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Microsoft Wants Word and Excel on Every Android Phone

74 handset OEMs are now packaging Office apps by default.

Credit: Flickr user "bestboyzde"

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What are the first apps you download when you get a new phone? While many people opt for social media apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, quite a few Android users immediately nab Microsoft's free Office apps like Word, Excel, and OneNote—not to mention Skype.

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Now Microsoft is making that process much easier, announcing a slew of new partnership deals for 2016, with over 70 manufacturers agreeing to bundle Microsoft's apps with their phones for free. {{amazon name="Microsoft Office 365 Personal 1 Year | PC or Mac Key Card", asin="B00HV9IM58", align="right"}}

While many other Android phones include apps that can open Office files such as Word documents, many are third-party solutions that aren't nearly as good. While Microsoft's Office apps have been free for awhile, this saves users from having to go get them—not to mention deal with the hassle of uninstalling the third-party app.

The increase in partnerships is more than just a mere uptick, too. Last year, Microsoft made similar deals with 31 individual companies across the globe. Today, that number's more than doubled.

Selling software has always been Microsoft's bread and butter, especially to OEMs.

From a business standpoint, the move isn't surprising—selling software has always been Microsoft's bread and butter, especially to OEMs. But at a time when Windows Phone's future remains uncertain, the company's latest move is a win for all parties involved.

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