Microsoft is working on a new chat app for the iPhone, according to a new report.
The software giant might be hard at work with the mobile realisation of its Windows 10 OS, but it’s still looking to improve its offerings on rival platforms.
According to Twitter user h0x0d, that new-found cross-platform enthusiasm will yield an iPhone-led chat app called Flow. The anonymous tipster provided what appears to be an image of a download page for the app.
Flow will work as an accompaniment to the excellent Outlook email app that relaunched earlier in the year. It will apply the fast and fluid real time conversations found in chat apps like WhatsApp – so “No subject lines, salutations, or signatures” – but will still be grounded in email with all of your regular contacts.
“Focus on what’s important,” continues the blurb. “Only conversations started in Flow and their replies show up in Flow, not your whole inbox. Focus on your most important person-to-person conversations without the noise.”
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As ZDNet points out, Flow’s relationship to Outlook sounds similar to the one Microsoft introduced between Qik and Skype – a lightweight messaging tool that layers over an established, longer form medium.
What’s interesting is that Microsoft is choosing Apple’s iPhone to showcase its new entry into the chat app market.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.