No one likes a price increase, but Microsoft is preparing to increase the price of its 365 subscriptions to “ensure that Microsoft users are among the first to implement AI features in our apps. “United States.
In a blog post, Microsoft unveiled that it will bring Copilot AI features to its suite of apps, inlcuding Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote and Outlook, along with Microsoft Designer. However, it will cost users more.
Microsoft will increase prices for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family in the US by $3 per month or $30 for annual subscriptions. This is the first price increase since the 365 launched, but the good news is that users don’t have to opt for the AI Upgrade.
Those who already have a Microsoft 365 subscription can switch to a Basic plan without the Copilot features, meaning they won’t have to pay the increased subscription fee.
“Productivity and creativity are at the center of Microsoft 365, and with the integration of Copilot into our apps, you now have an artificial intelligence assistant that makes your life (and fun),” Microsoft says in its article.
According to the article, Copilot can create plans in Word, analyze and recommend concepts in Excel, generate slides and layouts in PowerPoint, and summarize long emails in Outlook. If you use Microsoft 365 on Windows 10, you know that they are officially dying.
Earlier this week, The Register (via TechRadar Pro) reported that Microsoft had sent emails to 365 users in six Asia-Pacific countries, indicating that subscriptions would see a sharp increase in value of up to 45%. . The increase will be for Microsoft 365 Family and 365 Personal Subscriptions.
According to the emails, Australian 365 Family users will also see an increase from AU$139 to AU$179, while 365 Personal subscribers will see an increase from AU$109 to AU$159. That’s 45% worth worth accumulating, and it’s all about the AI features and app improvements that contribute to it.
Currently, such increases in value have been observed in several countries: Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. On top of this, we’ve already heard of Microsoft announcing a price increase for the 365 and Copilot, which is expected to arrive in April.
The price hike is set to contribute to several improvements to a suite of apps, such as “advanced security with Microsoft Defender, creative tools like Clipchamp, and countless enhancements to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook,” a Microsoft spokesperson said.
Fortunately, as mentioned, those price increases are not mandatory if users do not need the additional AI features.
One of the biggest AI features that seems to be bumping up the price for Microsoft 365 subscriptions is Copilot, but it’s already had a rocky start. Microsoft Recall is an interesting yet flawed feature, while other features can be fun and useful, but not worth a 45% price increase.
As Microsoft continues to increase the costs of AI features, you’ll want to make sure that your AI features are updated and improved, bringing more to users of apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. Even our own Alex Wawro thinks that Apple’s intelligence is already greater than Windows Copilot, although it’s still being rolled out.
Luckily, there are other feature Microsoft is bringing to PCs, including being able to connect to a Meta Quest headset with three virtual displays, along with bringing an AirDrop-like feature for Windows to share files easily between a PC and iPhone.
Darragh is Tom’s Guide’s Computing Editor and is fascinated by all things bizarre in tech. His work can be seen in Laptop Mag, Mashable, Android Police, Shortlist Dubai, Proton, theBit.nz, ReviewsFire and more. When he’s not checking out the latest devices and all things computing, he can be found going for dreaded long runs, watching terrible shark movies and trying to find time to game
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