Switch to Windows Phone app on Google Play store

Android and iOS are by far the dominating Operating Systems in the Smartphone’s market currently, and in fact have been ever since their inception. That’s not to say that other OS having been trying to make waves of their own. There’s the obvious BB OS from Blackberry, and remember Symbian from Nokia? While the former has certainly made a much stronger impact than the latter, there has been one other OS that’s been creeping up over the years, Microsoft’s Windows Phone. The company’s latest, WP8, has been marketed aggressively through both their own range of handsets, and indeed Nokia’s flagship Lumia series of Smartphones.

It has caused some consumers to take notice, thanks to it’s attractive animated tiles theme and general smooth performance. However one of it’s biggest drawbacks have been it’s severe lack of apps available compared to the competition. Indeed, third party support while present and much better than last year, is very lacking when compared to the sea of apps available for iOS and Android, thanks to their huge user install base and third party developer support.

Perhaps that’s part of the motivation behind Microsoft’s latest venture, an app from Microsoft available on Google’s Play Store that conveniently matches the users installed apps with Windows Phone equivalents. For android users who have always been curious about the other side, but feared they might lose more than they bargained for in switching, can now confirm this for themselves using the app.

By logging in with the same account on a Windows Phone, the full list of apps can be retrieved, though it can’t be viewed in the android app. The rating of the app on Google play has, not surprisingly, been not knocked down to 1.5 starts, likely by many android fans. However it does present a unique opportunity for those considering the jump to Microsoft, to make a more informed decision. It’s not yet known whether the app will be available for iOS, but with Apple’s vigilant app store policy and the company’s growing pressure from Samsung/Android, I wouldn’t hold my breath for it anytime soon.

For those still on the fence however, you could buy a used Nokia or another secondhand mobile such as a windows phone, for excellent value for money prices. Look also to buy a used iphone and others at Revloc Consumer Electronics today.