Microsoft, Samsung Extend Partnership Again

Almost every year, it seems that Microsoft and Samsung extend their partnership on mobile, and this year is no different, with the two firms announcing further integration between Samsung’s devices and Microsoft’s services.

So what exactly did the two firms announce?

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First, the Galaxy Note 20 family of products that Samsung announced today will have even more Microsoft apps and services pre-installed than did previous Samsung devices. This includeds OneDrive, Outlook, Your Phone app with Link to Windows, plus Word, Excel and PowerPoint, apparently via the Office app, plus new integrations.

Second, and as was the case last year, Galaxy Note owners will get early access to new Your Phone features in Windows 10, including the Phone screen feature that Microsoft says “allows you to access your Android phone’s apps, right from your PC while using your keyboard and mouse, or touch screen.” This is new, and will come to Samsung first.

But the most interesting announcements, perhaps, are related to deep integration between Microsoft services and Samsung’s apps. OneDrive will be integrated with the Samsung Gallery app, providing automatic syncing of photos and videos and enabling new protection and cross-device experiences. And OneNote will soon sync with Samsung Notes.

In a related note, Microsoft is also improving Outlook for Android to better support the larger displays on tablets and on Samsung Galaxy handsets using DeX with an external display.

Finally, Samsung will offer a gaming bundle for Note 20 buyers which will optionally provide 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with cloud gaming and a Power A wireless controller and clip.

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Conversation 28 comments

  • sherlockholmes

    Premium Member
    05 August, 2020 - 11:36 am

    <p>Microsoft should buy Samsung. Oh wait …..</p>

  • red.radar

    Premium Member
    05 August, 2020 - 11:39 am

    <p>It’s very interesting that Microsoft and Google are both looking to partner with Samsung so closely. </p><p><br></p><p>Curious to the strategies and motivations from google and Microsoft </p>

  • yoshi

    Premium Member
    05 August, 2020 - 12:00 pm

    <p>The OneDrive and Gallery integration has been going on for some time now. I've been doing it on my S20+ and it works quite well. </p>

  • JH_Radio

    Premium Member
    05 August, 2020 - 12:16 pm

    <p>You meant Note 20 , not Note 10, right Paul? I think you oops here. </p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      06 August, 2020 - 7:53 am

      Yep. Thanks!

  • phil_adcock

    05 August, 2020 - 12:56 pm

    <p>Never been a fan of android, just wish my iPhone integrated better with Your Phone on Windows 10. Imessages is actually the reason I purchased a used Macbook Pro. I' know I'm odd. I just prefer typing on the chicklet keyboard and the larger display and bluetooth chicklets with my iphone just never felt right. </p>

  • smackfu

    05 August, 2020 - 12:56 pm

    <p>Isn't this just the post from last year? Even the blog it links to is the one from last year. </p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      06 August, 2020 - 7:50 am

      Yeah, it’s supposed to be a combination of the two. I had little enthusiasm for this.

  • beckoningeagle

    Premium Member
    05 August, 2020 - 1:21 pm

    <p>I think there is a typo, paragraph 4. Should be Note 20.</p><p><br></p><p>I wonder if it will have the Office apps separate, or the new app that includes everything. I like the single app approach but I am worried that the single apps will not be "uninstallable".</p><p><br></p>

    • epsjrno

      Premium Member
      05 August, 2020 - 2:29 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#559210">In reply to BeckoningEagle:</a></em></blockquote><p>I was wondering about that myself since I have my Note 10+ sitting next to me.</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      06 August, 2020 - 7:48 am

      So, that was their wording. But I believe what they ean is that it includes the Office app, which provides access to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

  • abdulla77

    Premium Member
    05 August, 2020 - 1:21 pm

    <p>I wonder how this Samsung-Microsoft deep integrations plays versus the Surface Duo. They're both mobile devices. Sure, they're used for different purposes, but if I can do the same type of functionality (if not better with s-pen) compared to the Surface Duo then why would I get the Duo?</p>

    • tucotoby

      Premium Member
      05 August, 2020 - 5:42 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#559211">In reply to abdulla77:</a></em></blockquote><blockquote><em>Your are right, from your perspective. However, MS needs it's testbeds. The latter, are generally…wet. Meaning, they are meant to flow throughout and following tributaries that might take some interesting directions. </em></blockquote><p><br></p>

  • ponsaelius

    05 August, 2020 - 2:43 pm

    <p>Samsung is making WindowsPhones. </p>

    • tucotoby

      Premium Member
      05 August, 2020 - 5:29 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#559228">In reply to ponsaelius:</a></em></blockquote><blockquote><em>This!</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

  • sgbassett

    Premium Member
    05 August, 2020 - 3:04 pm

    <p>I use a Galaxy S10e (great phone – not too big, not too small, has headphone jack and microSD slot – and cost me only $399 back in December), but I was not happy with DeX. It crashed too often. I also tried Your Phone, and it is good, but I wanted to connect my S10e to both my laptop and desktop depending on where I was working. Unless I am missing something, you can use the Your Phone app to connect to only one of your PCs. </p><p><br></p><p>So now I am using Your Phone on my laptop and Dell Mobile Connect on my self-built desktop PC. It has only been a few weeks, but so far I think the Dell Mobile Connect app is my favorite. And it plays well with Your Phone. I can work in my home office and my phone connects to my desktop PC. Then if I move into the kitchen where my laptop is set up, my phone connects to my laptop. No conflicts between the two apps as far as I can tell.</p>

