Did you simply get a brand new Android phone? Why not a new HTC Incredible or Droid Evo? You’ve gotten the screens looking good, the font options just how you want them…but now you need a few Android apps to create it better still? And free apps are usually better than ones you have to cover, right?
I’ve compiled a listing here of my Top 5 Android Apps (from the free apps category) that you’ll NEED to download onto your phone before you do anything else. Without further ado…
1. Bar Code Scanner – This app features a deceptively simple name, huh? It’s soooo powerful, though. You begin the app and point at it ANY kind of bar code app codere, whether it’s the bar code on the rear of your Mountain Dew 20oz or some of those funny looking new QR Codes that are starting to pop-up everywhere, and the free app does the rest! I recently scanned a container of CVS water and the app connected me to the UPC Database and accurately found the amount for me.
2. An E-Reader App – What type (or those that!) you download is a matter of personal taste. For me, I love to have the best deal, so I downloaded all of the majors one: Barnes & Noble’s Nook, Amazon’s Kindle, and the Google Books app. In this manner I can read any format, get the max quantity of free ebooks, and even shop to discover the best price before I buy any.
3. V-Cast Song ID or Shazam – If you’re a Verizon customer, your phone may come pre-installed with the V-Cast Song ID app. I’ve been deploying it for a long time on non-Android phones and it has never failed me. If you’re not on Big Red, though, look for Shazam and you must get functionality add up to, if not better, than V-Cast Song ID. With either app, all that you want to do is to change the app on, hold it near to an audio, and watch for 10-20 seconds although it IDs the song and even links you to a download source or stores the title for later so you can get it from Amazon or iTunes.
4. Advanced Task Killer – In the event that you don’t fully grasp this app, you’ll be recharging your phone 3-4 times per day. Period. It active kills any processes (like your camera or maps apps) that you’ve accidentally left running in the backdrop so that you can maximize your battery life. Before I downloaded this app, I was literally recharging my Droid Incredible these 3-4 times per day. Now I would recharge it once after lunch if I had been playing music all morning.
5. Angry Birds / Angry Birds Seasons – What list of Android Apps will be complete without mentioning Rovio’s Angry Birds? According to a write-up that Newsweek published on January 30, 2011, Rovio is taking aim at Nintendo’s Mario’s iconic status using their ticked off avians. This game is truly more of a crack-like addiction than anything I’ve ever experienced, and I would recommend it to EVERYONE who own a good phone, whether it’s Android- or Apple-based.