Microsoft Office for iOS overhauled to allow free creating & editing of documents without subscripti
Dedicated versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, comprising the Microsoft Office suite, are now available for iPhone, based on a unified codebase with their iPad counterparts, and also offering both iPhone and iPad users the ability to create and edit documents for free without an Office 365 subscription.
The new Word, Excel and PowerPoint are now available as free downloads, replacing the now-defunct Office Mobile for iPhone app. The new unified applications are optimized for the iPhone, with the same set of features as the iPad versions, but tweaked user interfaces to better accommodate the iPhone's smaller display.
In addition to more powerful editing capabilities, Microsoft has also relaxed its stance on the Office 365 subscription requirement for creating and editing documents. Users can now edit and create content for free, without an Office 365 account.
Of course, not all editing functions are available without an Office 365 subscription. Upgrading gives users more advanced functions, including more change tracking features, unlimited OneDrive storage, unlimited paragraph styles, improved chart, table and picture formatting tools, advanced collaboration capabilities, and more.
The updated Office for iOS suite also gives Office 365 subscribers the ability to open, edit and save their documents from popular cloud storage service Dropbox. The basic Office 365 Home subscription costs $9.99 per month.
Previously, users who downloaded the official Office apps for iOS could view existing documents in a "read only" mode. Creating new files or editing existing ones required an Office 365 subscription.
The changes are part of a new "Office for everyone" initiative from Microsoft, aiming to offer the same unified experience across devices, including iOS, Windows, and even Google's Android.
The launch of the revamped Microsoft Office for iPhone comes on the heels of the debut of a new version of Outlook for Mac. The Redmond, Wash., company has also revealed that an update for its Office suite for Mac is coming next year, with a beta trial in the first half of the year preceding an official launch in the latter half of 2015.
Recent leaks suggest the next version of Office for Mac will receive a redesign intended to take advantage of high-resolution Retina displays on Apple hardware. The suite is also rumored to receive feature parity with its Windows counterparts, including easier sharing of files between platforms.
The new Word, Excel and PowerPoint are now available as free downloads, replacing the now-defunct Office Mobile for iPhone app. The new unified applications are optimized for the iPhone, with the same set of features as the iPad versions, but tweaked user interfaces to better accommodate the iPhone's smaller display.
In addition to more powerful editing capabilities, Microsoft has also relaxed its stance on the Office 365 subscription requirement for creating and editing documents. Users can now edit and create content for free, without an Office 365 account.
Of course, not all editing functions are available without an Office 365 subscription. Upgrading gives users more advanced functions, including more change tracking features, unlimited OneDrive storage, unlimited paragraph styles, improved chart, table and picture formatting tools, advanced collaboration capabilities, and more.
The updated Office for iOS suite also gives Office 365 subscribers the ability to open, edit and save their documents from popular cloud storage service Dropbox. The basic Office 365 Home subscription costs $9.99 per month.
Previously, users who downloaded the official Office apps for iOS could view existing documents in a "read only" mode. Creating new files or editing existing ones required an Office 365 subscription.
The changes are part of a new "Office for everyone" initiative from Microsoft, aiming to offer the same unified experience across devices, including iOS, Windows, and even Google's Android.
The launch of the revamped Microsoft Office for iPhone comes on the heels of the debut of a new version of Outlook for Mac. The Redmond, Wash., company has also revealed that an update for its Office suite for Mac is coming next year, with a beta trial in the first half of the year preceding an official launch in the latter half of 2015.
Recent leaks suggest the next version of Office for Mac will receive a redesign intended to take advantage of high-resolution Retina displays on Apple hardware. The suite is also rumored to receive feature parity with its Windows counterparts, including easier sharing of files between platforms.
Comments
[ducks out of the way for all the stuff being thrown at me by the MS haters]
Edit: grammar
wait, if M$ is giving away their product which they make money off, how do they expect to survive not like they are making money off their hardware sales. This tells me that iwork for OSX and IOS must be making a dent in M$ business.
They wouldn't be making it entirely free if the paid version was selling. Looks like Pages, Numbers and Keynote are more than enough for pretty much everybody. Free or not, I'm certainly not going to bother using up space on my iPhone or iPad with this crap.
