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New Android User. Some helpfull tipps/apps please :3

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darkslayer7

Lurker
I just recently bought a Galaxy Nexus.
Updated it to 4.1.2 (4.2 doesnt seem to be available yet).

Can you guys suggest me some good apps , and give me some tipps ?

(media oriented phone, and maximizing battery life would be a bonus :P)
 
maximizing battery life, at least for me is best with apps like Go Power Master or JuiceDefender. they have managed to maximize the life of my cheap little phone, just pick one and see which works best. stay away from task killers.

apps, the list can vary greatly. since you have 4.x you should be able to use Netflix and Pandora for video/music (of course GB users can too). another launcher is worth a try, there are many free versions in there that may give more custom features/themes without rooting. which brings up another part. do you want to root your device? the possibilities are endless if you want to root. you get all sorts of levels of customization doing that.

my favorite apps so far are

1. Go Launcher EX (w/ widgets)

2. Dolphin Browser HD (better than stock)

and many more.
 
1. Juice Defender and Go Power Master works well only if you are using cellular data regularly, or is connected to WiFi the better part of the day. Otherwise they're little help. I tried Go Power Master and while the widget and profiles are nice, GreenPower and Juice Defender are way better options.

2. Since you are on JB, both Nova Launcher and Apex Launcher are way better options that Go Launcher. Smoother, faster and less bloated in terms of RAM usage. However they have features which work only on paid versions. The great thing about Go is that it's completely free. And they have the best Calendar Widget ever.

3. I prefer Boat Browser over Dolphin, but again prefer Chrome over both. Chrome only works for ICS and beyond. It syncs completely with your Chrome on PC, sending over bookmarks and passwords. You can also manage your bookmarks on a PC and it will reflect on the device. Also, the "other devices" section on Chrome for Android is a nifty little feature you may come to love. :D
 
I used Chrome in the two weeks I used ICS and it felt dated as in an older version and suffered the "sad tab" issue that used to plague the PC version. It doesn't work with the Chrome Web Store so it offers little over Dolphin. RAM usage seemed the same as Dolphin

I think Firefox is available for ICS too
 
Dolphin however does not sync the bookmarks over from your PC, and importing them ruins the folder arrangements. Not to mention that Chrome is faster on my machine. Although all in all, the stock Samsung browser is better than the whole lot of them in terms of features IMO.
 
oh, and one more question. Does anyone know a good navigation app, that you can use offline with maps ? Like I used Nokia Maps, or Garmin with maps offline, because i travel a lot, and need maps of certain European countries without data plan.
 
darkslayer7 said:
oh, and one more question. Does anyone know a good navigation app, that you can use offline with maps ? Like I used Nokia Maps, or Garmin with maps offline, because i travel a lot, and need maps of certain European countries without data plan.
Click to expand...

One I've seen recommended often is the CoPilot series by ALK Technologies. Unfortunately, they're not the cheapest though...
 
darkslayer7 said:
oh, and one more question. Does anyone know a good navigation app, that you can use offline with maps ? Like I used Nokia Maps, or Garmin with maps offline, because i travel a lot, and need maps of certain European countries without data plan.
Click to expand...

There is an app called NavFree. It is a mapping app that has maps preloaded onto your phone and you do not need a data connection for navigation. There are two versions. There is a US (North America) version that has maps of the US, Canada and Mexico. Then there is also an international version that has maps of many countries in the world, but not the US. I have used it a few times in the US when I don't want to incur roaming charges. It is adequate, but it did give me the wrong location of an address in downtown San Francisco. I had to walk 6 extra blocks to get to my hotel. :(
 
Dolphin Browser HD is what I use. Love all the features and customization and add on’s. (Like saving articles as PDF's.)

I use CoPilot Live V9 as my second GPS navigation for offline use. (Google Navigation is first choice.) It is well worth the price and worth the investment. They update the maps every month for free. You can add another destination to your current route. I have the 12 month free traffic and it works really well.
 
There seem to be two variants to dolphin browser, the fully functional "HD" to "mini" for those who want something lighter on resources
 
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