The Microsoft Windows Phone platform owns just a sliver of the smartphone market, but it has apparently gained enough traction to gain the attention of the nation’s largest cable operator.
Comcast announced Thursday that it has developed a version of its Xfinity TV Remote app for Microsoft Windows Phones.
The 3 megabyte app for the Windows Phone 8 operating system will turn the device into a “virtual” remote control, able to change channels, search the MSO’s TV listings and VOD library, schedule DVR recordings remotely.
“We believe our customers should have access to the tools to manage and personalize their Xfinity TV content from the device of their choosing. Our teams are always looking to extend our apps to platforms that reach mass audiences and it’s with this in mind that we’re excited to make our Xfinity TV Remote app available on Microsoft Windows Phones,” Charlie Herrin, Comcast’s SVP of product design and development, announced on the MSO’s blog.
Comcast already offers versions of its remote app for iOS and Android devices. Last month, Comcast also added a voice control feature to its iOS-based remote app for X1, the MSO’s next-gen, IP-capable video platform.
Comcast has not yet launched a version of Xfinity TV Player, its authenticated TV Everywhere app, for Windows Phone.
The MSO is among a group that’s begun to lavish more attention on the relatively young but growing Microsoft platform. Hulu, for example, launched its subscription VOD service on Windows Phone, last month.
Windows Phone accounted for 5.6% of U.S. smartphone sales in the first quarter of 2013, up 1.9% from the year-ago period, according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. Android, meanwhile, remained the top operating system in the period, representing 49.3% of smartphone sales. Apple iOS was second, with 43.7%.
