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

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.

46 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. 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 c · · Score: 1

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

      --
      Log in or piss off.
    3. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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 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.

    2. 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.

    3. 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
  5. Imitating Stewart from MadTV by nanospook · · Score: 1

    Nooooo..

    --
    Have you fscked your local propeller head today?
  6. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  7. 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")

  8. 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 Desler · · Score: 1

      Then by the ZenFone.

    2. 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

  9. 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?

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

    They've already done that. Twice.

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

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

  12. 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 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."

  13. 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?
  14. Re:Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

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

  15. 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.

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. 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
  19. Samsung and Microsoft by OneHundredAndTen · · Score: 1

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

  20. 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.
  21. 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.

  22. 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...

  23. 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.
  24. 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!"

  25. 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?

  26. 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.
  27. Nokia again ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Is this a precursor to what then happened to Nokia ?

    Embrace, extend, extinguish

  28. 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.
  29. 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....

  30. 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
  31. 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.

  32. 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....

  33. 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
  34. 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.)