Microsoft unveiled on Thursday its new Microsoft Office apps for iPhone, iPad and Android tablets, all free of charge, according to the tech giant's news center.
The standalone offerings for iOS users include new Office apps for Word, Excel and PowerPoint for iPhone users and updated Office for Word, Excel and PowerPoint for iPad users. Both apps became available on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Android tablet users, for now, will get a only preview of the Office apps for Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Users can now sign up for the preview, but the full version will not be available until early next year, according to Microsoft.
An important feature that the new apps include is that it allows iPhone, iPad and Android users alike to create and edit content event without an Office subscription.
"Starting today, iPhone and Android tablet customers can tap into the same experience that people with Office for iPad have enjoyed," Microsoft's statement said. "Now, nearly everyone will be able to get more done, more quickly."
But as Tech Times pointed out, while the free apps offer basic editing features that will satisfy casual users, they present limitations that might pose some difficulty to other customers.
One limitation the Tech Times report pointed out is that users can edit documents in landscape mode but will not be able to switch to portrait mode.
To unlock this feature, users will have to get an Office 365 subscription.
With Office 365, customers will have access to a complete set of features, including 1 terabyte of OneDrive online storage, according to Microsoft.