MicroSoft terminates endeavor to bring Android apps to Windows 10 Mobile - Project Astoria is no more

[zMeul]

source: https://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2016/02/25/an-update-on-the-developer-opportunity-and-windows-10/

via: http://www.anandtech.com/show/10096/microsoft-ends-effort-to-bring-android-apps-to-windows-10-mobile

 

anyone recalls "Project Astoria"? it was aimed at bringing Android apps to the Windows ecosystem

sounded too good to be true? it was!

 

Quote

We also announced the Windows Bridge for Android (project “Astoria”) at Build last year, and some of you have asked about its status. We received a lot of feedback that having two Bridge technologies to bring code from mobile operating systems to Windows was unnecessary, and the choice between them could be confusing. We have carefully considered this feedback and decided that we would focus our efforts on the Windows Bridge for iOS and make it the single Bridge option for bringing mobile code to all Windows 10 devices, including Xbox and PCs. For those developers who spent time investigating the Android Bridge, we strongly encourage you to take a look at the iOS Bridge and Xamarin as great solutions.

 

at least it appears that they will go ahead with providing support for "Project Islandwood" - enables developers to bring Objective-C iOS apps to the Windows Store

 

if you followed with the news, this shouldn't be a surprise since MS decided, last year in October, to remove the Android runtime from the preview builds: 

 

[PlayStation 2]

Who didn't see this coming, with the legal issues and all.

[YamiYukiSenpai]

It's a good move since Astoria is inferior to Islandwood in the first place.  Better focus their resources on the superior one.

 

And I'm sure the acquisition Xamarin played a role in this decision.

9 minutes ago, Dan Castellaneta said:

Who didn't see this coming, with the legal issues and all.

Why would there be legal issues?  Blackberry is still doing this method with Blackberry 10.

[PlayStation 2]

Just now, YamiYukiSenpai said:

It's a good move since Astoria is inferior to Islandwood in the first place.  Better focus their resources on the superior one.

 

And I'm sure the acquisition Xamarin played a role in this decision.

Why would there be legal issues?  Blackberry is still doing this method with Blackberry 10.

BlackBerry is a bit different here, since I believe their current OS is something like Android and they had all the proper shit for licensing.

[Networking Wolf]

We are getting remix os here shorlty. Launch it as a vm and call it all good

[YamiYukiSenpai]

1 minute ago, Jstone said:

We are getting remix os here shorlty. Launch it as a vm and call it all good

does it matter, though? I mean, most of the apps that are on Android are on iOS (and vice versa).

 

9 minutes ago, Dan Castellaneta said:

BlackBerry is a bit different here, since I believe their current OS is something like Android and they had all the proper shit for licensing.

Blackberry 10 is not Linux-based.  And you don't need special licenses to create a porting software.

[Networking Wolf]

Just now, YamiYukiSenpai said:

does it matter, though? I mean, most of the apps that are on Android are on iOS (and vice versa).

 

Blackberry 10 is not Linux-based.  And you don't need special licenses to create a porting software.

Yes it does because it will be nice

[beebskadoo]

Windows phone is pretty much dead as far as I am concerned. Everything Microsoft has done with that platform has been too little too late and it really shows in their market share! Look at Windows 10 Mobile itself and the massive amount of issues that it has running even on Microsoft's flagship devices. They basically released Beta software and called it a day, which is a shitty way to treat its fanbase in my opinion. Their total lack of any sort of app support is the reason the platform is failing, and their solution to port apps over doesn't actually solve the problem anyways. It's just a shitty solution to the fact that no one is interested in their platform and no one wants to code for it. Much like Windows RT this will be a complete disaster.

[AlTech]

@GoodBytesI knew something was up. And now this.................. .

 

14 hours ago, beebskadoo said:

Windows phone is pretty much dead as far as I am concerned. Everything Microsoft has done with that platform has been too little too late and it really shows in their market share! Look at Windows 10 Mobile itself and the massive amount of issues that it has running even on Microsoft's flagship devices. They basically released Beta software and called it a day, which is a shitty way to treat its fanbase in my opinion. Their total lack of any sort of app support is the reason the platform is failing, and their solution to port apps over doesn't actually solve the problem anyways. It's just a shitty solution to the fact that no one is interested in their platform and no one wants to code for it. Much like Windows RT this will be a complete disaster.

No it won't be. they won't let that happen.

 

I couldn't switch to Android. I really don't like it. Like almost super hardcore.

 

So that leaves me with an iPhone or Surface Phone as being my next Phone. Not gonna happen anytime soon but still important nonetheless.

 

I don't want to use an IPhone as my daily phone.  But I think i'll have a choice.

[CTR640]

Another reason not to buy any Windows Phone. A shame as their phones looks nice but the apps is the lacking thing.

[AlTech]

6 minutes ago, CTR640 said:

Another reason not to buy any Windows Phone. A shame as their phones looks nice but the apps is the lacking thing.

Unless your playing games on your phone or do banking on your phone (which I doubt) then you'll be fine.

[CTR640]

1 minute ago, AluminiumTech said:

Unless your playing games on your phone or do banking on your phone (which I doubt) then you'll be fine.

Yes, I do play games and do banking, but I also watch TV live on my Android which the app is not for Windows Phone.

[AlTech]

2 minutes ago, CTR640 said:

Yes, I do play games and do banking, but I also watch TV live on my Android which the app is not for Windows Phone.

The most "mainstream" games are covered but games made by idiotic devs are nowhere to be found on WP. (The ones idiotic enough to not have it on WP)

[Bouzoo]

1 minute ago, AluminiumTech said:

Unless your playing games on your phone or do banking on your phone (which I doubt) then you'll be fine.

There are many more apps missing, stsrting from Wolfram Alpha and different language apps. And banking apps, at least in my country, are supported on Win mobile in at least bigger banks if I'm not wrong. Interesting that they lack such support in other countries. 

[AlTech]

Just now, Bouzoo said:

There are many more apps missing, stsrting from Wolfram Alpha and different language apps. And banking apps, at least in my country, are supported on Win mobile in at least bigger banks if I'm not wrong. Interesting that they lack such support in other countries. 

Not a single bank where I live has a WP app. Mainly I find it's just games and snapchat and my Local Observatory weather app and a Subway app and ferry app.

Apart from the above, I'm pretty much covered for apps. Games are a different story however.

[GoodBytes]

Despite it will reduce the amount of app on the platform, it is a good move. Because Android subsystem is heavy (I don't mean it in a bad way, I mean that it is very complicated as it is powerful), at least for a phone.

 

Assuming it arrives now, all dev will not make a Win10 Mobile app, they'll just publish the Android version of the app, and call it a day, and all bugs reported that aren't on Android, they'll point the finger to the Bridge, and never fix it. let alone optimize the port.

 

So Win10 Mobile would be flooded with buggy, crappy apps, and most likely after 2-3 years, with bitching and moaning on the how the bridge sucks as it isn't this magic solution the dev thought it would be and require some level of minimal effort, will pull their app, and say that how it ruins their reputation or quality apps. But assuming that doesn't happen. The user will face with slow running apps, not very responsive, and buggy, they'll think that Windows 10 Mobile sucks.

 

The iOS bridge is smarter. The dev expects effort, and will do it if they are interested, and should do a decent job. The downside is that it doesn't support Swift, which already many big apps switched to. So, hopefully that is coming soon.