Exploring Microsoft’s Android Emulator

I recently attended an event at the developer division of Microsoft on behalf of MentorMate. We were one of fifteen companies from across the US that were invited to participate. The event was focused on pain points that exist for mobile developers and what improvements Microsoft could make to their developer tools to ease them.

Most of what we discussed was still in the ideation phase, but there was a complete product that stood out.

Microsoft has created the best Android emulator I’ve seen on the market to date.

Mapping the competition

The Android emulator that ships with Android Studio leaves a lot to be desired. Even with HAXM, the default emulator just doesn’t cut it. GenyMotion is a great alternative but it’s expensive.

What makes the Microsoft Android emulator better

The Microsoft Android emulator is fast, feature rich and can be downloaded for free. The only downside is that it’s only available for Windows. If you’re like me and use a Mac, you’ll either need to install Parallels, Fusion or stick with GenyMotion.

Key features

• Multi-touch, which is especially cool when using a touch-enabled device
• Control of network signal, accelerometer, battery and other device properties
• Map front and rear facing cameras of the emulator to your cameras or image files
• Playback of pre-recorded accelerometer data
• Route travel between destinations on a map and simulate walking, biking or driving

More information about the emulator can be found here.

Usage of Microsoft looking ahead

Over the past few years, I’ve been using Microsoft products less and less. My primary development machine is a Mac. If Microsoft continues launching tools like this, I would consider moving back to Windows.

The reason I switched to a Mac was to build iOS apps. As a developer, I would love to see Visual Studio for Mac or be able be able to open Xcode projects on Windows. I want to be able to select my dev environment based on hardware and not be locked in because of closed software ecosystems. I know it’s a long shot, but it doesn’t hurt to dream big.