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

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, 2)