Microsoft has announced that Sunrise will be merged with the Outlook apps for Android and iOS. The redesign will unfold attractively overhauled Outlook user interfaces on iOS and Android. He commented that Outlook had been consistent with its design, but this is a presumption of user wanting to experience an app originally made for Windows Phone to work on an iPhone. Expect features like Interesting Calendars, Connected Apps and our 3-day view to show up before the end of the year. Microsoft also acquired calendar-maker Sunrise for an undisclosed sum earlier this year that’s reported to be north of $100 (£65, AU$141) million. The updated Outlook app for iOS has already been released and the updated version for Android is expected to arrive soon. The Outlook team also improved navigation around the app, allowing users to do more with fewer taps, the blog post says.
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Essentially, the Sunrise and Outlook teams are working more closely on creating Outlook mobile clients that leverage the design and workflow strengths of the Sunrise app. As one of the most popular and highly-rated calendar apps in the iOS App Store, that makes good sense. The past months saw that they were still updating the calendar app, but now we are seeing an integration with Outlook, Microsoft’s well-reviewed email and productivity app. The latest update to Outlook sees Sunrise taking a more prominent role, and eventually it will be absorbed into Outlook completely. Likewise, the Android version is now more inline with Google’s Material design, so it fits in with the look of the rest of Android a lot better. Easier access has been given to the attachment option while sending new mail.
It’s unlikely to win over new users, but the UI upgrades definitely add to the already top-line product Microsoft was putting out and, as Soltero puts it, build on the momentum going forward. Microsoft revealed over 30 million people are using Outlook, so it wants to ensure the transition isn’t rushed. On the email side of things, event invites are highlighted in your inbox, and you can even RSVP to them without opening up the message.
On iOS, icons and other small details give you all the information you need at a glance without overly cluttering the screen. Office applications and Outlook mobile apps are perhaps the only way the company can make its way into mobile devices.
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“We will leave Sunrise in market until its features are fully integrated into Outlook, the exact timing of which we will communicate in advance”. Newly redesigned, Outlook for iOS lets you do more from one powerful inbox.
