An underdog in the operating system competition, Windows has found a new investor in Xiaomi Mi 4 and ZTE Nubia Z9 smartphones following Alcatel One Touch Pixi 3 and Acer Liquid M220. Xiaomi Mi 4 is the first Android smartphone to cross paths with Microsoft's Windows operating system. Google's Android has been the strongest OS dominating majority of smartphone brands followed by Apple's iOS.
Xiaomi Mi 4 was spotted to test run a Windows 10 OS conducted by Microsoft. According to Microsoft, the company plans to "offer custom ROMs for Android devices to allow these phones to run Windows 10 with native Microsoft apps and Microsoft services." Mi 4 is the first Android device seen fit for the customization.
Xiaomi's Hugo Barra said the partnership is an experimental program from Microsoft "working directly with the Mi fan community in China." Barra also clarified that Mi 4 is a full-fledged Windows 10 ROM, and not a dual-boot option where an OS runs on top of a default OS.
The ROM is designed to go beyond Microsoft's Android apps and offer a native-like Windows experience on Android phones.
In a tweet, a dump of photos has been posted showing Xiaomi mi 4 device running with Windows 10. According to a report, this move of Microsoft aims "to attract Android users" and eventually lure them to buying Windows-powered phones. Xiaomi is the first tech brand to respond to Microsoft on software update test for Android devices.
Following Mi 4, ZTE Nubia Z9 has also been spotted popping live tiles only the Microsoft OS can give. Nubia Z9 was covered at yesterday's Microsoft event in China. During the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015, the device also took the center stage for promotion. ZTE has not announced the official release of the phone yet.
Microsoft has already confirmed Mi 4 owners can "flash their phones with the new Windows 10 OS" and that "availability will be announced in the months to come."
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