platform to Android apps if all else fails.

http://bgr.com/2014/12/30/microsoft-windows-10-android-apps/

• app layer isn't enough app layer isn't enough (Score: 2, Interesting) by cardamon_glasgow on Tuesday January 20 2015, @07:45PM

  by cardamon_glasgow (5016) on Tuesday January 20 2015, @07:45PM (#136468)

  With google play and other services needing to be installed, it gets a bit more complicated than running an android app store on the device. This might work out if they can do it better than Blackberry does. ATM you need to sideload Google Play services to get alot of android apps to run on BB10, the app store is the easy part. Since people don't really want to sideload apps and services, this might work if they made a really seamless windows / android app store. Can't imagine that level of cooperation though.

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• Re:app layer isn't enough (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 20 2015, @08:01PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 20 2015, @08:01PM (#136473)

  Microsoft's model would probably be to emulate the Google services.

  Parent