Microsoft reportedly considering Android apps as a solution for Windows Phone

[Windows Central]

It's old news when we talk about Microsoft's problem with getting developers on-board with both Windows and Windows Phone. The company has had trouble having new content developed and released on its own operating systems alongside iOS and Android. It's no secret that Microsoft platforms are generally left in the dark ?*just take a look at Flappy Bird.
Now, according to The Verge, Redmond could be considering Android apps to solve its problems. We've previously looked at what Microsoft is actively doing to help alleviate their market growth issues, but there could always be more done to bring across more platform support.*

Full story from the WPCentral blog...

 

[BIGPADDY]

I would be very disappointed if MS allowed Android apps very disappointed there no reason why there should be and it will only cause negativity press about there confidence in WP platform.

However I think it rumor and will not happen at all.

As well it hasn't help with blackberry issues so I don't see it helping WP lack of apps.

 

[maclancer]

Microsoft have the power and money to push WP beyond and with WP 8.1 they can accomplish that with features that people and businesses want.

 

[John Steffes]

wow...

I do not use WP/Win 8.x, but have used Win since version 1.0, support server side of Microsoft....

I use webOS, which also got an ACL (Android Compatible Layer) as developers walk away from webOS, users are stuck, although the apps are not everything, the OS is what Microsoft needs to focus on, not on developers... Who cares where the app comes from, just users now can use that app.

If Microsoft went back to basics, build a great OS, let developers worry about their apps, get out of the app store market, I might look at WP, but now I am waiting...

 

[tekhna]

I think it makes sense in a lot of ways. It'd just be an emulator/wrapper inside of Windows, not some malevolent Google monstrosity people seem to want to make it out to be. I think it's unlikely to happen but it's not a bad idea.

 

[crystal_planet]

Original story from the Verge I see. If I'm not mistaken, a writer wrote a review about the Surface that ended with a picture of the Surface in his garbage can. They're not exactly the NY Times.

The Verge can suck it.

 

[alveswes]

I think it makes sense in a lot of ways. It'd just be an emulator/wrapper inside of Windows, not some malevolent Google monstrosity people seem to want to make it out to be. I think it's unlikely to happen but it's not a bad idea.

IMHO it is a bad idea. As many others mentioned already, the platform will be diluted and devaluated by developers since they would more than likely stop writing native code and consequently not making use of live tiles, toast notifications, contracts and etc resulting in a poor user experience.
Personally I am more concerned about Microsoft diverging developers to work on this in lieu of enhancing the platform itself. It already takes long enough for Microsoft to introduce features we want to see in WP so by adding another massive codebase into the platform, I can see only further delays and challenges.
Also by baking a Dalvik VM in a device would consume hardware resources that users who decided to stay clear of android apps could rather use more productively. Be it under a hypervisor or added directly into the WinPRT codebase, Dalvik will at the very least consume precious storage space that I for one would gladly be filling up with native apps or my own content.
Growing the WP user base organically has definitely been a challenge, but my guess is that some android compatibility (remember most google apps for instance would not work regardless) will convert few while driving away a few others (myself included) so it looks to me a lose-lose situation.

 

[alveswes]

Original story from the Verge I see. If I'm not mistaken, a writer wrote a review about the Surface that ended with a picture of the Surface in his garbage can. They're not exactly the NY Times.

The Verge can suck it.

What concerns me about the veracity of this report is that Frank Shaw (https://twitter.com/fxshaw) has yet to come out blasting the rumor as he usually does.