Software company to convert Android phones to Windows 10

Just after Microsoft announced that Windows 10 will soon be released, the Redmond-based company casually revealed that it is testing Windows 10 with “power users” of Xiaomi’s flagship Mi 4 Android smartphone.

The initiative, which Xiaomi stressed is not a partnership but merely assistance with the trial, is an interesting one because it again shows Microsoft’s new ‘platform agnostic’ approach.

Neither Microsoft nor Xiaomi provided specific details of the Windows 10 software being trialled, but sources say that it effectively overrides Android, turning the Xiaomi phone into a Windows 10 device complete with Microsoft services. which the company hopes will dazzle Android owners into making the switch, that is to say that the software does not offer a dual boot option, which Microsoft has pushed in the past in India.

This is a ROM, based on Windows, that operates much like software from Cyanogen, a company Microsoft was incorrectly linked with an investment in, and other custom ROMs developed by the likes of Tencent and Baidu in China.

The ROM is thus designed to go beyond Microsoft’s Android apps and offer a native-like Windows experience on Android phones.

That is a pretty powerful concept, and it is no surprise to see Microsoft testing it in China, where consumers are more inclined to install ROMs.

There is a greater spirit of customization in China, particularly for Android users since third-party app stores are the norm as Google Play is severely restricted there.

Microsoft, of course, has big plans to make this software available on more devices in time.

The company told The Next Web that full availability will be announced soon, but it is starting out with Xiaomi, almost certainly because it has a strong community of users who provide feedback on the company’s weekly software updates, Xiaomi’s receptive audience is ideal for such a pilot.