Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2374865,00.asp
There are more than 700,000 apps in the Google
Play store. You don't need every one of them, but you do need to
download these 10 must-have apps right now.
When I first created my Must-Have Android list two years ago, the Android Market was still playing catch up to the Apple's App Store. Now, a renamed and revamped, Google Play offers more apps than Apple. Developers are increasingly launching new apps on Android first and then porting them to iPhone. Clearly, a lot has changed. So has my list of essential applications.
A few disclaimers before we get into the list. First, these are *essential* downloads. If you want the 100 Best Android Apps, we have a list for that as well. These are my picks for the *first* 10 apps you should download. And yes, I had to leave some really great apps off the list.
I talked to lot of the guys in labs about these picks, but I should be clear my opinions are sometimes different from the analysts. I would have probably made SnapSeed an Editors' Choice, but Jeff Wilson has some reservations. This is my personal list so it shows some of my idiosyncrasies.
For example, when I think of "essential apps," I don't think games. Angry Birds and Temple Run 2 are fantastic time killers, but you already know that. They will get a million downloads whether I list them here or not.
I've also chosen not to include what I consider no-brainer Google apps, such as Google Maps. As far as I'm concerned, Google Maps is a gimme. If you are an Android user, you should already have it installed. And, this goes for the native Gmail client as well. Google+ and Google Music are neat apps, but they have a way to go before I would call them essential. And while I love the new Google Chrome Beta for Android, it isn't available on enough devices for me to recommend.
This list of essentials is also light on social media apps—no Facebook or Twitter clients made the list. I'm a big Twitter user (@dancosta), but the truth is, most people probably don't need to tweet from their phone. Again, not essential.
1. Any.DO, Free
There are a lot of task managers and to-do lists in the
Android market, but Any.DO rises to the top. The app makes it easy to
add anything that enters your mind, but then the app lets you drag and
drop that task into different folders or onto different days. This makes
it as easy to add something to next week's to-do list as it is for
today's to-do list. Throw in the built-in sharing features and Any.DO
can help you manage not just your tasks, but those of friends and
coworkers. There are also versions for Chrome, the Web, and even the
iPhone.
2. Dolphin Browser HD, Free
There is nothing terrible about the native Web browser that ships with Android, but the Dolphin Browser HD
does everything better. You can set up custom gestures, it syncs with
Google bookmarks, and it supports a bunch of plug-ins. The ability to
create tabs is worth the download all by itself. Oh, and I did mention
it was PCMag's Editors' Choice for Android browsers?
3. Pocket, Free
There are a lot of read-later apps out there, but Pocket
does it better than anyone else. With extensions for all major browsers
and apps for both Android and iOS devices, it is a one-stop-shop for
creating the ultimate personalized reading list. I love being able to
sync across devices. Just remember to Archive stories after you read
them. I currently have 1,245 articles in my inbox—all searchable by
title and URL.
4. SnapPea, Free
Think of SnapPea
as the iTunes for your Android Device. Install the software on your PC,
tweak some phone settings, and from that point on you can use SnapPea
to manage your music, photos, videos, and contacts from your desktop.
From this interface, I was able to see six different contact entries for
a single person and merge them into one with a few clicks. You can also
side-load apps from your desktop, so that 15MB app download doesn't hit
your data cap. This is the best way to get big files on and off your
phone.
5. Slacker, Free
I listen to Slacker every day at work, much to the dismay
of Sara Yin, the news reporter with the cube right outside my office.
(Sorry, Sara.) For my commute home, I load up Slacker for Android for
Internet radio to go. You have to pay for the premium account in order
to cache stations, but streaming is totally free, albeit with a few
annoying ads.
6. Mint, Free
How much is in your checking account? Are you over or
under your monthly budget? If you had a Mint account and the Mint for
Android app, you would know this and much more. Sure, it is a little
creepy having all of your banking information in your pocket, but Mint
lets you password protect the app. And remember, Mint doesn't move
money. It just shows you what you have and what you have spent.
7. SnapSeed for Android, Free
Just about any social sharing service offers some kind of
photo effects, but for more sophisticated photo editing, you can't beat SnapSeed
for Android. Although there are plenty of one-click filters to choose
from, you can also do more detailed image manipulation. Google owns the
company that makes SnapSeed, so it has a bit of a Google Plus bias, but
you can also share to Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks using
the Share function in the gallery.
8. NewsRob, Free
I have used Google Reader, but I have to say I prefer
NewsRob for quickly scanning my RSS feeds. The interface is cleaner, and
with a few quick clicks, I can send stories to my e-mail, Twitter
account, EverNote, or even to Instapaper. NewsRob lets me scan 150 to
175 headlines on my 20-minute train ride to work. Maybe your information
needs aren't quite as intense, but it is still the RSS reader to beat.
9. Avast! Free Mobile Security
If you are a "good" Android user, only download from
Google Play, and know exactly how to stay out of trouble, you may not
need to run security software on your phone. But even if you aren't
worried about malware, Avast Mobile Security is still a great download because it will allow you to remotely locate and, if necessary, completely wipe your phone.
10. Google Voice, Free
Sprint wanted to charge me $1.99 a month for visual
voicemail, basically transcripts of my voice mail messages. But why pay
when you can forward unanswered calls to Google Voice and get the same
functionality for free. Open up the Google Voice and you can see a
transcript of messages and play them back without dialing into
voicemail. It can take a few minutes for the service to make a
transcription, but being able to intelligently screen calls is worth the
wait.
No comments:
Post a Comment