Acer to pre-install Microsoft apps on select Android phones and tablets

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

Acer will begin pre-installing Microsoft productivity apps on its Android smartphones and tablets, thanks to a new deal between the two companies. Microsoft made the announcement, noting that Acer tablets and smartphones will come with Microsoft productivity tools on board starting in the second half of 2016.

As for what you can expect to see pre-installed, Microsoft names seven apps, including those from its Office suite: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, OneDrive and Skype. The announcement does note that this will be for select tablets and smartphones, so we'll have to wait until the latter half of 2016 to get a glimpse at what portion of Acer's portfolio is affected.

The deal is similar to one struck with Samsung in early 2015, in which the Korean tech giant agreed to pre-install Microsoft Office apps on select tablets. In fact, in a separate release, Microsoft announced that it now has 74 hardware partners around the globe that are offering pre-installed Microsoft services on their devices.

Sources: Microsoft (1 (opens in new tab), 2 (opens in new tab))

39 Comments
  • Acer still makes Android phones and tablets?
  • Not for long Posted via Techmology
  • Crap ones, yes.
  • They make crap everything Posted via Techmology
  • Some of their windows stuff is really nice. Make good monitors too.
  • Meh.. Wouldn't be my first choice Posted via Techmology
  • Wouldn't be a bad choice either Posted via the Android Central App
  • Acer and Asus currently make some phenomenal gaming monitors. Posted via the Android Central App on Nexus 6 Assassin Edition. Android Central Moderator, Gonfaloniere.
  • Only good thing is their 1440p Freesync 144hz Monitors.. :) Posted via the Android Central App
  • More redundant and most likely un-installable apps. The tip is not included! So tip your Uber driver.
  • At least it's a OEM no one cares about thank God. Posted from my Nexus 6/Nexus 7 2013/Surface Pro 3
  • True. Acer sounds like a store brand shaving razor The tip is not included! So tip your Uber driver.
  • Except the people that buy them will complain that all Android sucks cause it is slow and buggy. And it doesn't matter what the rest of us recommend to them, they've had a negative first experience that will stick in their minds.
  • And they become iPhone zealots since the only experience on iOS makes a good impression, especially compared to the likes of Acer. The tip is not included! So tip your Uber driver.
  • The article does not state whether or not the apps can be uninstalled or not. Don't jump the gun on the whining until you know the facts.
  • Not really whining. Especially since I have no plans of ever buying an Acer. Just stating a possible reality. The tip is not included! So tip your Uber driver.
  • "In fact, in a separate release, Microsoft announced that it now has 74 hardware partners around the globe that are offering pre-installed Microsoft services on their devices." "Office and Microsoft services are available on a wide variety of Android devices today, such as the LG G Pad 2, Samsung Galaxy S6, Sony Xperia Z4 and many other tablets and phones offered by our partners."
  • Nothing in those statements says it cannot be removed. Android phones today come bundled with "pre-installed" apps that can be removed.
  • I present to you exhibit A: On my 6 Active I cannot uninstall the Microsoft apps, soooooo there's that. In other words; "Since we will not lower your licensing fee price anymore by forcing you to make Microsoft phones as it was non profitable for us and only profitable for you (no one was buying the phones.... ahem), off setting the licensing fees for patent that are used in Android, if you agree to install our apps on your devices, this will offset your fees........somewhat. At least until we raise the fees by 10%in the coming months. Putting the apps on your devices will bring the license price back to what is was in the 1st place.....saving you 10% off the new price (don't think, it'll hurt your brain. Just sign Acer and etc company) Please do, of course, make them 100% uninstallable." The tip is not included! So tip your Uber driver.
  • You're probably right about all of that, and I agree it should be a choice, but I've found their apps for Android to be pretty damn good. Office certainly hasn't slowed down any of the phones I've had it on. It doesn't run particularly quickly itself, but it doesn't cause issues. Skype is awesome. Translator is also awesome. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Deals that get made with Acer are not necessarily going to be the same as they are with Samsung. I have had Android devices in the past that included a bunch of extra pre-installed apps and in my experience, the only ones that could NOT be removed were the carrier made apps (pointing finger at you AT&T). Besides, even if they can't be removed, they more than likely can be disabled in Settings -> Apps -> (individual app listing) -> Disable. A wonderful feature added in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
  • They will be not be uninstallable all preinstalled app are like that Posted from my Moto X 2nd gen and my nexus 9 both on Android Marshmallow
  • I have a 5 year old acer laptop that still working very nice. Grandpa gave it to me before he passed away. Can't complain. About Acer. It was one of those $600 dollar ones when Acer was damn expensive Posted via the Android Central App on Moto G3 16/2 on $35 Cricket wireless plan.
  • I have one of those cheap Black Friday special Acer notebooks. It was slow from the day I first turned it but its reliable. I bought an Acer desktop computer from Fry's that was on sale. The hard drive died after a couple of years but other than that to been reliable. I haven't had any experience with Acer Android phones but if they are like their notebook and desktop counterparts that I have I would say expect their phones to be reliable (and affordable if you get it on sale) just not speedy.
  • I'm a Google fan, but I like what Microsoft is doing. The new office apps are pretty good. I still prefer Google apps for simplicity, but I'm glad Microsoft is rising to the challenge. Competition is a good thing for all of us. Posted via the Android Central App
  • ^
    This guy gets it! Posted via the Android Central App
  • Indeed Posted from my Nexus 6/Nexus 7 2013/Surface Pro 3
  • absolutely +1 Posted from my Lake
  • Yeah cannot argue but Microsoft, to their credit, always knew where to put their money. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Microsoft is a joke Posted via the Android Central App
  • I think MSFT made a common business mistake by making what they thought customers should have, instead of giving them what they want. Also, way too many people involved in the decision making process, obviously not a good thing. I think they've turned the ship around though, or at least in the process of doing so. Ultimately they're going to have to team up with Android IMO if they want to survive in the smartphone market. I'd be all over a Windows phone if it had the Play Store on it ... recently purchased a Dell XPS 13 and it's the best laptop I've ever bought, and that's saying a lot considering how much I love my MacBook.
  • Nr. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Lucky i always root my phones. Posted via the Android Central App
  • I don't like any company that preloads apps that cannot be uninstalled but its not like Microsoft, if this is the case, is alone. I personally could do without a GB of Google apps that I will never touch and the OEMs are all worse. Besides, the last time Microsoft tried this, Verizon flexed their muscle and yanked the apps off the Samsung phones themselves...I guess to make room for Verizon's own terebyte of unremovable, buggy bloteware.
  • it'd be nice to just have the Play Store app on every phone, but I don't really mind the Google apps, probably cause I use most of em ... the carrier apps (and branding) is what annoys me the most though.
  • Sony did the same didn't they? Posted via the Android Central App
  • Kriogeno set up live mixed sets on YouTube Posted via the Android Central App
  • So are the mobile apps any better than they used to be? In the palm days, docs to go was always better, but their software for android is a bit less refined. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Seven Microsoft apps would simply raise to 37 the number of apps disabled on this tablet (2013 Nexus 7), and 43 disabled on my phone (HTC One M7).
    The other 30/36 disabled apps are all Google apps/functions. I have no Microsoft apps on my iPhone 4S. I keep a Windows laptop only because some jailbreaking/rooting software prefer Windows, and all of my digital devices are jailbroken/rooted. Other than that I have no use for Microsoft. Posted via the Android Central App