We’ve been hearing that Microsoft has been working on a version of their Office suite specificall for iOS for a while now, but now it appears that the first screenshots have leaked, and it will be coming to the App Store in early 2013.
Following previous, possibly fake leaks last year of what purported to be a build of Microsoft Office for the iPad, The Verge is now reporting that sources close to Microsoft have said that Microsoft Office Mobile is coming to Android and iOS in early 2013:
Office Mobile will debut in the form of free apps that allow Android and iOS users to view Microsoft Office documents on the move. Like the existing SkyDrive and OneNote apps, Office Mobile will require a Microsoft account. On first launch, a Microsoft account will provide access to the basic viewing functionality in the apps. Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents will all be supported, and edit functionality can be enabled with an Office 365 subscription.
Microsoft will allow iOS users to purchase an Office 365 subscription within the app, or let organizations distribute codes to enable Office Mobile editing for users. The apps will allow for basic editing, but we’re told this won’t go very far in attempting to replace regular full use of a desktop Office version.
This would seem to agree with other rumors about Microsoft Office, including a recent leak out of the Czech Republic that pegs Microsoft as releasing Office to mobile devices in March, 2013.
Even more intriguingly? Microsoft seems to have confirmed that Office is coming to iOS to the Verge, responding to their story with this statement: “Office will work across Windows Phone, iOS and Android.” So there you go.
Source: The Verge
