Microsoft has convinced another top Android phone maker to bundle its range of apps. Xiaomi and Microsoft have agreed to partner on bundling Office and Skype apps on the Mi 5, Mi Max, Mi 4s, Redmi Note 3, and Redmi 3. Like previous deals with Asus, Samsung, Sony, and Dell, the Xiaomi partnership is related to a patent-licensing deal, and the details have not been fully disclosed. The Wall Street Journal reports that Xiaomi will purchase 1,500 patents from Microsoft as part of the deal.

Xiaomi will start bundling Skype and the Office apps in September, providing Microsoft with a new way to reach Chinese consumers. Xiaomi recently broke into the top five worldwide phone makers (according to IDC), and the company's rise in market share has been attributed to its success in China. Microsoft is clearly keen to tap into Xiaomi's rise in growth, and the overall Chinese market. Microsoft's partnership with Xiaomi follows the company's work powering the Mi Cloud service with Azure, and Windows 10 on the Mi Pad.

Update 4:50AM ET: article updated to include Xiaomi's patent purchase details.