Having appeared quite recently, tablets have already firmly taken their place in our life. Many people do not part with them, not only at home, but also on the road, at work or at university. Among people unfamiliar with tablets, or those who simply have not yet learned all the capabilities of these devices, tablets are often considered unsuitable for anything other than entertainment, games, surfing the Internet and watching videos. But they are mistaken, because any office for android turns the tablet into a good tool for study or work.
Office annexes for Android have already reached the professional level for a long time. Fully functional, convenient, supporting all file formats necessary for average office tasks. Paid and free, working in the clouds and files from a memory card. Many tablet manufacturers even began to add some of the many office suites to the default firmware.
But if there was none on your tablet, then you are faced with the task of choosing from all this variety. And today we will make it easier for you by looking at the pros and cons of modern office suites for Android.
Google Docs + Sheets: a mobile office focused on the Google Drive cloud service
We will start, perhaps, with Google Docs - a solution that is already familiar to many from the Android manufacturer.
Since this application is focused on working with cloud services, then the documents in it are saved in Google Drive, into which, of course, you can transfer files created in other programs. At the same time, the conversion is carried out of high enough quality so that they do not lose data and complex formatting.
Of course, we can create a new document using Google Docs itself. To do this, we are offered the required minimum of basic features: changing the typeface and font sizes, lists and color design for text documents. Spreadsheets support simple formulas, entering and changing data in cells and coloring them.
Google Docs is more than capable of typing simple text with minimal formatting, but it's not impressive in spreadsheets. And presentations in general can only be viewed with the parameters specified in them - there are no tools for their creation and editing.
In short, Google, in its office suite, was betting not on rich functionality, but on fast and convenient access to cloud services.
Microsoft Office: still a long way from the best office software for Android
It would seem - who, apart from the direct manufacturer and distributor of the number one office suite, will make a normal mobile version for it?
However, Microsoft has disappointed users. And twice. For the first time, they offered to use a mobile office, working through a paid (and very paid) service Office 365. Few people were interested, and after a couple of years Microsoft Office for Android decided to make it free.
And then numerous critics and ordinary users immediately found many flaws in it, which pushed it into the background. In addition to the awkwardness of the application itself and the complex, confusing interface, among the shortcomings, they also named extremely poor capabilities - in comparison with the desktop office and smartphone counterparts.
So, for example, Word Mobile works on the strength of the Wordpad level. If you still remember this. If you don’t remember, then imagine a simple application that allows you to write in different fonts, highlight, underline and ... And that's all. Such a primitive set of functions cannot claim the proud title of an office suite.
Excel Mobile looks a little better, which is more or less suitable for editing and simple formatting of spreadsheets. But in the overall standings, its advantages are covered by the third whale of any office suite - presentations. Microsoft's creation only allows you to view them.
The shortcomings of the official application (and to a large extent its late entry into the market) forced the developers to create alternative ones, many of which found their own fairly wide circle of users.
WPS Office: The most powerful office for Android so far
One of the most popular office for Android users is WPS Office (formerly called Kingsoft Office), which, in the best traditions of China, almost completely repeats the interface of a "normal" office. That will undoubtedly help any office user for Windows quickly get used to it.
The control panel here is made in the form of a ribbon that can be flipped in both directions. This saves space on the screen, but it can also take a very long time to search for the desired function. It's good at least that after finding it, you can create a shortcut.
Importing and exporting documents between WPS Office and a desktop office works almost perfectly: tables do not move around, formatting is not distorted, fonts are displayed correctly. In general, it should be noted that this is the only office suite for Android, which in its capabilities almost completely corresponds to the full version of Microsoft Office: in the text editor there is not only a full-fledged insertion of images and objects (formulas, tables, graphs, diagrams, etc.) , but also document statistics, spell check, notes and comments.
True, spreadsheets in this office suite look a little paler - they lack some nice little things that make up the convenience of work - a list of frequently used functions, for example. But one has only to look at the presentations at WPS Office to dispel doubts that this office suite is the best. It perfectly opens the largest files with many styles and complex templates - and not only opens, but also allows you to edit texts, pictures, effects.
