Here's What You Can Expect from Microsoft Office 2021
Office 2021 is here --- with new features and changes. Microsoft has been working on this for over 18 months now, and it looks like all of their hard work is about to pay off.
From AI integrations to neural text-to-speech, Microsoft is looking towards the future, we're excited to take you through what you can expect on the new Microsoft Office 2021
Here's what you need to know about Office 2021; including an overview of the latest preview release and speculation on what we can expect from Microsoft!
What to expect from the new Office 2021 suite
So, Microsoft Office 2021 is here with us, you can get your copy at SoftwareKeep, and it's going to be a major change. But what should you expect from this new generation of software?
Usually, MS Office has been the gold standard for enterprises for decades — now, Office 2021 will offer more new features designed with business users in mind.
Let's dive right in!
Release date?
Microsoft Office 2021 will be released on October 5, 2021 -- we're excited.
If you want to start preparing early for the launch, you can begin now — Microsoft has already revealed that the new suite will be available on October 5th.
It’s safe to assume that all versions, including the new Office LTSC, will be available at the same time on launch day.
Whether you’re looking for a new suite for your school work, or need something for business-focused tasks, you’ll be able to find it soon.
UI change?
Yes, Microsoft Office 2021 has a new UI -- revamped to meet your needs, with different colors, themes, Dark Mode, and much more. You will love it.
No more subscriptions
While Microsoft's priority is Microsoft 365 and Windows 365, which are catching on well with consumers, those who prefer not to commit or cannot afford subscription fees still have some options available with Office 2021. Great right?
Each release of the software is expected to stay as a one-time purchase, meaning you get to keep your software forever; the downside being no updates.
Microsoft is planning to stay true to its word and has no plans of changing the price of Microsoft Office.
While this year's releases won't get any cheaper, they're not going up in cost either with Home & Student at $149.99 USD or the Home & Business version retailing for around $249.99 USD per copy (including perpetual licensing).
We wait to see the prices and will update you!
Dark mode support
Microsoft has recognized the need for Dark mode in Office, and you can expect to see extensive support. It’s easy to tell that Microsoft added this feature in order to make their apps accessible, as well as give them an appealing aesthetic appearance which will have you feeling more productive while working within them!
In the first public preview of Office 2021 for Mac, we’ve already seen some of the new Dark mode features for Word. We hope that this carries over to Windows as well, and extends to other Office suite apps like PowerPoint and Excel.
Focus Mode is another nifty tool that gives users more focus when working by automatically shrinking all distractions so there's less interference. Combining this with the new Dark mode will provide extra productivity!
New features in Excel
Excel might just be the top beneficiary of Office 2021!
The new features in Excel for Office 2021 promise to be exciting! As seen from the public preview, there are several new functions that can make sorting your data easier, as well as more support for Dynamic Arrays.
This hints at more cool stuff coming out just before release day, possibly for Windows - stay tuned!
Excel on macOS also includes some awesome improvements right off the bat: now it’s much quicker than ever before, and already shows some hints of an interface redesign. We’re excited to see where this will lead the upcoming suite.
Be here on October 5th to get the best price on the new Microsoft Office and experience the new design firsthand!
Neural text-to-speech voices
The use of text-to-speech has helped millions to read and understand documents more easily. Microsoft is about to take voice technology to its next level with the inclusion of new neural text-to-speech engines in all Office 2021 apps.
The new neural voices in all Office 2021 apps sound more natural than before, which should make reading documents easier for those who are visually impaired or have other accessibility needs.
We expect options between male and female voices as well different accents, so every person can find their perfect match.
Is Microsoft 2021 a hit or a Miss?
Our take? It's a Hit!
You be the judge. Watch this video to give your take.
Final thoughts
We’re happy to be able to share this information with you, and we hope that it helps answer some of your questions.
If you want more details about what the future holds for Office 2021 or other tech news, follow SoftwareKeep on Twitter where we post regular blogs every week.