Last week Google announced the launch of a new Google Docs for Android App. Because of the way that I work I don’t have a lot of times that I “need” a mobile app for editing documents, but as an Android phone user and Google fan boy I had to give it a try. Today, I gave the new Google Docs for Android App a try. Here’s my initial take on it.

The Good:
Like all other Google Apps mobile apps, the Google Docs for Android App easily syncs up all of the data in my Google Docs account. I did not have any problem opening and editing any documents.

I was able to start a new document on my phone and continue editing it on my laptop.

The most interesting aspect of the Google Docs for Android App is the option to start a document by taking a picture and uploading it to your Google Docs account. I gave it a try and successful uploaded a picture, however editing the text around the image was less than ideal on my phone. When I switched back to using my laptop, formatting text around the image became much easier.

The not so good:
I was able to open presentations that are in my Google Docs account, however not all of them would fully load. I was also unable to edit the presentations.

This is more of a function of screen size than the app itself, but trying to manipulate a spreadsheet in on my phone’s screen was difficult.

Applications for Education
Overall the Google Docs for Android App isn’t perfect yet, but it could definitely be used by students. I like the idea of students taking pictures with they Android devices and starting to write about that picture while they’re outside on a field trip. The field trip could be as simple as taking a walk around the campus of your school and asking students to take pictures and write about them. It could be a good cure for writers’ block.