Microsoft has shown it’s not just open, but intent on bringing its apps and services to rival hardware. Today it’s Cortana’s turn to make the jump as the company officially confirmed in a blog post that the digital assistant is coming to Android and iOS devices through a standalone app -- as Joe Belfiore puts it, for people who don’t have the benefit of a Windows phone.
Microsoft is only providing an early look at the non-Windows Cortana today, which will be able to do "most of the things" it does on Windows 10 PCs or Windows phones. This includes things like setting reminders, tracking flights, and more. But since Microsoft can't tap directly into either OS, there are things Cortana won’t be able to do, such as toggling system settings, opening apps and responding hands-free when users say "Hey Cortana”.
In conjunction with Cortana, Microsoft is also unveiling Phone Companion, a Windows 10 app that will allow users to connect their PCs to Android, iOS and Windows phones “to ensure your key Windows experiences—your photos, your music, your docs – move effortlessly wherever you do.”
For iPhone and Android device owners, the Phone Companion app will also recommend apps that play well with the Windows ecosystem, like OneNote, Skype, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and others, so whatever you do on your Windows 10 PC you can take with you on the go.
The Phone Companion app will be coming to a new Windows 10 Insider Preview build “in a few weeks,” while the Cortana companion app will be available for Android phones at the end of June and for iPhones later this year.
