Electronics giant Samsung has recently settled a licensing dispute with Microsoft over its Android smartphones and tablets. Samsung will now have to pay a small licensing fee to Microsoft (which is rumored to be $10 to $15) each time it sells an Android powered smartphone or tablet, though it’s not clear at this point if the payments include past Android devices that they’ve already sold. This particular move sends a clear signal to Google about how Samsung feels about their acquisition of Motorola Mobility. There’s also a clear signal that Samsung is now working closely with the firm from Redmond – “Through the cross-licensing of our respective patent portfolios, Samsung and Microsoft can continue to bring the latest innovations to the mobile industry,” said Dr. Won-Pyo Hong, executive vice president of global product strategy at Samsung’s mobile communication division. “We are pleased to build upon our long history of working together to open a new chapter of collaboration beginning with our Windows Phone “Mango” launch this fall.”
Does this mean that Google’s Android family isn’t as hunky-dory as we thought it was? One thing is for sure – Microsoft has managed to infuse its Phone 7 eco-system with a hardware partner that has the means to make their mobile OS a star.
Source: The Guardian