Even though Microsoft may have ended their smartphone aspirations, that doesn’t mean that the company is completely withdrawing from the smartphone market altogether. Indeed, Microsoft and Lenovo has recently penned a patent cross-licensing deal that would give Lenovo the right to use some of Microsoft’s intellectual properties.
The signing of this deal will see Lenovo smartphones being preloaded with various Microsoft apps. Chief among these apps includes Office, OneDrive and Skype. As Lenovo also owns Motorola, it’s not too much of a stretch to say that these apps will also be available on the Motorola-branded phones. Neither party specified on which phone models will be preloaded with the apps, but Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President Nick Parker mentioned that it will be available on Lenovo’s “premium devices.”
“Microsoft’s thrilled that our productivity apps will be pre-installed on Lenovo’s premium devices,” says Parker. “The marriage of Microsoft’s apps and Lenovo’s Android-based devices will enable customers around the world to be more productive, more connected and achieve even more.”
Microsoft’s deal with Lenovo to cross-license their apps isn’t the first time of its kind. Microsoft also has such deals with various smartphone manufacturers such as HTC and Samsung.