Editor’s note: This guest post was written by Alex Ahlund (@alexahlund), the former CEO of AppVee and AndroidApps, which were acquired by mobile app directory Appolicious. He is currently an advisor to Appolicious. In his previous guest posts, he gave us his picks for top iPhone apps.
With the ubiquitous media coverage surrounding the iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) app market, it’s important to remember that Android also is making huge headway. More than 100,000 apps are now available in the Android Market. Within the last six months, Android devices have reigned supreme, comprising 32 percent of all new smartphone purchases. There is finally a larger selection of models being manufactured and more carriers offering them. When the first Android device launched, I predicted that the OS would surpass iPhone in the coming years. While this looks to be true, those of us involved in the app industry are concerned with something more specific: Who will have the most active app marketplace?
Currently, iOS is still the definitive winner. There is not enough app interest on the Android consumer front to warrant a mass exodus just yet. I have a pretty simple metric for determining the potential of an app market: Is PopCap involved? If the answer is no, then the market is still too green. While PopCap has yet to enter the Android space, they have noted plans to port some of their game titles in the coming months. This supports the notion that Android has big potential, but it’s still too early.
Nevertheless, Android does have serious potential, and there are some fantastic apps already available! Without further ado, here are my top all-time picks for the Android platform, broken down by top free apps, top paid apps, and top games
Top 10 Free Apps
1. Kindle (review) – bring the book reading experience to your Android device. Read all the same titles from your Amazon account and enjoy the same functionality in a pocket format
2. SkyFire (review) – faster web browsing and video streaming than included mobile browsers
3. Google Voice (review) – take control of your phone by creating a new number, route calls to various paths, and take advantage of tons of advanced features like voicemail transcription, free texting, cheap international calling, and more
4. EverNote (review) – the ultimate, centralized notebook and note creation system that syncs to the cloud
5. Barcode Scanner (review) – scan books, movies, and music to quickly get information and pricing
6. Lookout (review) – the problem with an open system like Android is that you are prone to viruses and walware. Lookout keeps these in check and runs scans on your device for installed apps and downloaded files
7. Facebook (review) – you know the drill, get your social network fix
8. Layar Reality Browser (review) – see overlays on your camera as you scan the real world and get up to date information on it
9. Mint (review) – aggregate all of your finances safely and stay on top of your bank account balances, credit lines, mortgages and more
10. Places Directory (review) – like AroundMe, Places Directory lets your know of restaurants, movie theaters, and more in the area
Top 10 Best Paid Android Apps
1. Root Explorer (File Manager) (review) – a comprehensive file manager to access and manipulate all files on your device
2. Advanced Task Manager (review) – keep all system tasks and apps in line to get the most efficient and speedy phone
3. Beautiful Widgets (review) – customize your device with tons of skins and widgets
4. SetCPU for Root Users (review) – overclock, underclock and tweak your device’s performance
5. MyBackUp Pro (review) – keep everything on your phone backed up and secure incase you need to restore remotely from the cloud
6. CacheMate for Root Users (reviews) – the best cache clearing app currently available, free up tons of space
7. Sound Hound (reviews) – like Shazam or Midomi, find music instantly by letting your device listen
8. Dropbox (review) – sync files between your computers and your mobile
9. LogMeIn Ignition (review) – access your computers remotely from your phone
10. DroidAnalytics (review) – keep on top of all your blogs and websites with this solid Google Analytics client
Top 10 Best Paid Android Games
1. Robo Defense (review) – as a fan of tower defense games, Robo Defense stacks up with the best. Open maps, solid graphics and excellent upgrades, this will make any TD gamer happy
2. Fruit Ninja (review) – like its iPhone brother, Fruit Ninja is all about cutting up fruit and earning bigger points
3. SNESoid (review) – play all of your favorite SNES games right from your device
4. HomeRun Battle 3D (review) – a quirky sports game with online play, multiple game modes, and a casual but exciting experience
5. Abduction! 2 (review) – a Doodle Jump clone with plenty of new features and power-ups
6. HyperJump (review) – launch a creature higher and higher by collecting coins and power-ups along the way
7. Zenonia (review) – a fantastic mobile RPG with all the fixings that’d you’d expect from the genre
8. WOW Keyboard (review) – play World of Warcraft directly from your mobile device
9. Angry Birds (review) – the chart topping, bird tossing game is now available on Android
10. Voice Music (review) – let your voice become a musical instrument as its converted into a keyboard
In addition to the paid offerings available on Android, the platform offers great free game classics like UnblockMe, Bubble Blast II, and Backgammon.
So those are my picks. What have you been using that has become a staple on your device?