Must-Have Android Apps
It’s an eternal bliss to have your phone loaded with all the coolest applications; especially when they are absolutely FREE. As for Android, there weren’t many apps available in 2008 when the big brother G1 hit the market, but the recent growth of Android family has greatly amplified the number of applications as well. So here, we’re going to talk about my pick of those nine must-have Android apps, which almost everyone looks for. All for FREE!
GOOGLE EARTH
Being a Google OS, Android offers Google Earth to all Android devices, which have Android OS 2.1 or newer. By visiting m.google.com/earth from your phone, you can download Google Earth and enjoy its great features like 3D imagery, Local search, My Location, Voice Searching, Multi-touch, and Layers. It’s so far the fastest version offered on any mobile.
WEATHER CHANNEL
A good weather app always rescues you from unpredictable weather mishaps. Although many weather apps are offered in the Android market like WeatherBug, and USA Today, but personally I’m team “Weather Channel”. It helps you get fast yet accurate weather updates, customizable maps, video forecasts, pollen conditions, and severe weather alerts.
OPERA MINI
Opera Mini is the only browser smart enough to work for any mobile operating system. As a Windows Mobile user, I love Opera Mini. As a reviewer, I recommend it for Android as well. Opera Mini 5.1 for Android works in 92 different languages. After the beta testing and updates, it has improved enormously not only in looks but speed as well. It shrink pages up to 90% before loading, which increases the pace of browsing. You can also set Opera Mini as a default browser for your ease.
SEESMIC
For the love of Twitter, I present you Seesmic for Android. It helps you staying updated with all the tweets, on the go. With its capability of managing multiple accounts at one place, you really don’t need to log in and out all the time. Very handy, and very sleek.
SLACKER RADIO
Slacker Radio is widely known for its large music collection – both contemporary and classic – with 100+ expert-programmed stations. You can stream any of your favorite music directly on your device at no cost. Although, many additional features are provided on Slack Radio Plus (which costs $4.99/month), but the free version can keep you gratified as well. Take my word on that!
RINGDROID
Okay, this app really makes me envious for not owning an Android phone. Ringdroid is a free application that helps you extract a personalized ringtone from any part of your favorite songs. According to Android Market, it’s the only graphical waveform editor you can find on a phone. Isn’t it a major “wow”?
SHOPSAVVY
Shopaholics like me will definitely drool over this wonderful app, called ShopSavvy. All you have to do is to take picture of a product’s barcode, and the app does the rest. It decodes the barcode, and searches for relatively better prices online from other sources. It has also got a rating filter in the bottom that helps you making the right choice in no time.