Centaurus to run Android apps

This morning I read an article on WC which says Centaurus is going to be running Android apps?

https://www.windowscentral.com/report-microsofts-foldable-surface-pc-windows-core-os-will-run-android-apps

Not only that but since WCOS is the foundation, Andromeda (whenever it releases) will also be able to run Android apps.

I think this isn’t a bad thing. For such new platforms to kick off, Android support will be a big welcome.

With all the love between MS + Android community, I think this was inevitable.

Waiting for Paul/Brad’s reaction on this.

Conversation 17 comments

  • BigM72

    24 June, 2019 - 5:25 am

    <p>The question is, are Android apps in addition to Windows apps on this device?</p><p>If it's just Android apps running on this device, what is in it for Microsoft?</p>

    • jchampeau

      Premium Member
      24 June, 2019 - 9:46 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#437056">In reply to BigM72:</a></em></blockquote><p>What's in it for Microsoft is pleasing their customers. What's in it for their customers is, presumably, the ability to manage these devices (running Windows) with their existing tools, methods, and philosophies.</p>

      • skane2600

        24 June, 2019 - 1:09 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#437095">In reply to jchampeau:</a></em></blockquote><p>But saying "pleasing their customers" is kind of begging the question, isn't it? </p>

      • Tony Barrett

        25 June, 2019 - 9:57 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#437095">In reply to jchampeau:</a></em></blockquote><p>This is nothing about MS trying to 'please their customers'. This is MS desperately trying to get some differentiation and a possible toe-hold in the mobile marketplace. Nobody asked for 'Windows Lite', and nobody asked that it be able to run Android apps. If MS are just trying to carve out some unique product, this could be it, but in all reality, it's likely to be another dud.</p>

    • Lauren Glenn

      03 July, 2019 - 12:22 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#437056">In reply to BigM72:</a></em></blockquote><p>If they compile Windows for ARM and have Android apps that could run like Win32 apps do, that gives you a bunch of apps you could run without using an emulator, etc. that already run on an ARM CPU….. Considering that they just about had this working on Windows Phone 10 at one point (I still remember running Android Waze once even if it wasn't fully stable), it gives you a huge market of existing apps and games that they could also add to…..</p><p><br></p><p>It seems like there's a good opportunity to be the OS/2 for ARM devices.</p>

      • skane2600

        03 July, 2019 - 1:17 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#439370">In reply to alissa914:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes they could jump into the commodity market of Android devices, but to what end? </p>

        • Lauren Glenn

          03 July, 2019 - 7:35 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#439389">In reply to skane2600:</a></em></blockquote><p>So people have a reason to use the device until Microsoft starts migrating more apps to ARM compiled? If you tell people that they can run Android apps, it avoids that RT issue where there are only store apps available. You open it up to having the Google Play store too.</p>

          • skane2600

            04 July, 2019 - 1:19 am

            <blockquote><em><a href="#439421">In reply to alissa914:</a></em></blockquote><p>But are there a lot of people interested in running Android apps that don't already have an Android device? Why buy another one? As far as ARM-compiled apps are concerned, would many people buy such a device on the hopes that native ARM apps will arrive someday?</p><p><br></p><p>I think the problem with RT devices wasn't that there weren't enough store apps, it was that they couldn't run Win32 programs. IMO RT devices weren't competing with iOS or Android, but with full Windows.</p>

  • Ndragonawa

    25 June, 2019 - 10:49 am

    <p>Q: What are we defining as "Android Apps"? Are we talking Google Play apps or ASOP apps or recompiled APKs?</p>

    • Tony Barrett

      04 July, 2019 - 9:46 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#437387">In reply to Ndragonawa:</a></em></blockquote><p>I think we can be pretty sure we won't see Google Play services on whatever MS come up with, so I can only imagine MS will be accepting re-compiled Android apps into their app store, or they may allow side-loading, but I'd be hesitant on that.</p><p>MS really are becoming a bit of a hoare aren't they? They'll take anything from anyone, but it's where they're taking it, or where they're giving it to me more precise, that worries me!</p>

  • lvthunder

    Premium Member
    25 June, 2019 - 10:50 am

    <p>Get back to me when this gets officially announced or ships. Until then it's just rumor and speculation that can be canceled at a moment's notice like Andromida, Surface Phone, and the Android App Bridge.</p>

