Microsoft is bringing its universal Office apps to mobile devices

Microsoft is preparing to push its universal apps vision for Office to Windows 10 phones by the end of the month, the company said Friday, after demoing the apps to reporters Thursday night. The new apps will be rolled out as part of a new Windows 10 Technical Preview for phones later this month, the company said. Since they’re part of the “universal” apps family, they’ll look and feel a lot like the universal apps Microsoft has previously released for Windows 10. And yes, they’ll require Windows 10, Microsoft executives said. Microsoft’s new apps will essentially replace Office Mobile, Microsoft’s first stab at bringing Office apps to the mobile plattform. But Office Mobile was limited in its editing and content-creation capabilities, and lacked the richness of desktop apps. Microsoft claims that the new apps will change all that. Microsoft’s Jared Spataro said that the new universal apps will work on a “freemium” model, providing basic capabilities for free, but also encouraging users to move to an Office 365 subscription to unlock more advanced capabilities.