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发帖数: 1034 | 1 by Devindra Hardawar | @devindra | January 29th 2015 at 4:31 pm
Now here's something we've never expected to write: Microsoft is investing
in Android -- well, sort of. The software giant is reportedly planning to
become a minority investor in Cyanogen, best known for its customized
version of Android, according to the Wall Street Journal. Neither company is
talking about the deal, naturally, and we still don't know how big
Microsoft's investment may be. Bloomberg reports that the two companies are
in negotiations to create a version of Cyanogen's image that features
Microsoft's services (similar to what Nokia did with its X series, which
Microsoft killed off). The report comes only a few months after Cyanogen
refused a Google buyout offer, supposedly because it wants to keep the dream
of a truly open version of Android alive. The more likely reason? Cyanogen
will probably end up being worth a lot more after additional investments
than what Google was willing to pay.
Sure, Microsoft's got Windows Phone already, but that platform isn't exactly
exploding. And even though it's an off-shoot of Android, there are already
more than 50 million people using Cyanogen. That number could rise
significantly as it gets even easier to install (the company's already
offering desktop and mobile apps to simplify the process). Cyanogen also has
plenty of potential for phone makers -- it was one of the more compelling
features of the OnePlus One (though their relationship isn't going so well
these days). |
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