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Microsoft To Sell Customized Edition of Samsung Galaxy S8 Android Smartphones (zdnet.com)

Posted by msmash on from the anything-for-money dept.

Done with selling its own phones, Microsoft is getting back at the smartphone business. This time, selling Samsung's Android powered flagship S8 and S8 Plus smartphone. From a report: Microsoft says it is making available for pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ Microsoft Edition. Both phones will be available for purchase beginning April 21 at brick-and-mortar US Microsoft Store locations. Details as to exactly what "Microsoft Edition" means are scarce. But based on an email I received from a Microsoft spokesperson, I believe this means these phones will need to be unboxed inside a Microsoft Store, connected to the Microsoft Store Wi-Fi and automatically populated with Microsoft apps, including Office, OneDrive, Cortana, Outlook, and more Microsoft apps.

83 comments

  1. Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Will Microsoft also pay the licensing fees for all of Apple's patents that are being infringed upon by Samsung?

    1. Re:Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      LOL thats funny. And stupid. And a little sad. Because fuck apple.

    2. Re: Question by saloomy · · Score: 1

      The licensing fees are built into the price of the phone as negotiated by the holder and the licensee. Why business does the reseller (Microsoft in this case) have to do with the inventors patent portfolio? Nothing. Any patent disputes are between Apple and Samsung. Microsoft is nothing more than a reseller /carrier with its own apps in this transaction.

  2. M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why would people buy a phone to purposefully have crapware installed on it.

    1. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It must mean that MS is selling these phones cheaper than they would cost without their spyware. Or what is the benefit for customers?

    2. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope. Same price. There doesn't seem to be any benefit unless you're Peter Bright of Ars Technica who would deepthroat and then bend over to be butthumped by Microsoft's CEO if he could.

    3. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by TWX · · Score: 0

      My assumption is that business users that are going to give the whole smartphone-dock-PC thing a go will end up with the productivity applications on the phone that they expect to have, without themselves having to figure out how to install them.

      Before Windows 10, we bought three computers from the Microsoft store because for what we were looking for equipment-wise they were the best price. Back when Windows 7 was new we were looking for a laptop for my wife, and bought a Lenovo Thinkpad x301 for probably $300 less than it would've cost from anywhere else. It came with a free Ideapad netbook that I used for several years. More recently, when Windows 8.1 was their modern OS, we decided to replace the five year old X301 with a newer model, and ended up buying a Core I7 based Thinkpad Yoga 12.5 from the Microsoft Store, again, it was far less expensive than from anywhere else.

      In all of these cases the computers were very lightly loaded with extra software instead of the bloat that I was accustomed to seeing from other brick and mortar retailers. The only preloaded junk was on the Ideapad, and it was the stupid Lenovo camera-based login crap that we just removed.

      At this point I probably wouldn't buy a computer from the Microsoft Store anymore, simply because I don't want Windows 10, and I'm eyeing that Dell "Developer Edition" laptop so that I'll know it runs Linux natively without issues anyway. But prior to Windows 10, the Microsoft Store was not a bad place to get a good price on the hardware and to have much less preloaded crap.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    4. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by Penguinisto · · Score: 1

      My assumption is that business users that are going to give the whole smartphone-dock-PC thing a go will end up with the productivity applications on the phone that they expect to have, without themselves having to figure out how to install them.

      Err...
      1) Open the Google Play app on your phone.
      2) Search for productivity app you want
      3) Tap the really big "Install" button. If the app requires payment for purchase, provide that info when prompted.

      ...not much to figure out there.

      --
      Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
    5. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by martinX · · Score: 0

      You can be guaranteed that with MS involved, it will be much more difficult than that. Probably involve an original install disc somehow.

      --
      When they came for the communists, I said "He's next door. Take him away. Goddam commies."
    6. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Going by previous TWX posts, that probably is far beyond their competence level.

    7. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by unixisc · · Score: 2

      Precisely! Any Android owner can download and install things like OneNote (probably the only good MS app for phones) or OneDrive. Why buy it from Microsoft? And does this mean that their Surface Phone is dead? Regardless, I still have the Lumia 550, which still works well w/ GSM compatible networks.

    8. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Winders Phone has been DOA since day one.

    9. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by crashumbc · · Score: 0

      original 5-1/2" floppy

      sidebar: can you even still get 5-1/2" floppies that work on a modern computer? like external usb? I guess I could google but F that...

