With this week’s popular and emerging Android apps, we’re seeing a continuation of brands looking to expand their mobile presence. Several “personal assistant” apps are being launched for Android phones, especially as their rapid disperse offers a supplement or alternative to an iPhone app.
Here are some of the top apps we’ve seen for Android this week, with an emphasis on ease of mobile use.
Travel
AppLink isn’t available yet, but the Android app announced by Ford this week indicates the huge potential for a widespread, mobile platform. Designed for use with Ford SYNC, AppLink will work free for existing car owners. The app will enable voice command for certain functions, such as Twitter and Pandora. Such integration will hopefully provide safe and easy ways to incorporate new technologies into automobiles.
Given the debacle last week’s airport groundings had on global travel, the Heathrow Airport Guide Pro is a welcome Android app. As one of the first airports to release an official Android app, you can get security info, terminal maps and trip-planning tools on your phone. For about $2.75, the pro version has flight-tracking and alerts.
Utilities
ZipRealty’s new Android app is doing well since release, following the success on the iPhone. Free, ZipRealty’s Android app offers mobile property search based on your current location. Filter by price, including foreclosures and reduced-price homes. Released around the same time as Zillow’s Android app, ZipRealty brings some needed competition to the table.
AppBrain is another Android app with a boost in popularity this week. A recent update to the Web-based Android Market access app lets you view the most popular items from the past 24 hours or week. With other filters for popular new apps and those that have dropped in price, the tool shows the increasing need for an efficient app search interface and recommendation tool.
Getting a head start on cornering the Android Market, Progressive has beaten Geico to the punch. The free Progressive car insurance app gives mobile access to the basics, such as making a claim and collecting pertinent info, such as photos or contact information. Comparison quotes and account management comes with the app as well, for budgeting and paying your balance.
Entertainment
Seesmic is looking to maintain its growth on Android with the recent inclusion of a home screen widget for creating and reading tweets. Leveraging a feature not available for iPhones, Seesmic hopes to provide the most attractive set of free Twitter tools in the Android Market. Other upgrades include geotagging and multiple retweet options.
RadioTime is no Pandora, but its early support of Windows Media streaming formats indicates the flexibility of apps created for Android. With GPS options for automatically locating nearby stations and programs and limited restrictions on how you listen to your music, the $2.99 Android app continues to improve.
