Own a smartphone running Google’s Android? Well, you will definitely need a guide which points out the best available apps in the Android marketplace. Apps help you in getting more out of your phone. They act as interface and simplify many functions and features on the smartphone. There are hundred of apps available inn the marketplace which enhance productivity, provide entertainment, aid communication and provide tools to carry out tasks. Google Android marketplace may not have as many apps as the iPhone store boasts of, but it has enough to overwhelm you with choices. The marketplace keeps growing as more and more apps are added daily. All apps come with accompanying rating and user reviews to help you decide on which app to download. With these many options, you will be spoilt for choice.
To make things easier for you, we have listed a list of 15 best Android marketplace apps.
1) Dolphin Browser HD
Price: Free
The mobile version of Dolphin Browser HD is a highly customizable app. It can be personalized via custom themes, which will change the app’s look and feel. It allows gesture based navigation and add-ons increase the apps capability. It can also help you disguise your device as an iPad or iPhone to unlock uncropped pages on certain mobile sites. The browser does not have a full synching service but it does support certain features like Google Bookmarks. It easily loads flash based pages and has a lower crash rate than most other browsers.
2) Google Maps
Price: Free
The Google Maps app is extremely popular with users. Its features like navigation and layers work smoothly on Android as compared to other OS. It is a very handy app for finding addresses, service providers, and finding your way around town. The voice-guided GPS is especially handy when you need directions.
The latest update of the app is causing some trouble, however, the Google team would hopefully fix this soon and it will be back to its helpful self.
3) Advanced Task Killer
Price: Free
This productivity app is a handy one. When you have a smartphone whose OS allows for multitasking, you need to manage the apps so that they don’t hamper the performance and deplete the battery of the phone. The Advanced Task Killer allows you to quickly shut down all running application. The ATK will also list all apps running in the background and allow you to shut them. It also has a widget which, when tapped, kills all running apps. Thanks to this vigilant app which keeps track of your running apps, your phone will perform faster.
4) Angry Birds
Price: Free
Gaming is an integral part of smartphone experience. The Android market is swamped with entertainment apps which offer different games in several genres. Angry Birds is one of the most popular game which has become a cult among users. The greedy green pigs have stolen the birds’ eggs and the angry birds are out for revenge. The game requires you to apply your physics knowledge and fling the birds to destroy structures in which the pigs are hiding. This is an engaging game, which has several other versions, including Angry Birds Rio, Angry Birds Season, etc. Start with Angry Birds original to get the hang of the game before proceeding to the other versions.
5) Kindle
Price: Free
Kindle for Android is a great app for bookworms and those who love to read in general. It allows you to read books, magazines, and newspapers right on your Android phone without the need to purchase the e-reader Kindle. The Kindle app allows you to download for free or buy thousands of books and hundreds of different newspapers and magazines. The Kindle app is by far the most popular reading app in the Android Marketplace because it gives you access to buy or download for free hundreds of thousands of books, and more than 100 different newspapers and magazines. The Amazon Whispersync feature allows you to keep track of your progress by automatically syncing your last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across devices (including Kindle). Although some users have complained that the app cannot be uninstalled once it has been installed, with a little trouble, the app can be easily removed.
6) Pandora Internet Radio
Price: Free
Android market place has many music streaming apps but the Pandora Internet Radio has the longest history on Android. This reliable app streams very good quality music, even on 3G signals. It is customizable and you can personalize and include any radio service you want to run on your phone. You can choose the name of your favorite artists and songs and Pandora will create a ‘station’ that plays their music and other similar music. User experience may differ as per the type of phone you are using but it largely remains favorable towards this app. Download this beautiful app on your phone and enjoy hours of music.
7) FxCamera
Price: Free
Many Android running phones lack good quality cameras. It is always advisable to download a nifty app to circumvent camera issues. The FxCamera is very handy. You can play around with your pictures by giving them various effects. It comes with filters and effects, like the ‘fisheye’ effect’, ‘ToyCam’ effect, etc. This app also provides some insight into clicking good pictures with your phone camera. The other effects included on this app are Polandroid, SymmetriCam, and Warhol. The app is ad supported, like most apps which come free. It also requires an SD card for download. The app as of now has no select option for phones with secondary cameras. It is also known to crash often; however, this is a great app for users who want more out of their phone cameras.
