Windows developer Justin Angel is joining Apple. Justin is well known in the Windows Phone developer community. More recently he worked on the Beats Music application for Windows Phone. Beats was just acquired by Apple and Justin will be joining to continue to work on the Windows Phone app.
Worried that Windows Phone support for Beats Music would be dropped after the Apple deal? No need to worry at all. Here's a tweet sent out by Justin earlier:
"Announcing: I'm joining Apple. @BeatsMusic's lead windows phone developer and former Nokia Lumia Principal Engineer is joining Apple :)"
This is great news for those Beats Music fans on Windows Phone (and Justin of course). The status of some Beats personnel has been uncertain since the deal closed. It's recently come to light that most of the engineering and creative personal behind Beats Music and Beats Electronics would be staying with Apple through the transition. While those in overhead positions like support, finance and HR wouldn't be included.
Again, huge congrats to Justin and we're stoked to continue to see support for Windows Phone from Apple.
Source: @JustinAngel
Reader comments
Beats Music for Windows Phone lives on, developer Justin Angel joins Apple
http://quotacle.com/watch.php?id=53c83242dd
Seems to me there is money in the "service" part of these type apps which is why Apple will continue to invest in Windows Phone. Probably why Microsoft is looking to port Cortana to other platforms. With Apple's penchant for creating quality, Beats audio on WP will only get better IMHO.
Where IV that term does it say Spoke is committed to fully supporting Beats on Windows Phone?
Still not available in my country. So, I don't give a shit.
Spotify ride or die.
If Google bought beats Justin would be collecting a severance package and the WP app would be collecting dust on the shelf.
I think there are quite a few people who think Microsoft can still do well with Windows Phone, and the Lumia business in particular. Despite this past year's hiccups (i.e. Nokia X, merger, lack of Lumias pushed to market), they still did OK with selling around 8 million handsets.
If Microsoft and Mobile Oy get their house in order and make a serious push, they can easily cross 10 million a quarter by Q4 2015. Combine that growth with a push of low-end handsets from local OEMs in India, Russia and Europe, one could see well over 50 million Windows Phones sold to the market every year.
Sure, it might still be 5-7% of the overall market, but when tens of millions of new prospective users (per year) are in question, it's never a bad idea to invest. Seriously, how much does it take to make a good app and maintain it with regular updates and fixes? Rudy Hyun and many other WP developers demonstrated that it takes one committed developer, cue Apple/Beats calling on Justin.
And yes, I'm writing this under the assumption that with Apple's might and resources Beats' international plans will see serious momentum. And it's no secret that in some markets, WP is more prevelant than iOS.
This shit doesn't work in Egypt
This is GREAT NEWS! I have been on board with Beats Music since the beginning dropping all of my other music services (Xbox Music, Pandora and Nokia Radio). The primary reason, the family pricing for AT&T customers. Now, the WP version of the app was horrid at first and almost made me drop it, but I stuck with it knowing that there was a talented development team behind it and it could only get better.
Today, I can say that it is getting there. I am less frustrated by it and actually use it and use it for more than just listening to music!
Thanks all and keep up the great work!
Why doesn't Microsoft hire these talented developers?
I think it tries, but I know for a fact that Angel doesn't want to work for Microsoft (tweet).
Now we just need Justin to get the app working a bit smoother.
Audio Technica ATH-M50
Suck it, Beats!
Apple ≠ Google
I don't understand the hate either. People should be glad to see cross-OS support
Congrats to Justin. He's the reason we were able to have 3rd party Pandora apps.
We need someone over for Xbox music instead they leave for other platforms....awesome
Give it a week.
This is great news! Great to hear apple keeping beats alive on WP!
Great news for the Windows Phone Community. Beats was launched the same week as its Android and Apple counterparts and for that alone I give them BIG Props...plus the App is awesome.
Traitorous bastard
You need to relax.
Priorities dude....
Shows that they are better sports than Google.
Beats is trash. I'd rather get unlimited data and get di.fm. Music problem solved.
Beats hardware is over-rated garbage. Best software does nothing for me to warrant me paying a monthly subscription.
A Beats article can't go by without the usual Beats hater.
I wouldn't say that I hate Beats headphones but I do feel they are overpriced for what they are and they require a specific sound profile to sound better than average.
I can't speak for the software as it isn't available in the UK.
Yep, Beats headphones are definitely overpriced for what they are. I'd personally recommend looking into Audio Technica, BeyerDynamic's or Sennheisers if anyones looking for some quality headphones. Same here with the Beats Music though, can't comment on what it's like as I'm from the UK as well.
