Microsoft founder and former CEO Bill Gates recently said he switched from using a Windows phone to one that runs Android. He revealed this important piece of information in a Fox News segment.
“Recently, I actually did switch to an Android phone with a lot of Microsoft software,” Gates said while speaking on a Fox News segment where he talked about his relationship with Steve Jobs. Gates didn’t say which Android phone he’s using, but he did mention that it has “a lot of Microsoft software” on it.
This could suggest it’s a special Microsoft Edition Samsung Galaxy S8 handset with bundled software. Microsoft started selling the Samsung Galaxy S8 handset in its retail stores earlier this year, and it includes apps like Office, OneDrive, Cortana, and Outlook. Any Android phone also supports these apps, but Microsoft’s customized S8 does suggest the company might continue to offer this for other Android devices in the future.
Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system launched several years ago and was the company’s attempt to take on iOS and Android. It floundered after several missteps, notably a lack of support from the developer community and Microsoft’s botched acquisition of Nokia. Gates said he still doesn’t use an Apple iPhone. “No, no iPhone,” he said.
Gates famously banned iPhones and iPods at home in the past, but he does admit that Steve Jobs was a “genius” in the Fox interview. Gates is still using Windows-based PCs, but he’s still not switching over to an iPhone, despite the Steve Jobs praise.
