Future Motorola and Lenovo Android smartphones will come preloaded with Microsoft Office, OneDrive and Skype

Over the past couple of years, Motorola has been known for shipping Android smartphones with little to no bloatware, but that’s about to change.

In a press release sent out late last night, Microsoft announced a new software patent licensing deal with Motorola’s parent company, Lenovo. The partnership will see the Chinese manufacturer and Motorola preload several Microsoft apps, including Office, OneDrive and Skype, onto a number of future Android smartphones the two companies plan to release.

Microsoft did not provide a specific list of smartphones that will ship with the preloaded software, but, based on a quote from the company’s Nick Parker, the apps will show up on a variety of premium devices from both Motorola and Lenovo. “Microsoft’s thrilled that our productivity apps will be pre-installed on Lenovo’s premium devices,” said Parker.

Lenovo is just the latest in a long line of Android OEMs to agree to include Microsoft’s software on its own devices. Since 2010, a number of companies, including HTC, have struck deals with the Redmond-based company. Even Samsung, the world’s number one smartphone manufacturer by volume, has a similar agreement in place with Microsoft.

[source]Microsoft[/source][via]Engadget[/via]