Final nail in the Windows Phone coffin: Microsoft to sell customized version of the Galaxy S8

[Nowak]

https://liliputing.com/2017/03/microsoft-sell-samsungs-new-android-phone-ms-apps-pre-installed.html

 

Need definitive proof that Windows Phone is dead? Here you go.

 

Quote

Microsoft may have its own smartphone operating system, but it’s not exactly widely used. So in an effort to meet its customers where they are, the company has been releasing apps for Android and iOS… and now Microsoft is even planning to start selling Android phones.

So, because Microsoft is unable to sell their own mobile OS, they are now resorting to selling a customized version of the Galaxy S8. The phones are still running Android, but with a number of differences:

• Cortana instead of Google Assistant
• Office is pre-installed
• Outlook instead of Gmail
• OneDrive instead of Google Drive

Otherwise, the phones are similar to what you can buy elsewhere. There's also nothing keeping you from going to Google Play and installing the apps on your standard Galaxy S8.

 

It seems like Microsoft has finally given up on Windows as a phone platform, between no new devices since 2016, a dwindling market share that has fallen below 1% and an upcoming update that's focused primarily on the desktop, with barely any new features for phones. The phone is expected to go on sale on April 21, as with other versions of the phones, although unlike other versions of the Galaxy S8, pre-orders are not up yet.

 

From Microsoft:

Quote

Customers who acquire Samsung S8 devices at Microsoft Stores will be provided a customized Microsoft image, after purchase, that provides Microsoft’s best-in-class productivity experience applications such as Office, OneDrive, Cortana, Outlook and more. The image does not come pre-loaded on the device. Microsoft Store associates will set up each device in the store to ensure every customer is ready to work, play and connect on their device when they leave.

(source: https://www.thurrott.com/mobile/android/108140/microsoft-offering-customized-samsung-galaxy-s8-preorder)

 

Windows Phone fanboys are not gonna like this LOL

Edited March 31, 2017 by Daring
Added in statement from Microsoft

[Guest]

RIP @AluminiumTech 

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

It's only a matter of time the Windows Phone UI is ported as a first-party launcher. I actually prefer that to vanilla Android.

[Monkey Dust]

It's a shame Windows phone is dying. A duopoly isn't a great place to be for consumers, or indeed a monopoly for any consumers vaguely budget conscious. Then again I guess that is where we are with PCs, though W10's antics do seems to be stirring more interest in Linux.

[Guest Darth Revan]

Microsoft gave up on their mobile version ever since they launched 8.

[Guest Darth Revan]

1 minute ago, Monkey Dust said:

It's a shame Windows phone is dying. A duopoly isn't a great place to be for consumers, or indeed a monopoly for any consumers vaguely budget conscious. Then again I guess that is where we are with PCs, though W10's antics do seems to be stirring more interest in Linux.

It's their own fault for not giving a shit about their own platform.

[Dackzy]

I would actually buy this, I mainly use onedrive and cortana has so far been great on my Lumia 930.

 

Yes I have a window phone, deal with it.

[Nowak]

Just now, Dackzy said:

I would actually like this, I mainly use onedrive and cortana has so far been great on my Lumia 930.

 

Yes I have a window phone, deal with it.

You can already download OneDrive and Cortana from the Google Play store. You don't really "need" a Microsoft-ified version of the Galaxy S8 to get a Microsoft-ified Android experience.

[Dackzy]

Just now, Daring said:

You can already download OneDrive and Cortana from the Google Play store. You don't really "need" a Microsoft-ified version of the Galaxy S8 to get a Microsoft-ified Android experience.

 

I know I know, but it seems like a neat thing. Especially if they remove that nasty TouchWiz

[elfensky]

They should have done that from the beginning. A custom android launcher tighltly integrated into Windows. They should offer a few millions to the developer of SquareHome 2 and use that as their starting point.