    10. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You'll have better luck if you search for 5-1/4" - you're confusing 3-and-a-HALF-inch with 5-and-a-QUARTER.
      Can't resist the obvious "that's what SHE said"... :)

    11. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      That's one thing I will applaud Microsoft for. We've purchased a couple of Dell notebooks from them, and there's virtually no crapware at all, not even Dell's. It's pretty much as close to a pure Windows 10 install as one can get (yes yes, I know, Windows 10 may in some part constitute crapware even on a lean install). It was quite something to open up the Installed programs in the control panel and literally see just a small handful of items there. The real joy was in not seeing McAfee or Norton AV.

      So while I'm pretty damned critical of Redmond in a lot of ways, this is one area where they really are catering to the more seasoned IT types by selling machines that are as minimalistic as Windows can be.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    12. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Windows users, y'know. Where's the Any Key?

    13. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by crashumbc · · Score: 1

      LOL 30 seconds after I posted that... I went "Doh!" I'm so getting called out...

    14. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 0

      That's one thing I will applaud Microsoft for. We've purchased a couple of Dell notebooks from them, and there's virtually no crapware at all

      Not that you know of, anyway. (Except for the operating system, of course, but that's another story...)

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    15. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by donaldm · · Score: 2

      That's one thing I will applaud Microsoft for. We've purchased a couple of Dell notebooks from them, and there's virtually no crapware at all, not even Dell's.

      You can get the Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft and just select the version you want (only three) and the ISO only comes with Windows 10 without additional crapware. In all fairness, I do suggest this to anyone who has a Windows 10 machine since it is useful for recovery purposes.

      If you do install from the ISO don't use the quick setup which Microsoft seems to prefer you use although this is fine if you are lazy and have no real clue what you are doing. Always configure your installation and on viewing all the settings which are "on" by default you may question why you want to install Windows 10 in the first place since it ticks all the boxes in the description of Malware . Even after installation, it is always best to do some research as to locking down your operating system further.

      Still, if you are an avid gamer who just has to play the latest games or someone who has locked themselves into the Microsft ecosystem then I guess Windows 10 is for you.

      --
      There ain't no such thing as proprietary standards only proprietary formats. Standards are by definition open.
    16. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 3, Informative

      You can get the Windows 10 ISO [microsoft.com] from Microsoft and just select the version you want (only three) and the ISO only comes with Windows 10 without additional crapware.

      Not quite true.

      It used to be that bare windows didn't have any crapware, but Windows 10 ISO definitely does these days. Among others (I can't recall all of them off of the top of my head) are freemium apps like Candy Crush, Angry birds, and obviously paid social media apps like Twitter and Facebook, and some apps are useless without paying, like the paid hotspot app.

      And then of course, many of Microsoft's first party apps are now adware and/or trialware. For example, solitaire now has ads in it unless you pay a monthly fee, onedrive costs money, and there's a "get office" app that is just an ad for office. That's not getting into the 12+ ads that Microsoft has now built into Windows: (some of which overlap with what I've listed here)

      https://slashdot.org/comments....

    17. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      I'd be quite happy to have a five and a half inch floppy.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    18. Re:M$ phone? You gotta be kidding! by Seng · · Score: 1

      Perhaps it will be crapware that might have some utility (IE: AT&T's bloatware that backs up your contacts on an freaking Android phone that already backs up contacts to Gmail... Or a find your device app, when that's already baked into the OS.)

  3. That's cute... by jcr · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Microsoft still thinks they have some prestige to offer.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    1. Re:That's cute... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Microsoft has no choice but to keep trying, even if it sucks - they can't ignore one of the biggest, most profitable markets in the world good sir!!

    2. Re:That's cute... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      M$ crapware is best crapware!

    3. Re:That's cute... by jlf278 · · Score: 0

      If they include FreeCell, it will be a hit. Most people on use their desktops for the internet browser, MS Office, and FreeCell. With the upcoming dock promised by Samsung, my dad will finally be able to toss out his win98 Compaq Presario.

    4. Re:That's cute... by c · · Score: 1

      Well, I'll give this better odds of success than a Windows Phone flagship...

      --
      Log in or piss off.
    5. Re:That's cute... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If they include FreeCell, it will be a hit.

      my dad will finally be able to toss out his win98 Compaq Presario.

      did the dictionary get sucked into a black hole? since when does ONE sale make a "hit"

      oh, I forgot, it's microsoft, where employees outnumber customers 10:1 at their stores

    6. Re:That's cute... by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      MS owns visual studio complete with Android emulators and tools ... No you did not misread that.