A bonus is a PDF viewer. The Chinese weren’t overclocked to the editor - but who knows, maybe this is only for now? Perhaps they just haven't gotten around to that, busy with the implementation of a convenient file manager with a file filter, integration with Dropbox, Google Drive and similar cloud services, and even the rudiments of document printing. Yes, it's all there, so WPS Office is the smartest choice for those who need a tablet as much as possible for office tasks.
For those users who often only need to quickly scan a document or correct a few words in it, we recommend lighter alternatives. For instance,
QuickOffice: Office for Android from Google itself
Owned for a while by Google, QuickOffice is good enough for everyday use on tablets and smartphones with small screens. It is moderately simple and straightforward, but this in no way limits its capabilities, including:
- View and edit documents Word, Excel, Power Point,
- Integration with cloud storage - iCloud, Google Docs, Evernote, Dropbox and many others,
- Built-in file manager that even opens zip archives,
- Sending documents directly from the application via SMS and Bluetooth (only Wi-Fi is missing) or posting them to social networks (up to Facebook and Twitter),
- External display support for presentations.
QuickOffice converts doc, docx, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx files quite correctly and reads PDF. It is rightfully considered the most accurate in transferring all the subtleties of formatting office files on the screen of mobile devices, so for it it will be an ideal choice for everyday use by those who regularly perform important office tasks.
Polaris Office: the manufacturer-recognized office for Android
Another popular alternative for office work on tablets is Polaris Office. This is a professional office suite for Android, which has deservedly received recognition among many manufacturers who install it into the factory firmware of their devices.
They do this because it is Polaris Office that is ideally optimized to work on large (from nine inches) screens, in addition to the fact that the developers have really tried to bring its capabilities closer to the functionality of desktop applications. With Polaris Office, we can not only open documents of any format that Microsoft Office works with, but also create them from scratch or from templates.
Among the interesting and useful functions of this application are not only basic text formatting, but also inserting ready-made images and template shapes, drawing, scaling, viewing, highlighting, searching for text, working with formulas in spreadsheets and even reading out a selected fragment or the entire content of a document. ...
The main disadvantage of Polaris Office is that the documents are not saved correctly. If you open a file made on a PC and see it in the same way as in the original, it still allows, then the reverse operation may lead to loss of formatting.
Smart Office 2: Another Interesting Office Application
Quite an original option for creating a mobile office is the Smart Office 2 package, which has a slightly unusual at first glance interface with a menu divided into two parts, one of which is a movable ribbon of buttons.
Smart Office 2 displays documents created on a computer in almost the same way as they should be, but these, of course, are not limited to its capabilities - in it you can create a file of the desired format, optionally using a template for this.
In terms of functionality, this is a solid middling. Smart Office 2 provides the user with the ability to enrich text documents with formatting, changing the typeface, sizes and colors of fonts, inserting lists, tables and images. A simple Excel file editor can edit, copy and paste the content and format of cells and change their sizes. And in the presentation application, you can edit parts of your slides, change colors, and edit texts.
Needless to say, this office suite also implements the traditional file manager and access to cloud services? They have already become the de facto standard for applications of this class.
Office Suite Pro: professional office suite
Our review ends with an interesting application, divided into two parts - for viewing files and editing them. The first one can be used endlessly, the second is provided for a weekly trial period, after which (or earlier) it can be bought at a fairly affordable price.
And a week of trial is more than enough to make sure: it's worth it. The richness of functions is striking, not inferior in this regard to Microsoft Office for personal computers, all formats of which Office Suite Pro chews with a bang.
Choose Office Suite Pro without hesitation if you need to not only format texts, insert images and hand-drawn tables into them, but also add comments and footnotes, which only he and Kingsoft Office can do on Android. And the XLS file editor reverses all the others from the existing ones: only in it, in addition to supporting formulas and diagrams, there is also an automatic calculation of the sum and display of various statistics on the contents of the selected cells.
Office Suite Pro falls short of the ideal for only one reason: editing of presentations in it is poorly implemented, although viewing is quite good.
