Office Universal apps preview coming to Windows 10 for phones very soon

Microsoft comes under fire quite often for seeming to favor Android and iOS over its own mobile platforms. Apple and Google's mobile operating system have been first in line for all manner of Microsoft apps and services, and it was much the same story with the mobile versions of Office.

Today Microsoft is taking steps to allay the concerns of Windows Phone users -- you have not been forgotten! Specifically, the company says that the preview version of Office Universal apps will, or at least should, be made available for Windows 10 for phones by the end of the month.

Microsoft has been careful not to pin down a precise date, but if all goes to plan, we should see the apps being made available for download within a couple of weeks. It is described as the 'rounding out' of the Office line-up with a focus being placed on ensuring that the suite is available on as many platforms as possible.

Writing on the Office Blog, general manager for the Office marketing team Jared Spataro said:

Our Office Universal apps are designed for on-the-go productivity. They’re touch-first, built for tablets and phones, and optimized for viewing, quick edits, notes and mark-up. On a tablet, the Universal apps are fast, fluid, and streamlined for an immersive, hands-on experience. They’re fantastic for reading and perfect for touch- and pen-based content creation. On a phone, the Universal apps adapt to the smaller form factor. Commands and controls are moved to the bottom of the screen so you can triage your work and make edits one-handed with your thumb.

We've seen a huge shift in Microsoft interest in mobile recently, and just the other day the Bing app was updated to make it more suitable for single-handed use; now it looks as though Office is following suit.