We are approaching a new turning point in the smartphone market: you’ll buy a smartphone and will be offered the chance to install not different Android ROMs, but different operating systems on it.

That’s what Xiaomi will offer next December 3rd when it makes available Windows 10 to their Mi 4 customers in China. This launch follows a trial Xiaomi and Microsoft started a several months ago.

From Android Authority:

While additional choice is always welcome, it’s not exactly clear what Xiaomi has to gain by offering two operating systems, as the extra support is sure to be resource consuming. Perhaps the company is looking to better cater for the business market, an area that Android could arguable use some improvement in.

I’d say this goes beyond that. It is maybe a message to Google and Android, and operating system that have been commoditized. Makers will be able to offer new options to customers, and that is an interesting move in itself.

Interesting move that adds to Google’s rumored intention to design its own hardware and become itself something more similar to Apple, controlling both aspects of the smartphone.

Interesting times, indeed.