Microsoft's plan to emulate Android apps on Windows 10 appears to be dead

posted by Alan F. / Nov 16, 2015, 11:47 AM

Microsoft's plan to emulate Android apps on Windows 10 appears to be dead

Microsoft's Project Astoria, which was devised to allow Android apps to run on Windows 10, might be dead. This was part of a plan by the company to increase the number of popular apps in the Windows Store. Microsoft planned on releasing tools to developers that would convert iOS apps to Windows 10, and allow for the emulation of Android apps.

But the Android portion of this plan seems to have been canceled. According to a report published today, the team working on the task was hit by problems making it work. Another report claims that Microsoft was hit with security issues. A statement made by Microsoft (see below) hints to developers that they should consider tools from one of the other Projects that Microsoft will offer. These include Project Westminster for porting over web apps, Project Centennial that ports over Classic Win32 apps, and Project Islandwood for porting iOS apps.

"We're committed to offering developers many options to bring their apps to the Windows Platform, including bridges available now for Web and iOS, and soon Win32. The Astoria bridge is not ready yet, but other tools offer great options for developers. For example, the iOS bridge enables developers to write a native Windows Universal app which calls UWP APIs directly from Objective-C, and to mix and match UWP and iOS concepts such as XAML and UIKit. Developers can write apps that run on all Windows 10 devices and take advantage of native Windows features easily. We're grateful to the feedback from the development community and look forward to supporting them as they develop apps for Windows 10."-Microsoft

The telltale signs are there. Developer forums related to Project Astoria are now a ghost town, and the final version of Windows 10 Mobile lacks the code for Android emulation. With the plan to have developers port over iOS apps to Windows 10 still alive, the Windows Store can still be well-stocked with the apps needed to attract consumers.

Microsoft hoped to have four projects help stock the Windows Store with popular apps

source: WindowsCentral

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66 Comments

1. valapsp

Posts: 565; Member since: Aug 12, 2011

s**t.

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 11:52 AM 3

42. sgodsell

Posts: 6740; Member since: Mar 16, 2013

Microsoft canned it because Microsoft wants to promote its development for its own Windows 10 OS. Think about it. If Microsoft allowed Android apps to run, then developers could target Android only, and their apps would not only work on Android devices, but Windows 10 devices as well. So why would developers code for Windows then? Especially if you continue to code for Android which would allow both worlds. This is why Microsoft canned project Astoria.

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 6:01 PM 3

2. IAMBLCKJ3ZUS

Posts: 399; Member since: Sep 29, 2015

Just to clear it up, it's not dead just on pause. Android slowed the hell out Windows 10 mobile. I have lumia 930 as daily driver. They going foward with ios bridge which is better. Since android apps are mostly downgraded ports of ios apps. Microsoft is the future. Android is a fat droid needs to loose weight so it doesn't lag.

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 11:58 AM 2

5. Wiencon

Posts: 2278; Member since: Aug 06, 2014

Prepare for Techie's essay

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 12:06 PM 2

8. Finalflash

Posts: 4062; Member since: Jul 23, 2013

Lol no need, the over the top rationalization rant he did speaks for itself. Just a bit desperate and very sad.

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 12:17 PM 4

43. sgodsell

Posts: 6740; Member since: Mar 16, 2013

IAMBLCKJ3ZUS stating that Android slowed the hell out of Windows 10 mobile. That is not true. What is true is if Microsoft allowed Android apps to run on Windows 10 devices, then it would slow down development on Windows 10 itself. Think about it. All anyone would have to do is develop an app for Android, and now that app would not only run on Android devices, including BlackBerry's, but now it would run on Windows 10 devices as well. So naturally Microsoft doesn't want that to happen. That is the real truth that Microsoft doesn't want the world to see.

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 6:25 PM 3

52. joey_sfb

Posts: 6794; Member since: Mar 29, 2012

Furthermore, there more Java programmer around compare to C#. Visual Studio is also one of MS cash cow why would they want to let Android take a piece of the pie.

posted on Nov 17, 2015, 3:47 AM 0

10. Hexa-core

Posts: 2131; Member since: Aug 11, 2015

Oh really? then why has the desperate project been paused meanwhile MS's OS is loosing market share every quater? Android's apk slowed down W10 because W10 is not just up to it. *Meh*

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 12:25 PM 5

13. cdgoin

Posts: 614; Member since: Jul 28, 2010

Win10 is MUCH stronger than Android.. The holes in security,memory leaks, etc.. etc.. with droid are the problem.

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 12:37 PM 3

33. NexusKoolaid

Posts: 493; Member since: Oct 24, 2011

Win10's market share is so low they can't even get any attention from Malware authors - that's their only security.

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 2:54 PM 9

44. Settings

Posts: 2942; Member since: Jul 02, 2014

Devs need those Android exploits to run ads whenever they could. They could never do that on a Windows platform. The only thing that Android is such a dev magnet is that they can abuse Android's exploits and earn whatever they could, should it be data or money. I never experienced ads popping everywhere on my Lumia, unless on the app itself, and the horrors of letting someone control my device without my consent.

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 7:48 PM 1

65. Plutonium239

Posts: 1144; Member since: Mar 17, 2015

That not true. Every year at White Hat and Black Hat conferences there are hacking competitions, Android and IOS fall within hours, where as Blackberry and Windows Phone(now Windows Mobile) remain uncompromised.

posted on Nov 19, 2015, 4:55 PM 1

20. IAMBLCKJ3ZUS

Posts: 399; Member since: Sep 29, 2015

Lol Microsoft losing share because there was no flagship for a while. Now there is a flagship things will change. Also pay respects Microsoft has more phones on Win 10 than Android has on Marshmallow boooom.

