14 DAY TRIAL // Many think that making it easier for developers to port their Android apps to Windows Phone is not really a good idea because they will be tempted to not build Windows Phone apps anymore.
But Microsoft thinks otherwise since porting Android apps to Windows Phone will have some limitations. Microsoft's Kevin Gallo told TechRadar that his company's goal is to cut development costs for those who want to bring their apps to Windows Phone.
“We're making sure we can reduce the cost of coming to our platform, so you can build efficiently and reuse the code you've already built as much as possible instead of people porting the same code over and over again.”
As mentioned earlier, there will be some port limitations for Android apps and one of them refers to Continuum. It looks like an Android or iOS app ported on Windows Phone won't have a desktop interface when it's plugged into a screen and keyboard using Continuum.
This is likely to make many developers go the extra mile and completely develop the application as native Windows Phone app rather than porting it from Android or iOS.
“The user experience [of an app designed for a small device] will work on the desktop but it won't be decent across the spectrum. It may not be an effective experience,” said Gallo.
Microsoft is trying to improve its relationship with developers
On the other hand, the option to port Android or iOS apps to Windows Phone is perfect for simpler applications that are built by companies with businesses in various fields like banking or accommodation.
Banking apps have become a problem for Windows Phone users, as many banks have removed their applications from Windows Phone Store.
Microsoft is trying desperately to reconnect with developers and a big advantage now would be the fact that they will now be able to use part of their Android code when porting their apps to Windows Phone.
According to Gallo, Microsoft “made several false starts” and now it's time to fix that, “We want to reconnect with developers. That's been our heritage and we think we lost our way.”