Apps like the recently released Outlook will help Microsoft carve a stronger position in mobile despite its "uphill battle" against dominating competitors Google and Apple, Re/code's co-executive editor said Wednesday.
"I think the starting point has to be that the apps have to be good, and this is a good app," Walt Mossberg told CNBC's "Squawk Alley."
The iOS and Android app became available late last month. While standard Outlook on Windows and Macintosh devices was often considered "bloated" or "complicated," the app, adapted from a third-party platform, erases many of those issues, Mossberg said.
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He touted its integration of calendar, email and cloud storage services.
"We all know they're struggling in their own mobile business. And that's not only the phones but their software platform for phones. They're being extremely aggressive about getting Microsoft apps out there for iOS and Android," he said.
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CNBC's parent NBC Universal is an investor in Re/code's parent Revere Digital, and the companies have a content-sharing arrangement.