Every once in a while, a friend/coworker asks me what Android apps she/he should use. Given the current rate of Android devices activations (1.3M per day), I decided to post a proper list.
I use a combination of Windows computers, Android/iOS tablets and an iPhone. I don't like data silos therefore most of my favorite apps are connected and kept in sync. I can add a new task in Astrid using Firefox then add more information on the tablet and complete it on the go while on the iPhone.
No brainers
Lastpass is hands down the most convenient and secure password manager.
Price: free (Lastpass premium $12/year).
Sync: native.
Interoperability: web, iOS, Android and Windows Phone.
As a premium Lastpass customer, I can access my password database on smartphones and tablets. On Lastpass, I store software licence keys, wifi WPA keys, secure notes and website credentials. I see Lastpass as the online secure part of my brain.
Evernote is the online part of my brain.
Price: free.
Sync: native.
Interoperability: web, iOS, Android and Windows Phone.
I keep notes and pictures on various subjects (home improvement, procedures, EULAs,...) . From the obscure commands line reminders, to the drills I need to replace... if I don't want to forget it, it goes into Evernote. The UI of Evernote for Android is on par with its iOS version.
Spotify is my number one source of streaming music.
Price: free (Spotify Premium €10/month).
Sync: native.
Interoperability: desktop, iOS, Android and Windows Phone.
It gives me fresh music on my computers, smarphone, tablets and Sonos devices. I'm a Spotify Premium customer since september 2009. Over the past 3 years, I never looked back... well worth the 10€/month. I usually end up purchasing my favorite Spotify albums from Amazon MP3.
Pocket is used as a pinboard for webpages.
Price: free.
Sync: native.
Interoperability: web, iOS and Android.
From my browser I tag pages that I want to read in the future.
Astrid (and Astrid Powerpack) is currently my favorite ToDo app.
Price: free.
Sync: native.
Interoperability: web, iOS, Android and Windows Phone.
I like Astrid because I can manage my tasks on the web, on Android and on iOS. I can also assign new tasks to friends who also use Astrid. Any.DO is a good contender but the notification bar shortcut doesn't compensate the lack of web interface. I used 2Do on iOS with its Toodledo sync but I can't justify the steep price on Android.
Dropbox is the ubiquitous cloud storage.
Price: free.
Sync: native.
Interoperability: web, iOS and Android.
Dropbox is not the best in the security department. The recently launched two factors logon is a step in the right direction. I mainly use Dropbox to store non sensitive files and sync other apps. If I need to access the MiFi manual, I know it is stored in my Dropbox. And being able to push a picture of my kids on my parents shared folder is priceless.
Productivity
Mindjet is a free mind mapper.
Price: free.
Sync: native and Dropbox.
Interoperability: web, iOS and Android.
I spent a few euros on the app when it was called Thinking Space. It is far from being as sexy and usable as iThoughts/iThoughtsHD on iOS. The rather static layout is what bugs me the most. I'm still in quest for a great mind mapper for Android... but so far the free Mindjet is hard to beat.
Business Calendar shows a lot more information than the default Calendar.
Price: 4.75€ (0.69€ during the end of summer sales).
Sync: NA.
Interoperability: NA.
The official Jelly Bean calendar works OK. Business Calendar is just better. The weekly, monthly and agenda views are more efficient. And the scrollable agenda widget is a real blessing. At the full retail price, I would think twice... but I got it for 0.69€.
Audio and Video
Amazon MP3 is my number one source of MP3 audio files.
Price: free.
Sync: NA.
Interoperability: NA.
Before october 25th 2012, Amazon Europe will offer the Amazon Cloud Player. This service will allow to access over the air all previously purchased track for free. And for less than 25€ you'll be able to store your own 250 000 audio tracks in the Amazon Cloud Player. The service is available on web browsers, Android, iOS and Sonos devices.
Doggcatcher simply the best podcast manager on Android.
Price: 3.97€.
Sync: NA.
Interoperability: NA.
Stitcher turns your audio podcasts into a virtual streaming radio.
Price: free.
Sync: native.
Interoperability: web, iOS and Android.
If you don't mind losing a bit on quality, Stitcher will turn your favorite audio podcasts into a 3G/WiFi streamable feed. I prefer listening to my podcast in their maximum quality. I use Stitcher only when I'm on a bandwidth constrained situation.
TuneIn Radio Pro is the reference for online radio listening. It powers the Sonos devices. I went for the pro version to support the developers (0.70€). I'll probably never use the pro features.
Sonos allows me to start audio on the Sonos devices around the house.
Reading, news and references
Kindle gives access to the ebooks stored in my Amazon account.
Flipboard turns your feeds (Twitter, Google Reader, news sources...) into a virtual magazine.
Weather Pro HD gives you the best granularity in weather predictions.
IMDb is my favorite example of tablets use case. While watching a movie, I whip out a tablet and query IMDb to check where I saw that face. Within less than 60 seconds, the information is fetched and processed.