New Office apps are coming to Windows Phone, promises Microsoft

By David Nield January 4, 2015

Joe Belfiore shows a sneak peek of Windows 10 Technical Preview — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Windows Phone might be Microsoft’s own mobile operating system, but that doesn’t always mean it gets as much love as you’d expect: new mobile apps for Office launched in November for iOS and Android but those toting WP-powered handsets got no such upgrade. Over the New Year, Microsoft executive Joe Belfiore has promised that loyal Microsoft users will be getting their share of the Office action in the near future too.

“I want to acknowledge the comments and letter you all have sent, noting that you’ve been frustrated seeing Microsoft launch applications like Office on iOS and Android, without accompanying news around what will happen on Windows Phone,” wrote Belfiore on Weibo. “I want to assure you that our Office team has not forgotten Windows Phone — we’re just aligning all of our news and announcements to a single event.”

That’s likely to mean more news is coming at the Windows 10 media event on January 21st. Office functionality has been wrapped into Windows Phone for several versions, but they’re now overdue a refresh — particularly considering the work that Microsoft has been putting in on the competing mobile platforms. It looks as though Windows Phone users can look forward to shiny new native apps appearing at the same time as Windows 10, itself designed to run across multiple devices and screen sizes.

Belfiore is Microsoft’s corporate Vice President for its Operating Systems Group and will probably play a prominent role at the event on January 21st. The next version of the company’s all-encompassing operating system will feature Cortana for the desktop, a revamped Start menu, and a slew of other features — you can get up to speed by reading our complete guide to the new software. Microsoft will be hoping it can revive its fortunes in the desktop market as well as provide a shot-in-the-arm for its mobile devices too.

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Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…

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