To summarize
We will not impose our conclusions on you about which office application for Android we considered the best. Suffice it to say that in terms of the variety of supported functions, WPS Office leaves behind all its competitors. Not deprived of functionality and Office Suite Pro. For those users who are not interested in working with presentations, we can only recommend it. Indeed, in many other aspects, this office for android is head and shoulders above its competitors.
However, for those who do not need such a powerful harvester for their work, Quick Office will be enough, the developers of which consider the accuracy of converting and displaying all Microsoft Office file formats on tablet screens as a priority.
Well, the author of the review has the task of viewing office files on mobile devices once a year, so he, by his laziness, uses only Polaris Office for this, carefully installed by the smartphone manufacturer. The fast and lightweight app is perfect for this.
Office applications are one of the most demanded segments of software for all platforms. In recent years, popular tools for working with documents such as Microsoft Office and Google Docs have become widespread not only on PCs, but also on Android devices.
In this review, we looked at 10 of the most popular office programs for this Android smartphones and tablets, including Adobe Reader, WPS Office and many others. The list was sorted by the number of downloads from Google Play. Office suites from Google and Microsoft were considered in their entirety, despite the fact that on the Play Store they are presented as separate programs for presentations, spreadsheets and documents.
First of all, let's define the subject of this review. Office applications mean software designed for reading and processing electronic documents in formats such as * .docx, * .xls, * .pdf and many others. Most often, such programs only work with tables, texts or presentations, but there is special software for reading vector formats, which also belongs to the segment of office applications.
Software for working with documents is focused not only on the convenience of reading and editing data, but also on a wide online functionality for content synchronization and multi-user interaction. One of the main tasks of mobile office software developers is to create a smart user interface adapted for touch input. Modern office programs for smartphones and tablets have significantly advanced in this regard compared to the first versions for push-button phones, when even the correct display of a document on the screen was considered something supernatural. Nevertheless, to create from scratch some kind of complex work with charts, formulas, etc., to this day, they are not suitable in the best way and are much inferior to their desktop counterparts in terms of a set of additional tools.
The applications in this review are mainly focused on offline functionality and support downloading files from the device's memory. Some of them have paid versions that differ in the set of functions, the absence of advertising banners, etc.
All office suites under consideration were evaluated in terms of usability and functionality on a ten-point scale. The overall rating for each of them was based on these two parameters, as well as a number of additional functional features, including work with a memory card, the availability of tools for online synchronization, support for alternative file formats and the presence of paid content.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is the leader in the number of downloads in its Google Play segment. This program is designed exclusively to work with the * .pdf format. Nowadays it is not so easy to find users of smartphones or personal computers who have never encountered software from Adobe, so the huge popularity of this product on Android is unlikely to come as a surprise to anyone. The history of its development began back in 1993, and for more than twenty years, versions have been released for all possible platforms.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is built on the "less is more" principle. There is support for one single file format, and all the tools for working with it are practically perfected. The interface of the application is quite stylish and well thought out from the point of view of usability.
When launched, the user is taken to a menu consisting of three tabs - Recent, Local, and Document Cloud. If with the first two everything is clear from the names, then the third is designed to work with a cloud service, for which you will need to create an account. After authorization under an Adobe account, the main screen of the mobile Adobe Acrobat Reader will display the fourth tab - "Outbox". You can switch between them using a swipe or by clicking on the corresponding items in the list of tabs.
The top bar of the main Adobe Acrobat Reader screen contains icons for search, sync, main menu, and settings. The latter are few here - submitting data, blocking brightness, author name, and Document Cloud cache location. The main menu has items such as "My Documents", "Export PDF", "Create PDF", etc., and the username is displayed at the bottom. Creation and export of files in * .pdf extension - additional paid functions available by subscription. The cheapest option will cost the user 80 rubles. monthly, the most expensive at the time of writing the review cost about several thousand per year.
Management in the reading mode is very convenient - you can leave bookmarks and comments, navigate by changing the position of the indicator on the progress bar, search by keywords, etc.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is not a full-fledged office suite, but it can deservedly be called one of the best applications for working with * .pdf on Android.
WPS Office is one of the leading feature-rich office suites for Android. This application works with all known file formats and provides full compatibility with Microsoft Word, Office and Excel.
