Unnamed sources are reporting that Microsoft is considering allowing Android apps to run on Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8. Sources told The Verge that some inside Microsoft actually like the idea of enabling Android apps inside both stores. After all, if BlackBerry can run Android apps, why can't Windows Phone? Others believe that such a move could kill the Windows platform altogether.
Both sides have a point. By enabling Android installs – and we're talking about Windows Phone, not Windows 8.1 – the Windows platform would get a huge boost in content, probably one of Windows Phone's biggest sore spots to date. The only drawback it seems, and this is an assumption, is that developers would be less likely to create Metro versions.
But by adding Android apps to the Windows menu, it would seem that Microsoft accepts defeat. This is a white towel that Microsoft does not need to throw into the smartphone ring at this point in time; the company has enough woes trying to fix the Windows 8 platform. What Microsoft does not need right now is to make another radical step that may push Window Phone customers to Android or… dare I say it… iOS.
What Microsoft needs right now are Android and iOS developers creating Metro apps for both Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8. Then again, if Microsoft enables Android apps on Windows Phone, the company could very well steer many Android loyalists over into Microsoft's corner. That would be interesting. Windows Phone apps and Android apps working side by side.
As Business Insider points out, Microsoft has had a rough time convincing Android and iOS developer to bring their apps to Windows "in a timely fashion." Instagram took three years, and the recently nuked Flappy Bird never made it to the platform. Getting potential customers excited about your hardware is pretty tough when the competing platforms have all the fun stuff.
Microsoft definitely has something to think about if the info from Verge's sources is true. If the company does decide to enable Android apps whether natively or through a third-party enabler, Microsoft would have a huge library on its hands. If customers are buying Windows phones to mainly use Android apps, they may be better off purchasing an Android phone instead.
Here's something The Verge says that I find quite interesting. "Android is the mobile equivalent of Windows on desktop PCs — it's everywhere. That growth shows no signs of stopping, and it represents a huge blockade for Microsoft's mobile efforts across multiple market segments."
Yes, Microsoft definitely has something to think about.