I agree that they are a bit overpriced, but they do sound good. I have bose and beats. I think that the beats sound a little better, even listening to rock. I tried beats music and I thought it was a good app, but some of the music suggestions made me wonder (recommending a rap artist from a rock song)
Its not really hating. Beats headphones are terrible in terms of accurate sound reproduction; they are too bass heavy (fact). I'll take a pair of KRKs any day over beats. A fifth of the price and more faithful sound reproduction (fact).
And? Because you don't like something gives you or anyone else a reason to post meaningless drab about it? I mean you don't have to convinve anyone hear they are overpriced, because they are but they are a "premium" brand and were deemed worthy enough for Apple to pay $3 billion for.
You don't buy beats headphones for sound quality, you buy them for active noise canceling. Then you put some nice ear buds underneath and your set :P
Lol
@Sam, that should be personnel, not personal. In the second last paragraph.
See... Talented people working on the smaller window's market get attention for their work... Justin, Rudy, and many more are examples... It just boggles my mind when developers run from windows to other platforms... They have the opportunity to big a big fish in a small pond rather than being a small me too fish..
Rant over and congrats to Justin ;)
Where had he run? He's still working on WP, just for Apple now. If anything this could lead to the start of other Apple apps for WP - though maybe that's to much of a hope. Not that I actually know of any first party Apple apps I'd want. Anyone?
How about iMessage support in the messaging app, that could be useful for iPhone users looking to switch?
I didn't say he ran... I am saying other who do not work on apps for windows phone potentially moss out. We are hungry for support and when people support Windows phone, the community usually supports them. Developers with talent like Justin, Rudy, and others... Are really talented.
So this App will be the first Apple app in our store!!
Lol I guess so!
And I almost tried it during all these Xbox music updates, but now that it's Apple I won't touch it.
What app this developer has released for Windows phone so far? Not really familiar with him.
Justin is the guy that reverse engineered the pandora api paving the way for apps like metroradio.
Great more ppl from Nokia leaving for Apple... Just great
Probably me too. I'm also leaving Windows and maybe WP.
Uhm, ok
Bye!
Not fully leaving yet. Sorry to break the news.
too bad :-(
No reason to act like that. There quite a few reasons why people would be displeased with Microsoft's mobile platform recently.
Thanks man. :)
Genuine question, why do you feel the need to switch from Windows to OS X?
I was originally an Apple fan, then switched to WP in 2011, then got the SP2 last year. I feel Windows 8 isn't done yet, like EA's BF4, and needs a lot more work. Plus, Yosemite looks BEAUTIFUL, and is still very friendly.
Windows 8 certainly feels like its still not a fully finished product and the sooner Windows 9 arrives the better, especially as Windows 8 has such a bad image now. However, I actually prefer Windows 8 over Windows 7 and I'm 90% a Desktop user. I've always got Outlook running, using OneDrive with its offline integration and with the boot up speeds and Secure Boot etc I feel Windows 8 is technically better than Windows 7 even though it still feels like an unfinished project (mainly the modern UI).
I can't see myself switching from Windows really, would miss OneDrive integration, the latest full Office and my Windows based applications too much. I've tried Linux a couple of times before and ended up returning to Windows.
But peoples usage and opinions are different and I respect that. It'll be interesting to see if Windows 9 and WP9 will tempt you back to the Microsoft side of things, especially if Microsoft will be kind enough to give Windows 8 users a free upgrade to Windows 9, which is rumoured to be the case :)
There is OneDrive integration on Mac OS X as well, and the next Office for Mac is coming soon.
The more MSFT delays when they bring back the Start Menu, more and more people hate Windows 8. Windows 9 better be a free update for Windows 8 users...
I always see you all over the comments unstoppablekem.
Surprised you're leaving.
MIGHT not leave WP, but probably leaving Windows and moving back to Mac.
I imagine more users than developers are leaving the platform soon.
+Yosemite
He's moving to Apple to work on the Windows Phone app, and yet despite this showing more support for WP - by Apple of all people - you somehow manage to spin this into a negative thing for development on WP. Wow.
*If* users/developers are leaving the platform, its because they get fed up with all these people constantly bitching about *everything*, be it Apps, OS updates, new phones, even improvements.
I'd rather have them jump ship and be done with it. All these constant threats of jumping ship... Grow a pair, man up and go for it - stop spouting verbal diarrea - it makes you look like an idiot.
I left Android for WP and yes, there's a few things that I don't like on this OS either but seriously, talking trash isn't going to help the OS and it certainly isn't going to help the community.
I'm glad for Justin, and I'm glad for the WP support of Apple. I hope to see more of these kind of articles that show that support for windows phone is increasing. And I hope to see less of these "trolls" that draw their own conclusions all the time and giving developers/Microsoft a bad name. Oh he joined Apple, I blame Microsoft because they DEFINITLY are to blame for this even though I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what his motives were.
