Google has removed the price tag from its Quickoffice software for iOS and Android and is now offering it for the princely sum of nothing.
Quickoffice is a well regarded office suite with a clean and intuitive design that lets you create and edit Microsoft Office documents, spreadsheets and presentations on your mobile device. Integration with Google Drive means files can be stored and shared across devices.
Google bought the company behind the app in June last year, though until now smartphone and tablet users had to pay upwards of $15 for the software.
“Everyone likes free stuff, which is why starting today we’re making Quickoffice available for free, for everyone,” Google vice president of engineering Alan Warren wrote in a blog post Thursday announcing the news.
He added, “You’ll notice a number of new features, including a refreshed icon, the ability to create .ZIP folders, and view charts in Excel and PowerPoint files. Plus, the new app works across devices so you don’t have to worry about installing separate versions anymore when you go from using your phone to editing on your tablet.”
Warren notes in the blog post that previous versions of Quickoffice (Pro and Pro HD) have been removed from both the iTunes store and Google Play. While these older versions can still be used, Warren advises moving to the new app to take advantage of the new features. iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users upgrading to iOS 7 will definitely want to switch to the latest version of Quickoffice as the Pro and Pro HD versions are not fully compatible with Apple’s latest mobile operating system.
Also, if you sign into your Google account from the new Quickoffice app before September 26, you’ll score yourself an extra 10GB of storage, though the Mountain View company says the extra space is “for two years”. Presumably this means a payment will be required for more storage after this time, provided you’ve hit your overall free limit.
Apple this month started offering its iWork office suite – comprising Pages, Numbers, and Keynote – for free to new iDevice owners, though no doubt many will now be interested in taking a look at Quickoffice too.
