Smartphones That Allow You to Work With Excel Documents

By Rob Clarkson

Excel spreadsheets are commonly used in the world of big business and personal finance.
i Jason Reed/Photodisc/Getty Images

Smartphones have evolved over time to become compatible with Microsoft Office programs necessary for daily business. In today's market, all major smartphone operating systems have their own unique ways in which to interact with and edit Microsoft Excel documents that vary in functionality, ease of use and cost. Whether you use and edit Excel documents daily or just create an occasional spreadsheet, it is prudent to know the breadth of options available before purchasing your next smartphone.

Windows Phone

Windows Phone devices come pre-equipped with a full mobile Microsoft Office Suite including Word, OneNote, PowerPoint and Excel. Documents edited on a Windows Phone can automatically be saved and uploaded into a Windows SkyDrive account, a cloud service that can be accessed from a home PC or any Web-enabled device. Editing, starting new documents, editing existing documents and file compatibility are all built-in essentials found on a Windows Phone. The fact that Excel is pre-installed and free on Windows Phone devices makes them a viable smartphone option for anyone looking to use Excel on a regular or casual basis.

IPhone

At the time of publication, the iPhone does not contain any pre-installed program compatible with Excel. However, there are several application options that allow you to edit and create Excel documents such as Microsoft Office 365 for Mobile -- which requires a subscription to Office 365 to work -- as well as Quickoffice, Evernote and several others. Apple also has an application available called Numbers that will allow you to edit, create and share Excel and other office documents in file formats that can be used on your home PC. Numbers is the only office application for the iPhone that is made by Apple and will cost you $9.99 to purchase from the Apple App Store.

Android

Android devices are capable of running Excel through different means determined by user preference and device. Newer Samsung Galaxy devices come pre-installed with Polaris Office, a comprehensive office suite that can create and edit Excel, PowerPoint and Word documents. Other Android devices can also download the Polaris Office app or any of the plethora of available office applications through the Google Play Store such as Kingsoft Office, OfficeSuite 7, Olive Office, Quickoffice and others.

BlackBerry

Blackberry gives you access to Excel document editing in the new BB10 software with the pre-installed Docs to Go app. Docs to Go allows you to interact with, create and edit Excel, Word and PowerPoint documents. Files can be stored on the device and shared via cloud storage based on preference.

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