8) Shazam
Price: Free
Shazam is an impressive app which tells you about a song if you can’t identify it. If you hear a song in a store or radio and want to know who the artist is and what is the name of the song, Shazam will tell you. Let the app listen to the song for a few seconds and it will soon search its database and return with the name of the artist and other relevant details of the song. It then tags the song and there is no monthly limit on the number of songs tagged. You can then buy the song, watch the video, get the lyrics and play in Spotify. You can save and listen to the 30 sec previews, watch videos on Youtube, listen to your tagged music in Spotify, hear what your friends are listening to and share your music with them, keep track of concerts and buy tickets, and much more. The ad free version, Shazam Encore, comes with a price tag. The app has 80% success rate in identifying the song. So get this app and impress your friends with its magical capabilities.
9) Flixster
Price: Free
The movie buffs are going to love this app. Movies app by Flixster keeps you informed of the theater times, release dates for movies and DVDs, film reviews, and trailers. It will tell you exact release date of any movie you want information on. The app also takes review from Rotten Tomatoes to help you select your weekend movie. This can be disabled but it’s a handy feature to have. The app in short displays the top box office movies, gives information on local theatres, allows you to watch trailers, provides reviews and helps you add and manage your Netflix queue (selected versions). Plan your weekend or your date. All in all a perfect app for movie lovers
10) Google Voice
Price: Free (Charges as per calls)
Another Google app which is a favorite among users is the Google Voice. It has, in fact, become the USP of Android after Apple rejected it for iPhone. The Google Voice app assigns you a phone number that you can call places or devices from. Further, it allows you to access all of your voicemail and text messages over the web. This app also allows you to keep your cell phone number private by making allowing you to make outgoing call via your Google Voice number. It allows you send free text messages over the wen and make cheap international phone calls. This app is currently available only in the US. Some bugs in this app need to be fixed immediately since users are having problems receiving notifications.
11) Yelp
Price: Free
This is a traveler’s best friend. This comprehensive review app is pretty handy when you find yourself in a new place and need to get around. It helps you locate business, find a place to eat, hotel to stay, places to show, etc. The reviews provided are from locals and traveler alike. The quality of review is not always the best however, when it comes to finding businesses and services and sifting out the really poor ones, this is the app for you.
12) Evernote
Price: Free; $45 for premium subscription
Evernote is a note-taking and organization app that synchs all your files to a cloud service. Along with looking good, this app easily integrates with dozens of other apps and services. It will automatically synchronize and put your files back in the cloud, even if you forget to do it yourself. This intelligent app has won various awards. It lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists and record voice reminders. You can later search and access through your notes from anywhere.
13) Documents ToGo
Price: Free; $14.99-$29.99 for full version key
If you are a business users or a student who uses his/her smartphone for more than just viewing documents, this app is for you. Documents to Go is a document editing and creation application suite for mobile devices, which works best on Android phone. The free “lite” version Documents To Go 3.0 Main App lets you view many of the file formats including .doc,. docx,. xls,. xlsx,. ppt,. pptx. However, it will not let you edit them. The full features version will cost you some money, It includes viewing and editing features. It is integrated with Gmail and other e-mail applications for quick and easy attachment downloading and sending.
14) Dropbox
Price: Free
Dropbox is another reliable app which allows you to synch your files and store them in the cloud for easy access. It allows you to sync all your files which are spread across on your office computer, home desktop and laptop. This app has a simple interface, you can easily upload and swiftly sync across all accounts. With the help of this app you can carry your photos, docs, and videos anywhere by storing them in the cloud. It will also sync any file saved on your Dropbox to all your systems. This app is for those who have multiple devices and need to carry around a lot of data.
15) Fring
Price: Free
Video calling is a feature available on most smartphones. With so many app in the marketplace to help ease the video calling process, one is bound to get confused. Look no further! Fring is an ideal choice in video calling apps. You can easily call and chat with another person who has Fring by using the WiFi connection. It allows you to group chat with four friends at a time. You can use it on the 3G, 4G and WiFi network. What’s more, you can call any of your friends anywhere in the world and chat for free over Fring. Video chat is also possible! Fring’s video calling DVQ™ technology (Dynamic Video Quality) gives a quality video and audio experience. It is a user friendly app to communicate and make video calls.
If you are new to the Android platform, these apps will help you get started. Happy downloading!