[Bryan Sayas]

"One such measure has been to ask HTC to install Windows Phone on their existing Android device. That is, the phone will ship with both operating systems and users could then switch between them, as we have seen on some tablets already. To sweeten the deal for HTC, Microsoft even offered to waive off the fee that it usually charges for licensing the Windows Phone OS."

With the licensing fee for the WP OS, I'm expecting around $100 of added price on the devices. So some part of me says both win and boo.
But what I don't like is that Microsoft is targeting HTC. :(

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/microsoft_ha...news-6905.php?

[12Danny123]

"One such measure has been to ask HTC to install Windows Phone on their existing Android device. That is, the phone will ship with both operating systems and users could then switch between them, as we have seen on some tablets already. To sweeten the deal for HTC, Microsoft even offered to waive off the fee that it usually charges for licensing the Windows Phone OS."

With the licensing fee for the WP OS, I'm expecting around $100 of added price on the devices. So some part of me says both win and boo.
But what I don't like is that Microsoft is targeting HTC. :(

Source: Microsoft asked HTC to put WP on Android devices - GSMArena.com news

I think it's a win in my opinion. in the rumor. Microsoft is apparently licensing Windows phone free for them. So the cost will be lower. if WP becomes free more OEMs will join since Android is NOT free anymore. if they use Dual boot with Android. Both Androids and Windows phone's market share will grow together. Plus people love choice.

[martinmc78]

In theory its a good idea and gives WP a lot more exposure.

In practice I see some stumbling blocks mainly on board memory and apps - If a typical 1gb game for WP needs 4gb free to install how many games and apps would get installed as part of the WP OS? If I had the option to dual boot and knowing how memory intensive the WP apps are I wouldn't install any. If you also add in the "other" storage issues we have on WP8 your looking at a high end phone with a lot of memory

More storage is always top of the list for most people when buying phones, if they could pull off a phone with 64gb on board and 64gb on SD it could probably be successful.

[Lumia 8x]

I really don't know how they are gonna priortize the internal memory.

[Bryan Sayas]

I really don't know how they are gonna priortize the internal memory.

'Coz the phone will have 2 operating systems. Htc which uses a heavily skinned android needs a lot of memory and adding WP8 Os in a device means an addition of 2gigs of files.

[gsquared]

Its an excellent idea. WP biggest problem is most people will not even give it a chance. By having a dual boot phone MSFT could eventually win a lot of business.

My guess though, GOOG will never allow this to happen. They will threaten to pull HTC's Android license. As much as I do not like Sammy, this is who MSFT needs to be talking to. I do not think GOOG could get away with such a move on them.

[Chregu]

I wouldn't want such a phone. What would it be good for?

If I use Android, why should I waste my precious memory for a Windows Phone installation, and the same the other way around?

Even if Microsoft and Google would allow the two operation systems to communicate - and else it would really be for nothing - you still had two ecosystems of apps you paid for. And then? Whenever you need an app that isn't available on one system you reboot to get to the other?

I don't see a single advantage for such a thing. I can believe that they would produce one phone and sell it with either Android or Windows Phone (or giving the choice with the first boot up), and I would love that, a HTC One with Windows Phone? That would be something great.

But dual boot? I really can't imagine that.

[ohgood]

I never thought I'd see the day ms was asking for a dual boot option.

Wow.

All those years of trying to lock down bootloaders to refuse other operating systems (Linux) , and now they're willing to play second fiddle to get a got in the door.

It would be awesome to have android, iOS, wp, Jolla, sailfish, Ubuntu, gentoo, and a few others side by side.

Go for it HTC !

[Chregu]

I never thought I'd see the day ms was asking for a dual boot option.

Well, isn't this still some rumor? You let it sound as if it were official.

[Jas00555]

I think it is just selling 2 phones. Same model, but different OSes.

I think its a great idea because I think the HTC One is pretty cool, but it'll only work if the carriers support it. Stores are only so big so they can only hold a certain number of phones and if the carrier had the choice, they'd sell the android version in the store over the windows phone version.

[dkediger]

I never thought I'd see the day ms was asking for a dual boot option.

All those years of trying to lock down bootloaders to refuse other operating systems (Linux) , and now they're willing to play second fiddle to get a got in the door.

Not sure, at least in the x86 space, that Microsoft ever really worked to lock down the boot process, other than to address boot sector virii. It's always been pretty straightforward to dual boot Windows. The only exception lately is TPC equipped boards, but that initiative was driven more by enterprises seeking that lockdown.

