Ars Technica posted a hands-on preview of Microsoft's Office Mobile for Android

Following up on its release of an Office app for Apple iOS devices, Microsoft has released Office Mobile for Android. As the name implies, it's an app that gives Android phone users the ability to access and edit documents created in the Microsoft Office desktop suite.

But as with the iOS app, there are caveats. You have to be a subscriber. And it's utterly worthless to tablet users. The Android app will not install on tablet form-factor devices, which is a strike against it compared to the iOS version. That at least runs in a very low-resolution mode on the iPad. However, the Android app does allow users to open Office-formatted documents from other apps, including DropBox, so you're not entirely shoehorned into the Microsoft ecosystem for collaboration.

Users of Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium, Office 365 University, or an enterprise Office 365 account that includes licenses to the Office 2013 productivity suite can download the app for free from the Google Play store. Those without a subscription can buy one from within the app during initial startup. To see what fun may await you, we've got a look at some of the app's features below.

  Hands-on with Microsoft's Office Mobile for Android