Android apps on the Windows phone? Looks like it’s happening in the near future. That’s according to a new report today highlighting how Microsoft may put to use new patent technology that will let users experience applications from competing operating systems like iOS and Android on the Windows Phone.
“Microsoft wants to patent an app migration service that would have a few different layers of functionality,” says Vlad Bobleanta of the Unwired View. “First off, it could analyze what apps you have installed on, say an Android device (Microsoft even uses this example in its patent application). Then it would search for identical or similar apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace, present you with suggestions, and let you buy and install every app you want to with one click.”
“In case an official app isn’t available in the WP Marketplace,” he adds, “this would presumably suggest well-performing third-party alternatives.”
For Microsoft, the move may be surprising to some smartphone owners but it may also be essential for the company. According to ABI Research, 36 billion mobile applications will be downloaded this year, with Windows Phone devices claiming just 2 percent of that massive number.