WPS Office is the most downloaded program in its segment on Google Play, second only to Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is not a full-fledged office suite.
On the main screen of WPS Office there is a navigation menu where you can create new documents or open existing ones. Files can be found on the memory card manually or you can entrust the search to the program. For example, in the All Documents menu, it is enough to select the desired extension and the user will receive a list of all documents in this format available in the device's memory.
The interface of WPS Office is quite stylish and user-friendly, although it may seem overly minimalistic to some. To create new documents, use the round red button located in the lower right corner. When you click on it, the user is offered 4 options - a presentation, a table, a text document or a note.
Tools for viewing and editing files are the main advantage of WPS Office. The developers declare full support for Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point, as well as * .txt and * .pdf. WPS Office supports over 40 languages, work with cloud storage such as Google Drive and Dropbox, exchange of data in local networks and much more. The advanced features of this application include export to * .pdf and the ability to change the encoding of text files.
The editing menu is perfectly adapted for touch screens and contains all the necessary components. The user will find here an interactive search, lighting adjustments, icons for saving and printing, and much more.
The set of controls differs slightly depending on the type of content. For example, when working with presentations, the "Slides" item and the button for starting a slideshow are available, and when you open the table, the "Cell" menu is displayed, where you can change the size, style, borders, etc.
WPS Office is very easy to use and excellent in terms of functionality. This office suite can be safely recommended to owners of smartphones and tablets on Android as the main program for working with documents.
OfficeSuite 8 is one of the most popular full-fledged office suites for Android. It differs from WPS Office in a large number of advanced functions and in the presence of a paid version, the cost of which at the time of writing the review was a little more than 500 rubles.
OfficeSuite 8's interface is not satisfactory in terms of design and usability. It is convenient to use the application in all modes, and the controls are perfectly adapted for devices with touch input. On the left side of the main screen of the program there is a set of menu items for navigating to the latest files, bookmarks, memory card, etc. To create new documents and folders, the red button with a "+" sign in the lower right corner of the screen is already familiar for such applications. ...
Office Suite 8 has rich functionality for reading and editing documents. There is full support for popular Microsoft Office formats, as well as some alternative extensions such as RTF, ODS, ODT, etc. There are more than enough tools for working with * .pdf - the program can export data not only from documents to vector format, but and vice versa. Office Suite 8 supports leading cloud services like OneDrive, Dropbox and many more. Among other things, it is worth noting the interface translated into more than 50 languages, scanning to * .pdf directly from the device's camera and FTP support.
As for the means for reading and editing, it provides a standard set of functions and controls typical for applications in this segment. The content of the toolbar depends on the content, for example, when you open a table, you can change fonts, cell settings, text alignment, and so on.
Contrary to all of the above, Office Suite 8 did not receive the maximum score in this review. The reason lies in the need to purchase a paid version with a cost of 500 rubles or more to gain access to all functions. If you quickly go through the menu of the free version of Office Suite 8, clicking all the items in turn, then a notification about the impossibility of using them will appear almost every other time. For example, bookmarks, export and import from * .pdf, FTP and much more are not available in the free version. The intrusive ads that open up in full screen mode every time you close the document and go to the main screen of the application are also upset.
Google's office suite consists of three apps, each delivered separately on Google Play. These include Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. This approach may be due to the desktop practice, where different programs are used to open presentations or spreadsheets.
Office applications from Google are focused on online functionality and provide tools for convenient multi-user work. The document can be accessed not only from the mobile application, but also through the web version of the service. For authorization in both cases, you need a Google account.
The interface of each of the three applications is quite simple and convenient and differs only in the color scheme and some control elements. The main screen contains a list of documents, and the menu is opened using the icon in the upper left corner. The top bar also allows you to search, sort and navigate to File Explorer or Google Drive to add files.
In terms of functionality, the mobile office suite from Google is somewhat limited, which also applies to the web version of the service. For example, there are no advanced formatting settings such as changing additional pagination parameters, etc. The advantages of Google Docs include the convenience of synchronization and multi-user development, access rights management and the ability to work offline. The office suite from Google combines all the advantages of online functionality - rollback to earlier versions if changes are unsuccessful, instant access via the cloud when connected to the Internet, and much more.
