Google’s new, polished Android app store, called Google Play, had a lot to offer in the previous year. Many new developers entered the game, while the old ones relentlessly kept up the pace and improved their software. We saw several major updates to the apps of the most popular internet services such as Facebook and Twitter, which were met with mixed reviews. This article will try to list the Android apps which delivered on their promises and became must-haves for every Android fan out there.
Google’s response to cloud storage giants such as Dropbox was creating Google Drive, their own cloud service which emerged as a product of the evolution of Google Docs. Google Drive Android app is fully optimized for all kinds of screens (both phone and tablet) and integrates well in the operating system. Added value is the ability to create documents and presentations inside the app and store them in the cloud.
After a long time spent in the beta stage, Mozilla presented its mobile browser in its full glory. Firefox boasts with a beautiful user interface, speed and customizability for which it has been famous in the desktop world for years. It also features a reader mode which presents the articles you wish to read in a cleaner way.
Catch Notes
This is a beautifully designed note taking app which promises you will never miss an idea anymore. You can capture your thoughts by taking photos, voice recordings or simply typing them. The ideas are organized in their private spaces which can be protected by 4-digit pins. Search is made easy with the ability to put tags on your individual notes.
WhatsApp messenger is advertized as the SMS killer. It is a fully featured messenger app through which you can share your photos, videos and voice notes to your friends and colleagues. The app integrates with your phone number and doesn’t require usernames and
passwords to make it work, much like SMS.
This fantastic app, which is an open source project sponsored by Google, lets you see the sky above you with your phone, together with the constellation names and other relevant data. Give it a try and let it speak for itself – if you like astronomy, we promise you will be amazed.
Winamp for Android
For all of you nostalgic of the past, Winamp is available on Android. Once one of the major media players, Winamp stagnated for a while, publishing no major updates in the past few years. However, they still managed to make a solid Android app which deserves that you give it a try. It can import your iTunes library, sync with your Mac and PC and play all major media formats.
Evernote is another note taking app on this list, the famous, critically acclaimed piece of software which lets you store your multimedia and text notes in a clean, easy to understand interface. Whether your everyday life depends on to-do lists or you are a writer collecting data for your new book, the chances are you will want to give Evernote a try.
It remains to be seen whether 2013 will bring some new stars to the Android galaxy (pun intended). As for the apps which are already there, we expect further polishing and expanding of their functionality. There can never be enough of that.