Can Android apps "save" Windows Phone?
Frankly, this line of thinking is a little premature at this stage. This kind of ties back to my article about Microsoft continuing with the Nokia X lineup which is Android based, which has spun off some conversation about whether or not this means that Microsoft is considering going down the Android path.
As I stated then, it is unlikely it means ANYTHING. When companies are acquired/merged I can tell you that while things do change over time. It is in the long run in general. The first couple months of a merger or acquisition are generally business as usual. Yes, in the company in which there was a change in command, the possibility exists for the new brass to make massive changes. But, as a general rule, it simply doesn't happen. They bought the company for a reason. They wanted their products/services and their existing customers. If they drastically change course overnight they run the risk of losing those customers. You don't just acquire a company. You slowly absorb them, and in the process, bits of their strategy. Bits of what made you want to buy them in the first place.
But, that isn't the point of this post. While I think the existence of so many posts is mind numbingly idiotic, there is a legitimate question underlying it all. Which is the title of this post; Can Android apps "save" Windows Phone?
The answer is maybe. Or, more precisely; if done correctly.
Android is a quagmire. A quagmire or devices, implementations and thus fragmentation. Android developers have a hard time developing apps which work consistently across devices. Adding another device, army of devices, or even an emulation layer which runs consistently across Windows Phone devices increases that complexity. If it is something built on top of the existing Windows Phone OS and it results in mainstream apps that don't run as well there as they do on native Android devices, Microsoft will be blamed. Not Google/Android or the app developers. So, they will take on more heat while adopting a move that many faithful would already be considered equivalent to throwing the towel. I don't think they want to anger both those they are trying to win over and those already on their side.
An interesting suggestion was to build the next version of Windows Phone on AOSP and build the .Net Runtime they use for Windows Phone there. While this seems like the best approach for accomplishing the Android compatibility issues it is also the least likely. It IS the most interesting suggestion I've seen so far however. It would mean both Android and Windows Phone apps would run natively, as it would effectively mean that there are two runtimes. But, Microsoft is working to towards unifying all of their OS's. This would be a step away from that. Which is why I would toss it on the unlikely bandwagon. If it weren't for that objective however, this move would be the most in line with their other actions in favor of supporting other platforms.
Which basically leaves us back at emulation. But I also think that one is unlikely. Google is being sued by Oracle over their Dalvik Runtime, rebuilding it on Windows Phone or emulating it may open them up to the same liabilities. Emulation is also, typically, less efficient than the native implementation and buggier. When I look at the bulk of the complaints over missing apps in Windows Phone, it is getting to the point where a larger and larger portion are games. So, even if the system doesn't break any more than native Android apps break already, the drop in performance would cause similar outcries as less reliable apps would.
There are options out there like Blue Stacks (I think they were called). But those also suffered from the emulation woes.
What I think is most likely? Some suggested WinRT and Windows Phone might become a single OS. By reducing the number of OS variants this would streamline things for them. It would also enable them to immediately transform their Windows Phone users to WinRT users and start counting the two user bases as a single number which should increase the perceived popularity in both markets. This means Android probably isn't in the picture unless Microsoft brings Android apps to WinRT.
As I stated then, it is unlikely it means ANYTHING. When companies are acquired/merged I can tell you that while things do change over time. It is in the long run in general. The first couple months of a merger or acquisition are generally business as usual. Yes, in the company in which there was a change in command, the possibility exists for the new brass to make massive changes. But, as a general rule, it simply doesn't happen. They bought the company for a reason. They wanted their products/services and their existing customers. If they drastically change course overnight they run the risk of losing those customers. You don't just acquire a company. You slowly absorb them, and in the process, bits of their strategy. Bits of what made you want to buy them in the first place.
But, that isn't the point of this post. While I think the existence of so many posts is mind numbingly idiotic, there is a legitimate question underlying it all. Which is the title of this post; Can Android apps "save" Windows Phone?
The answer is maybe. Or, more precisely; if done correctly.
Android is a quagmire. A quagmire or devices, implementations and thus fragmentation. Android developers have a hard time developing apps which work consistently across devices. Adding another device, army of devices, or even an emulation layer which runs consistently across Windows Phone devices increases that complexity. If it is something built on top of the existing Windows Phone OS and it results in mainstream apps that don't run as well there as they do on native Android devices, Microsoft will be blamed. Not Google/Android or the app developers. So, they will take on more heat while adopting a move that many faithful would already be considered equivalent to throwing the towel. I don't think they want to anger both those they are trying to win over and those already on their side.
An interesting suggestion was to build the next version of Windows Phone on AOSP and build the .Net Runtime they use for Windows Phone there. While this seems like the best approach for accomplishing the Android compatibility issues it is also the least likely. It IS the most interesting suggestion I've seen so far however. It would mean both Android and Windows Phone apps would run natively, as it would effectively mean that there are two runtimes. But, Microsoft is working to towards unifying all of their OS's. This would be a step away from that. Which is why I would toss it on the unlikely bandwagon. If it weren't for that objective however, this move would be the most in line with their other actions in favor of supporting other platforms.
Which basically leaves us back at emulation. But I also think that one is unlikely. Google is being sued by Oracle over their Dalvik Runtime, rebuilding it on Windows Phone or emulating it may open them up to the same liabilities. Emulation is also, typically, less efficient than the native implementation and buggier. When I look at the bulk of the complaints over missing apps in Windows Phone, it is getting to the point where a larger and larger portion are games. So, even if the system doesn't break any more than native Android apps break already, the drop in performance would cause similar outcries as less reliable apps would.
There are options out there like Blue Stacks (I think they were called). But those also suffered from the emulation woes.
What I think is most likely? Some suggested WinRT and Windows Phone might become a single OS. By reducing the number of OS variants this would streamline things for them. It would also enable them to immediately transform their Windows Phone users to WinRT users and start counting the two user bases as a single number which should increase the perceived popularity in both markets. This means Android probably isn't in the picture unless Microsoft brings Android apps to WinRT.
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