Android for Windows phones -- simple concept, simple enough installation, but awesome results. The good people behind the XDAndroid project have been working hard to allow you to get your Google juices flowing nice and freely on your WinMo device and the latest build looks to have all but completed the task. Demonstrated on a
Touch Pro2 -- a phone that recently got itself
Ubuntu-ized -- the Android installation experiences no difficulty in making calls, sending SMS or email missives, or browsing the web. There are still limitations, mind you, with GPS, Bluetooth and "other key functions" not yet available, but for the most part you're looking at the full Android experience on devices that weren't initially meant for it. Check it out on video after the break or hit the source link for detailed instructions on how to load this up on your own phone.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Update: Seems the Touch Pro2's keyboardless cousin has no intention of getting left out of the party --
m8cool has a little exposé on HTC's
Touch Diamond2 dual-booting WinMo with Android. Thanks, stagueve!
posted March 11th 2010 4:56AM
I have it, and I love it. All it needs now really is some sound, and power management, and you could pretty much use it as your daily phone. If they get it working near perfect like they did the Vogue, I could see myself using it quite longer than I expected to. It's already over a year old, but I can't shy myself away from this damn phone. The keyboard is seriously second to none
Do the apps get installed on the phone or can u install them to sd?
@ComboBreaker
on the sd card.
@ComboBreaker it basically boots of the sd card. all apps are placed in a folder prior to boot.
i'm running this on my touch hd. if i had a physical keyboard or capacitive touch screen i'd be sold on it too.
For the WinMo doubters and haters... this is why WinMo KICKS ASS!
HD2 3/24.. SOLD!!
@HerbieDerb
No, this is why XDA KICKS ASS!
After seeing this, how can anyone doubt that WM 6 wont pwn WP7S.
XDA wll make WP7S for WinMo.. bank on it!
@HerbieDerb Um... If WinMo kicked ass, why would you want to boot Android?
@HerbieDerb
Totally agree.
@EGOvoruhk What does he mean that there is no sound? It looked like he placed a call to the vm fine and asked if it could be heard. Does this mean it lacks ringer tones?
As soon as it gets bluetooth and gps, I'm gonna be all over this!
@HerbieDerb
XDA will not be able to port WPS7. They are already having this much trouble porting Android, an OPEN SOURCE OS! WPS7 is not open source and vastly different from WM, using a different kernel and drivers. Its not happening.
@EGOvoruhk
I have been running this as well. The only way to get data, calling, and SMS to work is by removing the SIM card from my Sprint Touch Pro2. I've always wanted to learn the Android OS in and out and now I can! This has added tons of value to this phone.
@EGOvoruhk
I was running this on my vogue and it was AMAZING! Was XDA able to get this flashed directly on the phone or is it still running of the SD card?
@red014
because most winmo understand that winmo has some limitations. just like android, web os, iphone and others do. its nice to be able to ''change clothes'' whenever you want, rather than wearing the same outfit all the time like i'm a simpsons character. if you get the analogy.
but another reason of why we would want to boot android? because we can. i think thats the best one to be honest
@red014
Old news for other WinMo phones. My Touch Vogue has been running a full version of Android for 5 or 6 months now. Complete with GPS (the port includes the latest turn-by-turn navigation as well as speech searches).
To answer your question though - the reason why I love WinMo so much is that we have choices. And choice is a very good thing. There are certain things that each platform offers. Depending on the day or the tasks I might choose one OS over another. While I do love WinMo I recognize that Android brings a lot to the table. To switch OS' I simply reset my device. Takes about 1 minute.
I do hope the experience with the Touch Pro 2 is a little better than what I deal with on the Vogue. I have a few major gripes with the port.
@EGOvoruhk HTC TP2 hasn't even been out a year......
@Bean Sound outside of calls doesn't work. That's a completely different signal path to sound _on_ calls.
So you don't hear ringtones (you can only tell when someone's calling you by setting vibrate on), and you can't play music or hear sound on videos or in games or things like that.
I dont.. but dual boot would be good.
@Lewis
Too bad theres no XDA for Android
@HerbieDerb no, this is why WinMo sucks.
because HARET works shows how insecure WinMo is. The fact that a userland application was able to crash and unload WinMo kernel to load Android shows how insecure WinMo is.
Tomorow instead of HARET there will be some malware.
Yes, it's great for us in this specific case, but no way in hell should a userland application be able to do such a thing to kernelland!
This is the same type of insecure system we had back in DOS and Win9x days.