      They lost. MS strengths most of us can agree on is their development tools and business software like Office even if we don't like their operating systems or Internet browsers. MS wants to remain relevant with millennial developers. If you can't beat them then join them.

      I see no problem as I consider them like IBM now. Believe it or not they were the scary monopolist to the old timers.

      --
      http://saveie6.com/
    7. Re:That's cute... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      oh, I forgot, it's microsoft, where employees outnumber customers 10:1 at their stores

      If that were true, that weren't a bad thing in times where human employees are progressively dumped in favor of machines.

    8. Re:That's cute... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hating on Microsoft is so 2005. This isn't prestige, it's technology, and Microsoft is legit.
      Azure is pretty awesome for devs, and they've really put together some great services for things like machine learning, tailored search, AI, and more. While some of their offerings aren't as good as Amazon's, some are a lot better.

      The real win here would be a (very) thin Win10 VM on Galaxy S8. The CPU is fast enough and microsoft had Windows-on-Arm in their old surface. If the Samsun "Dex" could run Win, then much of the value proposition of a laptop disappears for a lot of people. It would be like the Nintendo Switch for PCs.

  4. Desperate move by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Microsoft must be falling apart from the inside.

  5. Microsoft now competes with Google's abuse? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Details as to exactly what "Microsoft Edition" means are scarce.

    I suppose Microsoft now wants to compete with Google's Android abuse. Take further advantage of the customer's lack of technical knowledge and lack of time to investigate? Try to make Android as abusive as Windows 10?

    Windows 10 is possibly the worst spyware ever made. "Buried in the service agreement is permission to poke through everything on your PC."

  6. Discount? by fred6666 · · Score: 1

    What is the discount in exchange for having all these Microsoft programs pre-installed? 50%?

    1. Re:Discount? by lexman098 · · Score: 1

      I RTFA, it's a 0% discount. I'm thinking this probably happened as part of a separate deal (also mentioned in TFA). I imagine samsung wanted the s8 sold in microsoft stores. Microsoft said OK if they could load it with MS apps. Samsung didn't care one way or the other because no one would ever think to buy one of these things from an MS store to begin with. They just get the publicity and advertising associated with having their product there.

  7. Will it come with that new China-approved OS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Will it come with the new China-approved OS complete with the even more excessive censorware and spyware build-in?

    That's a fine tracking device you have there citizen. The morgue won't even need to give you a toe tag when you die.

  8. Unboxed *in* the store? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not even Apple has that much friggin hubris.

  9. Wrong by sexconker · · Score: 1

    Microsoft To Sell Customized Edition of Samsung Galaxy S8 Android Smartphones

    I think you mean "to offer for sale", because they sure as fuck aren't gonna actually sell any!

    1. Re:Wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If there was a Microsoft store nearby, I would buy one, but then refuse to switch it on, and never in my life get anywhere near a Microsoft store wi-fi again.

    2. Re:Wrong by reboot246 · · Score: 1

      I'm guessing they will be lucky to sell more than a few dozen . . . . . but then I always underestimate the stupidity of the American people.

    3. Re:Wrong by Fire_Wraith · · Score: 1

      Hmm... well, let me think about it. A Samsung phone with Microsoft crapware, spyware, etc installed on it?

      I think I'll go for the exploding one instead. It's likely to be less of an annoyance to me.

    4. Re:Wrong by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      If there was a Microsoft store nearby, I would buy one, but then refuse to switch it on, and never in my life get anywhere near a Microsoft store wi-fi again.

      Yeah, fight the power!

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  10. Imitating Stewart from MadTV by nanospook · · Score: 1

    Nooooo..

    --
    Have you fscked your local propeller head today?
    1. Re:Imitating Stewart from MadTV by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Agreed. I still use a nokia and like it.
      I WILL NOT BUY A SAMSUNG! EVER!

  11. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  12. I always thought MS should... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...create a version of Windows Phone for the top selling phones, and sell it. Basically get into the phone OS business, like with PC Windows.

    1. Re:I always thought MS should... by Desler · · Score: 2

      They've already done that. Twice.

    2. Re:I always thought MS should... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought they failed to do it twice.

  13. With Added Spyware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    it will be just the same as any other Samsung phone but will come complete with added spyware (sorry Telemetry to "improve the customer experience")

  14. S8n by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    it is coming!

  15. What happened to the 2018 Surface Phone? by KlomDark · · Score: 1

    I thought the big plan was for them to step back for a year and finally get a low-powered x86 mobile chip and clean the market up with the Surface Phone. It would be a portable PC with docking and all that.

