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Top apps for your new Android smartphone

Loie Favre (translation) 2 days ago

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Did you just open a present this holiday season to discover a brand-spanking new Android smartphone? If you did, well you’re a lucky duck and now it’s time to start having some fun with all the amazing Android apps that are available in the Google Play Store. A fair warning though, many are a waste of time, so here are the ones that all new AND continuing Android users should install.

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Finding and managing files: ES File Explorer File Manager

Depending on the brand of shiny new toy which you pulled out of the tissue paper, you may or may not have a file explorer, but this is something indispensable for Android users and the app for this purpose which may have been pre-installed on your device may not suffice. To start, we highly recommend getting ES File Explorer File Manager which is really intuitive and easy to use and is available in a variety of languages.

Music player for heavy and heavy listeners alike: Poweramp

Here’s an Android multimedia player whose functions will make your head spin. Whether you always have earphones glued to your ears or you just want to listen to music on your phone once in a while, there’s a huge chance that Poweramp could be made for you. It’s easy to use, filled to the rafters with functions, supports a huge number of file types, has different skins, an equalizer….need I say more?

© Max MP

Poweramp is available for a free trial for 15 days and afterwards you’ll have to pay. If you want to try a free app that does the same thing, check out Winamp, which is equally as stable and has a simple user interface.

Watching videos: VLC

You might have heard about VLC Plus Pro thanks to its PC version. Even though this version isn’t yet 100% complete, we consider it to be a super useful app and one of the most effective for movie watching on your Android tablet or smartphone. The application allows you to add subtitles, it will adopt to your screen size and to top it all off, it is extremely user-friendly. Nonetheless, the app, as it is still in its beginning stages, can sometimes be a little buggy. If you don’t feel like testing a new up-and-coming app, then try MX Player.

© VLC

Saving your files with a backup app: Helium

Though I’m sure you could survive without this next app, we strongly advise using it. It will allow you to save your apps, data, SMS, contacts and pictures in the occasion of theft, loss or other unfortunate circumstances. Backed up apps will also be retained in the occasion of sending your smartphone back to be repaired by the manufacturer, during which case it comes back a clean slate, all data lost. With Helium, it’s easy! Simply check the apps that you would like to save and choose backup.

Taking notes: Any.Do To do list

Smartphones are one of the rare things that you carry along with you at all time and comes in handy for quickly ‘jotting down’ notes or thoughts throughout the day. Any.Do is a well-rounded app: it organizes for you, while helping you out. I you choose the word ‘grocery’, Any.Do will suggest a sentence like ‘go grocery shopping’ or ‘go grocery shopping for...’’ and all you have to do is click on the contact icon to add the name of the person. This is just one of the great examples of how Any.Do can be useful in your every day life. If you get hooked on this app, you’ll never let it go.

Keeping up with the Joneses: Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Instagram

Here we’ve grouped all of the most popular social networking apps. These are obviously all available for Android and are often updated. Facebook and Twitter also have widgets that allow you to be ‘in the know’ with your friends in a more in your face kind of way. Instagram has also integrated video to make some cool short snippets. Skype allows you to place calls via mobile data or Wi-Fi. But just for your information, these aren’t the end all and be all of social media apps, there are more coming into the limelight, like Viber, Vine, Cinemagram, Line, Wechat…

Getting in touch: WhatsApp

If you don’t know WhatsApp, then you have probably just acquired your first smartphone! This app has become the bread and butter for iOS and Android users worldwide. With instant messaging, photo transfers, sounds, groupe conversations, most are using it on a daily basis and as a replacement for the common SMS or text message. Though it’s not the only app of its genre (nor is it the best), you are sure with WhatsApp that you will be able to keep in contact with most of your friends and family.

Great all-around game: Clash of Clans

Clash of Clans is an excellent mobile game. It combines strategy, action and management and what’s more, it’s multiplayer. Its success is probably in large part due to its easy usage and the lack of ads. Not only that, you don’t need to be constantly connected and need not fear having to dish out tons of cash in order to actually progress: Clash of Clans has multiple platforms and has more than a million players around the globe. You develop your own village and join or create clans to become the lord of your guilde.

Working with documents: Quickoffice

If you want to open documents, edit them as well as view spreadsheets, give Quickoffice for Android a try, it’s sort of like Microsoft Office for PC. You are able to use your smartphone, or better yet a tablet, to rework your docs, slide presentations or graphs. Obviously, working with office docs on your computer is a lot more ergonomic, however if you buy yourself an attachable Bluetooth keyboard for Android, it’s almost like you are sitting at your good old desktop again.

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Being tech, apps and Android savvy: AndroidPIT

Evidently, you can’t forget about installing AndroidPIT to keep on top of all your Android, smartphone, tablet and app news, as well as take part in the forum and discover lots of new stuff to do with your device.
What other applications have you installed with your new smartphone?

(originally by Joséphine Dusol)