14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft took everyone by surprise on October 2 when it announced the Surface Duo, a dual-screen device that doesn’t run Windows 10, Windows 10X, or Windows 10 Mobile, but Android.
Microsoft embracing Android is certainly unexpected, but Panos Panay, the chief product officer at Microsoft, said recently that this was a natural thing to do simply because Android is the best mobile operating system.
As per TechRadar, Panay joined an event at the company’s flagship store in London to discuss the decision to use Android on the Surface Duo and not Windows 10X, an OS that’s first and foremost created for dual-screen and foldable devices.
Panay said the “best OS for this product is Android,” most likely referring to its phone capabilities and the huge app ecosystem that powers the platform.
The lack of apps
Microsoft has long struggled to get Windows Mobile right, eventually surrendering to Android and iOS because of the lack of apps hurting its very own operating system.
Windows 10 Mobile will be retired in December, and Microsoft last year encouraged users to make the switch to Android or iPhone. The company has also changed its mobile strategy to bring all of its apps to Android devices and iPhones, so right now, Microsoft is one of the largest app developers on these two platforms.
Choosing Android for Surface Duo is a choice that just makes sense, Panay explains. “We wanted to meet customers where they were. And the were with Android,” he says.
Android right now is the top mobile operating system worldwide, with some stats putting it at 80 percent market share worldwide.
So what about the other dual-screen device that Microsoft announced on October 2? “The best OS for this product is clearly Windows,” Microsoft said about Surface Neo.
Both Surface Duo and Surface Neo are projected to launch in the holiday season of 2020, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft decides to bring more Android devices to the market going forward.