VLC
The best media player on the market. Will play any file you throw at it, and no need for ridiculous codecs. If you want a way to watch some media on the road, then this is the way to go – especially good for larger tablets.
Launcher Pro
While some smartphone users might prefer iOS, one of the great aspects of Android is being able to customise everything about the device freely at any time. Launcher Pro expands on that by being able to customise your home screens. The app just increases the smoothness of the entire home screen experience, along with animated previews, a scrollable shortcut dock and transition effects for a bit of flare.
If you prefer being able to customise your phone, Launcher Pro is definitely a must-have.
Tasker
If you’re a busy person, then your smartphone should be automated. You shouldn’t have to be fiddling around with settings all the time to make sure your phone is working for you, to turn it on silent, or turn off Wi-Fi.
Tasker helps by setting up triggers, which cause an action. For instance, you can set your phone to turn on silent once you enter your workplace, or to switch off Wi-Fi when you’re on the train on the way to work to save power.
The options go on and on. If you want to automate your phone instead of manually switching everything around, Tasker is the best you can buy.
Notify Me
Android already comes with a way to receive notifications, but Notify Me is a great app which lets you see certain alerts on your lock screen for only specific messages, emails, or even apps. You can choose which ones show up on the screen, and dismiss them just as quickly as well. You can even use shortcut buttons on the lock screen to message back or text.
Handcent SMS
There’s nothing particularly wrong with the text messaging app already available on Android, but this app will give you more features and better customisability.
Wapedia
You can look up Wikipedia articles using the Chrome browser just fine, but if you want a more tailored experience, then you’re better off checking out Wapedia. The app also gives you more options for browsing through article references.
Dropbox
If you’re not using DropBox by now, then you really should. Cheap, easy cloud storage, the Android app is just as good as any of the other formats.
It’s unfortunate Twitter seems to be killing off third-party applications like TweetDeck, but at least the official app is still good enough for now. If you use the social network then this is probably the best bet for quick, easy smartphone usage.
Lightbox
This isn’t the most comprehensive photography app around, but it’s definitely a great one. With a nice interface design, the app provides filters for your shots, and the ability to share on social networks as well.
PDAnet
Using a smartphone to tether onto a laptop, or create a Wi-Fi hotspot, is a common tool. PDAnet is probably the best app available for turning your phone into a hotspot without having to perform some complicated work on it first. There are both free and paid versions, but if you want the convenience of simply tethering whenever you want and with unlimited connectivity options, it’s worth shelling out for the paid version.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
