Samsung, Microsoft join hands to bring Android and Windows closer

Microsoft and Samsung are forming a closer partnership to bring Apple-style interoperability between its latest smartphones and Windows PCs.

Microsoft Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Satya Nadella appeared onstage alongside DJ Koh, a Samsung CEO, in New York on Wednesday night, as the South Korean electronics group unveiled its new Note 10 - the latest iteration of its supersized smartphones, best for their pop-out stylus.

Both the CEO's noted that the partnership will be a new chapter of their long term commitment to improve productivity and eliminate the gap between mobile devices and the PC.

Nadella mentioned that Samsung is bundling Microsoft's Your Phone app on its Galaxy Note 10, which will show Android messages, notifications, and even your entire screen to the Windows 10 PC.

Samsung is also building OneDrive sync support directly into its Gallery Android app, which will see photos sync directly to the cloud storage service.

Users will be able to make and receive calls on the PC later this year too, Samsung further stated.

Nadella further added, "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,” it was further added.

The two companies have worked together since 2015, after settling a legal dispute over patent royalties earlier that year. Until now, the alliance has focused on app bundling and retail.

With the Galaxy Note 10, Samsung and Microsoft will also commit to empowering businesses to be even more productive.

This partnership will offer enterprise users improved remote access to their enterprise work space, including the full suite of Office applications.