If there was ever going to be a sign that Windows Phone was well and truly dead, this would have to be it: Bill Gates himself has finally taken the plunge and switched over to Android. In an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday this past weekend, Wallace asked Gates about his relationship with the late Steve Jobs, what he thinks of the new iPhone and what phone he’s using now.
After explaining to Wallace that while his relationship with Jobs was complex, their friendship was strengthened in the final years of Jobs’ life, Gates admitted that he has dumped Windows Phone in favor of Android.
“I happen to use all Windows-based PCs,” Gates said. “The phone that I have — recently I actually did switch to an Android phone with a lot of Microsoft software.” So while Gates is still doing his best to prop up the company he founded 40 years ago, it’s clear that he and the rest of the company have given up on Windows Phone.
Unfortunately, Gates didn’t reveal which Android phone he uses, but OnMSFT pointed out that Microsoft sells a Microsoft Edition Samsung Galaxy S8 that comes preloaded with several Microsoft apps, including Office, Skype, OneDrive, Cortana and Outlook. It’s just speculation at this point, but it’s all we’ve got.
Although the tidbit about Bill Gates’ Android phone was a highlight, the whole clip is worth watching, especially to hear Gates talk about his relationship with and his respect for his departed friend Steve Jobs.
