Making the Case For a Microsoft Surface Phone That Runs Android (windowscentral.com) 73
Zac Bowden from Windows Central makes the case for why Microsoft may want to make a Surface phone that runs Android. An anonymous reader shares an excerpt from the report: While a Surface Phone running Android would never sell to the quantity that Samsung smartphones do (or at least not a first- or second-generation phone), Microsoft could utilize the Surface brand to showcase the best of Microsoft's Android efforts all in one place, just like it has done for Windows PCs. I'm picturing a Surface-branded, Microsoft-built smartphone that comes with Microsoft Launcher, Edge, Office, Your Phone phone-mirroring integration, and more, out of the box. In fact, that's one of four unique selling points that a Surface Phone running Android could have:
-- Showcase the best of Microsoft's efforts on Android.
-- Seamless integration with Windows PCs using Your Phone.
-- Provide the best security and update support on Android.
-- Brand recognition that can rival Apple and Samsung.
That last point is more for Microsoft fans, but the first three are important. A Surface Phone running Android would be the only smartphone out there that's always guaranteed to work with all of Your Phone's features. I have a wide array of Android smartphones, yet 90 percent of them don't support all of Your Phone's features on Windows 10. Screen mirroring is only available on select devices, and while that may improve, there's no guarantee your smartphone will ever get it, or if it'll work well. Microsoft could also provide enhanced features, such as the ability to take cellular phone calls on your PC directly from your Surface Phone. It could also build out dedicated Phone and SMS apps that sync up with the Messages app on your PC, instead of having to relay it through the Your Phone app. There's so much more potential when you build your own Android phone.
-- Showcase the best of Microsoft's efforts on Android.
-- Seamless integration with Windows PCs using Your Phone.
-- Provide the best security and update support on Android.
-- Brand recognition that can rival Apple and Samsung.
That last point is more for Microsoft fans, but the first three are important. A Surface Phone running Android would be the only smartphone out there that's always guaranteed to work with all of Your Phone's features. I have a wide array of Android smartphones, yet 90 percent of them don't support all of Your Phone's features on Windows 10. Screen mirroring is only available on select devices, and while that may improve, there's no guarantee your smartphone will ever get it, or if it'll work well. Microsoft could also provide enhanced features, such as the ability to take cellular phone calls on your PC directly from your Surface Phone. It could also build out dedicated Phone and SMS apps that sync up with the Messages app on your PC, instead of having to relay it through the Your Phone app. There's so much more potential when you build your own Android phone.
Re: The.. worst of both worlds, wot? (Score:2)
Re: The.. worst of both worlds, wot? (Score:5, Informative)
Microsoft has orphaned mobile phone users FOUR TIMES. Their awful software never made it, nor did their acquisition of Nokia, their Windows 6,7,8 problems, and the very death of Windows 10 on phones.
Sure, Windows can work on an ARM, but fitting code into small neat form factors is the reverse of Microsoft's strength. They have much trouble controlling markets where they can't strangle OEMs and lock down supply chains, developers, and marketing.
Even if they use an Android port, no one's gonna buy it. Developers won't flock to it, lacking any reasonable ecosystem. Sadly, they might try for a fifth time to get it right, and pour money down still another rat hole, as there's not a developer in their right minds that would touch such a thing.
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Every android handset buyer gets orphaned in a year or two, so what's the difference?
Re: It's a different Microsoft now. It might use R (Score:1)
They've changed enormously. For example, they no longer matter, and I don't care what they do.
After 3 years : MS ditches Android Surface phone (Score:4, Insightful)
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Windows control panel!
I don't want any of your top 3 (Score:4, Insightful)
Oh yeah, I want it to be a decent phone. 90% of my communication is via text but, when I have to make a phone call, it's really nice when I can understand the person on the other end.
Then again, I don't have a man bun, haven't been to Starbuck's in a couple years now, don't have a Facebook account, and in general am out of step with the noisy idiots who call themselves "influencers".
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I want a removable battery, an SDCC card, and a headphone jack. Don't care about the camera. Don't care about "desktop integration". Don't care about social media creds.
Oh yeah, I want it to be a decent phone.
Same here. Just give me those three things and there's a damn good chance I'll buy one.
A removable battery, a headphone jack, and a micro SD card slot, that's all I want.
A good camera would be nice, but not a deal-breaker. Decent water resistance (IP68) would also be a plus, but again, not a deal-breaker.
