Windows: Microsoft bringing x86 emulation to ARM?

Microsoft’s Continuum for Phones feature seems cool on paper, allowing you to run your phone’s universal Windows apps on a big screen to give a computer-like experience.

The biggest issue is that legacy Windows apps simply don’t work via this feature, leaving a big gap then.

However, it seems like Microsoft is working on a solution, ZDNet reports, claiming a “fall 2017” launch date.

The website’s sources say the feature will be coming to Windows 10 as part of the Redstone 3 update next year. So what does the tech entail then?

Full fledged Windows apps might make their way to mobile platforms next year

It appears to indeed be legacy x86 emulation on ARM platforms. In other words, emulating the desktop architecture/environment on the mobile architecture/environment.

The news comes after Twitter user WalkingCat found references to apparent x86-on-ARM tech, including references to “CHPE”.

ZDNet claims that the “C” stands for Cobalt, which is apparently the codename for the entire emulation project.

Nevertheless, if Microsoft is indeed working on this technology for a 2017 release (and it works well enough), it might be enough of a selling point to carve out a tiny niche. That is, if Windows Phones aren’t dead already and Microsoft launches compelling, polished hardware. Because heaven knows that my Lumia 950, which I bought almost a year ago, was a hot mess for the first six months.