Microsoft yesterday quietly launched Microsoft Remote Desktop for Android and iOS, for the first time bringing the Windows desktop to phones and tablets. One of the most surprising parts of the announcement, which also included a revamped Mac app, was that a Windows Phone version was nowhere to be seen.
Microsoft today confirmed with TNW that a Windows Phone app is on its way. Unfortunately, the company wouldn’t say when to expect it.
“Remote desktop on phones is a relatively rare usage scenario,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement. “That said, we are working on a version of the app for Windows Phone. We’ll be able to share timeframe at a later point in time.”
Microsoft’s first sentence attempts to explain why Windows Phone wasn’t included in the launch, but it just falls short. It’s definitely an accurate point: phones aren’t ideal for remote desktop access as they have significantly smaller screens than tablets or computers.
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Yet third-party apps do indeed exist for phones. The reason is simple: sometimes you don’t want to do a lot on your desktop. Sometimes all you need to do is check a file or run a program, and you’re back on your way. Sometimes, the frustration of a small screen is next to nonexistent as long as you get to accomplish your task.
Furthermore, Microsoft’s point doesn’t stand for one very simple reason: its new apps work on Android phones and iPhones in addition to Android tablets and iPads. Yes, the company would have needed more manpower to develop another app for Windows Phone, but to use that certainly seems worth it. It’s important to constantly send the message that your platform, at the very least, matters just as much as the competition.
See also – Microsoft reverts YouTube Windows Phone app back to Web player release, ends Google’s eight-week block and Facebook for Windows Phone gets support for multi-photo messages, unfriending, unliking, inline tagging, and more
Top Image Credit: Fred Dufour / Getty Images
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