    • plm

      06 August, 2020 - 9:56 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#559234">In reply to sgbassett:</a></em></blockquote><p>I'm able to use Your Phone on my work laptop, and two computers at home. I'm not sure how it works, but it seems to figure out which computer I'm on. I suspect that I needed to pair the phone to each computer separately and before invoking the Your Phone app. You might give it a try. BTW, I don't have a Samsung now, but I believe it worked that way on my Samsung Galaxy S9+ also.</p>

  • solomonrex

    05 August, 2020 - 3:12 pm

    <p>With MS getting into more mobile tablets and closing their stores and scaling back mobile Cortana, I really wondered if this would continue. I guess this makes both PCs and Galaxies more useful, but it looks like Samsung is getting the short end of the stick this time.</p>

  • Jorn van Gijssel

    05 August, 2020 - 3:12 pm

    <p>Paul, you based your article on last years announcement… </p>

  • orbsitron

    05 August, 2020 - 3:55 pm

    <p><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">They also announced a Game Pass Ultimate bundle for the Note 20. It comes with Power A’s MOGA XP5-X+ controller, a clip to hold the Note 20 on a controller and three months of Game Pass Ultimate (which will include cloud streaming starting in mid-Sept.)</span></p>

  • jordan_meyer

    Premium Member
    05 August, 2020 - 6:59 pm

    <p>This is interesting for the 2% that over pay for mediocrity of shmangsung. It'd be far better served to give this to the 80+% that don't use Samsung and leave them out… I'm all for partnerships but these are useful features that leave out far too many people who choose better phones… Please do right MS and make this available to all. </p>

    • jensengregory

      Premium Member
      05 August, 2020 - 7:35 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#559269">In reply to Jordan_Meyer:</a></em></blockquote><p>The 2%? Do you mean the 20%?</p>

  • Pbike908

    05 August, 2020 - 7:51 pm

    <p>Paul overlooked one of the most important announcements — 3 years of Android updates on Galaxy S phones back dated to the S10. I think I will update my S8 for an S10. After trade in I can get the S10e for $350 or the S10 for $500…that's a lot of phone for the money with 2 more Android updates coming. </p>

    • mike2thel73

      05 August, 2020 - 9:41 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#559275">In reply to Pbike908:</a></em></blockquote><p>It's about time! ; however, it's still not enough to get me to come back to Sammy. I bought galaxy note devices brand new in 2012, 2013, &amp; 2014. Then OnePlus came along + having a "pure Google" epiphany changed everything. Combine that with Samsung's "edge" nonsense and everything else wrong with their devices I never looked back. While they've come back to earth with flat edges they still insist on duplicating everyone else's typical app with their own branded garbage. (The only Samsung app I want to see is their browser which is what I'm using right now on a pixel). I guess that supposed "deal" with Google is off the table. Seriously why would Google still want to make a deal with Samsung with Microsoft making deals with Sammy every single year for the past few years.</p>

      • Pbike908

        05 August, 2020 - 11:12 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#559281">In reply to Mike2thel73:</a></em></blockquote><p>I concur the Samsung browser rocks. I checked out one plus today, however, I don't want a phone that big. I am probably going to order up an S10 tomorrow. $500 is a good price for that phone. You have valid points. No way I was gonna buy another Samsung phone if they didn't offer the extra year of updates. </p><p><br></p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      06 August, 2020 - 7:42 am

      “Up to” 3 generations of Android updates, is what the firm promised. The guy on stage misspoke, but the correct wording was on the slide at the time.

  • Jorge Garcia

    06 August, 2020 - 1:42 am

    <p>Microsoft should just license Tizen and DeX already. There needs to be an OS for "dummies" offered by Microsoft. The situation where Joe Blow walks into a Best Buy and is assaulted by table after table of "Full Boat" Windows machines that he doesn't actually need must end. Most Joe Blow consumers won't miss ANY Win32 Apps so long as there is an office suite installed and the ability to install .APKs. There's also zero reason why a copy of Windows 10 couldn't be hiding on another partition for the the more "advanced" users to activate. Google, Samsung, MS, they're all going to need to join forces to stand a chance against Apple, which pretty much owns the hearts and mushy minds of everybody under 30.</p>

  • maciek

    Premium Member
    06 August, 2020 - 5:12 am

    <p>Some features ARE exclusive to Galaxy devices. Because they need deep integration with the OS, which an app from Play Store just can't have. Those features at the moment are copy and paste between devices and screen mirroring. Casting apps to Windows Desktop replaces screen mirroring functionality, but remains exclusive to Samsung (probably until Surface Duo arrive or until some other manufacturer decides to work with Microsoft). Note that Samsung devices do not use the companion app from the Play Store. Instead it's an OS feature called Link to Windows. </p>

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