• Diyan
• On March 18, 2015

Custom ROMs will convert Android devices to Windows Phones

The picture above shows a Xiaomi Mi4 phone running Windows 10. In a surprising and interesting move, Microsoft is expanding the Windows 10 Preview program to smartphones running Android. A group of Xiaomi Mi4 users will be able to replace Android with Windows 10 using a custom ROM.

This experimental program for flashing Windows 10 OS on Android models will expand to more devices in the coming months, according to TechCrunch, which will allow more customers to convert their Android phones to full-featured Windows 10 devices. This is not a dual-Boot option, as the ROMs will completely override Android, so users will have a normal Windows Phone with all Microsoft services and without any Google/Android apps.

Users who install Windows 10 on the Xiaomi Mi4 will provide valuable feedback to both Xiaomi and Microsoft about their experience. Expanding the Windows Insider program to Android devices in China does make sense. Google doesn’t have a strong influence in this huge market and Xiaomi customers are already using custom Android ROMs on their machines. Giving Chinese users another option will be great for both companies …and not so great for Google who is still struggling to expand its influence in the country.

If that pilot program is successful, Microsoft will add support for more Android devices in the coming months, so customers could be able to effectively replace their old and laggy Android versions with a modern OS.

Photo: @leaksfly