PlanetMozilla

What’s hot for Android?

9 Comments

The correct answer, of course, is Firefox Mobile. šŸ™‚ But what _other_ apps are must-have for Android?

Some context: I got a Motorola Atrix phone a few months ago, it was my first Android device. I’ll probably blog more about it sometime, but the short version is that the hardware is good-to-ok, Android (currently Gingerbread) is a disaster, and I (honestly) really really really like Firefox Mobile on it. It’s my first mobile device (iPhone included) that I actually enjoy browsing on. Even for an extended period, as opposed to “let me look up X real quick.”

I’ve now got a Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet, and am giving it a whirl. I will _definitely_ have things to say about it soon. But in the interim, I’m wondering what other excellent Android apps are worthy to try out?

My current — and rather short — list includes:

  • Firefox Mobile (duh)
  • Angry Birds (who doesn’t)
  • Twitter (also mandatory, official client or not)
  • Evernote (really liking the desktop app, so a natural fit)

Johnath was raving about Tasker, which I’ll install as soon as I figure out how to enable the “Buy” button in Android Market.

9 thoughts on “What’s hot for Android?”

  3. “My Tracks” is interesting, but Android REALLY needs to figure out how to make extensions for apps, or something. My default tablet install already has like 5 different mapping applications (all apparently just flavors of Google Maps), and my Atrix is even worse.

    The heart-rate monitors look like a really clever hack. I’ll have to try that out, though it seems that there are some other scammy-looking apps similar to it.

  4. K-9 Mail? (Just kidding, there is no decent mail client for Android.)

    I don’t know what the default keyboard input is like on that device, but the Samsung one on mine sucks. I bought SwiftKey X which is heaps better at key prediction etc.

  5. I got a Samsung Galaxy S II a couple of weeks ago, generally agree about Android as a disaster, but was pretty happy that so many of my go-to apps on iPhone had made it over:

    * Hootsuite
    * Grocery IQ
    * Currency
    * Kindle
    * Soundcloud
    * Urban Spoon

    I’m stoked at the possibility ( haven’t tested yet ) that I might be able to play xvid files without having to convert them first. Need to test that out.

  6. On the second look I realized that was intended to be the Firefox tail. On the first look…well, you can probably guess.

    Moral: Let’s not use that graphic for any marketing.

  7. Applications:
    AndChat
    AndExplorer
    androidVNC
    How to Tie a Tie
    OsmAnd
    RssDemon
    Screen Filter
    Text Edit

    Games:
    aDosBox
    Chess Free
    Trap!
    X Construct

  8. From my experience (I bought an Android phone in may) the Google Maps apps has many incarnations, but all of them are the same app.

    Maps itself, Latitude, Street View, Sites and Navigation. The only one that can be installed separately from Maps is Street View probably because it is useless in many parts of the world.

    They are just different ways to launch google maps.

    Apps like My Tracks, Earthquake Alert! and many others that “show maps inside the app” are just using the Google Maps API that comes integrated in the platform.

  9. Specifically for tablets, here’s what I use regularly:

    * Pulse is a really nice news reader, with Google Reader integration.

    * Flickr (I think it’s just called Flickr) is a Flickr viewer designed for tablets, and it looks great.

    * Dropsync for folder-to-folder syncing of specific Dropbox folders. This is key for Galaxy Tab 10.1 because it doesn’t mount as a drive via USB (someone will be reborn as a hungry ghost in their next life for this).

    * Tweetcomb for tablet-oriented Twitter client.

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