A set of Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides barely pulls off a full-fledged office suite. Not only is it missing many advanced features, but a strange division into three apps is applied, each supporting one type of content. Nevertheless, the existing functionality will be enough for most users, so an office suite from Google will be a good solution for owners of Android devices.
Docs To Go is a classic office suite for Android. This program works with documents, spreadsheets and Microsoft Office presentations.
The application interface is quite user-friendly and well suited for touch input. Visually, it looks somewhat primitive, and in terms of the set of tools it is almost completely identical to the rest of the programs in its segment. The main screen contains the usual set of menu items for navigating to the cloud, files from a memory card, etc. The application can automatically find documents of certain extensions on the device, including * .doc, * .ppt, * .pdf and many others. To create a new file, use the button with the "+" sign on the top panel, when clicking on it, the user will be offered three options - document, table or presentation.
In terms of functionality, Docs To Go is slightly behind the competition. For example, there is no conversion to * .pdf, the program only allows you to view files in this extension. Also, some users will find an oversimplified toolbar available in edit mode. The rest of the set of tools is very typical for an office suite. It supports Microsoft Office 97-2013 files, adding notes, working with cloud services such as SkyDrive or Dropbox, etc.
At the time of writing the review, a paid version of the application was provided on Google Play for almost 800 rubles. To install it, you need to download a free version of the application and a special key for the Premium version. Paid Docs To Go features access to files in cloud storage or protected passwords, the ability to sync with a PC, and no ads.
Polaris Office for Android is a feature-rich office suite with support for popular file formats and cloud services. The paid version of the program allows you to export documents to * .pdf and protect files with a password.
The application interface is very stylish and user-friendly. The main menu opens using the button in the upper left corner and contains all the necessary controls - account parameters, adding storage, settings, etc. To create files, there is a round red button in the lower right corner, when clicking on which, the user is offered 4 types of content - text document, plain text, presentation or spreadsheet.
Files are automatically opened in reading mode, and using the icons on the top panel, you can proceed to editing them. This mode has many of the features that desktop office suite users are accustomed to, such as find and replace, spell check, printing, and more.
Polaris Office practically does not lag behind competitors in the set of functions. The program supports formats * .pptx, * docx, * .xlsx, cloud services such as Google Drive and uCloud, adding notes and inserting media content captured with the camera. Also Polaris Office works with more than 10 languages, supports formulas, * .pdf files and much more.
Polaris Office performed well in terms of usability and functionality, and the paid version with additional tools for working with * .pdf and an increased amount of cloud storage should satisfy the needs of most users.
Before buying, the developers provide a free trial period lasting from 7 to 30 days, so that owners of gadgets on Android have a good opportunity to test paid content before buying it. At the time of writing the review, the Premium version cost about 130-150 rubles per month, depending on the duration of the subscription.
Microsoft's Office Suite for Android consists of three separate apps on Google Play - Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Each of them is well known to users of stationary PCs, where Microsoft products still hold leading positions.
Mobile MS Office was the second participant in this survey, which is presented in the form of several applications. It is difficult to say who and from whom took an example - Microsoft from Google or Google from Microsoft, although a similar approach took place for a long time in the segment of desktop software, where MS also has OneNote, Outlook and many other office programs.
The interface of mobile MS Word is practically no different from Excel and PowerPoint. The only exceptions are design colors and some control elements. The office suite from Microsoft is well thought out in terms of usability and visual design, which in many ways resembles the computer version of 2013 and later.
The main screen of any of the three applications displays a list of files and account data, and using the vertical bar on the left side of the display, you can navigate through the menu items. To sync with the cloud, you need to log in with a Microsoft account.
In terms of functionality, this office suite has many similarities with a similar solution from Google. There are not many additional tools here, and only one service is used for synchronization. Each of the programs included in the package works with one type of content, which may not be very convenient for users of mobile devices.
Overall, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint make up a decent basic office suite for Android focused on online functionality. The direct competitor of this product is a similar trio of applications from Google, adhering to a similar concept.
