After months of rumors and speculation, Microsoft has finally confirmed that its Office productivity suite is now available on the iPhone. The app itself is free, but there’s always a catch.
Microsoft announced today that Office Mobile has made the jump from Windows Phone to the iPhone. The catch is that you must be an Office 365 subscriber to use the app. There is no a la carte option like Apple’s own iWork apps for iPhone.
So why isn’t there an a la carte option? Well, Microsoft probably thinks you’re going to love the Office 365 experience. Being a subscriber nets you a “consistent Office experience” across all of your devices, easy access to all of your documents regardless of device, and it has sharing of documents built right in. In short, Office Mobile is a Google Drive that requires a subscription.
All joking aside – Office Mobile making the move to the iPhone is an important move for Microsoft. As it transitions into a products and services company, it can no longer keep its services on one platform. It would be nice if Microsoft offered an a la carte option, but maybe that’s for a later day.
If you want to get your Office Mobile on, you can download the app here. Once again, you will need an Office 365 subscription. It’s not that expensive for a student, but cheapskates who have already graduated (like me) may want to check out free alternatives.