14 DAY TRIAL // While Microsoft is pushing for more universal apps for Windows 10 PCs and smartphones, the company is also working hard to improve its applications on non-Windows platforms, including here Android and iOS.
And it’s no surprise that investing in apps that aren’t necessarily aimed at Windows users hasn’t been received well by Microsoft’s most loyal customers, and living proof is the recent release of the official Flow app for iOS.
The company revealed in the official announcement that, as part of its mobile efforts, Flow would first be brought on iOS, while Android users should get it in the near future. No other details were provided, so Windows 10 and Windows Phone users are feeling left behind was again.
So the comment section has been spammed with comments from users disappointed with Microsoft’s decision not to include Windows in its original announcement, and although the number of these posts isn’t too big, it’s living proof that Redmond’s strategy isn’t so well received by the community.
Plus, it's not the first time this is happening and even top Windows Phone developers criticized Microsoft for its focus on non-Windows platforms.
“Thank you for not mentioning any single word on a Universal Windows Platform release! So yeah, ‘Wonder why I should prefer the Windows platform when Microsoft clearly does not,’” one user posted. “Now all that's missing is the tombstone for the death of Windows Phone,” another one added.
Microsoft Flow still coming on Windows 10 devices
And yet, in a reply posted a few hours ago, a Microsoft employee confirms that “a Universal Windows Platform app is in consideration with our product plan - today is just the first of many releases from us,” and this means that Windows users aren’t in any way left behind.
This is clearly welcome news for the Windows community, but the fact that Microsoft has focused on iOS and Android in the original announcement still says a lot about the company’s aim in this regard.
In most of the cases, the apps that arrived on iOS and Android, and not on Windows phones, were developed by Microsoft Garage, and the criticism was more or less ill-founded, especially because these projects are designed by company employees in their own time.
At the same time, the increasing focus on Android and iOS apps makes sense for Microsoft, as it is still transitioning from a traditional software company to a devices and services firm with the focus on a mobile-first, cloud-first world.
By bringing apps on non-Windows platforms, Microsoft hopes to increase the number of customers for its services, while also trying to attract them to Windows devices by offering a more integrated experience.