This application is an office suite with support for Open Office file formats like * .odt, * .ods and others. In terms of popularity, AndrOpen Office lags far behind competitors, the program only recently surpassed 1 million downloads from Google Play.
At launch, the interface style with which the developers were late for 10 years is immediately striking. The control elements are located quite conveniently, but visually they do not look the best way. From the main screen of the application, you can go to settings, File Explorer, or create a new document, spreadsheet or presentation.
The fun begins already in the file editing mode. If the interface of the main menu has lagged behind by about 10 years, then the difference here is almost twice as large. Square windows with roaring icons and black text on a gray background give the impression that the developers were inspired by Windows 98 when designing the interface.
In terms of functionality, AndrOpen Office came out much better than in usability and design. There is support for a large number of file formats, including office, text, raster and vector. By this parameter AndrOpen Office surpassed the rest of the reviewers, providing support even for * .svg and * .xpm. The program also works with cloud services, allows you to export data to * .pdf and supports more than 10 languages.
Unfortunately, AndrOpen Office has very few customizations, and changing the skin is not one of them. If the application had a decent interface, and not trash in the style of Microsoft Office 98, then it could well compete with the leaders of its segment. The functionality of AndrOpen Office should be enough for most users, and the support for Open Office formats available here has no analogues at all on Android.
Smart Office 2 is a full-fledged office suite with support for a large number of file formats. Despite the small number of downloads from Google Play, the program is a good alternative to the leaders of its segment.
When launching the application, the non-standard interface immediately catches the eye, although it cannot be called absolutely unsuccessful, as is the case with AndrOpen Office. The main screen contains icons for navigating to reference materials, support, explorer, creating a new file, etc. The user is offered three types of created content - text document, presentation and table. For each of them, there are two extensions - old and new, for example, in the case of MS Word, these will be * .doc and * .docx, respectively.
The visual design in the editing mode is not as extravagant as in the main menu of the program, although it differs from other applications in its segment in the approach to the organization of the interface and the arrangement of control elements.
In terms of functionality, Smart Office 2 stands out for the presence of * .pdf support with the ability to save notes and work with popular office formats, as well as vector and raster graphics. The program interface has been translated into more than 20 languages, and export and conversion of * .pdf and work with popular cloud services are also supported.
Smart Office 2 can really be regarded as a worthy replacement for the leaders of this review, although the approach to the design of the interface here is somewhat different from generally accepted standards.
When launching office software, the user expects to see something in the style of WS Word on stationary PCs, and not big bright icons on a dark background. From a functional point of view, Smart Office 2 practically does not lag behind the leaders of its segment and the set of provided tools should be enough for most users.
The last participant in this review was Foxit MobilePDF, which is intended exclusively for * .pdf format. The direct competitor of this application can be considered the leader of the list in the person of Adobe Acrobat Reader, which has similar functionality.
Foxit MobilePDF interface is simple and straightforward, there are 4 tabs, switchable with a swipe. The top panel displays their names, as well as icons for searching, creating new folders, etc. The application has very few settings. For example, here you can change the settings for screen off, display orientation, select a view mode, etc.
In the viewing mode, the user is provided with all the necessary means for processing information. You can adjust the brightness, activate the screen lock, add notes, share files over the local network, etc. In the upper right corner there is a magnifying glass icon for searching through the content. Foxit MobilePDF's implementation of this component is inferior to Adobe Acrobat Reader, where search results are displayed as page snippets. Here, only the panel on the left side of the screen is available, showing the number of occurrences and page numbers.
There are no questions about the functionality of Foxit MobilePDF, if we consider it exclusively as a tool for reading * .pdf. Otherwise, this application is very far from not only a full-fledged office suite, but also to its main competitor in the form of Adobe Acrobat Reader with a rich set of additional functions, some of which are available only by subscription.
The advantages of Foxit MobilePDF include speed, the ability to change reading modes, access to cloud services, support for more than 10 interface languages and password protection of files. This product is presented on a large number of platforms, and most of its functionality is completely free.
Conclusion
Almost all office suites reviewed received a high overall score, although the clear leader in this indicator was WPS Office, which received 10 points out of 10 in functionality and usability. OfficeSuite 8 came close to the leader, which was left behind only due to the lack of a significant part of the functionality in the free version. In addition to OfficeSuite 8, Polaris Office, as well as office suites from Google and Microsoft, were awarded 9 points out of 10 possible.
