Microsoft has announced a deal with Xiaomi to trial Windows 10 on a select number of products, with a larger roll out potentially targeting a user interface revolution within the Android community.
A number of Xiaomi “Mi 4 power users” will be selected to test the software, ahead of its future release later this year, but there are reports that it will soon reach far beyond that one company.
Interestingly, this isn’t just a piece of software plugged in to the smartphone, according to Tech Crunch’s Jon Russell.
“It effectively overrides Android, turning the Xiaomi phone into a Windows 10 device complete with Microsoft services,” says Russell, who claims the Chinese company will hope to “dazzle” Android owners into switching over to its devices.
Essentially, it’s expected that the ROM will act something similar to Cyanogen or the likes, dominating the phone to completely change the user interface.
Microsoft claims the deal will let both parties “get direct user feedback and continue to improve the experience for China,” with more availability announced in the coming months.
The appealing nature of the deal for Microsoft is that the Chinese market are more open to ROM installations, with Xiaomi’s growth explosion positioning it perfectly to give feedback to the US tech giant.
Windows 10 image via Shutterstock
