In the Microsoft Surface event in New York last week, they announced a new application called Your Phone. It will work with Windows 10.
The Windows phone has been dead for over two years now after Microsoft trying really hard to give it momentum. They had even acquired Nokia, a once market dominant phone maker to make Windows phones. But all of that did not work since there just weren’t enough apps to make it appealing for people to buy the handsets.
The Android app mirroring feature will be available as a part of the Your Phone app for Windows 10. The app will be out with the Windows 10 October 2018 Update.
Sometimes you can’t stop for a text. Now you don’t have to. Get Your Phone app and text right from your PC. Available now in the #Windows10 October 2018 Update. #MicrosoftEvent pic.twitter.com/JCXP3cJ3Zl
— Windows (@Windows) October 2, 2018
The app mirroring is easier to achieve with Android because it is more open than iOS. After acknowledging the death of Windows Phone, Microsoft took steps to accept it and push their apps to other Mobile operating systems. This includes the release of MS Office apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for both Android and iOS.
They even launched a launcher for Android called the Microsoft Launcher which has over 10M downloads. Microsoft launcher brings Microsoft’s own services and Office apps connectivity to your Android phone’s home screen. It even supports the Windows 10 Timeline feature allowing you to resume Microsoft apps and sites across devices.
Microsoft has now come to terms with the fact that people don’t need the Windows OS on a phone, there are better OSes already running on majority of the smartphones. Microsoft is trying to embrace other OSes as the ‘mobile version of Windows’. Android in particular, as it has less restrictions and allows incorporation of more features.
The demo video displays the use of the app on an Android phone, it is not clear whether it will make it to iOS in the future. If you can access Android apps on Windows PC, you are less likely to use your phone while using a PC.
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