This is a pretty exciting time for the mobile industry, what with the iPad launch and Microsoft’s plans to create more social, app-driven devices. Android is making waves, too, with 800 million app downloads expected in the next year. We can begin to get a good grasp on what these apps will be by looking at popular Android apps now. Here are some of the week’s top Android apps:
Social and entertainment
Rhapsody, always out to bring music to wherever you are, launched a well-received Android app this week. Hear chart-topping songs, your favorites, and new releases with the free Android app. Music on-demand through Rhapsody is even better with an account, as it syncs with several other devices and services. For full features, a subscription is well worth the price of $10 ($15 for the Premier Plus category).
Digg disappointed with its Android app, as it lacked mobile bookmarking submission. But the new Android app is still useful for tracking stories, digging (or burying), and accessing your account while on the go. The free app has specific features for easy viewing of stories and comments, making it relatively social.
View your potential soul mate, even when you’re away from your computer. Match.com’s free Android app offers mobile access to your account, where you can wink, send messages and view others’ profiles and photos.
The geo-location features for Match.com’s app could be better, but for now, the mobile account access and alerts can be pretty handy.
Fans of Farmville and similar games may enjoy Shopper’s Paradise, where you become a retail mogul. Successfully set up your shop locations to level up, with plenty of obstacles to get in your way. A recent update has made this $2.99 Android game quite popular this week, with additional features such as a bonus map.
Tracking and utilities
XDA-Developers already has a large Web following, with its popular HTC forums. As HTC manufactures several of Android’s devices, it wouldn’t hurt to have a ready support system at your fingertips. The free Android app has a clean interface for searching and viewing forum posts, giving new life to forums with a mobile touch. Access favorites, track read posts, and see the latest news.
CallTrack may seem a tad excessive, but it’s a pretty robust tool that tracks all of your phone’s call activity. See when, how often and how long your phone calls are, and view the data on your Google Calendar. The free Android app has several settings to custom your tracking options, and can be synced for offline viewing.
Considering the limited regulation of apps on your Android device, sometimes you need a CTL+ALT+Delete button. Memory Task Cleaner is the closest thing you’ll get, as the Android app lets you close apps running on your phone. The free app also monitors their running activity, let’s you schedule settings changes, and create an “Ignore Apps” list. Free up memory and customize the way your apps operate on your device.
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