[Nowak]

Just now, Dackzy said:

I know I know, but it seems like a neat thing. Especially if they remove that nasty TouchWiz

The phones are otherwise the same as the standard versions, so there'll be TouchWiz/Grace UX. Unfortunately.

[Dackzy]

Just now, Daring said:

The phones are otherwise the same as the standard versions, so there'll be TouchWiz/Grace UX. Unfortunately.

 

awwww. If pricing is the same then I still like it and might buy a phone from microsoft, since I am a lazy fuck when it comes to these things, so preinstalled things I use= yes please.

 

[suicidalfranco]

2 minutes ago, ElfenSky said:

They should have done that from the beginning. A custom android launcher tighltly integrated into Windows. They should offer a few millions to the developer of SquareHome 2 and use that as their starting point.

they tried that with CyanogenOS, and just like everything M$ touches, we all saw where that went

[Nowak]

19 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

awwww. If pricing is the same then I still like it and might buy a phone from microsoft, since I am a lazy fuck when it comes to these things, so preinstalled things I use= yes please.

Just remember, you can always repaint the phone with a custom launcher. I recommend Nova.

[elfensky]

21 minutes ago, suicidalfranco said:

they tried that with CyanogenOS, and just like everything M$ touches, we all saw where that went

That's more on OnePlus though, isn't it?

[Nowak]

Just now, ElfenSky said:

That's more on OnePlus though, isn't it?

I think Cyanogen themselves too; they made a lot of missteps towards the end of their existence.

[suicidalfranco]

17 hours ago, ElfenSky said:

That's more on OnePlus though, isn't it?

nope, even on that case it's on Cyanogen, they're the ones who made the deal with one plus and then gave exclusivity to an indian oem forcing one plus to bake their own rom and avoid getting sued by the indian oem even though one plus had release a phone with CyanogenOS months before them

[Okjoek]

As much as I don't like Microsoft it's sad to see them give up on mobile innovation to the point that they're basically just selling rebrands.

[Nowak]

Just now, Okjoek said:

As much as I don't like Microsoft it's sad to see them give up on mobile innovation to the point that they're basically just selling rebrands.

tbh, the move makes sense if you think about it. They could not attract users to their own platform, so they had to go where the users are to stay relevant in the phone space.

[Pesmerga]

Sad to see winphone die (I switched off a lumia 1 month ago) but it's their own fault, they left windows phone die willingly.

[VerticalDiscussions]

Windows Phone.

 

The mobile system that had an interface design ahead of its time and a matching amount of bugs (in the opposite direction) with a sloppy development, adoption and marketing campaigns without the hardware to match, be felt and match Apple admiration or Samsung inspiration, an ever dwindling amount of fans and supporters and to a worser end, it had great potential but a company that clearly was too busy with the desktop market, surface, an independent entertainment platform (Xbox) and mocking Apple on youtube.

 

Guess the pie\cake didnt have enough flour and eggs on this one.

[Okjoek]

Just now, Daring said:

tbh, the move makes sense if you think about it. They could not attract users to their own platform, so they had to go where the users are to stay relevant in the phone space.

Yeah. I still dream of docks for smartphones so that they can start eating into lower powered HTPCs, Desktops and Laptops.

[Nowak]

Just now, Okjoek said:

Yeah. I still dream of docks for smartphones so that they can start eating into lower powered HTPCs, Desktops and Laptops.

Samsung is doing that as well. Better than Microsoft, even.

[Phate.exe]

49 minutes ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

It's only a matter of time the Windows Phone UI is ported as a first-party launcher. I actually prefer that to vanilla Android.

 

I tried to switch back to android on a galaxy note with novalauncher, and lasted a week before buying my 950.

 

Pretty much realized all the changes I was making were just attempts to replicate the UI and functionality of WP.

[Okjoek]

Just now, Daring said:

Samsung is doing that as well. Better than Microsoft, even.

Sweet I didn't know that. I'm still curious if it's a feasible idea with phones having difference CPUs and instruction sets and all that.