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Windows 10 Samsung Phones Very Likely As Microsoft Agrees to Settle Android Dispute

Microsoft and Samsung have settled their legal dispute

Feb 10, 2015 12:26 GMT  ·  By
Samsung could launch new Windows 10 devices later this year
   Samsung could launch new Windows 10 devices later this year

Microsoft has just announced that it agreed to settle the legal dispute over Android patent royalties with Samsung, suggesting that the two companies will continue to work together not only on these Android technologies but also on some new projects that could bring us Windows phones manufactured by the South Korean company.

No specifics have been provided, but Microsoft previously took Samsung to court to complain that the South Koreans refused to pay their Android royalties after the Redmond-based tech giant took over Finish company Nokia.

“Samsung and Microsoft are pleased to announce that they have ended their contract dispute in U.S. court as well as the ICC arbitration. Terms of the agreement are confidential," a statement issued by Samsung’s Jaewan Chi, Executive Vice President and Global Legal Affairs & Compliance Team, and Microsoft’s David Howard, Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, reads.

Windows 10 Samsung phones expected

Since Microsoft and Samsung have both decided to keep the terms of the agreement secret, it's yet unknown how much money the South Koreans are actually going to pay to the Softies for using their Android royalties.

But what's more interesting for customers is that Samsung could be the latest name joining the Windows 10 club, as the Koreans previously said that they might give Windows Phone a second chance if Microsoft agreed to settle the patent dispute.

Basically, this means that Samsung could actually launch phones powered by Windows 10 later this year, in a move that would clearly help Microsoft get ground in the smartphone industry.

Samsung is currently one of the biggest Android phone manufacturers, so bringing the company on the Windows side would clearly be an important win for Microsoft.

These plans are yet to be confirmed, but if they're real, expect Samsung phones powered by Windows 10 to reach the market in late 2015 or early 2016, as the new operating system is said to get the green light in the fall of this year, after previously reaching RTM in June.