According to Mark Hamblen's article "Android passes BlackBerry in U.S. smartphone survey," Android is now the top smartphone operating system, surpassing iPhone and Blackberry, with roughly one-third of smartphone users using the Android operating system.
With so many users, there are tons of applications – or apps – being introduced as a rapid pace. Which ones are the best among the free applications?
Health & Weight Loss Apps
The Calorie Counter app from myfitnesspal.com is a dieter’s best friend. The app syncs with an online profile, providing the flexibility to make updates via computer or smartphone. Using the app, a user sets up an account and enters their current weight, goal weight and date to reach goal weight. The Calorie Counter app gives the users a dietary goal – measured in calories – to stick to. Through the day, the user enters food eaten – and can even scan the barcode to save time – and the app lets the user know how many calories are left. If the user enters a cardio workout, the app adds in those extra earned calories.
Communication
Handcent is a great app for improved text messaging. You can use Handcent to specify different alerts for texts received from different friends, and view your text message conversations in the popular “bubble” format.
Entertainment
Like to listen to audiobooks? Check out the Ambling Books application for free audiobook downloads. Users can create an account at amblingbooks.com to sync with their app, add titles to their “bookshelf” online and then access the bookshelf via app for downloading. Ambling Books includes many popular titles read by very talented readers. There are both free and paid downloads available.
What’s that song? Ever been out somewhere or listening to the radio and want to know the name of the song you are hearing? Use the SoundHound app to “listen” and find out! SoundHound saves your list of tagged songs so you can check back later and remember what songs you looked up.
Games
Words With Friends is the Android version of the popular game. Challenge your friends – or strangers – to a virtual game of Scrabble. Users can have multiple games going at one time, and open the app to play at their convenience.
Angry Birds has taken smartphones by storm, and is available on Android phones for individual play. It is an engrossing game that makes it fun to pass the time. Users advance through levels by catapulting "angry birds" into brick and wood structures.
Are you an avid poker player? Check out the free version of Live Holdem Poker Pro to play Texas Hold'em with millions of other users.
Are you on Twitter? There are numerous free Twitter applications available on Android. Popular apps include the official Twitter app, Tweetcaseter, Seesmic and HootSuite. Users that have multiple Twitter accounts – or manage Twitter for their business – should download separate apps for managing separate Twitter accounts to avoid accidental posts.
Photos
Picplz is a great application for uploading photos. Using your phones standard camera, after a photo is taken, share it via Picplz. You can easily choose different photo effects, pick the social networks to share to, and add a caption before uploading the photo.
The Retro Camera app turns you phone’s standard camera into a much more fun vintage camera. Choose different styles of cameras to produce different types of photos. Photos can then be uploaded directly or saved to your phone.
Photofunia allows you to take photos using different effects and treatments, such as color or pop art treatments. Photos can be uploaded directly to different sites or saved to your phone.
Any Android phone can be customized for the owner’s preferences by downloading any of the thousands of applications available. As Android phones grow in popularity, the Android market will only grow with more and more apps available.
Sources
- Hamblen, Mark. "Android passes BlackBerry in U.S. smartphone survey," published on Computerworld, accessed May 10, 2011.
- Wolff, Maggie. "Best Android Apps Available for Download," published on Suite101, accessed May 10, 2011
- Wolff, Maggie. "Best Apps for Android from the Market," published on Suite101, accessed May 10, 2011
Maggie Wolff - Maggie has over seven years of experience in public relations and marketing in the fields of healthcare, performing arts, and professional ...
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