    • irfaanwahid

      26 June, 2019 - 1:12 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#437388">In reply to lvthunder:</a></em></blockquote><p>I don't actually believe Andromeda is cancelled, rather postponed in favor of larger screen device like Centaurus. Something to what happened to iPhone to iPad, as we know, iPad was shelved (conceived first) in favor of iPhone.</p>

  • Daishi

    Premium Member
    25 June, 2019 - 6:49 pm

    <p>The question is of course, given that the repeated failure of Android developers to support larger screens has meant that even Google have given up on them on tablets twice, what exactly is this going to achieve?</p>

    • Lauren Glenn

      03 July, 2019 - 12:20 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#437553">In reply to Daishi:</a></em></blockquote><p>Only thing I could see is to cut into the Chromebook sales. </p>

    • PeterC

      03 July, 2019 - 5:22 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#437553">In reply to Daishi:</a></em></blockquote><p>Agreed. I think its going to be interesting to see Cantaurus in "book mode" as its being described. I also think its interesting how Microsoft Launcher takes "data" and presents in screens/desktops on android phones. Ive half a mind we will see Microsoft take user apps "data" and present the info in a new UI, possibly similar to old Windows phone HUB concepts. Whether you instal apps on Core OS or simply "connect" to them like Your Phone app is doing, or they run inside defined "windows" we will find out – either way I'm expecting MS to hoover the user apps and data from devices and have it presented in a more structured UI on Core OS. (fingers crossed)</p><p><br></p><p>I dont claim to know what theyre doing/ whats feasiable etc – its just how I see MS approaching android apps in the marketplace, ie MS Launcher and Your Phone etc. I can easily imagine a MS Launcher skin on the centaurus device, in book mode, being pretty awesome. Just looking at the existing Glance/News/Timeline on the swipe left screen you can see that this maybe expaned to include, Reading (choose your app for reading ie Kindle etc) or add Social and choose FB Twitter etc. You can probably configure one screen in book mode to be main feature, I'd alocate one screen to my Calendar/Agenda view, or maybe it will be tab viewed, who knows… but its funny my gripes about MS Launcher are .. why couldnt it have more, like, reading screen, notes screen, music screen etc etc then I complain a 6" screen is too smal anyway…… but two 9" screens, in portrait "book mode"…. hmm im delaying an ipad Pro purchase till this product is announced, it might get me back on android mobiles too</p>

  • Bill Strong

    04 July, 2019 - 2:14 am

    <p>Honestly, this doesn't excite me. If Microsoft put Android app support in Windows 10 proper, Xbox One or both, I would be excited. Android does fairly well in the Android TV ecosystem, and those apps would work great on Xbox One. Especially since that is a very stable feature set to build around. </p><p><br></p><p>Nobody talks about this, really, but Android benefits from a fairly narrow set of devices it is delivered on. Yes from the consumer angle, it feels like fragmentation, but honestly, Android doesn't need to support near the number of combinations as Windows. It is somewhere between the specificity of Apples targeted device platform, and Windows everything that can run it, will. This is made easier for Android, thanks to simply stop supporting older devices, something Microsoft is desperate to copy to save costs, and sell more products.</p><p><br></p><p>There is a market for android apps on Windows, as made known by products such as BlueStacks and others. And Android apps could actually fill out Microsoft's Store, giving it the kickstart it needs. Just like Apple is trying to use iPhone apps to kickstart the Mac App Store.</p><p><br></p><p>And Microsoft could use either WSL 1 or WSL 2 to make the integration better, so it's not like they haven't laid the ground work.</p><p><br></p><p>What else is in it for Microsoft? If they get Android Apps in their Store, it could push the use of their cloud services, such as OneDrive, just like Android pushes the use of Google's Drive service. It could increase the use of their compute platform, their payment platform, their analytic's platform and so on. Not to mention, having apps users are already using, which they could tie into their launcher, and PC to Android to PC workflows. And the ability to sell those apps, in app purchases and subscriptions to their, what is it, 800 Million Windows 10 Users? On a platform where people do buy applications for work and home.</p>

    • jules_wombat

      04 July, 2019 - 5:11 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#439681">In reply to Bill_Strong:</a></em></blockquote><p>Android is the 'new' Windows, it will be everywhere. In Cars, in Smart TVs, in virtually every IoT as well as Mobile. The Windows Desktop is on its way out, albeit rather slowly. Only niche players and geeks need a full blown client OS. Most of Microsoft business and Office services run in the cloud. If you don't support Android Apps, you are dead platform, as Windows Mobile demonstrated. </p><p><br></p>

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