Microsoft to launch Android smartphones?

Microsoft had exited the smartphone business a couple of years back but if a news report by Windows Latest website is to be believed, Microsoft is “actively working on a new line of phones”. Interestingly, these smartphones could reportedly run Android operating system. The report quoted a Microsoft Store employee who revealed this to the author on the condition of anonymity. There is no official word from Microsoft on this.

As far as the Windows 10 Mobile operating system is concerned, Microsoft hasn’t rolled out any significant update within the past one year. The report claims that these phones will not be a part of the Lumia series and however, it doesn’t confirm as to whether the Surface team is developing these phones. So, apart from a Microsoft Store employee claiming that the engineers of the software giant are working on Android smartphones which could be launched in 2019, there is very little information to add to its credibility.

As far as devices are concerned, Microsoft has recently launched a new addition to its Surface tablet range. Called Surface Go, the tablet is claimed to be the "most portable and affordable Surface product yet". It is smaller, lighter and less-powerful version of the company's popular Surface Pro tablet. The Surface Go follows the design philosophy of its elder sibling and features an integrated kickstand hiding the microSD card slot. There's 3:2 aspect ratio display, detachable keyboard and support for other Surface accessories. The Surface go can be seen as Microsoft's answer to Apple iPad Pro.

In another news, Microsoft is reportedly working on launching its "Movies & TV" app for Android and iOS. For those unaware, the app is only available on Windows-based platforms like Windows 10 PC, Xbox and Windows 10 Mobile. Last year, Microsoft had shut down its Groove Music service after announcing a partnership with the music streaming platform Spotify.