Free Microsoft Office apps are now officially available on Android tablets

Android tablet users now have full-fledged Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps â€" for free.

The beta versions of the Android apps have already been available as part of a three-month "preview" program to some Microsoft users for testing, but the official suite of Office apps launched in the Google Play store on Thursday. Some of the premium and business features, though, are only available for Office 365 [1]  subscribers.

The preview versions of Office for Android tablet apps were downloaded more than 250,000 times in 33 languages across more than 100 countries, according to Microsoft.

The Android apps are now fully optimized for tablet, including big touch points for "even the fattest of fingers."

The Android apps are now fully optimized for tablet, including big touch points for "even the fattest of fingers." There's also the option to connect an external keyboard, but that isn't required.

The download numbers for the Android preview don't really hold a candle to the 80 million downloads that Microsoft reports for iPad and iPhone. As with the Android,Microsoft Office [2]  for iOS, which launched in March 2014, is free to use.

Of course, Microsoft has other plans for its Office suite beyond free-to-use apps. The desktop-friendly Office 2016 [3]  is slated for launch sometime later this year.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is planning a touch-friendly Microsoft Office for Windows 10 [4]  that will work across different platforms, from desktop computers to small mobile devices. The Windows 10 Microsoft Office suite will come pre-installed on Windows 10 Phones.

BONUS: Hands on with the Windows 10 consumer preview

Links

1. ^{^} Office 365 (mashable.com)
2. ^{^} Microsoft Office (mashable.com)
3. ^{^} Office 2016 (mashable.com)
4. ^{^} Microsoft Office for Windows 10 (mashable.com)

source: www.ikeepitclassic.com