Microsoft: Insult Android, win a free Windows Phone

This could be a little controversial. Microsoft is offering the chance of winning a free Windows Phone, in exchange for Android owners sharing tales of woe on Twitter concerning Google’s operating system, Electric Pig reports.

People are encouraged to use the hashtag #droidrage to vent their dissatisfaction.

Windows Phone ‘evangelist’ Ben Rudolph tweeted: “Share your android malware story… and you could win a #windowsphone upgrade.”

Microsoft’s official Twitter account retweeted it, which we’ll take as an endorsement of the campaign. Though even it seems to know it may be a little controversial, saying Rudolph is “always causing trouble”. We imagine a Microsoft exec rolling their eyes as they tweeted that.

There’s no word on which handset Rudolph will give away (maybe that rumoured Lumia 900, if it launches in the States). He’s in the US, so bad luck for any of us Brits fancying a free upgrade.

Rudolph doesn’t seem short of entrants to pick from though. One person tweeted: “My Samsung Galaxy S would crash just lying there. Battery pull needed, no malware needed.” And another: “I’ve had to flash my Android phone twice because of malware. Not to mention the fragmentation issues + battery life.”

They have to be taken with a pinch of salt of course, seeing as those tweeting are after a freebie. One example: “Personal info compromised twice from malware. #windowsphone looks too beautiful for hackers to dare lay a finger on.” Or how about: “Come on guys. My iPhone is infected with iOS. Surely that’s worse?”

It’s certainly entertaining reading, but is encouraging people to slag off a rival company in return for a freebie a bit below the belt? Or just a bit of harmless fun? Let us know what you think either in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. Feel free to share any horror stories relating to mobiles too, though we’re afraid we can’t offer any free handsets in return.