iWork, iPhoto & iMovie apps now free with new iOS device purchases

iWork Tim Cook iPhone event

Who needs Microsoft Office? Apple announced today that iWork — which includes Pages, Numbers, and Keynote — along with iLife — which includes iMovie and iPhoto — are now free with all new iOS devices. That’s right, when you purchase a new iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you get five of Apple’s most popular apps free of charge — a $40 value.

The only thing the package doesn’t include is Garageband, which is an integral part of the iLife suite on the desktop. Still, this is an incredible value for new iOS adopters…

Per Tim Cook:

“We think that iWork is a really key advantage for our customers’ productivity, and iPhoto and iMovie are great for their creativity.”

This is a great “gateway drug” for the full OS X version of both iWork and iLife, and might go a long way towards convincing PC users to switch to the Mac once they start using the iOS apps.

What do you think? Are you excited that these apps are now free of charge?