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Essential or "Must Have" Android Apps?

iTzKPanda

iTzKPanda

AF's resident panda
Hi, I'm new to the android market and I was wondering what some essential or "must have" apps are. It doesn't matter whether it's a game or a social networking app, throw 'em at me! :D (a small description of what the app does or is would be nice unless the name of the app is self explanatory)
(and does anyone know a good hotspot app that doesn't require rooting?)
 
Start with the basics, ie Facebook, Netflix, Skype, Kindle, Angry Birds, Words with Friends, etc. Then you should get a launcher because they are just so much fun and truly make your phone yours (go, adw, nova etc.). Pulse is pretty amazing for aggregating your blogs/news feeds. I'm a fan of racing games and think Asphalt Adrenaline is pretty awesome. A new keyboard might be fun, Swiftkey or Swype are pretty cool. Swipepad is a fun shortcut programs. Google gesture search is useful. A widgets app allows for more customizations, I use Beautiful Widgets....

Thats a good starting place. I hope this helps. Enjoy.
 
Oh yeah, you'll probably want a file manager as well. And Doodle Jump is an amazingly simple and adictive game. Horrible graphics but that makes it even more enjoyable...
 
My must-have apps are paid-for ones: Tasker, Poweramp, iSyncr, and WordFeud (yeah, WordFeud has a free version, but if you play it a lot, it's worth the US$2.99 not to have the ads--and the adfree version is smaller and faster). Tasker and Poweramp both have free trial versions available. I think they're both week-long trials. iSyncr has a "lite" version.

Tasker allows you to automate a whole bunch of things on your phone. Autorotate only certain apps. Change the default ringtone if the screen is off. Change the brightness depending on the time of day. Turn on wireless for certain locations. Lower the volume when headphones are plugged in. Change the screen timeout time to be longer for certain apps. It's awesome!

Poweramp allows you to have gapless or crossfading playback, pause songs for notifications, start playing when headphones are plugged in, skip songs by long-pressing the volume buttons, shuffle songs (instead of playing them randomly).

iSyncr is a very smooth syncing app for iTunes playlists, including smart playlists, and it also syncs play counts.

WordFeud is a fun Scrabble-like game that's better in almost every respect than Words with Friends.
 
Facebook Lite is ship much smaller, faster & less clunky than the default app.

For me though the app I can't manage without is Shush. Have you ever forgotten to turn your silent mode off after a meeting? Shush will do it for you after a predetermined time.
 
I use the clock that's already installed on my LG Optimus. Weather wise I really like My-Cast Weather Lite. Much better than the Weather Channel's horrible app.

Another small but useful app is Wikipedia.
 
My must have list is pretty simple so far...

Badass Battery monitor-very underrated, lets you see what is using battery power

3G watchdog- lets you keep track of data and wifi usage, I have a gophone so this is a must

Powerful control- lets you turn on/off data 3G, wifi, bluetooth, gps etc.. from a single source. A few more option from the stock control bar,but looks the same
 
There's a lot of good recommendations so far. Here's a few of the apps i use daily.

Weather Bug Elite - the best feature for me is the live radar. It's accurate for the times a severe weather alert comes out and you need to see just how close a storm is.

Gas Buddy - with the way gas prices fluctuate, this app is great for finding that single gas station that didn't know everyone else raised their prices.

Flikie Wallpaper. - tons of HD wallpapers in various categories to keep your screen from getting dull and boring.

QuickPic - a gallery replacement app that I've used since I first got my Droid X.

IMDb - I'm sure we've all been in a conversation about movies and someone mentions an actor in a certain film but can't remember the name of the movie. This app can make you look like a film guru.

Flixster - I use this app to find out showtimes at the local theaters but it also has reviews and news about upcoming and recent releases.

and last but definitely not least...

Phandroid - rather than loading up your browser to open the androidforums.com website, this official app makes posting and reading threads a breeze. 99% of my posts are done from this app including this one.
 
Unless you're running ICS, 3G Watchdog is a must.

Screebl - keeps you phone from sleeping while you're using it.

Springpad - advanced note taking app that syncs to cloud. Has a great browser interface. You can make shopping lists on your pc and then have it on your phone.

Folder Organizer - allows you to make folders on the homescreen by tagging apps within folder organizer.

Touch Calendar - very easy interface. Continuous scrolling and pinch to zoom. Try Jorte if you want something with more features.

Swype - one of the best reasons to get an Android phone :)

You asked for a Weather/Clock widget. I'm currently using BeWeather.
 
Weather/Clock Widget - I use beautiful widgets. You can get an older version free from GetJar.

Other apps -
Amazon Appstore - Free apps every day.
Wiki Mobile - Ad free mobile wikipedia.
MX Video Player - Plays everything. The ads are very unintrusive (imo, anyways) if you don't want to buy it.
ES File Explorer - Good free file explorer. If it has ads, I've never seen one.
Shop Savvy - Scan bar codes to compare prices and get reviews online.
AndBible - Good free bible. It has a lot of translations, including some more modern ones like NET and ESV. Sadly does not have NIV.
Tunein Radio - Listen to and record from tons of radio stations all over the world. I bought the pro version when it was 25 cents, so I dont know how it is different then the free version.
Comic Reader (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blogspot.applications4android.comicreader) - Read all your favorite comic strips for free, no ads, no bs.
SwiFTP - FTP server for your phone. I use this to quickly transfer small files like ebooks, music, etc.
Addons Detector - Tells you what apps do what on your phone in terms of ads, permissions, etc.
Epocrates - I use this app multiple times a day. If you ever have need for quick drug information, its all right here. Requires free registration. Yes, I know it's a niche app not for everybody, but I love it:)
 
Clipper -- store and retrieve copied text, select prestored snippets
Pocket or the like -- keep all youe personal numbers and data safe and in your phone
AppMonster -- back up and restore apps to your SD card
Groupy -- put your contacts in the same groups your PC does
Launcher Pro or the like -- once you try it, the stock launcher s$&%ks
 
Also check out "Lookout Mobile Security " app in Google play. It's a great free app which also has a lost phone or device locator as well as anti-virus/malware and safe search of the web.
Another useful app I use is "Battery XL", which is an excellent battery saving app that has an extensive user control settings to help manage power consumption.
You mentioned a good weather app. "Accuweather" in my opinion is a great addition for following the weather in your area, or follows you wherever you go. A Major Plus is that it has severe weather alerts that are push notifications directly to your device. For myself I find this app a must have, and is extremely useful if you live in an area with chronic severe weather. Especially useful if power outages occur.
Hope these are helpful as well as the other great suggestions listed!
 
Beautiful Weather is a nice Clock and Weather widget that uses Accuweather data. A free version is Fancy Widgets, but I prefer the Beautiful Weather skins.
 
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