The best Android apps of the year have been tough to pick, especially since some much older apps have had massive updates during that time to help them keep up with the pack. But we’ve done it: here are 10 best Android apps 2010. Read on to find out what they are.
It’s important to note that we’ve only selected apps that launched this year on the platform for the first time: though we love apps like Evernote, Facebook and Spotify, they’ve been available for a lot longer. So a moments’ applause for these newcomers that managed to breakthrough.
Best Android apps of all time: Top 100
Dropbox
Even if you don’t have an Android phone, you need Dropbox. This is the best Android app out there for accessing all your files on the go, in the cloud, without all the complication of VNC Desktop sharing doodah. You get 2GB free, and more if you refer others. Essential.
Check out our Best Android phone Top 5 now
Angry Birds
It’s hard to believe, but on iOS, Rovio’s bird flinging puzzle game is already over a year old. It only launched on Android multitouch supported phones this year however, and it did so with a killer USP: it’s free, and supported entirely by unobtrusive ads.
Swype
Swype is a revelatory app that completely changes the way you type on your phone. It takes some getting used to, but the results can be fantastic, and certainly if you’ve somehow landed an Android phone with a resistive screen against our advice, you need to get in on the finger dragging action and watch those algorithms speed up your Word Per Minute coutn considerably. It’s still in beta for the time being, but a full launch can’t be far off, and many Android phones come with it pre-installed.
Prey
Find My iPhone is a handy tool to have on your iOS device, letting you trigger the GPS and hunt it down if heaven forbid you should somehow lose it. Prey, an open source project that does the same for laptops, rolled out a free Android app at the start of the year, and it’s essential for peace of mind, though HTC Desire HD and Desire Z phones have this tech built in anyway, it’s worth noting. One of the best Android apps you should never have to use – hopefully.
Tasker
If you’re prepared to put some time and effort into Tasker, it’s one of the best Android apps out there for customisation. You can tweak profiles to your heart’s content, based on all sorts of scenario, from location and time to voice commands. You won’t believe some of the stuff the online community has come up with for it, and it can make your Android phone truly automated.
See the best Android games Top 5 here
Twitter
Twitter went back on its word in a big way this year launching its own official clients for mobiles, but when they’re based on Tweetie, and free, it’s hard to complain. Twitter for Android serves up your stream, messages, lists and whatnot, but the big deal is simply account syncing, so you can get mentions delivered to your Android phone’s notification bar, as soon as someone namedrops you.
Skype
Another late arrival to Android, Skype finally pushed out its official app in the Autumn, but it’s been worth the wait. Over Wi-Fi, the sound quality is unbelievably clear, and it works over 3G too. Chat is included, and it hooks up with your contacts list, so you can choose to dial out normally or thorugh Skype as you see fit. Super handy for when you’re on your travels.
Voice Search
Google put Android well and truly ahead of iPhone with voice activation this year. This free first party app lets you do all sorts just by speaking, including sending and dictating messages, changing music tracks, pulling up directions and Googling terms on the fly. So long as you don’t mind talking to yourself in public, you’re looking at the future right here. Android 2.2 and up.
RockPlayer Universal
Of all the Android manufacturers, only Samsung has seen fit to extend video format support much beyond Google’s barebones offering, so while everyone else sits on their thumbs, this is the best way to watch all your DivX AVIs and downloaded MKV files on the move. You’ll need a high end Android phone for the latter, but it’s free, and it’s better than your options on the iPhone right now too.
PSX4Droid
We’re going to say a large percentage of early Android adopters have at some point in their life dreamed of playing Final Fantasy VII, and other classic PlayStation games, on their phones. Ignoring the ethics of console emulation and ROMs, this app works wonders on powerful Android phones, and is one in the eye for any Android naysayers who say there aren’t good games to be had on the platform. How can you have an argument with Final Fantasy VII? You can’t.
Disagree with our Best Android apps of 2010 countdown? Let us know what we missed out in the comments below!