[Blacklac]

This could be a big win, actually. Think of all the games people want but can't play on WP? Now they could. Granted, the App's might not be as useful, like say you wanted to share pics or videos. Or would/could storage be accessible from both OS's?? I mean, rebooting to switch to Android would be annoying but its 100% better than not having the option. Seems like a decent stop gap for now. Its a good way to ease new people into Microsoft's ecosystem, along with the cross platform Xbox Music.

[jmshub]

I like the idea of Microsoft waiving the license fee. Especially with them buying Nokia, what reason would Samsung or HTC have to build a windows phone now?

[ohgood]

Well, isn't this still some rumor? You let it sound as if it were official.

Correct, not official, take a read on the source link, see watcha think. I hope it might catch on with Nokia hardware too. That would be awesome.

[jiayit]

100% win.
HTC sells more phones, WP gets more exposure.
And we the consumers get to have the best of both worlds ;)

[ohgood]

This could be a big win, actually. Think of all the games people want but can't play on WP? Now they could. Granted, the App's might not be as useful, like say you wanted to share pics or videos. Or would/could storage be accessible from both OS's?? I mean, rebooting to switch to Android would be annoying but its 100% better than not having the option. Seems like a decent stop gap for now. Its a good way to ease new people into Microsoft's ecosystem, along with the cross platform Xbox Music.

Micro SD wouldn't be an issue to share. It's all fat, all good, all the time.

[WasteSomeTime]

I got an idea, why doesn't HTC just ship the phones with windows OS on in and have the ability to download android ( as an option ). Make windows OS permanent, but have the ability to delete with android partition. So if the user has a preference for garbage, they can always install android.

[jdriscoll636]

In all likely hood, it would most likely be the HTC One running WP8. Just with new buttons on the front of the phone for WP8.

[juanitoriv]

"One such measure has been to ask HTC to install Windows Phone on their existing Android device. That is, the phone will ship with both operating systems and users could then switch between them, as we have seen on some tablets already. To sweeten the deal for HTC, Microsoft even offered to waive off the fee that it usually charges for licensing the Windows Phone OS."

With the licensing fee for the WP OS, I'm expecting around $100 of added price on the devices. So some part of me says both win and boo.
But what I don't like is that Microsoft is targeting HTC. :(

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/microsoft_ha...news-6905.php?

I am thinking the intent was misinterpreted. When they say to install WP on existing Android devices, I'm thinking more along how Samsung did the GS3 & ATIV S. Same hardware, different OS. Like having the HTC One w/ Android, and offering an HTC W1/Won(?)

I highly doubt MS or Google wants a high end OEM to offer dual-boot device. There would be a lot of issues with the memory performance, etc.....

[juanitoriv]

Micro SD wouldn't be an issue to share. It's all fat, all good, all the time.

WP8 is too locked down to really, truly share, unless you partitioned you SD. So on a 64gb, 32gb for each OS.. 8-/

[Jas00555]

I'm interested to see the ads for these phones. Will they show them together or will Microsoft have to market HTC Windows Phones?

[Tre Lawrence]

I'm interested in the concept.

[Jas00555]

If they dual-boot these phones, it'll have to be something revolutionary because if its something like what's involved in dual-booting PCs, it'll be waaaay to big of a hassle and will never catch on.

[tgp]

Definitely an interesting concept. I'd be interested. I do have to wonder though if Android users will have any reason to use WP, and a lot of WP users probably wouldn't use Android.

Is this simply a scheme by Microsoft to inflate market share numbers? Think about it; a lot of Android users are also buying a WP, whether or not they care or even know it, or ever use it. Microsoft can report it as a WP sale which raises numbers even if it's never used. 5 million HTC One's were sold in the first 2 months after it was released in March 2013. If they all would've had WP8 installed it would've increased WP sales by at least 50%, judging by my rough estimation.

[fdalbor]

Nice idea; but I don't know how hard it would be to do on a phone. I have been using dual boot computers for years. (Windows and Linux). Lots a problems to overcome to be able to pull it off. There is already little memory being installed in smart phones, to have to double it to run duel boot would be an expense that would have to be added to the system. Plus if you wanted to run the same program on both OS's you would have to have a copy of each for each OS on the system. More memory used. Don't think it would work. Now they could make the same phone and you could have your choice of WP8 or Android on it. They could even install it at the carrier; but I don't think the dual boot is viable on a phone. Now dual booting from a SD card and having everything for one OS on the SD card and the other on the internal memory. Thats a possibility. Could you imagine what your OTHER storage would be then. hahahahahhaha