Android devices are slowly beginning to take over the mobile OS space. Google-powered Android devices have a higher activation number than even Apple’s iPhone and Gartner predicts that in a short four years, Android will have the biggest market share of all mobile OS platforms – even bigger than Nokia’s MeeGo. And a big part of the reason for the Google Android success is the Android apps!
NUMBER 1: SHAZAM
Shazam really works like magic. This app, available for free with limited use, lets you record a sample of a song you’ve never heard before but like, and it will access its database to try find it. Shortly after, you’ll be given the name of the song, the artist, and even the option to purchase the song directly from within the app. See, just like magic. This app is, simply put, incredible, and a marvel of technology.
NUMBER 2: LAYAR
The augmented reality app, which lets you get Wikipedia data about objects you’re pointing towards, location-specific tweets, apartment sales, and other neat features is cute, but it’s the potential locked within Layar that excites us. As the platform builds out, in no time will we be able to get functional, valuable information about the places we are in and the things to do. It’s the potential that excites us, and what’s great is the app is already brilliant in its current incarnation.
NUMBER 3: ASTRO FILE MANAGER
Astro File Manager is brilliant because it lets you manage files on your Android as if it were a desktop PC. To call it Explorer for Android would not be an over-exaggeration. It lets you backup apps, even send files as attachments, among several other functions you expect of a file manager. It’s free with ad-support, or $4 for the premium version. Spend the money. Trust us – it’s worth every penny.
NUMBER 4: GTASKS
While the Google apps integration is very good natively on the Android, GTasks task manager is a brilliant Google Android app because it syncs seamlessly with Google Tasks. It costs you nothing, and truth be told, Google should just ship it in the box as is.
NUMBER 5: DOLPHIN HD
We were torn between Picasa Tool Pro and Dolphin Browser HD for the last spot on this list, but we opted for Dolphin. This web browser is far better than the one that ships natively with Google Android handsets, and it includes gesture-based surfing, tabs, and support for plug-ins even. You know what’s even better? Its price tag. It will cost you the super agreeable sum of free. Get it.
SLOW BUILD
While few will debate Google Android apps still have some way to go before they catch up with the many varied top-quality iOS apps on the market, nobody will argue that they’re getting there.
The handsets have already closed the gap with the brilliant Samsung Galaxy S joining HTC handsets in the Google Android phone royalty box, and apps will soon follow the trend for the search giant’s mobile OS. You know you want an Android handset. Do it!
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