Nokia was probably the first ones to create
phones that were Java based and allowed third party app installations on its
devices. You must have heard about J2ME in the early 2000's. This is probably
what led to the birth of the app industry. Developers saw an opening to create
apps that could work like a charm on your phone and change the purpose behind
purchasing the phone. Gone were the days when people purchased phones just to
make calls or text messages, people now wanted more... More apps, More storage
space, More entertainment, More of everything.
And within less than 10 years, the world
saw Web 2.0, rise of social networks, apps focusing on personal preferences
and what not. Finally came in cloud computing. With the progress in devices and
gadgets, more and more apps have been developed over the years.
Android operating systems progressed from
Android 1.0 to the recent one Jellybean, iOS has progressed from 1.0 to the
recent one 6.1 and so on. These upgrades have provided great impetus to the app
industry as developers can create apps that not only offer a great experience
but are also extremely high end.
Now let us look at the volume of the app
industry. Currently, the industry is worth an estimated 7 billion dollars and
an expected growth of more than 100% in the next year to come. With more than
11 different operating systems, 49 prominent manufactures and 8,000 different
devices currently in the market, all of these operating systems have a minimum
of five applications per device.
Some operating systems like Android are a
developers bliss and the upcoming Ubuntu would be nothing short of a fiesta for
a developer. As far as iOS, Windows, Blackberry and Symbian are concerned,
they are not open sourced and developers cannot tweak too many apps as per
their liking.
The app industry does experience several
challenges too. The greatest one being the Jailbreaking of devices that enables
users to download apps for free and thus affecting revenue for app companies.
Secondly, the other challenge being the slow growth of different connectivity
mediums like cloud computing, 4G and so on.
Best apps in food & lifestyle
Burrp!
Platform: iOS & Android
Price: Free
Burrp!
The perfect guide to help one out to pick
the right restaurant or read a review about the place even before you invest
your time and money, with this app. Available in several cities in India, it is
the ideal app for those who are always looking for a new place to try or are
new to the city.
Book my show
Platform: iOS & Android
Price: Free
Book
my show
From booking tickets for movies to popular
events all across the country, the BookmyShow app offers it all. Payment is as
easy as it is over the web and the app offers complete real time ticketing
solution. The only thing that remains is the "Coming Soon" sports
section. Overall, this is a complete app.
Shopper's stop - first citizen
Platform: iOS & Android
Price: Free
Shopper's
stop - first citizen
A loyalty building activity by one of
India's finest departmental stores, the first citizen app is an extremely
handy app for those who shop at Shoppers Stop often. Right from an account of
loyalty points to recent offers, it is a great way to keep a loyal customer
updated. To add to this it has a cool QR code reader to scan and learn about
the several ongoing offers at the store.
Best communication apps
WhatsApp messenger
Platform: iOS, Windows, Sybian, Blackberry
& Android
Price: Free (1st year)
WhatsApp
messenger
Without a doubt, the most used
communication app on several platforms, WhatsApp Messenger has become an
absolute necessity for most Smartphone users. Offering connectivity over 3G or
Wi-Fi, the app is free for the first year and chargeable post that.
Viber
Platform: iOS, Windows, Sybian, Blackberry
& Android
Price: Free
Viber
Calling and Messaging made free, Viber is a
great app for those with a good 3G or Wi-Fi connection. If you have someone who
lives across the globe, then Viber can be a savior. Now avoid huge phone bills
and also stay connected.
Skype
Platform: iOS, Windows, Sybian &
Android
Price: Free
Skype
With more than 9 lakh downloads only on
Android, Skype is a free voice and video calling app. Preferred more for its
video calling features, it is one of the only apps that allows connectivity in
between smartphones and computers.
Best productivity & utility apps
Catch notes
Platform: iOS & Android
Price: Free
Catch
notes
An amazing app for those who would not want
to miss an important task. Users can create voice, photo and text notes. With
both online and offline calibration, users can access and edit their notes with
ease. This is an excellent app for both personal and professional use.
System tuner pro
Platform: Android
Price: $4
System
tuner pro
Rated as the most complete Android system
suite, System Tuner Pro allows users to monitor and record all activities,
backup and restore apps and lots more. From functioning as a task killer to
carrying out several other functions, this is an extremely useful app.
Best apps for sports live scores
ESPN CricInfo
Platform: iOS & Android
Price: Free
ESPN
CricInfo
We live in a cricket crazy nation, so not
possessing this app is a crime. In sync with their website, the ESPN CricInfo
app offers live scores of all the cricketing action from across the globe.
Every single feature right from stats to ball by ball updates are available on
the app.
ESPN FC
Platform: Android
Price: Free
ESPN
FC
Another app from ESPN digital, this one
concentrates completely on the largest sport in the world - Football. The app
offers great customization as you can select your favorite team, leagues and so
on. Receive customized updates on every goal scored and for every card. The
interface is great and error free too.
Best apps for social networking
Facebook
Platform: iOS, Windows, Sybian, Blackberry
& Android
Price: Free
Facebook
With more than 5% of our country being on
Facebook and if you are one of them then this is a must have app on your
smartphone. It not only allows users to browse their timeline but also post and
manages pages. It is a complete app for those who love to stay connected with
their friends over Facebook.
Twitter
Platform: iOS, Windows, Sybian, Blackberry
& Android
Price: Free
Twitter
If you are addicted to the social
networking site then this •is a great app for you. It offers every single feature of the
website. Be it direct messages to mentions, it is a complete a app
that works smoothly over Edge, 3G and Wi-Fi.
Instagram
Platform: iOS, Windows, Sybian, Blackberry
& Android
Price: Free
Instagram
A free and fun way of sharing your world
with your followers using pictures, Instagram allows users to edit pictures
using one of the several available gorgeous features. Now you can transform
your everyday moments into a work of art and share it with your family and
friends.
Internet and entertainment apps
Opera mini browser
Platform: iOS, Windows, Sybian, Blackberry
& Android
Price: Free
Opera
mini browser
One of the fastest available browsers for
Tablets and Smartphones, Opera Mini offers a seamless browsing experience to
its users. It's the ideal web browser to use any network connections such as
Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G. This full featured browser has an interface that allows you
to browse the way you want. It has fully integrated Facebook and Twitter and
thus, sharing content is a tap away.
Spuul
Platform: iOS
Price: Free
Spuul
Spuul offers entertainment in form of
movies on the go. Now watch Bollywood movies and television shows for free with
a unique functionality i.e. the ability to pause and resume playback position
between different devices. Now watch your favorite flicks over 3G or Wi-Fi.
Although, there is a subscription amount for those who wish to watch premium
movies.
