Windows 10 Mobile Android apps have been something many have been dreaming would happen and back in April Microsoft hinted it might. The news of this happening got many excited as Lumia still makes solid hardware and Windows 10 Mobile is a solid software experience. Where Windows 10 Mobile has always had some problems gaining is applications. Developers are either not making apps for the platform or only halfheartedly trying to make apps. So when Microsoft talked about Android and iOS apps working on Windows hardware, that was something to get excited about. The combination of Lumia hardware, Microsoft Windows software and a healthy vibrant mobile app ecosystem is very much appealing to many. But fast forward to today and it looks like the idea of Android apps might be getting pushed on the back burner. Project Astoria is Microsoft’s codename for the Android app porting project and according to both Windows Central and The Verge the project has fallen “silent.”
Microsoft’s Project Astoria, the codename for its Android app porting, has developer forums that have fallen silent. Microsoft has also removed the Android subsystem, that enabled ported apps to run on Windows, from its final version of Windows 10 Mobile. Microsoft had been battling performance-related issues, security concerns, and a general wariness of app piracy, we’re told.
The Verge goes on to elaborate that Microsoft’s venture into Android app porting was only meant as a quick fix citing that Android apps are less robust than iOS apps. Android apps could run on Windows powered devices but developers couldn’t change those apps much where iOS apps have a more versatile working mold. The Verge goes on to say that Microsoft not following through on Android app porting is no surprise pointing to a quote from Terry Myerson.
Back when Microsoft originally announced its plans at its Build developers conference in April, Windows chief Terry Myerson revealed to The Verge that the company had considered solely supporting iOS. “At times we’ve thought, let’s just do iOS,” explained Myerson at the time. The main reason to include Android support, Myerson argued, was to capture a bigger audience of developers in countries where iOS devices aren’t available.
While there is no official word from Microsoft on what the status of Project Astoria is, it does look like their iOS app porting project is still ongoing. While it would have been nice to see Android and iOS apps ported to Windows, one out of two isn’t bad.
What do you think of Microsoft possibly killing Project Astoria? Let us know in the comments below!
[button link=”http://www.theverge.com/2015/11/16/9742338/microsoft-android-apps-on-windows-on-hold” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: The Verge[/button]Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
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