Google Drive for Android and iOS receives important update, with even more to come
One app that I make sure to have on both my HTC EVO 4G LTE and my ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity is Google Drive – I use this service for lots of various everyday tasks, including keeping track of my checkbook and credit cards, making presentations that are accessible everywhere, logging mileage on my car, and even keeping upcoming story ideas for Pocketables.
The usefulness of Google Drive on Android has always been somewhat limited, though, as the editing functions are quite lacking. Google knows this and is slowly making it better, especially after its acquisition of QuickOffice. Google released an update to both its Android and iOS apps today, and here is what’s new:
Updates for iOS
Starting today, if you’re using the Drive app on your iOS device you can also edit Google documents, just as you can with the Android app. From your iPhone or iPad, you can create a new document, edit an existing one or format text. And just like on your computer, you’ll be able to see other people’s edits instantly as they’re made.
You’ll also notice other new improvements to the iOS Drive app. For example, you can now view Google presentationson your iPhone or iPad, including speaker notes, full-screen mode and the ability to swipe between slides. You can alsocreate new folders, move files into folders and upload stuff (like photos and videos) from your device directly in the Drive app.
Updates for Android
We’re also updating the Drive app for Android phones and tablets today. You can now add comments, reply to existing comments and view tables in your Google documents. And you’ll have the same new abilities to view presentations and organize your stuff as your friends with iPhones do.
Google Drive’s apps are still quite lacking when you compare them to former competitor QuickOffice, but I am very confident that eventually all of QuickOffice’s functionality will be available in Google Drive. The only question is when – Google certainly won’t want to tick off all of QuickOffice’s paying customers by making identical features available for free in the Drive app, so Google has got to proceed carefully.
And in case you want to know a bit more about what’s coming in the next update, Google announced that “native editing and real-time collaboration for Google spreadsheets” is on the way. Sweet!
[Google]
