Microsoft dreams of HTC handsets dual-booting Windows Phone and Android

Scorpus

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Despite purchasing Nokia's Devices and Services unit last month, effectively making themselves the biggest Windows Phone manufacturer, Microsoft still wants other OEMs to produce Windows Phone handsets. According to a report from Bloomberg, the company has asked HTC to produce a device, potentially based on current hardware, that dual-boots Android and Windows Phone.

Microsoft reportedly offered to reduce or eliminate Windows Phone licensing fees to make the device a reality, and executive Terry Myerson is headed to Taiwan to meet with HTC over the proposal. Android Central reports that HTC has been looking into the engineering costs associated with making a dual-booting Android/Windows Phone, although it's unclear how far the project has progressed.

HTC, struggling to turn a profit and compete with larger Android OEMs such as Samsung, has no current plans to produce new Windows Phones. A dual-booting option would certainly be an interesting proposition, but it's questionable whether it's actually something consumers would want over a standalone Android or Windows Phone device.

Although Microsoft has been trying hard to push Windows Phone as a serious alternative to Android and iOS, the mobile operating system only commands 3.7 percent of the smartphone market. It would be unusual for them to explore options aside from standalone Windows Phone devices, but if OEMs aren't willing to play ball, it might be the only way to expose customers to their OS.

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This is excellent as long as the device has plenty of internal SD card space that the OS' aren't hogging up. I'd probably be in Android all the time but here are positive reasons to do this
-Troubleshooting signal etc or...If one OS doesn't boot, boot the other!
-Even if there's just one Windows Phone app not on Android, it's useful to be able to boot it to use that one app(like dual booting or making a MAC VM on a PC is always a good idea...)
-Sharing the device with someone, they can have their "user profile" be one OS while you use the other
-Battery Saving
-Most of all 2 homescreens so you don't get tired of just one
 
I think a dual boot Android/WP device would be terrible for the Windows Phone ecosystem. Why would a developer bother working on a Windows Phone app, when users can just switch to their Android OS and use the app there.
 
I agree...
This is excellent as long as the device has plenty of internal SD card space that the OS' aren't hogging up.

Totally agree, need a easy to access micro SD slot and enough internal space to have both OS and provide a reasonable amount of space for software and data... 4GB to 8GB would be fine for me if I get a mico SD slot that is easy to get to.

Maybe a windows Phone with a special Android Software stack like blue stacks?? rather than a dual boot. The dual boot model would be nice for developers... test on fewer phones :)
 
I think a dual boot Android/WP device would be terrible for the Windows Phone ecosystem. Why would a developer bother working on a Windows Phone app, when users can just switch to their Android OS and use the app there.

It's just one phone though. I doubt anyone other than techies would be interested in something like this anyways.

I like HTC quality and haven't used Android in a while so this would be good for me. Even if Android never grows on me I'd be able to better troubleshoot friends and family's problems without having a ton of devices. Though, I don't know anyone that would be interested in this or even anyone that knows what the word "boot" means in that context. So I think the ecosystem would be safe. I could be wrong though.
 
Dual booting is kind of a hassle for people who use their phones for main purposes. Average person probably doesn't care about switching from one OS to another cause it takes time to shut down one and power up another and what use does he have from dual booting? Different interface on second OS? He is probably gonna stick to the one he knows and likes all the time. Apps? Not that important.
 
Yeah, why should Microsoft be the only company producing phones that nobody wants.
 
Not so, I see a lot of them in Best Buy, sitting on the shelves. Best Buy bought a bunch or is that just for a tax write off?
 
After looking at the news it is not clear whether this is dual booting, or having Windows Phone as an OS option for a particular HTC hardware model phone that currently is being sold running Android.
 
Dual Booting?

How about real time switching to eliminate dual booting hassles. Otherwise I know I wouldn't be interested.
 
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