WinNT/Linux/OSX kernels would not allow you this.
@MxxCon It's a reach to call it a security flaw when you're manually executing a file. And frankly the fact that the registry and other things are so accessible is why power users like Windows Mobile anyway, so yes, this is one of those times where what you consider a bug/security flaw is indeed a real feature.
@MxxCon BTW a world where you can't jailbreak iPhones or root Android phones or custom flash/run Android on Windows Mobile phones might be you and Steve Jobs' wet dream but frankly that's the kind of world that the rest of us are thankful that we're not in. The day we can't get full access to run whatever we feel on like the hardware we own will be a sad, sad day. Have fun on your super secure totally unhackable phone that'll only run "secure" and "approved" applications that you have to buy for $9.99.
@red014 Eh, WinMo does kick ass in that WinMo phones tend to be the most hackable and customizable ones out there. And to be honest a lot of people just run Android for kicks on their WinMo phones-Windows Mobile really isn't that terrible on HTC phones once you're running heavily customized and tweaked ROMs.
And seriously, that windows registry with it's oh-so-editable keys is just plain awesome for people who want to muck around and make their phones do deliciously bad things ;)
HI Guys:
Is it applicable to HTC Tilt.....
@MxxCon
so winmo is insecure and needs to see a psychologist?
@AdamWill Thanks for the clarification. I had a similar issue where one of those paths didn't have sound after I managed to water damage the audio jack/microphone area. Unfortunately for me it was the in-call sound, but now I have a new TP2.
@HerbieDerb Umm no. Actually, this is why winmo sucks! Do you see people installing Winmo on Android phones?
Pretty smooth; I'm impressed.
OMG this is so smooth. If it weren't for the resistive screen, I'd easily say this could be among the top 3 best made Android phones yet to be seen.
@TareG
Ok, that's taking it a bit far.
@rhackin you don't have many other options for a 480x800 screen and a good hardware keyboard, on Android. The last-gen CPU does hold things back somewhat, though; it's not going to be as fast as Snapdragon phones.
This is impressive! Droid does Windows Mobile
@AlienSix
Droid = Verizon Phone
Android = Google Mobile OS
Please stop confusing the two. Ever since that stupid Droid phone came out EVERYONE calls every phone out there a "droid" that has Android on it. Ugh.
Wish my N1 had a keyboard like that.
@cdf74dc9
Seriously! Why would HTC ignore something the market is clearly so responsive and desperate for. And while they're at it, please don't forget Tmobile! :)
@TrumanHW
Because physical keyboards are a dying breed, pretty soon hardware manufacturers will refuse to spend the extra money it costs to add a keyboard to all phones, not worth the cost
@z0phi3l
If that's the case case, I will never buy another handheld again. Simple as that.
No keyboard, no sale. I am willing to swear this under penalty of perjury and on the graves of my ancestors.
@jgp Dang that deep
Want that keyboard on an android device so much.... WTF are you doing HTC, stop dicking around.
@Bratyr No shit, and they won't even get sued by Apple for including one. I want the nexus one with a physical keyboard sooooooooooo bad.
Woah sweet. :D
Wouldn't mind this on the HD2
@cherryboom How is it every time something tech related happens with phones, someone always manages to pull the iPhone, which had nothing to remotely do with what this article is about, in to the mix? Its awesome that thy have come this far, Shut up about the iPhone. No one has even mentioned it in the comments.
Yummy put this in HD2 n i'll buy 2
@cherryboom
iPhone knock off? I wish the iPhone had a sweet keyboard like this device, maybe then I'd consider one. And I have no problem connecting my phone to my PC to manage it. Not that I need to. WinMo isn't locked down, so I can pretty much everything from the device, without the "help" of iTunes
(An)droid does what Microsoft doesn't?
@cherryboom Too bad android offers 10x the features on the phone, why would I even hook it up? I dont need itumes to stream or download anything, and files can be downloaded and un-rared just like on a pc.
@cherryboom There is plenty of room for everyone. Android, windows mobile etc. I am a happy owner of iPhone but i like the idea of installing Android on this ppc-phone. Why not? Of course, cookers must make it a fully functional device, otherwise it will be waste of time, not for the cookers (cause everyone benefits from this whole procedure of customization and experimentation) but for those who expect to use it as a primary android phone.
Does anyone know what that clock/weather widget is called?
@bemymonkey
Looks like Beautiful Widgets by LevelUp: http://levelupstudio.fr/widgets/weather