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 12:59 PM 1

29. NexusKoolaid

Posts: 493; Member since: Oct 24, 2011

Once the new version of WP comes out everything will change. Once WP has a flagship everything will change. After ??? happens WP will take off. They've been saying this stuff for years - it *never* happens. Win10 on more phones than Marshmallow - give it a month or two and this too will be a distant glimmer for WP as well.

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 1:43 PM 10

49. Hexa-core

Posts: 2131; Member since: Aug 11, 2015

agreed! We've been hearing those claims since several years now. :D

posted on Nov 17, 2015, 2:40 AM 2

68. cdgoin

Posts: 614; Member since: Jul 28, 2010

Yep... and its not the phone or Win10 that was the problem this time. It was MS.. selling the phone only at AT&T was a STUPID thing to do. IF this is because they are really focusing on a ALL Carrier wide Surface Phone for 2016.. then maybe they still stand a chance. But if the Surface phone is a online and AT&T only thing again.. they are deader than they already are.

posted on Nov 23, 2015, 9:56 AM 0

45. Jason2k13

Posts: 1445; Member since: Mar 28, 2013

and how well did Microsoft go with windows 7 and 8 and 8.1 flagship phones in the past? still the same, cant even get past 5% market share. Now your telling me WP10 is the saviour? if WP10 fails you will say WP11 will save microsoft right? And what does microsoft having more phones on win10 and android has less with "marshmallow" go to do with anything? and seriously... boom? that pretty much proves you're just a kid talking crap on tech websites.

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 9:10 PM 1

21. elitewolverine

Posts: 5192; Member since: Oct 28, 2013

because 80% of droids are throw aways, you will always have market share when you hit it at the right time, which they did, have a good search, king of it actually, backing you up. And giving OEMs freedom. This will never change. However, what is slowing it down is most likely legality issues, especially with how they reap patents. Not to mention android apps are a lot of the times ios ports as well, so MS having options for iOS devs, which is like 95% of all android devs anyways to port their iOS code...is just simple duh. Yes you will loose market share when your phones are limited in the sales booth and you have agents like yourself that literally spout lies left and right.

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 1:11 PM 2

48. joey_sfb

Posts: 6794; Member since: Mar 29, 2012

The same can be said with present state of lumia. I was in the market to buy a lumia phone. So many models, all so low spec.

posted on Nov 17, 2015, 2:38 AM 0

54. elitewolverine

Posts: 5192; Member since: Oct 28, 2013

not really, search for 930/1520, camera still compares to just released flagship, nearly as fast even with older hardware, etc. Hell you can get a 1520 for 250 or so, a steal. Even the 640, while lower end, is a direct competitor to the Grand Prime which is 200+ in cost.

posted on Nov 17, 2015, 7:06 AM 0

62. joey_sfb

Posts: 6794; Member since: Mar 29, 2012

I tried to get those in Amazon but not shipping internationally. EBay only used ones but I want a new set. It's so difficult to get flagship lumia where else their an abundance of other Microsoft products. Seems like Microsoft is withholding flagship lumia to certain regions only. There plenty of 512mb lumia which I am not interested.

posted on Nov 17, 2015, 7:45 PM 0

17. zinger69

Posts: 86; Member since: Feb 13, 2014

Keep dreamin'

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 12:54 PM 1

36. epdm2be

Posts: 815; Member since: Apr 20, 2012

"...Since android apps are mostly downgraded ports of ios apps." You mean: Since Android ports are in essence just Java-ports on steroids because Android in itself is in essence a Linux-kernel with Java app-layer. "...Android is a fat droid needs to loose weight so it doesn't lag..." I completely disagree with this statement. When Android was released the only (easy to program) universal application programming language (on mobiles) was Java. So when Andy Rubin made Android as a highly optimized Java-app platform he was a GENIUS! Due to this, Android had a rapid increase in apps which caused it to become the dominant mobile OS in no time. The way Android is build, a Linux kernel, modular driver-system and java as the main apk language is simply brilliant! And now some dips**t who has no understanding of OS programming is calling this "a fat droid that needs to loose weight". If you can do it better, then wtf are doing here? As for Microsoft ditching Android apk compatibility this is ridiculous. Creating an "Alien Dalvik/ART"-engine is the easy part. It's in essence just a highly optimized Java-interpreter. Jolla, a much smaller company, can do it, Blackberry can do it... but the "mighty" Microsoft can't do it. That sure, tells me where the good programmers are.... and it ain't Microshaft!

posted on Nov 16, 2015, 5:28 PM 2

46. elitewolverine

Posts: 5192; Member since: Oct 28, 2013

They ALREADY did it. In fact in the preview build people even had the Google Play store loaded on their WP10 device. This is not about can it be done, MS is king of software, what this is most likely the cause, is there is no real benefits. Legality aside, if they have to port code over...it is ALWAYS faster to use compiled code, and not Java, when written right. It is why Google has taken over 7yrs constantly trying to improve the interpretation of Java at runtime, to mimic compiled code such as iOS. They have done great. Not only that, with how android is emulated, there is nothing stopping someone from making a universal bluestacks either. Since you can port win32 apps, this is highly likely a possibility. So MS is faced with two options, Devs that already have two teams working on both iOS code and Android code for the Same app....why give them two tools? Why not give them one tool? And in this case, iOS with its closed nature, will have the apps MS wants. Most of the apps left out of the loop will be apps MS wouldn't allow anyhow, roots, themes, etc...