Most of the applications received a score of 8 points out of 10. Most often this was due to a limited set of functions or poor design of the interface. The main outsider in terms of the overall score was AndrOpen Office, which visually resembles Windows 98, although the program has no problems with the functionality.
6 out of 10 survey participants are full-fledged office suites, with the exception of a few limited sets of applications from Google and Microsoft, as well as Adobe Acrobat Reader and Foxit MobilePDF, designed exclusively for * .pdf format.
By the number of installations, the absolute champion of Adobe Acrobat Reader, which at times bypassed all pursuers in this indicator. Nevertheless, this program is not a full-fledged office suite and could not compete on equal terms with other participants in the review. WPS Office became the second in the popularity rating, and Smart Office 2 and Foxit MobilePDF round out this list with the number of downloads in the region of 1 million.
Half of the programs reviewed contain paid content in one form or another. In the case of Adobe Acrobat Reader or Polaris Office, this is a paid subscription, while the developers of OfficeSuite 8 and Docs To Go offer premium versions of their applications with advanced functionality.
Office suites from Microsoft and Google, each of which consists of 3 separate applications, produced a mixed impression. On the one hand, everything is done very well, on the other hand, the functionality is mostly basic, and for each type of content you need to use your own program, which is not very convenient on mobile devices. Cloud functionality also turned out to be somewhat limited due to the inability to use services other than OneDrive and Google Drive, respectively.
According to table # 2, which characterizes the functional features of applications, there is a comparative parity. Most of the survey participants received 3-4 "+" out of 5 possible.
When choosing an office suite for Android, you should focus on the set of supported file formats and operating modes in accordance with the needs of the user. For example, someone needs support for Open Office files and online functionality, while someone needs to read * .pdf and the ability to convert to or from this format. It should also be borne in mind that the general assessments in this review are relatively subjective and reflect the situation only in terms of the parameters selected by the author.
Android smartphones and tablets are not only ordinary mobile multimedia gadgets, they are also often mobile offices. However, without the appropriate applications, we can forget about reading, or editing the necessary documents and presentations. The following ranking presents some of the best free office suites that will certainly come in handy not only for businessmen.
Olive Office Premium
We'll look at first. It is one of the few free, mobile office suites on the market. Unfortunately, most of those that offer all the functionality you need are paid. Nevertheless, Olive Office is not inferior to them.
In addition to the function of previewing documents in the formats doc, docx, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx, chm, mth, and also, we also have access to edit most of them. We have at our disposal editing functions familiar to MS Office. Among them we will find formatting, copying and pasting, managing graphics and tables, the ability to edit cells and text, and quickly delete entire columns and each of the rows in spreadsheets.
It is worth adding that the application Olive Office Premium also allows you to integrate it with popular cloud services. Thanks to this, we do not need to keep all the necessary documents in the memory of our device. Only tablet owners can be disappointed because the Olive Office Premium app was not properly prepared for high-definition HD screens.
Kingsoft Office
The next representative among office programs for devices with the Android operating system is. In the beginning, it's worth noting that its manufacturer has experience in creating this kind of software. The PC version of Kingsoft Office has been on the market for several years.
Here, unlike the earlier version of the app, we have full support for tablets with large HD screens. The application is a good solution when we want to make some kind of presentation. The most popular formats supported by Kingsoft Office are: DOC, DOCX, TXT, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX and PDF. As for the functions of the program, here:
- the ability to integrate with popular email clients,
- built-in, easy-to-use file manager,
- as in the case of Olive Office, integration with cloud services,
- the ability to print directly from the application,
- spellchecking,
- drawing function,
- editing text, graphics and tables.
It should be added that this package is also capable of supporting external keyboards, so entering even long text should not cause problems. The application is ideal for all the more popular Android netbooks that are equipped with just such a keyboard.
Polaris Office
The third on our list is an office suite that can easily compete with the paid offers of competitors -. The program debuted initially on iOS devices. Today, a completely free version is also available for all owners of smartphones and tablets with Android.
