It’s funny that no matter how many iPhone apps I pay for, it’s the free ones that take up the most space on my iPhone. And while it can be worth it to spend upwards of $9.99 on select apps, there are several free iPhone apps that came out in 2009 that are invaluable.
I’m almost afraid to say this, but Microsoft’s 170,000 Recipes (free) coming in a close second.
AroundMe (free) helps me find restaurants, gas stations, bars, ATMs and more, and it’s especially useful when I’m in an area with which I’m unfamiliar.
I love the free version of NetNewsWire for helping me keep on top of my favorite RSS feeds. I’m in love with NPR News (free), as I can either read my news or listen to it, in addition to being able to listen to my favorite NPR programs like All Things Considered. There’s also a handy search feature so I can find NPR when I’m traveling.
A lot of bands have iPhone apps available for their fans. I’m a bit Wilco-obsessed, and the WILCO iPhone app is fantastic. You can listen to full versions of tracks from their albums, view set lists, get their podcast, buy that t-shirt you didn’t get at the last show, and more.
If you use Dropbox, and I do, the Dropbox iPhone app (free) they released recently helps me keep my files organized and with me at all times, and makes it easy for me to share my documents and photos with others.
I bought a house a few months ago, and I would have loved to have had Redfin (free) on my iPhone during my search. I use it frequently now to keep tabs on home prices in my area.
Almost everyone I know has an iPhone, and as long as they’ve also got Bump (free), it’s a snap (or, rather, a bump) for us to share contact information, photos and files. It also allows for comparing contacts and Facebook friends.
While I primarily use my iPhone to keep myself organized and productive, I have been known to fritter away some serious minutes playing Paper Toss (free).
I’ve been using UStream Live Broadcaster (free) to turn my iPhone 3G into a mini video recorder, but it also allows for live streaming to ustream.com.
