Samsung inks definitive Microsoft Android patent deal

Samsung and Microsoft have signed a cross-licensing deal under which Samsung will pay Microsoft royalties on its Android mobile devices and co-operate more closely on new Windows Phone devices.

The announcement signals a slight cooling in the relationship between Samsung and Google concerning Android, and means that Samsung joins other Android device makers such as Acer, Onkyo, Velocity Micro, ViewSonic and Wistron in licensing Microsoft patents.

"Through the cross-licensing of our respective patent portfolios, Samsung and Microsoft can continue to bring the latest innovations to the mobile industry," said Won-Pyo Hong, executive vice president of global product strategy at Samsung's mobile communication division.

"We are pleased to build on our long history of working together to open a new chapter of collaboration beginning with our Windows Phone Mango launch this fall."

Microsoft was keen to point out in a blog post that the patent licensing deal with HTC announced last year means that the top two Android handset makers in the US have now struck deals with the company.

Only Motorola Mobility, which is currently being acquired by Google, has yet to come forward.

Patents expert Florian Mueller said the latest deal suggests that Samsung does not believe Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility will help the Android ecosystem.

"If Samsung truly believed that Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility was going to be helpful to the Android ecosystem at large, it would have waited until that deal is closed before concluding the licence agreement with Microsoft," he said.

"By taking a royalty-bearing licence, Samsung recognises that Android has intellectual property problems that must be resolved with licence fees, and reduces to absurdity the idea that Google is going to be able to protect Android after the acquisition of Motorola Mobility."

The move towards greater co-operation with Windows Phone is also further proof of Samsung's desire to hedge its bets when it comes to mobile platforms, for example with the Tizen OS announced today.

"This is a rapidly evolving field, and the prospect of Google becoming a device maker is anything but reassuring for an OEM like Samsung," Mueller said.

"Those OEMs have to take care of themselves now, even if it's embarrassing for Google in some cases."