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

[princeegli]

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

The worst thing in windows phone....is tiles period.

Now some like it,so make an option for both.....like Windows 10 desktop,where you can switch between homescreen and tile screen

Android can do this already....because of custom theme launchers.....its all about having a choice,if all you want is tiles,you can have that too

 

[Loc Ngo]

The worst thing in windows phone....is tiles period.

Now some like it,so make an option for both.....like Windows 10 desktop,where you can switch between homescreen and tile screen

Android can do this already....because of custom theme launchers.....its all about having a choice,if all you want is tiles,you can have that too

I think its better for you to just leave windows for good because what you said is just completely irrelevant. Saying one of the most, if not the most defining features of the platform is the worst thing of it is like saying spaghetti is horrible because of the noodles in it. In that case, Just find another dish that is more suitable to your unusual taste. After all it's all about choices isn't it?

 

[noobchief]

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

I think its better for you to just leave windows for good because what you said is just completely irrelevant. Saying one of the most, if not the most defining features of the platform is the worst thing of it is like saying spaghetti is horrible because of the noodles in it. In that case, Just find another dish that is more suitable to your unusual taste. After all it's all about choices isn't it?

Nah just look at his display picture, obviously he is a troll in WC lol

 

[DuoWing]

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

I look at everyone complaining about the UI changes. On some areas I agree, but what everyone seems to miss is that this is completely necessary. They need to make a design that unifies both desktop and mobile. The design of either with the way it was won't carry over well enough to really unify it all. The one thing most of us Windows fans keep missing is the fact that Microsoft is trying to distance itself from Windows 8. I love Windows 8 and think it works really well. It works wonderfully on my tablet, and I have no problem on a PC. Other people do not feel this way at all. All you have to do is look at reviews of computers and see people giving things bad reviews simply because it has Windows 8. People who have never used 8 run from it and then continue to tell others how bad it is. 8.1 made things much better, but it still isn't enough. So their primary focus is to fix it for Laptop/Desktop users and alter the design language to keep it just familiar enough for the fans, but changed for the people who hate it. From there then the phone UI must go with it. People make fun of Windows Phones simply because they are. So in a sense that has to change too. If Windows Phone had taken off and Windows 8 had been a big hit we would see the UI barely changing, but unfortunately that's not the case. Also I think it was mentioned that some of these elements are just part of design. By making the apps look closer to Android and iOS they will make designing apps for our platform easier. Also you have to figure if a person is using Windows 10 on their desktop alongside an iOS/Android device they might feel more comfortable switching in the future to the Windows phone side as things will look and operate in a familiar manner. So far the settings menu is definitely the biggest change, but to me it seems like the most logical way of bringing settings and allowing them to continue to add to settings rather than a list that just gets longer and more out of order.

 

[white_Shadoww]

So you basically saying that big overlapping fonts and way too small fonts with black and white 1990's design is good! LMAO, the only thing in WP is good is live tiles, but then again it lacks customisation,

No. Back then phones had 3.7 inch displays and resolution of merely 480x800. If you try to cramp everything and use small fonts, it looks cluttered on that display hence the big fonts were there. They made the best use of the screen space, made it beautiful yet intuitive, and useful and functional too. And it's not only about fonts, there were many little touches made to the OS. For e.g. add to now playing feature in WP7 which would add the song to the immediate next of the song we currently are listening in the now playing playlist. Which in 8.1, it adds at then end of the playlist.

Today's phones have display sizes upto 6 inches and resolutions of HD, full HD. I believe they would come with a better design, than this design which seems to be inspired by Holo KitKat theme, a mixture of that and Metro. Which doesn't look good.

 

[AMRooke]

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

Visa Declined, What do you think Microsoft should do with WP 10 for phone to increase their percentage of the mobile market?

I don't believe the problem with market penetration is in the OS. In my experience, once people use WP, many of them love it and switch (like all of my family, most of my employees, and many of my friends), but we've got to get them to try it in bigger numbers. Here are my thoughts:

1) MS started with exclusive deals to the US carriers, which might've been a good idea if the carriers actually rewarded MS by pushing those devices. The exact opposite happened, as the carriers would push potential buyers towards other platforms (personal experience with multiple carriers over the past 4+ years), while those who wanted devices couldn't get them on their carrier of choice, or the carriers quit providing service (e.g. Verizon). The fix is to make devices universally available across carriers or directly from MS.

2) MS has a poor track record at understanding marketing towards the young, hip crowd. Look at how many Apple and Google ads only show people having good times, and show the phones as a part of that lifestyle. The fix is to make a multi-facetted approach to marketing; developing a campaign to the business community that focus on the security, functionality and inter-operability of the platform, and develop a separate consumer campaign that shows how "cool" WP can be.

 

[Ashalinia]

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

2) MS has a poor track record at understanding marketing towards the young, hip crowd. Look at how many Apple and Google ads only show people having good times, and show the phones as a part of that lifestyle. The fix is to make a multi-facetted approach to marketing; developing a campaign to the business community that focus on the security, functionality and inter-operability of the platform, and develop a separate consumer campaign that shows how "cool" WP can be.

They need more commercials like this geared towards consumer marketing but also with more clever and subtle implementations of important features.