Seriously. Go eat a cactus.
I think you need to chill.
I'm tired too about this; there is just to many people complaining and reading comments stopped of being interesting or usefull. Same with Cortana, everyone is complaining and asking when it will be in their country and blah blah blah.
I have some good friends that went sour in Facebook and the they are only posting negative stuffs. I'm almost ready to close my FB account because I got tired of them and since they are close friends... well it would be rude from my part to unfriend them or block them.
*sigh* Have you paying attention to recent news? 18,000 laid off, McLaren canceled, low end devices keep beeing turned out, WP8.1 slow roll out, lack of high end devices available, WP8.1 still has some issues, Xbox Music (nuff said), and still lacking some apps not including Microsofts own apps are avalible in even better form on other platforms. This is just what I had on the top of my head, there is more.
Also, WP ain't so exclusive with Xbox games anymore either: http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/07/31/new-game-microsoft-releases-snap...
And that's why people will be displeased with WP lately. All those 920, 8X, 820, 822 users are up for an upgrade in the fall and what high end device will be available and will be by all accounts very good? That would be the iPhone 6.
Your right there!! One comes back to iPhone after touching a buggy and slow Droid and underrated and lacking features of WP!!
Someone's got to employ them there's another 18,000 where he came from.
I always confusing this one and htc's and what's differences between iTunes and beats
HTC owned a substantial portion of Beats for a while so they got some Beats amps/eq algorithms and cheap, but ok Beats branded ear buds...so no difference at the time. Now Apple owns all of Beats.
Yep, and I loved my 8x with beats audio!
Because they are the same
Beats music app is only available for 8.1, right mr sam?
No its available for 8 too
Nope.
Beats Studios were rude with Rudy Hyun. Dont buy their stuff.
Agreed. Rudy over all.
You both must be joking.
LO!!!
He did have some arguements with them regarding his 6Studio app release though!
What happened? I genuinely missed the story.
Me too...
I guess its one of those things... E.g. Rudy is life, Rudy is love.
They sent him a letter claiming the name '6 Studio' was somehow in conflict with 'Beats Studio' ... I presume nothing came of it.
Can't stand you people. It wasn't like Dr. Dre personally sent a letter to Rudy. It was lawyers doing their job. Right or wrong on the part of the lawyers doesn't mean Beats Music or Beats Electronics are bad.
But imo...their headphones aren't as good as what you pay for them. In that sense they are bad lol. Just my opinion.
Yeah that's your opinion on their headphones, this is about their beats music app... You can use any headphones you want for that :)
Hoe does beats music compare to mix radio?
"Who are you calling a Hoe!?!?!"
Shots fired!
;)
hahaha sorry, swype type's fault ;)
Sam, who was it that instructed the lawyers to go after him though? They say don't shoot the messenger and that's all those lawyers are, the messengers doing the bidding of the board at Beats. So it is their management who should take the rap for that, however I'd agree with you it's no reason to call them evil, it was a fairly minor issue.
Absolutely...Dre would have known and given the go ahead to sue Rudy...lawyers act on the approval, direction and wishes of their bosses...ie...Dre.
Well, I don't really care about who initiated it
All I know was a single App developer who the Windows Phone community owe a lot, was shot down by a huge company for an extremely ridiculous reason.
Didn't know you can have right on simple English words such as "Studio"
Sam, maintain your composure. You are one of the primary writers and as such, should refrain from opinions and just stay with the facts. In other words (no pun intended) leave out the Can't stand you people" verbiage. Allow us to speak like troglodytes.
Yeah, that was a tad off-putting and unnecessary.
Love this comment.
Great, we can't stand your pompous ass either. If you hate this community so much, you should really resign and move on to another group that fits your bill.
Can't stand you people? This coming from a major player at Windows Phone Central? Interesting.
Rudy has done a lot for our platform but your comments are ridiculous. They're conitinuing to update for us who cares if they chose Angel over Rudy. Just as long as they keep providing support. For the record, I don't use beats music. Make it free apple.
"if they chose angel over Rudy"??? What the flying fox are you talking about? Are you flipping high?
They aren't saying that Rudy was slighted out of a job in favor of Angel. That was not the scenario. The problem seems to be that the big company (Beats) sent a C&D letter to small guy (Rudy) over his 6Studio company naming. Usually these things end up with the little guy giving in because the big guy can afford to keep the fight going in the courts. Bad PR is usually the only thing that stops them. If the terms of that letter have not been retracted, then I say keep up the bad PR.