Office Touch launching on Windows Phone 8.1 "soon" as a universal app.

[RichardBurt]

And as a universal app, at that. Apple iPad already has a redesigned, touch optimized version of Microsoft Office, but Windows Phone is still stuck on Office for Mobile.

All that is set to change soon, as there are reports that Office Touch is about to arrive on Windows Phone 8.1 in a few months. The suite of apps will be released as a universal app, which means that it will work on all devices powered by Microsoft?s modern operating platform.

These include Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1.

Redmond, obviously, detailed the big features of the first refresh of their new mobile OS, known as Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1, but the company did not mention the arrival of Office Touch in that lengthy announcement.

The developer preview of the mobile operating system is set to arrive with a number of enhanced enterprise features like VPN and Apps Corner.

And the addition of the touch based version of the Office suite, will only add to the business appeal of the Windows Phone platform ? in fact, this seems to be the idea.

Plus, it should also provide a push to the Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 operating systems, at least on touch devices like tablets and hybrids. Users have been demanding a native touch optimized flavor of Office for years now, and it seems they will finally get their wish.

There are even hints that Microsoft will reveal the first details of Office Touch for Windows Phone 8.1, prior to the public rollout of Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1.

Oh, the wait.

Office Touch Launching On Windows Phone 8.1 In A Few Months

 

[N_LaRUE]

Thanks for the transcript of the article.

GDR1 is not officially released, it's in DP at the moment. Since many of us haven't even got WP8.1 I don't see an official roll out for another two to three months so that may not be far from the truth.

 

[Melon Metro]

A few months...

 

[David P2]

Hope they include Outlook in it...

 

[xandros9]

Hope they include Outlook in it...

You could argue Outlook is already included, just not centralized.

I've seen Pocket PC's tout Outlook capabilities. They were referring to their separate PIM apps.

Darn, can't wait, not that I have a choice.

 

[hotphil]

Soon

LOL
MS should actually rebrand themselves to that name.

Touch Office sounds good though.

 

[Ma Rio]

Yeah, I wonder if they'll also take Office out of the system, so they can update it whenever they want. Just like XboxMusic.

 

[Arpit Saxena]

Is there any difference between cyan update and DP8.1? I mean feature-wise or any known bugs that are fixed !

 

[hotphil]

Yep. One's firmware, the other is OS.
Cyan brings BT 4.0, camera improvements and other bits and bobs. 8.1 DP and 8.1 seem to be stated as being the same.

 

[David P2]

Correct - the OS part is identical.

 

[David P2]

You could argue Outlook is already included, just not centralized.

I've seen Pocket PC's tout Outlook capabilities. They were referring to their separate PIM apps.

Darn, can't wait, not that I have a choice.

I just feel the current Mail app is so....so..... basic - I mean a proper email client would let you attach any file from within the app - not just images. I know you can do it via share by email in Office/Onedrive, but if you want to send multiple non-graphic attachments then you have to do multiple emails. Some better IMAP support would be nice as well - ie being able to tell it what the special folders are called, instead of it putting its own ones there which can be a pain to remove.