    Now they are just going to shit the bed with a Samsung co-brand? Really?

    Sounds like a really explosive idea!

    1. Re: What happened to the 2018 Surface Phone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You really think they would clean up the market with an x86 cell phone? Ten years ago that mightve been a cool niche product, but why would anybody want that now?

    2. Re: What happened to the 2018 Surface Phone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would kill for an x86 phone.
      I would also kill for simcards in PCs and Laptops so I could use them as phones (not just data)

      I hate the fragmented phone vs pc market

    3. Re: What happened to the 2018 Surface Phone? by Desler · · Score: 1

      Then by the ZenFone.

    4. Re:What happened to the 2018 Surface Phone? by Billly+Gates · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well 1. Atom is dead 2. Windows mobile lost.

      MS knows it in a funny was as the Atari, Amiga, and commodore fought tooth and nail in the IBM compatible PC Windows onslaught. Once business standardized on Windows no one cared about them anymore.

      Now ironically full circle is Apple and Google beat them. Google is the new MS now

      --
      http://saveie6.com/
  16. Sure... by djbckr · · Score: 1

    Yeah, 'cause I want not only the Samsung bloatware on my phone, I want Microsoft crapware on my phone as well. *rolls eyes*. This phone will sell well.

    1. Re:Sure... by coofercat · · Score: 1

      Well, at least no one will give it to you as a gift. If you've got to open the box in the store, plug in the charger and wait for the battery to charge up a bit, then turn it on and connect it to MS Wifi to make it work, that sounds like you're paying for torture rather than a product. Surely they should be paying you for all this hassle?

  17. Early April Fools Joke by hawky · · Score: 1

    This has to be a leaked April Fools joke, it just makes no sense.

  18. there will be changes by swschrad · · Score: 4, Funny

    in the middle of a vital call, like to 911, the phone will update crapware and reboot, taking another 10 minutes of spinny dot time telling you to not shut it down.

    --
    if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
    1. Re:there will be changes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "in the middle of a vital call, like to 911, the phone will update crapware and reboot, taking another 10 minutes of spinny dot time telling you to not shut it down."

      And this is different from my generic android phone (or any computing device these days) how exactly?

    2. Re:there will be changes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not even Windows 10 does that

    3. Re:there will be changes by Seng · · Score: 1

      And then when it boots..."An error has occurred. Rolling back updates."

      20 minutes later... Still spinning...

      EMT's arrive after phone finally boots and checks in with a tower/GPS. "Sorry guys, looks like he hit the blue screen of death."

  19. to whom shall they sell by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sell. Does that mean offer for sale or actually complete the transaction and have real people purchase the devices?

  20. But, why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why would you do this?

  21. WTF???? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do they actually expect that people are going to go for an Android phone from Samsung, that's been infected with microsnot crapware? People who want microsnot crapware will buy a windoze fone. Buying a Samsung phone from microsnot is like buying dinner from Gordon Ramsay, made with recipes from Jamie Oliver's cook book, with a random course of the meal laced with arsenic.

  22. Personal VS work phone by phorm · · Score: 2

    For a personal phone, this would be annoying. However if it's a work-phone then having some of these installed and setup might actually be useful.

  23. Ah, Infected at source! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I like it! Sign me up! Now bend over.

  24. Re:Very odd by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

    There must be some fine print somewhere between Microsoft and Samsung where Microsoft needs to promote in someway Samsung. Because I cannot imagine the reason for a home or business consumer to go this route. Average US consumers perfer their carriers for their devices. And it makes no sense for a business consumer to buy from Microsoft, because more than likely their company has purchased an enterprise license of O365 and needs to set them up and configure their device with Intune. And most company supplied devices come from their perferred carrier. Add to the fact both consumers can freely with the simplist of ease add the applications to their own devices straight from Google Play Store. It has to be Microsoft is buying off Samsung inventory for a gain in business partnership.

    I'd say it's for Samsung to have a direct-to-home sales channel, like Apple. Right now, Samsung has Samsung stores, but they're pretty useless - you can't buy phones there or anything. This way, Samsung has a way to sell users what they want - an unlocked S8 phone off contract, like Apple with the iPhone. Microsoft sold their phones off contract and unlocked, so selling through Microsoft might be a way to get unlocked, off contract S8.

    This is especially timely, since Microsoft Phone is pretty much dead, and Microsoft could also promote the S8 as the official phone for their Android development and official phone on Microsoft campus, as well.

