Overwhelmed by the sheer number of
apps available on Google Play? Don’t worry - take your pick from this little
lot...
The open source nature of Google’s mobile
operating system means that there are plenty of fantastic apps for Android
available to download right now, enabling you to do a whole range of essential,
informative or just downright entertaining things with your Android device. So
whether you want to listen to music on the move, plan your evening meal or find
your next job, there’s an app waiting for you on Google Play that can help you
do just that.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re rocking a
quad-core monster tablet or just a single-core budget smartphone, there is
plenty of Android app action to be had. Although it can be difficult to
distinguish the must-haves from the must-avoids among the mass of choice.
Luckily for you, we have spent countless
hours trawling through the vast Google Play portfolio (500,000-plus apps and
counting), sorting the wheat from the chaff, the super-apps from the crap-apps,
so you don’t have to. We’ve managed to whittle them down to our favorite 101,
so here’s our pick of the top Android apps you should install right now.
1. Twonky Beam Browser
Price: Free
Twonky
Beam Browser
If the arrival of Apple Airplay and
Samsung’s AllShare has told us anything, it’s that smartphone and tablet users
want their content everywhere and anywhere. The Twonky Beam Browser is one
solution, which enables users to stream internet content instantly from their
smartphone and tablets straight to their TVs over a Wi-Fi connection.
Of course, you need a DLN A- supported TV
or Apple TV to use it, but it should work with your PS3 or Xbox 360. We tested
the Beam Browser with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet and the HTC Desire Z
phone, with a set-up and syncing process that is straightforward and shouldn’t
take more than a few minutes if your Apple TV or similar device is already in
place.
2. Slidelt
Price: $3.99
Slidelt
The keyboard has never been the strong
point of an Android device - virtual keys are clunky at the best of times.
Samsung knows this, and that’s why it bundles the insanely popular Swype with
its phones and tablets.
For those who want a bit of choice, though,
Slidelt is a good replacement for Swype. It works in a similar way, enabling
you to swipe, sorry, slide your finger across the letters to make words.
An app likes this lives or dies by its
accuracy, and Slidelt is decent enough; there weren’t too many times we had to
change words to prevent being embarrassed by the predictive text.
3. Easy Battery Saver
Price: Free
Easy
Battery Saver
The problem with smartphones is that their
size means there isn’t enough space to put in a decent battery - one that
doesn’t have to be recharged every freaking day.
Easy Battery Save reportedly helps ease
battery woes, and we admit we were sceptical before we used it. But it really
does work. Once you load the app on your smartphone - we put it on a Samsung
Galaxy S2 - the app asks what mode you want to put it in. We chose
intelligence, which means that when your phone is dormant, the app turns off
everything such as 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth - all the well-known battery hoggers.
Wake your phone up and they are all turned
on within seconds. It’s a simple but effective way of saving battery power, and
one that hasn’t interfered with anything we do with the phone.
4. Sky Cloud
Price: Free
Sky
Cloud
Sky may be the giant in the broadcast world
but it is also doing great things in the broadband sphere. When it comes to
mobile broadband, it’s offering its subscribers a great deal on free Wi-Fi at
the moment.
This is because Sky bought The Cloud in
2011 and has started letting subscribers tap into this for free - all you need
is the app to tell you when there is a network in your vicinity.
Just add the app and click on a Cloud
hotspot when you see one. Add your Sky username and password, and you’re given
free Wi-Fi.
Given that Wi-Fi is now almost as essential
as water, you’d hope that Wi-Fi out and about would be free but this isn’t the
case. That’s why Sky’s unlocking of The Cloud is a revelation, and one that
works brilliantly.
5. we7 Free Music
Price: Free
we7
Free Music
After launching its premium service on
Android last year, we7 is widening the music streaming doors with its latest
app, which delivers an on-the-go radio service that can be accessed offline.
Taking a leaf out of Pandora and Last. FM’s
book, up to 10 radio stations can be created at one time, based on your
selection of artist, genre or mood.
Using your phone in Wi-Fi mode, every time
you make a selection, you’re asked whether you want to keep it as an offline
station. The app then ‘charges’ your phone with music - up to five hours for
each station.
The interface stays true to the one found
on its premium app, with the main player section displaying tracks accompanied
by album cover art.
Other notable features include searching
for themed stations and stations dedicated to tracks where you have chosen to
‘love’ the track.
A search of the music library shows there
is plenty to keep the most picky audiophiles happy, covering both mainstream
and more obscure tracks. Genres such as house, which is lacking on Spotify,
seem to be well catered for on the we7 app, for instance. There is, however,
the odd awful cover track, which seems to crop up on Spotify, too.
Disappointingly, sound quality doesn’t
appear to be of the 320Kbps quality of Spotify, while the inability to repeat
tracks or go back to a previous track in the main player is a little annoying.
It’s still in beta, so things may change, but it is a promising start.
6. Minecraft Pocket Edition
Price: $1.95
Minecraft
Pocket Edition
Minecraft is one of the biggest gaming
curios of the last five years. Born from what made (and still makes) retro
games such as Theme Park and SimCity great, the game offers players an open
world to build upon, shoot things and, hopefully, thrive within.
Looking like a Lego-based wonderland,
Minecraft Pocket Edition sees the game make a fairly successful transition to
handhelds, keeping the same playability albeit with some irksome controls.
For a start, you have to remember that this
is based on a game that itself is still in beta. This is great for Android
users wanting a one-up on their iOS rivals but it means the game is a little
rough around the edges. Thankfully, Minecraft’s ingenious gameplay does mean
that clumsy controlling doesn’t mar a decent game.
Minecraft Pocket Edition is based around
building. You have an open world to inhabit, and need to build the best
contraptions you can. To do this, you must use a virtual d-pad, which does
annoy. The controls should be easy but when it comes to precision, it is difficult.
This is a game for those with patience, but if you give it time, you’ll be
infinitely rewarded.
