With over 425,000 applications or “apps” currently available for the iPhone, there is undoubtedly “an app for that” as Apple’s once ubiquitous ad campaign promised.
For anyone new to an iPhone (or its non-telephonic cousin the iPod Touch) selecting a core group of apps from the overwhelming selection can be almost paralyzing.
Following are suggestions for five apps anyone with an iPhone or iPod Touch should have. For more ideas try the top app lists from Time Magazine or spend some time at iphoneappcafe.com.
1) Facebook (Social Media – Free): The great appeal of Facebook is that you can stay in contact with friends past and present across multiple time zones both asynchronously through wall posts or chat in real time. If you are going to have one social media app, Facebook is it.
2) Weather Channel (Weather/Utility – Free/Paid): The native weather app for iPhone and iPod Touch is pretty limited beyond temperature and a very basic forecast. The Weather Channel app comes in an ad supported-free version or a paid version ($3.99) that gives you detailed forecasts and weather data as well as severe weather warnings and “push notifications.” Weatherbug is a popular alternative which also comes in free and paid versions.
3) USA Today (News – Free): Media snobs will sniff indignantly at anything that doesn’t say New York Times, but this great free app let’s you blast through the day’s top stories in news, sports, money and lifestyle in short order. Alternatively, consider Associated Press (AP) Mobile which further allows you to configure it for local news.
4) FreeAppADay (Utility – Free): There are a lot of great free apps available. The Apple App Store offer you a list of the top ones, but it is based on popularity which means you might miss diamonds in the rough such as one of my favorite games, Stick Man Cliff Diving. FreeAppADay pushes to you each day suggestions for great free apps and for “lite” versions of popular paid apps. FreeAppaDay claims a community of more than 3.6 million so they must be doing something right.
5) Angry Birds (Game – $0.99): Game preference is highly individualized and people tend to like certain genres such as shooters, puzzles, and word games. Angry Birds is simply an addictive game with seemingly universal appeal to gamers of all stripes. Try the free version first and upgrade later.