Shortly after the "news" broke about Microsoft selling a GS8, I did some digging to get to the bottom of exactly what the phone was all about. I reached out to Microsoft at the time, and wrote up all the answers to my questions in FAQ type post.
To sum that story up, the phones, the GS8 and GS8+, weren't any different hardware- or software-wise; Microsoft was just selling them and then providing some sort of "training" to help users get the most of the Microsoft apps that were available. In other words, it was basically a PR stunt to draw people into Microsoft Stores to buy a hot new phone, and then raise awareness of the Microsoft app ecosystem. Makes sense … sort of.
The real news there, as I pointed out at the time, was that Microsoft was selling an Android phone for the first time, while Windows phones were nowhere to be seen in those stores.
Fast forward to today, more than half a year later, and I received a message from Samsung asking me to "correct" my stories on the phone. From that company:
Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note8 devices are available in the Microsoft online and retail stores with a unique Microsoft experience which ensures their customers, particularly small-to-midsize business owners and entrepreneurs, a best-in-class productivity experience. There is not a 'Microsoft Edition' brand of any Samsung Galaxy products.
So there you have it. That GS8 Microsoft Edition apparently was never a thing. It just took Samsung a while to let us know. I can't help but wonder how many other sites that covered this mysterious phone also got messages from Samsung today.
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