At last, Bill Gates has joined us in the present. The Microsoft co-founder announced in an interview with Fox News Sunday that he's now using an Android phone.
The move was probably inevitable. Windows on mobile has effectively been a dead platform ever since Microsoft gutted its phone division two years ago. While Windows 10 technically works on phones, there's been pretty much zero support from hardware makers and app developers outside of Microsoft.
Gates told Fox that the phone he uses is an "Android phone with a lot of Microsoft software." This could suggest that he's using the Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+, or Galaxy Note8, all of which are sold in Microsoft Stores, or perhaps he's downloaded Microsoft's lineup of apps, available across Android systems.
Gates also noted, with a noncommittal laugh, that he's still forgoing the iPhone. This choice, while unsurprising, shouldn't be seen as a jab at Steve Jobs, Gates emphasized.
"Steve was a genius. Absolutely amazing," Gates carefully told Fox of the Apple co-founder. "The competition in the software and IT space that Steve helped foster, it's phenomenal."
Although Microsoft apps run on Macs, iPhones, and iPads, Microsoft and Apple have always been more rivals than allies. Microsoft is opening a flagship store just down the block from Apple's London hub, and it continues to challenge Apple in hardware and design.
