14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has recently started taking pre-orders for Samsung’s new Android flagship, something that the software giant has been doing for more than a year already, and many called this device “Samsung Galaxy S9 Microsoft Edition.”
But just like it happened with the Galaxy S8, this is by no means a Microsoft Edition phone, and the firm set things clear in a statement issued late on Friday.
Last year, Microsoft was selling the Galaxy S8 in its own store, and given its commitment to the Android ecosystem, it also highlighted some Android apps that come pre-installed on the phone. Unsurprisingly, many said this was the Microsoft Edition Samsung Galaxy S8, but in an official comment released in December 2017, the South Korean phone maker clearly emphasized there was no such edition of its flagship.
In the case of the Galaxy S9, Microsoft appears to pay much more attention to the wording it uses for the store listing, and Android apps like the Microsoft Launcher aren’t said to be offered pre-installed, but only “available from the Google Play store.”
Pre-installed Microsoft apps
On the other hand, a statement that a Microsoft spokesperson offered to some media outlets claimed that every Samsung Galaxy S9 sold in the Store receives a Microsoft customization pack that includes apps like Office, Skype, OneDrive, and the Microsoft Launcher, when the devices “are unboxed and connected to Wi-Fi.”
And yet, in a follow-up statement, Microsoft explains that this isn’t the case and its own apps do not come pre-installed on the device.
“The Samsung Galaxy S9 available at Microsoft Store is the same phone you can purchase elsewhere. Microsoft applications including Office, OneDrive, Cortana and Outlook do not come preinstalled, but when you purchase from a Microsoft Store, our experts can personalize the device with Microsoft’s productivity applications so every customer is able to work, play and connect on their device when they leave,” it says.
What’s even more confusing is that the Samsung Galaxy S9, when purchased from a different store than Microsoft’s, does come with five different Microsoft apps, namely Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, and LinkedIn.