Samsung and Microsoft have announced a new step in their strategic partnership to boost consumers" productivity. With the new Galaxy Note10 series and Galaxy Book S, the two firms are closer than ever, offering users “seamless productivity experiences across devices, applications, and services.”
With the Galaxy Note10 series, several popular Microsoft services will be integrated ready for consumers to start using. For example, the new devices feature an optimised Outlook app which will help you manage your emails, calendar, contacts, and files all in one place. With the new S Pen, users will be able to get short previews by hovering over emails, calendar events, and contacts.
Beginning this fall, the Samsung Gallery app will begin offering an option to sync photos with Microsoft OneDrive allowing you to access them more easily from any device. Google Photos already offers this type of service but if you don’t want to depend on Google to keep photos safe, having OneDrive cloud storage is a good alternative.
The last integration relevant to the Galaxy Note10 series is ‘Link to Windows’. This feature is built into the Quick Panel on the devices and allows you to send messages, manage notifications, sync photos, and mirror your phone on PCs. In a world where we are all switching between the desktop and mobile, this feature will save users time and trouble.
As for the Galaxy Book S, Samsung says that the device bridges the gap between mobility and performance. It runs Windows on ARM and includes built-in LTE for on-the-go connectivity, long battery life, and an ultra-slim, lightweight design for added portability.
Commenting on the news, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, said:
“Microsoft and Samsung share a long history of innovation and collaboration, and today’s announcements mark the next stage in our partnership. Our ambition is to help people be more productive on any device, anywhere – and the combination of our intelligent experiences with Samsung’s powerful, new devices makes this a reality.”
The Galaxy Book S will begin retailing in September from $999, while the Galaxy Note10 and Note10+ will start at $949.99 and $1099.99 respectively.