14 DAY TRIAL // In a few weeks, all eyes in the tech world will look towards Samsung who is expected to take centers stage at MWC 2015 in Barcelona to unveil its next flagship, the Galaxy S6.
The Galaxy S6 has appeared in the wild in numerous leaks, so all in all we know what to expect. Most notably, Samsung is expected to address a constant issue customers have had with the company’s phones over the years.
The Galaxy S6 will ship out with Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box, but Samsung will outfit the phone with its own TouchWiz UI interface. But unlike older models, the TouchWiz on the Galaxy S6 will be completely redesigned.
One of the major complaints Samsung fans have related to Galaxy models is the cluttered TouchWiz interface. Samsung also loads some of its proprietary software onboard like S Health, S Note or S Pen.
Say goodbye to Samsung apps on the Galaxy S6
Well, according to the latest hearsay online, the Galaxy S6 will swap out the Samsung apps (which will still be available for download for those who want them) and bring in a host of Microsoft’s productivity apps including Microsoft Office (free Office 365 subscription), OneDrive, OneNote and Skype.
This is an interesting move we haven’t anticipated Samsung will do. But should we be excited about it or should we raise our eyebrows in concern?
At least at a first glance, the partnership between Microsoft and Samsung does sound to make a lot of sense. The main problem with Samsung’s pre-loaded apps wasn’t that they took up a lot of space on the handset, but that they weren’t exactly popular. Basically, no one hardly ever used them.
On the other hand, bringing in Microsoft’s productivity apps as a pre-load might constitute another important reason why customers will want to buy the Galaxy S6.
Apps like Skype and Office are used on a daily basis by millions of users across the world, albeit on desktop platforms, but mobile usage is on the rise as well.
Microsoft, however, is looking to expand as well, given the fact that Windows Phone doesn’t hold much market share, so teaming up with one of the biggest players in the Android market could prove exactly what the Redmond giant needs to boost its presence in the ecosystem.
Android users have probably been relying mostly on Google services up until now, but slowly Microsoft is increasing its position in the mobile market and the partnership with Samsung on the Galaxy S6 will certainly help a lot.
Even if Windows Phone is slowly growing in popularity, most people continue to prefer working on iOS and Android while mobile platforms are concerned.
Is the Microsoft-Samsung deal a double-edged sword?
On the other hand, Samsung’s partnership with Microsoft might want to signal that the Korean tech giant is looking to give another go to Windows Phone. Last month, a report claimed that the device maker was flirting with the idea of launching a Windows Phone 8.1 handset later this year.
But there’s another aspect to be taken into the equation. Back in 2014, Microsoft accused Samsung of not paying Android royalties following the Nokia acquisition. The conflict escalated to a point that Redmond started a legal action against the Korean tech giant.
The battle between the two was fierce, but a few months ago news came in that Microsoft agreed to settle the dispute with Samsung, if the Korean tech giant agreed to launch new Windows Phone models. The information was never confirmed but given the fact that the Galaxy S6 will arrive with Microsoft apps on board, we have to raise the question.
So as we were saying above, at a glance the Samsung/Microsoft partnership for the Galaxy S6 seems to be benefiting both companies. But things could be much deeper than that.
Customers are probably going to be very excited to see the flagship ship out without the unnecessary bloatware, but some might have a problem with Sammy’s decision to add something else instead.
Well, you can’t please everybody, but Samsung is certainly trying to cater to the needs of the most demanding out there. Apart from the light-weight TouchWiz, the Galaxy S6 is expected to be all-metal clad, something which Samsung flagship enthusiasts have been waiting for since ages.
