14 DAY TRIAL // Apple launched a new 10.5-inch iPad Pro earlier this week at WWDC, as the company aims to make its customers more productive on the go, but one of the essential productivity suites won't be available without a license on this device.
Microsoft's Office is without a doubt the number one productivity software at this point, and Microsoft is offering it everywhere, including here not only Windows devices but also Android and iOS.
And while Microsoft Office was free of charge on the smaller iPad Pro model with a 9.7-inch screen, this is not the case on the new iPad. And it's all because of Microsoft's Office policy.
Office can be used without a license on devices with screens smaller than or equal to 10.1 inches, which means that the iPad Pro with 9.7-inch display can install Microsoft's productivity suite at no cost, while the newly-launched model requires a license.
Simple document viewers when no subscription is available
The free version is only available for home users, so even if you have an iPad Pro with a 9.7-inch screen, you still need to purchase a license should you want to use it at work.
As far as the bigger iPad is concerned, a subscription to Office 365 is required both for home and for office use, with pricing starting at $6.99 per month of Office 365 Personal. Business subscriptions are obviously a bit more expensive, and this is what most iPad Pro 10.5-inch buyers are likely to be interested in, especially since Apple is targeting enterprises and office workers with the new device.
If you do not get a subscription for Office on your iPad, you can still download and install the apps free of charge, though you won't get the full feature package. Instead, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint will all be simple document viewers that do not provide any editing features.