 

[anon(5969054)]

I look at everyone complaining about the UI changes. On some areas I agree, but what everyone seems to miss is that this is completely necessary. They need to make a design that unifies both desktop and mobile. The design of either with the way it was won't carry over well enough to really unify it all. The one thing most of us Windows fans keep missing is the fact that Microsoft is trying to distance itself from Windows 8. I love Windows 8 and think it works really well. It works wonderfully on my tablet, and I have no problem on a PC. Other people do not feel this way at all. All you have to do is look at reviews of computers and see people giving things bad reviews simply because it has Windows 8. People who have never used 8 run from it and then continue to tell others how bad it is. 8.1 made things much better, but it still isn't enough. So their primary focus is to fix it for Laptop/Desktop users and alter the design language to keep it just familiar enough for the fans, but changed for the people who hate it. From there then the phone UI must go with it. People make fun of Windows Phones simply because they are. So in a sense that has to change too. If Windows Phone had taken off and Windows 8 had been a big hit we would see the UI barely changing, but unfortunately that's not the case. Also I think it was mentioned that some of these elements are just part of design. By making the apps look closer to Android and iOS they will make designing apps for our platform easier. Also you have to figure if a person is using Windows 10 on their desktop alongside an iOS/Android device they might feel more comfortable switching in the future to the Windows phone side as things will look and operate in a familiar manner. So far the settings menu is definitely the biggest change, but to me it seems like the most logical way of bringing settings and allowing them to continue to add to settings rather than a list that just gets longer and more out of order.

But you can turn this idea around. If it has to look the same, why not put the buttons at the bottom because that's good on phones. On big screens it doesn't matter if they are at the top or bottom. So phones should determine this UI aspect, not the other way around. So now this whole argument of universal apps requiring this change is bull****. It can be the other way around. You don't care where you click with your mouse on a big PC screen, but you do care where you tap on small screens.

 

[white_Shadoww]

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

But you can turn this idea around. If it has to look the same, why not put the buttons at the bottom because that's good on phones. On big screens it doesn't matter if they are at the top or bottom. So phones should determine this UI aspect, not the other way around. So now this whole argument of universal apps requiring this change is bull****. It can be the other way around. You don't care where you click with your mouse on a big PC screen, but you do care where you tap on small screens.

Yes.. Exactly!

 

[Kram Sacul]

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

The thing that lured me into the Windows Phone ecosystem was the very polished Metro design language.

I think these 2 screenshots are not even comparable, the new one is straight-out garbage.

View attachment 95956

Pretty much. It's just a nicer version of this from 2011:


It's kind of funny and sad that I ditched Android for WP because it was boring and awkward to use and WP was all about style and ease of use.

 

[white_Shadoww]

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

They are copying Android, and that too so badly that even Android looks better. See the Lollipop. They copied us and made their UI better. We are copying them and making the UI worse! What a tragedy!

 

[white_Shadoww]

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

They need more commercials like this geared towards consumer marketing but also with more clever and subtle implementations of important features.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3fv8IbnhXw

That is one of the best ads I've seen! 'I dunno, I think they kind of like fighting!' that was a killer. Also the 1020 zoom ad, that was good too. I wonder, what would happen if these had aired on TV..

 

[ranker]

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

windows 10 for phones include an android subsystem. my prediction is pretty much spot on considering only the phone version has support for android apps.
heres what i said:

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...

 

[DCTF]

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

windows 10 for phones include an android subsystem. my prediction is pretty much spot on considering only the phone version has support for android apps.
heres what i said:

I thought the whole point of this new cross-platform app compiler is so that the phone doesn't need an Android subsystem, and doesn't fall prey to the same problems as Blackberry (being reliant on supply of updates, etc)?

 

[daredevildan]

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

These necro "I told you idiots" posts...

 

[ranker]

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

There is no cross app compiler for android, only for objective-c (iOS). Windows 10 for phones has android built in. It has an android subsystem so it will quite literally run android code.

 

[DCTF]

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

These necro "I told you idiots" posts...

And incorrect in any case, right? There is no Android subsystem.

 

[ranker]

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

And incorrect in any case, right? There is no Android subsystem.

Yes it does. Myerson said it. Watch BUILD again.

 

[DCTF]

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

Yes it does. Myerson said it. Watch BUILD again.

*Looks at watch* Um, no

It seems WinCentral is just as confused as me in their breakdown of what was said:

Android apps on Windows 10 won't be handled in such a way. Microsoft is making it so that Android developers can reuse their existing Java and C++ code to create a Windows 10 Universal App. The result will be a Windows app that behaves like a Windows app. It can use live tiles, Cortana and Xbox Live, for example. It'll require a little work on developers part, Google services will be substituted for Microsoft services, and all apps will integrate with the standard Windows navigation.

So, underneath, it'll be an Android app. Except it won't really be an Android app when you download it on Windows 10. The code is the same, but the end result is more tailored to the Windows 10 experience. Microsoft is giving those developers a straight forward channel to get their apps on Windows 10, with added Microsoft goodness.

Then I read a better breakdown here which confirms what you're saying:

Here's how Microsoft hopes to get Android and iOS phone apps into its Windows 10 Store | ZDNet

Sorry about that: you were right, I was wrong.

 

[a5cent]

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

I thought the whole point of this new cross-platform app compiler is so that the phone doesn't need an Android subsystem, and doesn't fall prey to the same problems as Blackberry (being reliant on supply of updates, etc)?

None of the answers you're getting here are entirely correct. We need more info to be sure, but going by what was said at build, porting an Android app does require WP to provide a small amount of security related emulation at runtime (basically faking to the app the ability to do things WP disallows for security reasons).

That is apparently not required for apps ported from iOS.

Overall, there are a number of approaches at play here. There's cross platform compilation, there's software mimicking Android and iOS APIs, there's conversion tools doing some magic, and also runtime support to emulate some aspects of Android.
I suspect almost all apps coming to WP this way will likely have started life as an iOS app.