There are a fillion apps for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and iPad mini. So how do you weed through all of them?
Well, you can follow the advice of any one of a million posts written by people who half used an app twice, grabbed a few screenshots, wrote a post about their “experience”, and promptly deleted the app.
Not helpful.
Or you can read my bit ‘o knowledge. I download and use apps more than once. The good ones move to my home screen, the bad ones get buried in a folder on the last page and eventually deleted. The following apps are the the ones I consider essential.
Social
Tweetbot (2.99 | iPhone link | iPad link) Sorry Twitter, your native app is OK, but Tweetbot is the real deal. Multiple timelines, smart gestures, push notifications, mute filters, timeline sync, customizable navigation, and support for multiple services like Pocket, Instapaper, and Readability, save drafts, add locations and POI’s, attach photos/videos/notes, manage your lists, etcetera etcetera. Given the native app is free I was hesitant to pay $2.99 for Tweetbot. But it’s been worth it.
Facebook (free | iTunes link) The Facebook iPhone app sucked for many iterations. With the release of version 5 the app is finally good.
Skype (free | iTunes link) Facetime is great, but it requires an iPhone, an iPad, and other Facetime users (i.e. people on Apple devices). Skype works on cellular and WiFi networks and allows you to communicate via text or video chat with other Skype users regardless of platform or device. If you travel, live away from your family, or just like to video chat then you need to install Skype.
BeejiveIM ($4.99 | iPhone link | iPad link) Of the host of chat aggregates out there I like Beejive IM the most. I’ve tried Trillian ($4.99) and IM+ Pro ($9.99) but I always come back to Beejive. It’s great and easy to use.
HeyTell (free | iTunes link) HeyTell is the app equivalent of Nextel’s push to talk feature (or a walkie talkie). Instead of text messaging you voice message with others and have the ability to archive each conversation. I find that I use HeyTell way more than SMS. The only downside is the clunky set up. However, once it’s up and running it’s friggin’ awesome.
WhatsApp ($.99 | iTunes link) WhatsApp is a cross-platform smartphone messenger available for the iPhone and all other smartphones. Switch from SMS to exchange messages, pictures, audio notes and video messages for free. This is a great app if you have friends who live overseas or who use a device other than the iPhone.
Google Voice (free | iTunes link) I give out my Google Voice number to anyone outside of my social/familial circle. Primarily because I hate being targeted by spammers and can just turn the tables on folks by dumping them into a long boring voicemail with the hopes they’ll go away. Anywho, the Google Voice app lets me manage my account (and send text messages) right from my iPhone without the hassle of a desktop browser. I have tried GV Mobile+ ($2.99) as well (and their latest update is pretty awesome) but I’ve grown to love the official gVoice app. Besides, it’s free and GV+ is not.
Productivity
DocsToGo Premium ($16.99 | universal | iTunes link) Back when I had a Palm T|X I had DataViz’s Documents To Go. It’s basically MS Office on your phone. With it I can edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files with the added bonus of accessing and syncing files with Google Docs and Dropbox. I’ve tried QuickOffice ($9.99) but after it corrupted several files I gave up on it and went back to DocsToGo. And, iWork (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote) is OK especially with iCloud syncing, but I always go back to DocsToGo.
LogMeIn Ignition ($129.99 | universal | iTunes link). I’ve been using LogMeIn on my desktop computers for years. When the iPhone app came out for $29.99 I pounced on it. If you have an iPad you needn’t think twice. LogMeIn Ignition gives you access to all of your linked computers and it gives you the added ability to manage files across all of those devices. Hands down it is my favorite app. If you don’t have $130 then try their free remote app.
1Password Pro ($14.99 | universal | iTunes link) I used to store all my passwords in my browser via Xmarks. This was OK until I came across 1Password. Now I can access all of my password, software, and secure notes right from my iPhone or iPad, and sync it with whatever computers I have the desktop client installed on. This app is a huge time saver and has helped to solidify best password-creation practices.
Todo ($4.99 | iTunes link) I’m a guy who need lists. It’s how I get things done. I’ve tried several apps and finally decided to go with Todo. Apart from the iOS apps they’ve got a sweet Mac desktop app (iTunes link), and provide the ability to keep everything in sync with either their own cloud syncing service (so you can sync with other devices) or with ToodleDo (which is my approach). Some people like more stuff and for those folks I would recommend Awesome Note, Evernote (iOS | Mac), or Things (iOS | Mac) For me, Todo will do just fine.
Dropbox (free | universal | iTunes link) If you want your files on the go then quit goofing around and download Dropbox (or Skydrive). You get 2GB free and 250MB for each referral (I’m up to 25GB thanks to their scavenger hunt). Seriously, it’s fantastic.
ScannerPro ($6.99 | iTunes link) I used Genius Scan+ ($.99) for the majority of 2012. Then I bought Scanner Pro and I don’t even have the former on my phone. That’s how awesome Scanner Pro is. You just scan your receipts, notes, or whatever other document and presto! Your scanned docs can then be emailed and printed, uploaded to Dropbox, Google Drive and Evernote, or saved on the iPhone/iPad. If you use a whiteboard a lot (I love my Idea Paint wall btw) then this app is a must.
