Microsoft is taking a rather bold call by asking its employees in China to stop using Android phones and shift to iPhones by September this year. The report by Bloomberg this week claims that Microsoft has informed people at its China base using Xiaomi or Huawei Android phones that they will be given an iPhone 15 model by the company. For this, Microsoft is setting up a dedicated kiosk at this China office where these Android users can go and collect their new iPhone 15 model.
Android Ban In China, Use iPhones Now: But Why
The report cites the lack of Google Play Store support in China for Android users as the big reason for this switch. As you might know, China has its own app store running on Android phones from Xiaomi and Huawei among others. Apple, on the other hand, offers its regular App store for all iOS users, which makes it easy for these Android users to make the transition to iPhones.
Microsoft is clearly not comfortable working through these channels, so it is relying on the US-based company Apple to provide its iPhones for authentication and verify identity of these employees when they login to work on their PCs or even phones.
One could also say that being a US company in China, Microsoft is worried about possible data breaches and cyberattacks from bad actors, which has already impacted its business with the hacking attempts from the reported state-sponsored attacks from Russia.
Microsoft knows that Apple devices come with Face ID tech which is far safer than Android’s face unlock feature and using passkeys through the former allows its employees to keep their accounts and data secure. And finally, you have the ongoing China-US relations that continue to disrupt the industry and impact the growth of the AI sector in these parts of the world.
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