You won't be forced to use the apps if you don't want to

Mar 24, 2015 10:41 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft's efforts in the mobile industry are not all about Windows Phone these days and they also involve deals with top Android companies that could help increase its presence on the world's number one smartphone platform.

As we reported to you a few hours ago, Microsoft signed deals with some pretty big names building Android devices, including Samsung, Pegatron, and Dell, to pre-install Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, OneDrive and Skype on Android devices coming to market later this year.

This is clearly a very important move for a company that struggles to become relevant in the smartphone industry, but at the same time, this could cause more concerns for users who want to keep their devices bloatware-free.

Luckily, Microsoft's apps that will be pre-installed on Android devices can be removed, so you don't have to use them if you don't really want to.

A leaked screenshot that reached the web yesterday and that shows Microsoft's OneDrive, OneNote, and Skype installed on Galaxy S6 confirms that such options would be offered, so no, Microsoft's apps are not becoming the new bloatware of Android devices.

Microsoft: customers want our apps

The Redmond giant says these deals are the result of more and more customers asking for Microsoft apps on their Android devices, so this way, companies building these handsets can better tackle the needs of their buyers.

“For Microsoft, this is part of the company’s mobile-first, cloud-first vision.  It is addressing consumer demand for top services by making them already available on a device, instead of requiring consumers to download them separately,” the company said.

Needless to say, the software giant also hopes that, by offering its apps pre-installed on a higher number of Android devices, it would also bring more people on Windows Phone, the only platform that provides these solutions deeply integrated directly into the mobile operating system.

Microsoft is also working on Windows 10 for phones, an update for Windows Phone that would bring enhanced functionality for users looking to work with these apps, as many would be pre-installed by default on Windows devices too, including the new Office productivity suite optimized for the touch.