  25. Microsoft wants in badly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All that and an encrypted channel to Microsoft's database where it collects every last drop of information it can.

  26. M$ Holds Android Phones Makers By the Cojones by AncalagonTotof · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ^WPatents.

    Including Samsung.
    I've read that the S8 already includes M$ apps (Word, Excel ...), not speaking of this Customized Edition.
    M$ apps on an Android phone !
    Makes no sense, except when you know that M$ is making tons of cash using patents and secret deals with phones manufacturers.

    Any whistle-blower to show us these stupid patents ?

    --
    Totof
  27. Samsung and Microsoft by OneHundredAndTen · · Score: 1

    Two of the most despicable companies around together in bed. Pretty.

  28. Available at brick-and-mortar stores by PPH · · Score: 1

    Well, at least they are being honest about that brick part.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  29. Not this shit again by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

    "Microsoft To Sell Customized Edition of Samsung Galaxy S8 Android Smartphones"

    TRANSLATION:

    "Microsoft Plans To Turn A Decent Phone Into Another Malware-Loaded Craptastic Piece Of Shit""

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    1. Re:Not this shit again by coofercat · · Score: 1

      It's all part of a plan to discredit the S8 to open up a bit of market for the Surface Phone ;-)

      Honestly though, why did Samsung agree to this? After the battery debarcle, the S8 has to work flawlessly and brilliantly for every customer. Adding MS stuff to it and making these additional hurdles seems like the opposite of that and just going to make people say "Samsung's products are crap - first that battery thing and now this!"

  30. Worst of both worlds by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    This version of the phone comes with terrible Samsung software with an extra layer of terrible Microsoft software on top.
    I wonder if you can get it with about 10 useless AT&T apps that you can't remove, or maybe some Verizon spyware?

    What's not to love?

  31. Not what you think. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sell it as a download you can install on your own phone. Kinda like installing on your computer.

  32. Nokia again ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Is this a precursor to what then happened to Nokia ?

    Embrace, extend, extinguish

  33. Sweating assets... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    On top of an already slow UI! ;P

    Aside, it is actually a brilliant move to sweat their retail assets. Though I can't imagine why they couldn't pre-burn the phones with these apps. Maybe they did not want to dedicate volumes to Microsoft and they are very unsure of how many units will actually sell through this channel.

    Would consumers get discounts considering the bloatware they're forced to install if buying from Microsoft?

  34. A food analogy by uvajed_ekil · · Score: 1

    I don't see this selling well, and the idea seems a bit like this to me: "Hey, I had that turkey club last time I was here, and it was pretty good. This time, can I get it with a big dog turd on it?"

    --
    This is a hacked account, for which the owner can not be held responsible.
  35. Re:Very odd by rtb61 · · Score: 1

    If M$ phone wasn't dead it most certainly will be now. Oh the humiliation for M$ to be selling Android, does it pay itself licence fees. The only reason is they have to be able to sell smart phones to make the stores work and M$ phones will not bring in customers. M$'s abuses with Windows 10 is killing it as a consumer friendly market place and they are desperate to maintain some sort of market relevance. Yet they still stubbornly and stupidly refuse to produce and sell Windows SE a private versions and have the free anal probe version for those unfortunate enough not to be able to work through Linux or pay for Apple.

    Investors have got to be looking at M$ and wandering, what the fuck, when it comes to the extremely desperate move of selling Android from it's stores, wow, just wow. What next M$ Ubuntu.

    --
    Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  36. What is this... by eneville · · Score: 1

    Is this a win for open source or a loss?

    Or is it embrace and extend?

    I'm not sure what extension they're adding.

    Pretty confused right now as it's wrong on so many levels.

    It's a "cancer" in your pocket f'sure.

    --
    Why UNIX?
  37. NO!, Just No! by drewsup · · Score: 1

    Im officially DONE with windows phones, I have to use one as work software tie ins require it, bought a spare Lumia635 as a backup as at time it was promised a Win 10 upgrade, which never happened due to ram constraints. Now Messenger, Whatsapp, and even Skpe have been pulled , Im done! Fool me once, shame on you....

  38. Different Hardware? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If the "Microsoft Exclusive" version had a flat screen and a removable battery I'd camp out to be the first to buy one. I really liked the last two Galaxy phones I've had but have no interest in a curved screen. I also used my last several phones long enough that the battery life had degraded substantially, so having an easy way to replace it would make a phone much more desirable to me.