Google has launched a pair of new productivity apps for iOS this morning: Google Docs and Google Sheets. For those unfamiliar with the two apps, they’re front-end clients for the company’s web-based word processor and spreadsheet editor.
The move follows the release of Microsoft Office for iPad last month, and Apple’s move to make its iWork apps free late last year. Can Google’s business software suite compete in this space? Keep reading for an overview and more screenshots…
Google Docs
With Google Docs you can:
-Create new documents or open and edit any that you started on the web or another device.
-Share documents and work together with others in the same document at the same time
-Get stuff done anytime–even without an internet connection
-Add and respond to comments
-Never worry about losing your work–everything is automatically saved as you type
Google Sheets
With Google Sheets you can:
– Create new spreadsheets or open and edit any that you started on the web or another device.
– Share spreadsheets and work together with others in the same spreadsheet at the same time
– Get stuff done anytime–even without an internet connection
– Format cells, enter/sort data, perform various sheet operations, and more
– Never worry about losing your work–everything is automatically saved as you type
Users have long been able to access Google Docs using the mobile website, and various apps (including Drive) have allowed similar, limited functionality. But to my knowledge, this is the first time we’ve seen Docs and Sheets on iOS in native form.
If you’re interested, you can find Google Docs and Google Sheets in the App Store, for both the iPhone and iPad, for free. There’s no sign (yet) of Google Presentations.