They wouldn't be making it entirely free if the paid version was selling. Looks like Pages, Numbers and Keynote are more than enough for pretty much everybody. Free or not, I'm certainly not going to bother using up space on my iPhone or iPad with this crap.
I suspect they won't be able to give it away to more than would have paid.
Downloaded, linked my OneDrive Account and still could not open files in the new app. Microsoft can make anybody feel stupid.
Edit:
Strangely, after I submitted this post, I was able to open files from my OneDrive. Microsoft is scared of AI or what?
To me, Microsoft strategy is clear. In order to edit for free, you have to link your dropbox or onedrive account to the app.
Microsoft must be hoping after using the app for a while, people will feel that it is worth subscribing.
It's like a free trial.
For anyone who writes for a living, this update is significant and very compelling. Office on iPad has been extremely easy to use and offers a ton of features. If OneDrive would just stop losing, corrupting, and failing to sync files, the $7 a month cost would feel like a steal. IF MS can continue getting its act together by offering real value and stability, I think they could quickly get themselves back into the game.
Satya is really delivering on his "mobile first, cloud first" initiative. Now also with unlimited! storage space for Office 365 subscribers. I'm not sure if these are last gasps of a goliath heading towards irrelevance or a sleeping giant finally out of its fog. I think it's much more of the latter.
[ducks out of the way for all the stuff being thrown at me by the MS haters]
Edit: grammar
He's certainly doing a much better job than Baldmer. Still won't waste my phone space with these apps though.
Not worth the price.
Satya is really delivering on his "mobile first, cloud first" initiative. Now also with unlimited! storage space for Office 365 subscribers. I'm not sure if these are last gasps of a goliath heading towards irrelevance or a sleeping giant finally out of its fog. I think it's much more of the latter.
[ducks out of the way for all the stuff being thrown at me by the MS haters]
Edit: grammar
This is all very good for competition. It's good to see that MS is finally changing its ways and waking up and releasing its no longer the 800 pound gorilla (for consumers). These steps they are taking will benefit the consumer.
I'm sorely but if you really need the features Pages doesn't compare to Word, and Numbers is in no way an Excel replacement. Office 2010 and 2013 are actually quite nice.
They're transitioning to become a services company, not just a software company.
iWork is free and has all the editing capabilities and you can print too. Don't need free trial software that limits your work and will probably be full of upgrade now popups!
and... iWork is a distant last place for corporate markets. MSO and Office365 are the smooth glide path transition for corporate subscription based services... I see this as the 'oh, you use MSO at work, here's a free iOS tool for home use, so you can BYOD, yet, not use your Corp Subscription to plink on stuff (then upload it to your work device and have the full suite of capabilities). It's Microsoft being microsoft, something for free to get 2 subscriptions out of you eventually (one corp one personal/family). 'The first taste is free' marketing (worked for crack cocaine).
And the Android stuff, well, if 50% of the devices are android, then MS has to sell/market to them, and hope they can steer them to a Surface Pro for their next device. Nothing new here.
I'm no HS kid, I'm a semi-retired old guy who has to turn in work in Word format. This will allow me to use my iPad for work instead of lugging around my MacbookPro
He's certainly doing a much better job than Baldmer. Still won't waste my phone space with these apps though.
Yeah, but that's not really an accomplishment to outperform a buffoon.
He's got some very talented people at MS he should put a team together to focus on making bing (start by renaming it) a real google competitor.
G-string has left a lot of wide open space, I pointed out exactly where they should focus: now defunct google discussion search, a web directory but one that is intelligent, and on privacy.
He should also kill the kickstand that is a mockery to good design and common sense, kill the rubbish foldable keyboard, make a proper tablet, and proper clamshell add on keyboard, and also enter the notebook manufacturing business with 2 lines, one arm one intel, two models intel, one arm, 3 notebooks in total.
He should also sack the lead windows ui designer, sack the lead "band" ui designer, and sack the lead windows head of code, and get a good curator for his app store. And kill the band while he's at it, which looks like shit and has far better competitors in it's category, from players that are not saddled with ms's well deserved bad reputation, at the very least get someone to redesign this ugly looking device.
That's what he should do if he wants to make his company relevant.
Will he? Probably not.
He doesn't have a lot of time left, the five punch of swift+a8x+apple watch+beats+ibm is coming, and apple's just getting started.