After a successful preview period, Microsoft Corp. has finally brought Office to Android with the launch of new Word, Excel and PowerPoint mobile apps.
The mobile-optimized versions of Microsoft’s word processing, spreadsheet and presentation tools are now available for download from the Google Play app store. A basic version of each app is free, and the full functionality can be unlocked with an active subscription to Office 365.
The five-week Office for Android phone preview saw people participate from 83 countries using 1,900 different Android models.
“During the preview, we heard from thousands of these users, and over the last few weeks we were able to incorporate a lot of their feedback into the apps we’re launching today,” wrote Kirk Koenigsbauer, corporate vice-president for the Office Client Applications and Services team at Microsoft, in a blog announcing the launch. “For example, we made it easier to connect to other popular third-party storage offerings like Google Drive and Box, as well as many usability adjustments to make it easier to navigate commands within the apps.”
If you don’t download the Office apps, your next phone may come with them anyway. Microsoft has partnered with over 30 OEMs, including Samsung, Sony and LG, to pre-load the apps on Android devices that will be available in retail later this year.
