That's all great for Google, but what does it mean for you? Android's growth in the mobile OS market has fueled competition amongst device manufactures. Bringing a selection of smart-phones to the market never seen before. Android's open source philosophy is driving the incredible growth clip of their Market. Great devices, interfaces and great applications...70,000 can be a little overwhelming however, so here are 10 must-have apps for your Android handset. (most Android applications work across all devices and/or carriers; the ones mentioned below have been test on the Moto Droid and Droid X for Verizon)
10 Must-Have Droid Apps
- Advanced Task Manager (Arron La) *Free version available; however, I recommend upgrading to the ad-free version for only $.99 - Droid's multi-task and before you know it you can find yourself running numerous applications in the background which can slow down your performance and drain battery. ATM is customizable and has a great widget, 1-click to kill all Apps, with the ability to exclude any App.
- Pandora Radio (Pandora) is your own free personalized internet radio - Other internet radio options include Slacker Radio and iHeartRadio, which streams any ClearChannel radio stations in the US. I personally prefer Pandora both on my wireless device and computer.
- NewsRob (Mariano Kamp) is a free Google Reader client - Get all of your RSS feeds in one place in this easy to use, full feature App. Quickly skim headlines, open to view full article, also store and read offline.
- Places Directory (Google) Free - Never use 411 again! Places Directory allows you to browse nearby places in categories like Restaurants, Shopping and Hotels. Read & Write reviews and sync with Maps for turn-by-turn directions.
- Lookout (Lookout) Free - Lookout is the easiest way to protect your phone from viruses, hackers, loss and theft. Antivirus scans every app downloaded, back up all your data online and track your phone via the web if its every lost or stolen.
- Live Scores (Sportacular) Free - Simple, fast scores for all major sports. Football fans must get NFL Mobile (free) and Baseball fans must get MLB.com ($14.99/season)
- Personal Assistant Premium (Pageonce) $9.99/*free version available - An assistant in your pocket! The most effortless way to manage your life online, anywhere, anytime. 10 essential life management applications in one great app! Bank accounts, credit card control, investment portfolio, travel itineraries, netflix que, cell minute tracker, and more.
- Movies (Flixster Inc.) Free - The #1 app for movie reviews, trailers and showtimes. Purchase tickets directly from the app.
- Skyfire Browser (Skyfire) Free - The best flash enabled browser on the market. (this could change with Android 2.2 when Flash is "officially" released.
- LauncherPro (Federico Carnales) Free - An alternate home screen, provides up to 7 home screens, super-smooth scrolling and a 3D App drawer with fly-in effect.
In addition, the Google Apps (Maps, Earth, Skymap, Goggles, etc) are incredible! Although, I'm not a big gamer on my device; Need for Speed - Shift and Super KO boxing 2 are two games that you'll want to check out.
Hopefully, you'll find this list beneficial. Check back in the future for another App update after Froyo (Android 2.2) drops.
