Cortana made its debut as Microsoft’s mobile digital assistant with the launch of Windows Phone 8.1 in April 2014. Since then, Cortana has been rolling out to more Windows Phone devices as they get updated to WP8.1, and soon it may head to other platforms as well.
Microsoft is planning to release Cortana as a standalone app on Android and iOS, say sources speaking to Reuters. The app will use research from Einstein, an artificial intelligence project in Microsoft. Cortana is slated to hit Windows 10 in the fall, and the Android and iOS versions will roll out “later.”
Microsoft has been busy bringing out many of its apps to Android and iOS lately, including special Garage apps for Android, Office apps, Outlook, and more. That’s why it’s not a surprise to hear that Microsoft may be planning to port Cortana to those platforms as well. And while Cortana as a standalone app may not be quite the same as having Cortana integrated into your OS, Microsoft just wants customers to use its services, even if they’re not on Windows Phone.
Have you used Cortana? If so, what do you think of it?