Google (free | universal | iTunes link) It’s Google in your pocket.
News
Reeder ($2.99 | iTunes link) Reeder is my go to RSS feed reader. It’s clean and it is blazing fast. If you’re someone who thinks RSS still has a future then Reeder is for you. If not, then go to B&N and read the newspaper ya douche.
Instapaper ($4.99 | universal| iTunes link) In iOS5 Apple built a “save it later” feature in its Safari iOS browser. I’m not a fan. I continue to go with Instapaper so I can archive web articles I couldn’t finish and read them offline at a later time. Besides, Instapaper is integrated into many apps like Twitter and Reeder making it quite useful.
Alien Blue (free | iTunes link) If you read Reddit on you iPhone then you need to get Alien Blue. It’s jam packed with features for the cost of nothing. And if you fork over $1.99 you can upgrade to a Pro version that create posts, integrate Imgur, subscribe/unsubscribe to Reddits, and add/manage multiple accounts. Totally worth it.
AppAdvice ($1.99 | iTunes link) A great app for all things iPhone and iPad.
Music
Pandora (free | universal | iTunes link) Create a radio station online for free and listen to it on your iDevice. That’s it. AND IT’S AWESOME!
Remote (free | universal | iTunes link) If you hate walking over to your computer every time you need to skip a song in iTunes then the Remote app is for you. Turn on home sharing, pair the app with your library, and control your iTunes right from your iDevice. Great for parties!
TuneIn Pro ($4.99 | universal | iTunes link) When I travel I often come across radio stations that I really like. TuneIn Pro gives me complete access to these stations, and let’s me record what I hear if I want. And when MLB and NFL seasons are in full swing I can dial up my favorite team’s station and listen to the broadcast.
Photo/Video
ReelDirector ($1.99 | universal | iTunes link) The best video editing app on the iPhone bar none.
iMovie ($4.99 | universal* | iTunes link) The second best video editing app on the iPhone (because it renders faster than ReelDirector).
Pano ($1.99 | iTunes link) This app gives you the ability to create a panoramic photo with ease. It rocks the house. Read my review and judge for yourself.
PhotoSync ($1.99 | universal | iTunes link) Getting photos from one iDevice to another, from an iDevice to a computer, from my computer to my iDevice, or up to Facebook and Dropbox is all possible thanks to PhotoSync. Download the app. Download the desktop program. Get to syncing. It’s that easy.
Camera+ ($0.99 | iTunes link) The native camera app in iOS6 is an improvement. But Camera+ is still the king. Chock full of features the only thing it doesn’t do that the native app can is take panoramic photos. But, hey, you’re using Pano for that now.
Utilities
Mobile Mouse ($1.99 | universal | iTunes link) OK, so sometimes I’m lazy. Like when my computer is 10 feet away and I don’t feel like getting up to click OK on an install. That’s where Mobile Mouse comes in. Download the app. Download the desktop program. Then start controlling your PC/Mac from your iDevice over your local network.
Google Maps (free | iTunes link) I’ve tried many GPS apps for the iPhone. I really like Motion X ($.99) and Copilot Live USA ($4.99). Then Google up and released a native maps app that has voice guided turn-by-turn nav and all the stuff that comes with Google Maps. And it’s free.
iBooks (free | universal | iTunes link) While my favorite e-reader app is really Stanza (free) I keep gravitating back to iBooks for reading PDFs and eBooks for w/e reason. Doesn’t matter really. They’re both free. Of course if you really want to splurge go with Good Reader ($4.99) it’s an amazing PDF reader. If you don’t want to spend the cash, just go with free.
Flashlight (free | iTunes link) It’s a flashlight, with 10 strobes and a compass, and it’s free.
KeyRing (free | iTunes link) I’m not a huge fan of carrying around rewards cards in my wallet or on my key chain. So when I came across KeyRing I’ve since removed all of the rewards cards from my both. It’s super easy. Just scan the bar code, identify it, and then show it to the merchant when you shop.
Others
Of the 252 other apps installed on my phone, about a third are games, and others are apps that I use on occasion. For instance if I see a wreck I fire up 5-0 Radio to find out the details so I can plan an alternate route home. If my Bears are playing I turn to the official Chicago Bears app to follow their progress. I use Word Lens to translate menus from Spanish to English. I spy on my dogs with iCam. And when I’m on the road I use WiFiFoFum (removed from App Store) to find WiFi hotspots. The ones listed above are the ones I use regularly.
Make the most of your $800 mini-computer and its $1200/year annual price tag, and spend the $200 to download my essential 31. When you do, you’ll thank me. And if you don’t, I really don’t care.
What are your essential iPhone apps for 2012? Which favorite app of yours didn’t make the cut? Got recommendation questions? Share ‘em below or send me an e-mail at me@y2kemo.com. BTW, if you still feel the need to look for a more comprehensive list click the following link for more search results.
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