14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft took everyone by surprise earlier this year when it decided to start selling the Samsung Galaxy S8 in its own stores, especially because the device is running an operating system competing against its very own Windows 10 Mobile, but seeing the company focusing on rival platforms is no longer a new thing.
And because the software giant itself is leaving behind Windows 10 Mobile, Microsofties can only do the same, with most of them migrating to either Android or iOS as they daily drivers.
Joe Belfiore, who was at one point the go-to person for everything Windows Phone, revealed in a recent webcast that he’s currently using a Samsung Galaxy S8, the one that’s available in the Microsoft Store and which runs Microsoft’s customizations.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Microsoft Edition
Belfiore explains how the customization pack that Microsoft put together for Samsung’s phone makes the Galaxy S8 a great Android phone, pointing out that all company customers can continue using their favorite services despite not running a Microsoft operating system or device.
The customization pack that Belfiore describes is actually a suite of apps that you get pre-installed at the first setup on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and which includes Outlook, Skype, OneDrive, Office apps, and others. While Microsoft users can certainly find these apps helpful, hardcore Android fans are very likely to ignore them entirely, especially if they’re not using any Microsoft service.
Additionally, the software giant is also offering on the Samsung Galaxy S8 its very own Arrow Launcher, which is pretty much the closest you can get to a Microsoft device on an Android phone. Arrow launcher has received lots of improvements lately and you can also download the APK here to see what it’s up to.
As for the future of Windows phones, Android user Joe Belfiore says the company does not hate the platform, and this is actually one of the reasons some of its features are brought to Android and iPhones.
