Microsoft Sells 1,500 Patents To Xiaomi To Build 'Long-Term Partnership' (reuters.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Software maker Microsoft Corp is selling about 1,500 of its patents to Chinese device maker Xiaomi, a rare departure for the U.S. company and part of what the two companies say is the start of a long-term partnership. The deal, announced on Wednesday, also includes a patent cross-licensing arrangement and a commitment by Xiaomi to install copies of Microsoft software, including Office and Skype, on its phones and tablets. Wang said the acquisition of Microsoft patents, which included voice communications, multimedia and cloud computing, on top of some 3,700 patents the Chinese company filed last year, were "an important step forwards to support our expansion internationally." Florian Mueller, a patents expert who consulted for Microsoft in the past, said it was rare for Microsoft to actually sell its patents, adding "it's possible Microsoft found it easier to impose its Android patent tax on Xiaomi as part of a broader deal that also involved a transfer of patents."

Comments

I'm a little scared.

[SharpFang]

I got a Xiaomi phone recently. At first I was a little wary, but it grew on me immensely.

First - it comes pre-rooted. The built-in "Security" app can be used to simply grant root to any app that requires it. The bootloader is fully unlocked too, if you choose to replace the whole OS.

Then - Extras. Dual Sim, SD slot, FM radio, and all the typical essential goodies, plus some extras like gyroscope. A HUGE battery. IR sensor/LED for using as remote. A normal, generic earphones jack. Decent camera and a strong LED which you can use as a flashlight without installing 3rd party apps or risking damage.

And then a similar Samsung of the same release date and the same price has half the features. Xiaomi has roughly 2x the screen resolution (although not AMOLED), 8 cores instead of 4, 2GB RAM instead of 1.5, twice as much flash.

With entering the western markets en masse, I imagine Root and unlocked bootloader will get the axe first. Then the price will get jacked up to match phones of similar amount of features.