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The thing I'd like most would be to write Android apps using the Rust programming language.
If that's the thing you'd like most, you really need to raise your standards.
The thing I'd like most is a private island filled with nubile young nymphos and a container ship filled with coke.
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Username checks out.
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I guess you're getting a Nokia 2.2....has all of the above.
How about NOOOOOOOOO? (Score:3)
A Surface phone? Ha hahahahahahah......
"How about NOOOOOOOOO? Does NOOOOO work for you?"
Thanks but no thanks, but I'm sure the MS fanboys will go wild over the prospect.
guaranteed what ? (Score:2)
Yep.
>> "A Surface Phone running Android would be the only smartphone out there that's always guaranteed to work... "
No. That can't be right.
A MS product which is guaranteed to work ?
That does not exist.
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Windows Phone just needed apps (Score:4, Interesting)
I'd like to see them try again and I'm using their home screen app on my S9+. Having a phone microsoft curated from hardware to integrated Windows support would be awesome.
Disclosure: I am a Microsoft fanboy, if you couldn't tell by the fact that I owned a Windows Phone.
I'm still using one right now (Score:2)
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Re: Windows Phone just needed apps (Score:3)
Also still using a MS work phone, (8.1), as crappy as it is, it's still better than mid range Android phones, never had it slow down during multitasking , but IE is garbage on it, very prone to crashing because of the 512 Mb ram.
As with most MS hardware...shoulda, coulda,woulda, they just weren't behind it enough and left it to die. Too bad as I like the live tiles, everything you need right there on the desktop. MS is plagued with ADD when it comes to hardware, just when it's almost perfect it's always Oo
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>> Windows Phone just needed apps
Nope. It also badly lacked customers.
Because carrier did not want to sell those products coz MS was owning skype !
So the carriers banned MS phones, and MS lost all those big customers
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Stupid idea (Score:2)
This is a stupid idea. I use Android phones, iPhones, and have used Windows phones, and to be honest the Android experience is the worst. Android doesn't feel like a cohesive platform, doesn't work as a personal assistant, and it's glitchy and laggy.
Microsoft should stick with windows. The windows mobile platform felt sharp, every time I press something on Android there's a laggy feel to it, not sharp Windows Mobile and iPhone. The Cortana experience on Windows Mobile was superior too, it knew things and re
Just stop, please, just stop.. (Score:2)
How to dilute a brand (Score:2)
Sure, if Microsoft wants to make a corporate phone with all the Microsoft apps pre-installed and ready to do, then I think they should go ahead and do it.
I'm sure a lot of businesses would find it appealing.
However, I think it would be stupid to reuse the "Surface" brand for it.
The name has already been used and reused for five type of products already: touch-table computers, tablet PC's, laptops, "creator's" desktop PC and digital whiteboard.
Microsoft did at least have the sense to rename the touch-table c
soon to be obsolete (Score:2)
"MS surface" stands for "Product soon to be obsolete"
I'd buy it... (Score:2)
Seriously, a productivity focused phone with only the Google Store to get apps and with rock solid Windows 10 integration sprinkled with the few things Windows 10 phone did well, and I think it'd be successful. Microsoft isn't terminally unhip and there's enough people that just want to get some @#$@% done to make it work.
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Microsoft isn't terminally unhip
Perhaps not, but they have been consistently unhip for the company's entire existence.
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Already did this (Score:1)
They already did this with the many Android phones they ended up selling on the Windows Store online as Windows Phone was dying out.
Microsoft could provide a better experience if... (Score:4, Informative)
From the sidebar, big red(ish) letters:
I have never, ever heard about anything good introduced by a third party on such devices. It's always stuff you don't want but they put it there and you can't remove, that eats your space, battery, spies on you and so on. Updates will be slower or not coming at all as it takes time and effort for all their custom shit to be updated or at least baked in and so on. No, thanks. Generally no, thanks - coming from MS? Hell no.
No thanks (Score:2)
Not much "differentiation" there (Score:2)
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Already done! Microsoft-X (Score:1)
Shortly before the Microsoft deal ended with Nokia to pay them a billion a year to use Windows Phone OS, Nokia made an Android phone called Nokia-X in 3 models. These were to take the company forward without WP which they would dump because they made no money from the deal and losing the subsidy would bankrupt them.
These Android phones used Nokia and Microsoft services and had a WP-like launcher.
Microsoft then bought the phone division to 'save' Windows Phone but then continued to make the Android phones br