Xiaomi smartphones will soon come pre-installed with Microsoft apps

Xiaomi could soon feature Microsoft apps on several of its smartphones in the coming days. According to The Wall Street Journal's report, Xiaomi has entered into a partnership with US software giant Microsoft. As part of the deal, Xiaomi will be granted patent transfers from Microsoft and the Chinese handset maker will include Microsoft's software.

The report notes that Xiaomi after this new agreement will start shipping devices with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Skype later in September. As for the devices, Xiaomi is expected to pre-install Microsoft apps on Mi 5, Mi Max and Mi 4s, as well as cheaper Redmi Note 3 and Redmi 3 smartphones.

"Microsoft has sold Xiaomi nearly 1,500 high-quality patents that read on a variety of technologies including wireless communications, video, cloud, and multimedia," a Xiaomi spokesperson was quoted as saying.

In a separate instance, Microsoft and Xiaomi have also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop new solutions in cloud computing, AI, and hardware. The Verge has reported that Microsoft could allow Xiaomi to use its cloud computing products mainly Microsoft Azure, that will help the Chinese OEM in developing better phones, laptops, and smart devices for the international market.

Besides, this partnership has been formed at a time when Xiaomi is looking to expand its operations around the globe especially in the U.S. Before this partnership was established, Xiaomi also entered into a patent deal with Qualcomm. Additionally, Xiaomi with the help of Google has also built an Android set-top box. All this clearly hints that Xiaomi wants to build relationships with top tech brands in the US.

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Meanwhile, Xiaomi has been doing well in several markets including China and India and the company was even ranked among the top five vendors at the end of Q4 2017. According to IDC data, Xiaomi registered about 96.9 percent YoY growth in Q4 2017. With 28.1 million units of smartphone shipment, the company even doubled its market share from just 3.3 percent in Q4 2016 to 7 percent in Q4 2017. The meteoric rise of Xiaomi has indeed become a threat to all manufacturers.

In any case, Microsoft may also be looking to tap into Xiaomi's growth and expand its products reach to more consumers especially in China.

Source / Via