Microsoft's Movies & TV app could soon hit the screens of phones running iOS and Android. Sources familiar with the matter have told Windows Central that Microsoft is developing new versions of the app to encourage users to buy more of their viewing material from the Microsoft Store.
The Microsoft Store has an impressive collection of films and TV shows available to buy, including many that aren't available via streaming services, but until now it's only been accessible through Microsoft's own platforms, including Xbox, Windows 10 PCs and Windows 10 Mobile.
Microsoft moves on
The development of a new Movies & TV app is another sign that Microsoft has finally laid Windows 10 Mobile to rest, and is focusing on making Windows PCs play nicely with Android and iOS instead.
Microsoft poured effort and resources into making Windows 10 Mobile a success, but the operating system never secured enough users to be viable.
In October last year, corporate VP for Windows Joe Belfiore tweeted a public lament about the difficulty of getting companies to invest in the platform. Despite Microsoft offering payment and writing apps, he said there were simply too few people with Windows handsets in their pockets to make it a tempting proposition.
We have tried VERY HARD to incent app devs. Paid money.. wrote apps 4 them.. but volume of users is too low for most companies to invest. ☹️ https://t.co/ePsySxR3LBOctober 8, 2017
Belfiore confirmed that Microsoft would continue to support the platform with bug fixes and security updates, but said that building new features and hardware for Windows 10 Mobile was no longer the company's focus.
Later that week, Microsoft released Edge for Android and iOS, plus a Launcher app to let Android users customize their phones. Just a few days after that, the Fall Creators Update made it possible to link an iOS or Android phone to your Windows 10 PC so you can start browsing the web on one device and continue on another.
A new version of the Movies & TV app could let viewers start watching on a PC, then continue on their phone, making the Microsoft Store's collection of movies and shows much more appealing. We'll be keeping an eye on the App Store and Google Play for more developments.
