We all know that the Windows App Store is too far behind iOS/Android right now to have any chance of catching up in mobile. It does not matter how great Microsoft's developer tools are or how innovative Windows hardware is. Without the millions of modern apps published on Android/iOS it is near impossible to convince OEMs or consumers to have any interest in Windows mobile devices. It does not matter how cool or innovative the hardware is. Foldable phones, HoloLens, none of this will retain or attract significant adoption when the Windows app store is anchoring all of these devices down. Discussions about losing native Windows app developers are moot because Windows has always been an open platform that allowed users to install whatever software they wanted. There already exists today dozens of Android emulators for Windows. Modern app developers have already abandoned or ignored Windows. The only way to change the situation is to start selling lots of hardware, but it will be impossible to sell any hardware that is dependent upon the Windows 10 app store.
If Microsoft wants any hope of convincing consumers or OEMs of giving mobile Windows devices another chance they have to start supporting Android emulators. Let the Android emulators compete to be the best on Windows 10. Take away the biggest excuse for consumers not to try or buy a new mobile Windows device. Every cool idea for mobile devices will be wasted if Windows continues to be anchored to the Windows Store apps only. This locked-down software design was never the legacy or appeal of Windows PCs and it is precisely what kept Windows phones from achieving the success they deserved. If the Surface Phone or HoloLens hit the market without the ability to install millions of modern apps they will have no chance of widespread success and will quickly be overtaken by Apple/Google devices that copy their innovations. "Yeah it's cool, but the Google/Apple version will have better apps" will be the death of every Windows product.
If Microsoft wants any hope of convincing consumers or OEMs of giving mobile Windows devices another chance they have to start supporting Android emulators. Let the Android emulators compete to be the best on Windows 10. Take away the biggest excuse for consumers not to try or buy a new mobile Windows device. Every cool idea for mobile devices will be wasted if Windows continues to be anchored to the Windows Store apps only. This locked-down software design was never the legacy or appeal of Windows PCs and it is precisely what kept Windows phones from achieving the success they deserved. If the Surface Phone or HoloLens hit the market without the ability to install millions of modern apps they will have no chance of widespread success and will quickly be overtaken by Apple/Google devices that copy their innovations. "Yeah it's cool, but the Google/Apple version will have better apps" will be the death of every Windows product.