Have you ever fancied trying out Windows Phone but don’t want to shell out for a new device? That may be possible soon based on a recent statement by Microsoft that indicates they are working on a ROM which will allow Xiaomi users to turn their Mi 4 Android devices into Windows 10 phones.
Through a new program with Xiaomi, one of the top smartphone distributors in the world, a select group of Xiaomi Mi 4 power users will be invited to help test Windows 10 and contribute to its future release later this year. These power users will have the opportunity to download the Windows 10 Technical Preview – installing it and providing their feedback to Microsoft.
The interesting part about this announcement is that the Mi 4 is an Android device. According to TechCrunch, the ROM replaces the Android operating system on the Xiaomi phones and doesn’t include a dual boot option. The ROM is intended to provide a native Windows 10 experience on the Android device.
An update from Microsoft indicates that:
As part of the Windows Insider Program, Microsoft will partner with Xiaomi to offer Windows 10 free downloads to a select group of Xiaomi Mi4 users. Xiaomi Mi4 users will get the ability to flash their phones with the new Windows 10 OS and provide feedback to Xiaomi and Microsoft on their experience. This partnership will allow Xiaomi and Microsoft to get direct user feedback and continue to improve the experience for China. Microsoft is thrilled to see Xiaomi embracing Windows 10 and offering this great value to their customers. We’re excited to see the feedback we receive from this audience.
Xiaomi is a leading phone manufacturer in China undergoing significant global expansion. We are excited to partner with them in China and jointly gather feedback from Chinese users on their experience with Windows 10 to jointly collaborate on product and services development for the platform.
Availability will be announced in the months to come.
It will be interesting to see the how many Mi 4 users install the Windows 10 ROM. Given the variety of devices and components across all Android devices it would take a huge effort on Microsoft’s part to expand the program to other Android devices. Should the program be expanded to your Android smartphone, how inclined would you be to flash Windows 10 on your Android device? Let us know in the comments below, or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.
[button link=”http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/03/17/windows-10-launching-this-summer-in-190-countries-and-111-languages/” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: Microsoft[/button][button link=”http://en.miui.com/thread-94202-1-1.html” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: Miui[/button][button link=”http://techcrunch.com/2015/03/17/microsoft-android-rom/” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]VIA: TechCrunch[/button]Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
