Redmond launches private beta of Outlook.com Premium

Apr 5, 2016 11:26 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is looking into new ways to monetize its Outlook.com email service and the company seems to be interested in a premium version that would be available for a yearly fee.

Currently called Outlook.com Premium, this paid version of the email service is currently in a private beta stage that can only be joined with an invite, so you can let Microsoft know that you’re interested by filling in the form here.

As Thurrott writes, a page that recently got leaked revealed that Outlook.com Premium could be available for just $3.99 (€3.5), most likely for the first month or year, but the company could also offer it as part of Office 365 to subscribers who are already paying for the service. No matter which way the company goes, Outlook.com Premium will be offered with a fee as an upgraded version of the free service.

The advantages of paid email service

Buy why should anyone pay for Outlook? Basically, Microsoft is planning to offer some options that aren’t available in the free Outlook.com version, including a maximum of five personalized email addresses and the complete removal of ads, giving you the cleanest possible experience.

So if you are against ads and don’t want to see them in your email, this could be the easiest (and most affordable) way to get rid of them. Additionally, Outlook.com Premium could also come with better calendar options, as well as some other features that will be exclusive to paying customers.

Microsoft hasn’t said anything about when Outlook.com Premium could launch, but since the company is already testing it, expect more information to be provided in the coming weeks. And just like the aforementioned source notes, everything can change overnight, so although there’s indeed some pricing info on its official page, Microsoft could increase or lower it at any given moment.