OK, I'll admit right off the bat that none of the apps that I'll be talking about here are truly essential, but each one has made my Android smartphone experience a better one.
Since you are reading this I'll assume that you know what a smartphone is or at least know that they exist. Well if you don't let's go to Wikipedia for a quick definition: A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone that offers more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone (i.e. a modern low-end phone). A smart phone combines the functions of a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a mobile phone. Today's models typically also serve as portable media players and camera phones with high-resolution touchscreen, GPS navigation, Wi-Fi and mobile broadband access. That should be a good enough definition but if you want to learn more here is a link to the full entry: Smartphone.
With that out of the way next I'll also add that there are a few different flavors of smartphones out there, each running a different operating system or OS. One example of a smartphone OS is Apple's very popular iOS. iOS runs only on Apple products and is strictly controlled by the company. Another OS is Google's Android. Android is an open-source OS that runs on many different phones on many different carriers.
Since I own an Android (a Droid 2 Global to be specific) I will focus the rest of this post on Android based apps. OK, so what's an app? Simply put an app is a program that performs a specific task on your smartphone. Every smartphone comes with several apps right out of the box. One example would be a texting app.
For most users the apps that are provided by their phone manufacturer are good enough for everyday use. Sometimes though you realize that you'd have a better user experience if a particular app just did "this or that" as well. This is where "replacement" apps come in and I'll be addressing quite a few of these in the list below. In addition I'll be recommending unique apps that have no stock equivalent. Some of the apps are free and some are paid. I will indicate which are which in each listing.
OK, so with all of that out of the way let's get to it.
Craig's Essential Apps List:
1. GO Launcher EX: My "desert island" app. Now granted if I was stranded on a desert island my smartphone would be pretty useless after a few hours but you get my point. Go Launcher EX is a home screen replacement app that greatly reduces the amount of home screens that I use. Most useful for me is the scrolling tab at the bottom that can store up to 12 apps. This tab allows me to access the 12 assigned apps without ever leaving my main home screen.
2. Go SMS Pro: Here's a free handy replacement to the stock text app. Pop-up notifications are what make this app essential for me. Simply put when I receive a text my screen turns on and I see who just texted me in the notification area. The full text is waiting for me as soon as I unlock my screen.
3. Quick Settings: Another free app (although a more robust paid version is available) that allows you to quickly make adjustments to your phone. I mainly use this to monitor battery usage and to toggle my 3G connection on and off.
4. Notification Toggle: Yet another free app, Notification Toggle is a highly customizable pull down screen that allows you to make adjustments to your phone. I mainly use this to quickly switch to silent mode and to turn Wi-Fi on and off. This is slightly redundant with Quick Settings but it serves a different enough purpose for me.
5/6. BatteryLife and Circle Battery Widget: I've lumped these 2 apps together because they both help you see the status of your battery. BatteryLife will show you your battery's remaining charge as well as its temperature. I utilize Circle because it shows you the exact percentage of battery left in 1% increments.
7. Read it Later: The free version of this app allows you to save webpages for later reading. The great thing about this app is that it allows you to access saved content without a data connection. This makes it perfect for plane rides or for those times when 3G coverage is poor.
8. Pandora: This free ad-supported app allows you to customize your own radio station. Simply plug-in a few of your favorite artists and Pandora will stream music from them as well as similar artists that you might like. Don't like something that plays? Simply give it a "thumbs down" and you will never hear that song again.
9. Wave Launcher: The first paid app on the list, Wave Launcher allows you to access up to 120 assignable apps from anywhere on your phone with a quick swipe of your finger. This app really changed the way that I use my phone. A free alternative is SwipePad. SwipePad is similar but only offers 12 assignable slots. I'd recommend giving SwipePad a try and if you appreciate what it does for you can go ahead and upgrade to Wave Launcher.
10. SwiftKey Keyboard: Another paid app, SwiftKey is a keyboard replacement that learns as you type. Type similar phrases over and over? SwiftKey learns these words and predicts them as you start to type. After just one click you've selected a word and are on to the next. This makes for quicker typing over time and if there is one thing that we all like it is extra time.
I hope you've enjoyed my list of essential apps. As I discover more useful apps I'll add them to the list. Thanks!
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