Despite the somewhat less intuitive interface, everything works really well. Plus, you need to include support for all popular document formats and basic editing capabilities.
The basic capabilities of Polaris Office include: reading and editing DOC, DOCX, TXT, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX formats, as well as reading PDF documents, the ability to copy and paste text, tables and graphics. Not without the function of checking spelling or deleting individual elements.
If you have not worked with this kind of application, we recommend any of the above and you will not be disappointed.
Let's be honest - most users don't do anything serious on smartphones. They are not intended for this. Smartphones are used for entertainment, to stay in touch, to memorize moments of everyday life in photos and videos, and not to write term papers or count taxes. But if you find the right apps, your smartphone or tablet can be turned into a tool that's perfect for doing simple jobs on the go. To do this, you need to use office software packages.
To meet the working needs of Android users, the Google Play store offers several Android office apps that can help you get started. They can open and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations, just like office software packages on personal computers.
All of the apps described below are free, although some of them have Pro versions or additional features that you have to pay for.
One of the best office productivity packages for Android from the creators of Android themselves. Google Docs opens and edits documents, Google Sheets processes spreadsheets, and presentations enable you to create a presentation, and the PDF viewer is self-explanatory.
There are many interesting possibilities here. For example, work is saved automatically as you type, so the chance of data loss is minimal. The user interface is optimized for use on all screen sizes of mobile devices.
Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint
And here is Microsoft Office itself. If you've ever used a computer, chances are you've dealt with this office suite. Its mobile version is available on Android for free.
Each application is very well executed, with an easy-to-use user interface and all the essential features you would expect from an application of this kind. In addition, cloud services are supported, which allows you to sync work files between devices.
Just like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the Office Lens app is worth a try. This is a "scanner" application from Microsoft that creates documents from photographs. You can turn a piece of A4 paper into a PDF or Word file by simply pointing your mobile device's camera at it. The program recognizes and filters the image to make it look better.
One of the main characteristics of this application is its low hardware requirements, plus it only takes up about 25 MB. That being said, it is a worthy alternative to the aforementioned options, with support for documents, spreadsheets and presentations in all popular formats.
The Extra Goodies package adds a spell checker and a thesaurus. Please be aware that the app contains ads, but they do not interfere with the performance.
Like all applications on this list, Polaris Office can open and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations. It also allows you to view PDFs and make notes.
The program is distinguished by support for Chromecast, which means the ability to display the image on the big screen. The app is also compatible with the cloud, making file sharing more secure and easy.
This app is available for a fee - $ 14.99, but this is the most sophisticated office suite on Android. It allows you to create complex documents with custom headers and footers, drawing, conditional formatting, and more. Plus, you can work with multiple files at the same time.
Microsoft Office Mobile are applications for mobile devices that allow you to view and edit Wоrd, Excel and PowerPоint documents.
The most convenient function of the Cloud allows you to access all your documents that are in OneDrive directly from your mobile device! You will be able to view documents opened on your personal computer from the screens of phones and tablets.
Why is it worth downloading Microsoft Office Mobile for Android?
Thanks to a well-developed system for displaying animation, various elements and diagrams, all your documents in Wоrd, Excel and PowеrPоint look the same as on a computer. Download Microsoft Office Mobile for Android, which has adapted the high-quality display of Wоrd, Excel and PowеrPоint even on small phone screens. There is a convenient system for resuming work from the last place where you left off. Moreover, starting to work on a personal computer, and continuing from a mobile device, you will also be transferred to the place where you left off.
PowerPoint introduces a navigator mode that will allow you to quickly browse slides and leave notes for the presenter, which will help you better conduct your presentation. In addition to editing already created ones, in Microsoft Office Mobile for Android you can create new Wоrd and Excel documents right in your mobile phones.
To edit and save documents in Microsoft Office Mobile, users will need to sign in to their Microsoft account.
The application is very user-friendly and will make it easier for many users to read and edit files. Now you can start reading or writing at home and easily and quickly continue from your phone on public transport or elsewhere. Download Microsoft Office Mobile for Android is popular among users and has many positive reviews.
