8 Best Must Have Mobile Phone Apps

After some fabulous tweeting with @kateab and @ebabeelikes re mobile phone apps I realised that now is the time to share my favourite phone apps.

Which Phone?

Before I do though, its impossible to write about phone apps without also at least skirting on the subject of which phone to buy. My advice (re both phone and apps) is very biased. I have researched, made my decision which I am very happy with and now share with you, but you are free to disagree.

My advice is buy the best Android phone your money can buy. Back in June 2010, that for me was the HTC Desire which I love dearly. Since then, the choice of Android phones is massive and HTC have bought out newer models, though the HTC Desire is still a very popular and great choice.

To those of you with your sights set on an iPhone, I strongly recommend you go and have a chat with your favourite phone provider and you will soon discover that an Android phone will burn a lot smaller hole in your pocket whilst simultaneously making you feel proud that you have had the insight to think for yourself and make an informed decision.

Regardless of which you chose, you will love your phone, even if it is an iPhone (yes, I have deliberately not mentioned other alternatives, as well, they really just don’t cut the mustard).

Anyway, without further digression, this is my top list of Android Apps (most are also available on the iPhone) in no particular order:

1. SpringPad

This is a mobile filofax. You can write notes, scan barcodes of books, toys, films etc and store it in mini notebooks. I have used it to organise Geeky Daughter’s birthday, keep track of library books and much more. Takes a bit of time to get it, but once you do, you won’t know how you survived without it.

2. Tweetdeck

I have tried a few, including paid apps, and Tweetdeck wins hands down for me, mostly for the integration with Facebook, but it also looks slick. The only gripe is that it doesn’t autocomplete usernames. I am actually a Hootsuite fan when on my computer, but use Tweetdeck on my phone.

3. BabyEsp

This is Android only but similar apps are available on the iPhone. It keeps track of baby feeds, sleeps, medicines etc. It is beautifully designed and highly customisable. OK, so it isn’t free, but its only a few quid and you can try before you buy. I still use it whenever I give medicines and I even use it for myself when ill.

4. WordPress Phone App

If you have a WordPress blog, the App is brill. I draft most blog posts on it, and the management of comments is really neat, easier than on the web. It is so good that if you aren’t using WordPress you should seriously consider switching over for the App alone.

5. Sky News

This is really nicely done and a must for anyone that likes to keep tabs on the latest news. Interestingly however there is no competition for the prize of best news app, BBC don’t even have their own app!!!

6. Ocado

Another example of where the App is actually much better than the web version. The other supermarkets are at long last producing apps, so if your allegiance lies elsewhere, it is worth checking out if they have an app. Great fun to shop by scanning bar codes.

7. Amazon Kindle

As a big reader the love for my Kindle can quite simply warrant a whole blog post. The really clever part is that if you download the free phone app, it synchronizes with your Kindle. So whilst I would never dream of reading an entire book on my phone, if I have left my Kindle at home and I’m stuck in a queue somewhere, I can read a few pages on my phone. Genius.

8. Angry Birds

Got to fit in some fun. Angry Birds sounds rubbish but is actually great fun and my 6 year old loves it too. Just download it, it’s free, and be prepared to be Angry Birds obsessed for at least a few weeks.

There are other apps I could have mentioned, but these are the ones I use all the time. If you have any apps that make it into your favourite must have apps, please leave a comment and let us all know.