Your Lumia is your Office
Break out of your cubicle! Now, more than ever–with tools, apps and accessories geared to help you work (and play) better–your Lumia is your mobile office.
The big news coming out of Mobile World Congress included the launch of two new affordable, feature-rich smartphones: the Microsoft Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL. These workhorses will be upgradable to Windows 10 later this year and come with an included one-year personal subscription to Office 365.
Microsoft is serious about giving “people the flexibility to do more anywhere and at any time,” as Stephen Elop, executive vice president of the Microsoft Devices Group, said in a guest post earlier this week.
So whether you get the Lumia 640 or Lumia 640 XL later this spring (I have my eye on the latter in bright orange) or stick with your current Lumia smartphone, there’s a number of ways in which your Lumia is an indispensable work tool.
Office Suite at your fingertips
The mobile applications for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote mean that whether it’s creating a Word document, reviewing a PowerPoint presentation or taking notes, you don’t need to be tied to a desk to get stuff done.
These powerful tools are free, and the latest version of your files and projects are always available whether accessing them on your Lumia, tablet, or PC. Quick tip: If you have a document or spreadsheet that you reference on a daily basis, pin it to your Lumia’s Start screen for one-touch access.
OneDrive storage and essential Microsoft experiences
If you get the new Lumia 640 or Lumia 640 XL, the one-year subscription to Office365 Personal (which includes the full Office suite for PC or Mac and one tablet) includes other goodies, too.
You also get 1 terabyte of OneDrive storage and 60 minutes of Skype Unlimited Worldwide calling per month to landlines in more than 60 countries and to mobile phones in eight countries.
For current Lumia owners, you still get lots of free OneDrive space–15GB right out of the box. If you activate automatic uploads from your Lumia’s camera roll, you’ll get another 15GB for double the amount of cloud storage.
If you need to be in touch with colleagues in different time zones, Skype is a must-have communications app, and it’s free from the Windows Phone Store. (I have it on the Start screen of my Lumia next to the normal Phone app)
And then there’s Cortana*, the world’s most personal digital assistant, great at setting and reminding you about all those important emails you have to send or the business dinners you have to attend.
Other useful and free Windows Phone apps include the HERE trio of navigation apps (Drive+, Maps and Transit), the native Calendar, and “to-do” apps such as Wunderlist and Reminders.
Lumia accessories to make your workday easier
Of special note is the new Microsoft Screen Sharing for Lumia Phones. The pocket-sized device uses wireless streaming standard Miracast to project your Office documents and projects onto a widescreen television or other HDMI-enabled screen for group presentations.
Just touch the NFC disc with your Lumia and whatever is on your phone’s screen will be mirrored in real time onto a bigger screen. We included Screen Sharing in a recent post on accessories for your Lumia. And here’s an in-depth story on Screen Sharing from our sister blog, Lumia Conversations UK.
These are just some of the apps and features that have allowed me to get work done when I need to no matter where I am, from standing in line for a sandwich at the local deli to cooling my heels at the airport, waiting to board a flight.
Has your Lumia allowed you to break free from your work desk? Let us know in the comments section below.
*Full version of Cortana is available in the U.S., but it’s also available in “beta” in China and the UK and in “alpha” in Australia, Canada India, France, Italy, Germany and Spain.