This November marks one year since I've switched to the iPhone. Besides being an amazing phone, the iPhone has an App Store that offers thousands of new programs. With such a wide selection, many of the apps can be hit or miss. The following is a list of apps that have stood the test of time on my phone and find themselves frequently used.
Built-in Apps
- 5. Maps - Thanks to Google's Maps, I always know where I am in the world. Even though Maps doesn't have turn-by-turn directions (yet), it has helped me find my way back home many times.
- 4. iPod - 32GB of music, always in your pocket? Yes, please! And this iPod has Genius playlists, unlike my old 30GB iPod.
- 3. Calendar - With professors canceling class and so many random personal events, I would be a mess without Calendar. Syncing with my Mac makes it easy to keep this calendar up to date.
- 2. Phone - Did you know the iPhone can make phone calls too? I forget sometimes too. Amazing contact management and Visual Voicemail help to remind me why the iPhone is, at its a core, a solid phone.
- 1. Messages - During the school year, there is a good chance that either I am in class or the person I am trying to contact is in class. Phone calls do not work in these situations, which is why text messaging can be so much more effective. Plus, the inline chat-style display of messages makes using this app a breeze.
Social Apps
- 5. Wikipanion (free) - You can never go wrong with an encyclopedia in your pocket. I most often use this app to find a quick definition of something or to learn more about a topic that a professor has mentioned in class.
- 4. AP Mobile (free) - As my only link to real news, the Associated Press has an important job. AP Mobile pulls through with a customizable homepage and decent images to complement the articles.
- 3. Twitterrific (free) - Although I secretly despise Twitter and hope that it disappears in the near future, the service is still an entertaining alternative to a boring lecture. Twitterrific is one of the most beautiful apps on the iPhone and can follow links, pictures, and YouTube videos all from within the app.
- 2. Facebook (free) - The iPhone Facebook app is finally useful now that version 3 has been released. With most of the Facebook's basic features showing up in the app, I find myself needing to run to the real Facebook less often.
- 1. Google Reader (free) - Although Google Reader is only a web app with a link on my springboard, it is by far my most used social app. Google Reader provides an excellent RSS reading experience. Being able to star items and then view them on my laptop later makes using Reader a real pleasure.
