The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Android?

ranker

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The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Android?

The UI is strikingly similar to Android, so similar that the first thing I thought of when i saw the UI was that Windows 10 has to be a transitionary placeholder before Microsoft makes the full move to their own flavor of android. Not just the hamburger menu, but everything functions like android would.... What would be the point of making an OS when it looks and functions like another major OS? wheres the "windows selling points" of Hubs and Live tiles and what not? hubs dont exist anymore, live tiles arent saving the OS and can be replicated in an android fork (plus apps like the music app no longer has a live tile that it did before), major apps are jumping ship and other major apps are left in indefinate beta (instagram)...theres no difference in UI between android and windows other than the homescreen now, and the homescreen can be replicated in android if microsoft wanted to make their own fork....Also, at the Windows 10 event, they barely touched on the phone interface and features, as if its not a priority.

Nokia X was the beginning experiments to see public sentiment. The recent investment in CyanogenMod makes me think this even more. Microsoft cares about selling services now more than selling "OSs" or even devices.

Another thing i thought of is that Microsoft can do what they did with the xbox, they can run 3 operating systems on each phone/device... Windows for the services, Android for the apps, and a hypervisor to connect both... it can be seemless and the user would never notice, especially since the UIs are melded together now. my point here is that there are ways microsoft can go about this.

The main reason i think they can move to android is for the apps of course. with all these companies jumping ship, and microsoft continuing to invest all their resources in iOS and Android apps before windows apps, it would be interesting to see if this becomes right. microsoft wants to sell services, so it wouldnt matter if the phone runs iOS or android, as long as youre subscribed to office and music and everything else.
 

xandros9

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

Its not Android.
Its Windows 8's design.
 

BEECHBOY707

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

so why the investment in CyanogenMod, a company that makes a forked version of android?

They are simply trying to push their services to an up-and-coming Google competitor. It is nothing new, they are increasingly promoting their services on iOS and Android.
 

SamJHannan

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

so why the investment in CyanogenMod, a company that makes a forked version of android?

To help in the fight against Google! Read the article and some of the comments, very enlightening.
 

Jas00555

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so why the investment in CyanogenMod, a company that makes a forked version of android?

Because the more power (I.e. Users) CM has, the less Google's version of Android has. Google has been moving more and more code into their own version of Android and making it hard to AOSP to exist. If CM wins, Google would have to move more code into AOSP or risk losing users or hampering developers' abilities in Android. If everything in AOSP sucks and everyone is using it, then there's no reason to make a "good" Android app. Theoretically, Microsoft could use the destabilization of Android (think like how Linux is now) to promote Windows as a "cleaner" experience. Those are all long shots and are big dreams, but $71 million isn't exactly a lot for them, so there's minimal risk involved.

They're also trying to get CM to add more Microsoft services preinstalled. So if CM wins, Microsoft either wins via services or apps. Pretty smart investment I'd say.
 

TheCudder

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

The Nokia X was a project conceived by Nokia, not Microsoft. Microsoft ended the Nokia X line not long after Microsoft officially acquired Nokia's mobile division.

Have you guys noticed that iOS apps & Andorid apps are already similar? There's no need for Microsoft to have a completely different app UI style when they are a distant third. I think their reason for changing their app designs are to:

1) Make it easier for dev's to port their existing apps over to W10.
2) The new UI language is more desktop friendly than pivots, excessive spacing and oversized letters --- the lack of use of Windows 8 apps proves that. The new direction will persuade more desktop users to want use the apps. Something we all no wasn't the case with Windows 8.

I honestly think that die-hard WP users are the only one's in love with the old WP app style. iOS & Android users aren't choosing their ecosystem because of how the apps looks. It's phone features, availability of apps and the functionality of those apps --- areas that WP lacks. More advanced users may tend to like the customization capabilities of Android.
 
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tiziano27

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

I don't see how CyanogenMod could become popular and a threat to Android. What's the advantage for the user of choosing CyanogenMod vs. Android? CyanogenMod doesn't even have an app store.
Amazon seems closer to having a competitive platform, if they finally succeed with the Amazon phone they could definitely attract some OEMs, if they want.
 

xandros9

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

I don't see how CyanogenMod could become popular and a threat to Android. What's the advantage for the user of choosing CyanogenMod vs. Android? CyanogenMod doesn't even have an app store.
Amazon seems closer to having a competitive platform, if they finally succeed with the Amazon phone they could definitely attract some OEMs, if they want.

CyanogenMod IS Android.
In the past, it was a prominent option of getting updated Android releases to phones when they were left behind by the manufacturer, and Google Apps were almost always installed alongside the ROM by the user.
 

Robholden

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

the difference here is with OEMs that might choose to use CyanogenMod instead of google android
 

tk-093

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

Android has been making their UI flat... I think they are preparing to move to Windows.
 

Ebuka Allison

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

Yes. Microsoft spends time building a new OS for phones because thwey want to move to Android. Makes perfect sense.
 

EBUK

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

What would be the point of making an OS when it looks and functions like another major OS?
You mean in the same way that Windows 95 looked remarkably similar to the Mac OS of the time? Although MS invested in Apple, they never started making Macs (they could have done when Gil Amelio licensed the OS to OEMs.)
 

nasellok

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

My thoughts are that they are doing this as a fall back........ if app developers continue to skip windows development, they are going to have to have a fall back. That fall back, is the availability for AOSP apps to run on Windows 10. Basically, apps that are ported to run on an AOSP handset / tablet, can be installed on W10. That's my guess..... but my thought is that they will give developers every chance to write native code before they play their hand. They need a fall back, and this is most likely it.......... oh, and the fact that they would do just about anything to hurt Google, just as Google would do just about anything to hurt MS........... only thing is, Google is the one that is acting anti-competitively, by not supporting and releasing apps for Windows. Look, I have a Gmail account, and if Inbox were on W10, id probably still be using GMAIL. Fact of the matter is that Gmail refuses to support MS, so I forward all my Gmail to my outlook account, and use the mail app. I'm looking forward to the new and improved mail app on W10.
 

ranker

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

^thank you. im saying microsoft will fall back and do plan C by supporting android apps in some way.
 

Slovenix

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

To be honest I couldn't care less anymore. It's just phones. And I like Microsoft for their services. So it really doesn't matter :)
 

colinkiama

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

Tbh, it doesn't even matter anymore. As long they keep the one-handibility, they can make their phone as androidy as they want to. As long as I get features
 

Geddeeee

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

No one has actually seen the W10 for phone UI yet...

A few blurry screenshots and a few Office 10 and OneDrive shots from the video presentation do not mean anything. Of course the 'knee jerk' crowd have drawn a massive conclusion and that is that as far as they are concerned.

Until we actually see the finished product, any conclusions are moot!!!
 

colinkiama

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Re: The "Windows 10 for phone" UI is so similar to Android - Is Microsoft preparing to move to Andro

No one has actually seen the W10 for phone UI yet...

A few blurry screenshots and a few Office 10 and OneDrive shots from the video presentation do not mean anything. Of course the 'knee jerk' crowd have drawn a massive conclusion and that is that as far as they are concerned.

Until we actually see the finished product, any conclusions are moot!!!
Exactly!
 

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