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Microsoft is selling its own Samsung Galaxy S8 Microsoft Edition

Microsoft is selling its own Samsung Galaxy S8 Microsoft Edition

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Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Samsung originally bundled Microsoft’s Skype, OneDrive, and OneNote apps on the Galaxy S6 and S7, but it appears things are a little different this year. Samsung unveiled its latest Galaxy S8 handset yesterday, and now Microsoft is planning to offer its own customized version. The Samsung Galaxy S8 Microsoft Edition is available for preorders today at Microsoft's US retail stores, and will include Microsoft’s range of apps and services.

“A Microsoft customization is applied to the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ Microsoft Edition when the devices are unboxed and connected to Wi-Fi,” says a Microsoft spokesperson. “This customization ensures customers a best-in-class productivity experience with Microsoft applications such as Office, OneDrive, Cortana, Outlook and more.”

Microsoft originally started bundling its apps on Samsung’s Galaxy S6 handset after a bitter Android royalties dispute. Both companies settled, eventually, but kept the deal terms confidential. This secret deal doesn't appear to have expired for the Galaxy S8, as Microsoft continues to bundle the OneDrive, Skype, and Office on all handsets. This special Microsoft edition includes additional apps like Outlook and Cortana. We’ve reached out to Microsoft to clarify why the additional apps aren’t bundled on all Galaxy S8 handsets, and we’ll update you accordingly.

Update, 9:50AM ET: Article update to clarify that all Samsung Galaxy S8 devices come bundled with basic Microsoft apps.