Microsoft to release Windows 10 ROM for Android phones

Microsoft is working with Xiaomi on a Windows (Phone) 10 ROM for one of Xiaomi’s Android phones.

Neither Microsoft nor Xiaomi provided specific details of the Windows 10 software being trialled, but TechCrunch understands from sources that it effectively overrides Android, turning the Xiaomi phone into a Windows 10 device complete with Microsoft services. (Which the company hopes will dazzle Android owners into making the switch.)

That’s to say that the software doesn’t offer a dual boot option, which Microsoft has pushed in the past in India. This is a ROM, based on Windows, that operates much like software from Cyanogen – a company Microsoft was incorrectly linked with an investment in – and other custom ROMs developed by the likes of Tencent and Baidu in China.

This is such an obvious move I honestly can’t believe it took them this long. Microsoft has always had a pretty relaxed and permissive attitude towards the ROM crowd (I can know from way back in the PocketPC days), and releasing Windows 10 ROMs for popular Android phones is a great way to get enthusiasts interested in trying out your platform. I personally really enjoy using Windows Phone, but my HTC 8X is quite outdated, and I would install Windows 10 on my Nexus 5 in a heartbeat if Microsoft offered it.

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