July 17, Friday-screenshots of the beta-tested Cortana for Android have made their way to the internet. Cortana is Windows 10's voice assistant. Microsoft announced that the feature will be made available to android devices by the end of July.
The beta, according to Phone Arena, has been tested in a Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The device has the Android 4.4.2 Kitkat operating system. The Cortana beta seems to be close to the final version of the Windows virtual assistant.
Coming without bugs and functioning as expected, Cortana appears ready to go to android. The virtual assistant sets alarms, takes down notes and get information about the wearher, the leakster alleged.
Cortana will be available to android as an app downloadable on GooglePlay Store. The Redmond-based software giant says users can expect that the app's new version will function slightly differently on android devices compared to Windows Phone, where it is automatically incorporated.
The company has not specified the purported differences in how the feature operates. The beta is said to be available for download in some websites such as Techweez.
Cortana is part of Microsoft's roll out of Windows 10 devices and features. It has first been introduced in earlier Windows beta versions, with previous builds showing how it functions on PC.
The virtual assistant is said to be designed to work hand in hand with Microsoft's reinvented web browser, Edge. Cortana will be incorporated to the search engine, where it will function as an aid to the user. The voice assistant can be found on the browser's address tab, and users will be able to command it while they surf the net.
The app has been exclusive to Windows devices. Its availability to android as a standalone app will be the first time Cortana will cross over to another operating system. How it will fare, with the likes of Siri as competitor, still leaves to be seen. The app is expected to make it debut on the android market after Windows 10 has been released on July 29.
