14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft’s investing millions in making its apps and services better on Android and iOS, and the company is trying to push more aggressively for their adoption with deals that have manufacturers pre-install its software on certain devices.
Xiaomi, for example, has just signed an agreement with Microsoft to install apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Skype on a wide array of devices starting September. Xiaomi is already a long-time Microsoft partner and is the only Android phone manufacturer that actually offers a Windows 10 Mobile ROM for one of its models.
Redmond has announced in a press release that Xiaomi’s Android models that will come with its apps pre-installed are Mi 5, Mi Max, Mi 4s, Redmi Note 3 and Redmi 3.
“People want their favorite apps and experiences to work seamlessly on the device of their choice, and that’s exactly what this partnership offers,” says Peggy Johnson, Executive Vice President of Business Development at Microsoft. “Together with Xiaomi, we’re bringing the very best in mobile productivity to millions more customers in China and around the world.”
“Millions of Android devices”
Xiaomi sold a total of 15 million smartphones only in the first quarter of 2016 and currently holds 4.3 percent of the market, down from 4.4 percent the same quarter in 2015, when it sold 14.7 million devices. But Xiaomi is already competing against the biggest phone manufacturers out there, although it still has a hard time getting closer to the likes of Samsung and Apple.
On the other hand, Microsoft is clearly aiming for the sky with these partnerships, as the company tried to sign similar deals with several other top manufacturers. At this point, Samsung, which is the top Android device maker, is also offering its phones with Microsoft apps pre-installed, including the Galaxy S7, which is currently its best-selling model.
Samsung sold a total of 81 million units in the first quarter of this year and is currently the leading manufacturer worldwide with a market share of 23.2 percent.
