Microsoft to allow Android apps on Windows phones: sources

[SAN FRANCISCO] Microsoft Corp is set to allow apps from rival Google Inc's Android system onto its own Windows phones later this year, according to two sources familiar with the matter on Wednesday.

The move would mark a radical shift for Microsoft, which has struggled to attract users and has only 3 per cent of the global smartphone market.

By contrast, Android phones, led by Samsung, control 81 per cent of the market and Apple Inc 15 per cent, according to Strategy Analytics.

Microsoft is expected to make the announcement at its developer conference in San Francisco later on Wednesday.

REUTERS