The cross pollination between Android and iOS looks like it is set to continue in the near future as Apple CEO Tim Cook has hinted that more of his apps will be heading to Google’s mobile operating system. The news comes as Apple held a town hall meeting to answer questions from the media.
The key piece of news here is that Apple is currently using Apple Music on Android as a way of testing the waters. The company is looking at the possibility of porting more of its services over to other platforms, and looks for be gauging user reception to using Apple software on the Android OS.
While it isn’t clear which Apple services are being lined up to be ported over, it is likely that Apple Pay would be the next logical choice. The company is looking to diversify its revenue stream away from a reliance on the iPhone, and creating a steady cashflow through its electronic payment system looks to be one of the goals. Expanding beyond iOS devices would allow Apple to increase its userbase for Apple Pay, without needing to convince everyone that to buy iPhones.
That being said, Cook has only hinted at this becoming a reality in the distant future. Any announcements are unlikely to be made this year, and Apple will probably be waiting another year or two before making any moves. It is still an interesting move from a company that has traditionally had a closed eco-system. That being said, many companies have realised that it is beneficial to cater to competing platforms as well, like Microsoft expanding its Office productivity suite to both Android and iOS.
This could be the start of a different sort of Apple, one that also makes apps that run on something that isn’t iOS or Mac OS.
[Source: 9to5mac]
