It may not have the kudos of iOS, yet we’re big fans of Android here in the JOE office – here are our top picks of the year’s Android apps.
By Leo Stiles
2010 has been an incredible year for Android phones. The amount of new apps since the launch of the paid app store for Ireland in October has been breathtaking and deciding on the top apps for the year hasn’t been easy, especially with the level of quality on display. The five apps here represent the best examples of what your phone is capable of and while we could never say that the list is definitive, it’s not far off.
1. Advanced Task Killer
Multitasking is a great feature for phones with lots of apps running and really puts the smart in smartphone. It’s also a drain on performance and battery life that might cause you to curse it rather than praise it as your phone runs out of juice after a couple of hours.
Task killer is a brilliant little app that can end all running apps with the touch of a button freeing up precious memory and CPU resources and leaving you free to trouser your phone without worrying if it will last the next couple of hours.
The app is completely flexible and you can tailor it to kill certain apps, or all of them, so you can shut down your Angry Birds session without fear of missing out on any vital Facebook updates or tweets. Simple but indispensable.
2. Drop Box
Feel free to retire your USB key with this one and instead you can have all your important documents stored in the cloud where they will be free from the perils of the back of cabs and the spilled pint glass. With 2GB of storage space to play about with you can back up all your emails, photos and documents from your phone with ease and when you fire up the same app on your computer you will have access to them without all the hassle of finding that elusive memory stick.
3. Reckless Racing
The best game on the Android Market is also one of our favourite games on any phone. A top down racer in the mould of 16bit classic Micro Machines, Reckless Racing is a perfect fit for the modern smartphone with a variety of control schemes, excellent graphics, an amusing hillbilly aesthetic and some seriously excellent track design. The addition of local and internet multiplayer modes round out an excellent package that no gamer with an Android phone should be without.
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4. SkyFire Web Browser
SkyFire made a big splash in the iPhone world this year but Android users have been enjoying its features since the beginning of 2010.
Without doubt, the best mobile web browser money can buy with its integration of Facebook and Twitter feeds and trend based searches besting even the Dolphin HD browser. If your phone doesn’t support Flash, SkyFire even provides viewable video thanks to a nifty live conversion process.
Any rivals are going to have to go a long way to stop us using this one.
5. Nimbuzz
You could download Yahoo, Facebook, Gmail, MSN and Skype in one great app to keep in touch with your mates. All you have to do is enter in all your usernames and passwords and the app will run in the background alerting you about who is online and any incoming messages you may have.
What really makes it shine is that the app works cross-platform, meaning that you can make free VoIP calls to anyone on your friends list that is running the software; be it on an iPhone or a PC. Users of high-end Android phones running the latest version of the OS will also benefit from HD audio.
Honourable Mentions
Angry Birds – It’s the top selling mobile game for a reason; simple to play and nigh-on impossible to master.
Tasker – Schedule activity on your phone down to the tiniest detail based on time, battery life and even location.
Kindle – The best mobile e-reader with innovative Whispersync feature for dynamic bookmarking across devices. Not all Android handsets will be suitable but for those that are; happy reading.
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