Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+: Microsoft launches special editions of Samsung’s flagship phones

Microsoft is selling customised versions of Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ smartphones.

Microsoft starts selling customised Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ (REUTERS)

Microsoft has started selling customised versions of the newly-launched Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ on its store in US.

The "Microsoft edition" smartphones will give users access to a range of Microsoft's apps such as Excel, Skype, Cortana, OneNote, PowerPoint, Word and Microsoft Launcher after setting up the phone.

"The phones look the same as the standard version at first glance and the hardware is exactly the same. The Operating System (OS) will be the same too. It's the apps that are different," Digital Trends reported late on Friday.

However, the apps will not come pre-installed. "A Microsoft customisation is applied to the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ 'Microsoft Edition' when the devices are unboxed and connected to Wi-Fi," a Microsoft representative was quoted as saying by Trusted Reviews.

Prospective buyers can pre-order a unit but delivery will begin on March 16. Microsoft has reportedly said that quantities of the devices are limited.

Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+: Specifications

Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ come with 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch QHD+ curved Super AMOLED Infinity Display with 18:9 aspect ratio, respectively. Samsung Galaxy S9 sports a single 12-megapixel Dual-Pixel rear camera whereas Galaxy S9+ features a dual-camera setup consisting of dual-pixel 12-megapixel and 13-megapixel sensors. Galaxy S9 comes with 4GB of RAM and Galaxy S9+ offers 6GB of RAM. Both the phones are available with three storage options of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB.

Both smartphones run on Android 8.0 Oreo out-of-the-box. Samsung Galaxy S9 is powered by a 3,000mAh battery while Galaxy S9+ has a 3,500mAh battery. In terms of connectivity, the smartphones support dual-SIM support, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, and Gigabit LTE for 5G connectivity.