Remember the days of yesteryear when smartphones were all about the Windows Mobile experience with a good old stylus to assist with navigating around the system? We may not have had the advanced technology that we have now in terms of touch panels and high-definition displays, but even the early Windows Mobile devices had a set of fantastic and powerful apps like the original G-NetSpeed creation that allowed connected cellular networks to be monitored.
Electronic Arts is one of the most prolific game publishing companies to ever have done it. Having excelled in bringing some of our most famed sports titles to our consoles, EA has continued to shine on mobile. Not only are the new releases frequent, but the quality is very high, and having already released quite a few Need for Speed titles hitherto, the company has just pushed Need For Speed: Most Wanted through to Apple's App Store and Google Play.
Xbox SmartGlass has been in the offing for quite a while now, and with Windows 8 finally available to purchase online and at all good retailers, the remaining Redmond releases are also beginning to trickle out. SmartGlass for Android is now available to download for free at the Google Play Store, and if you're an Xbox 360 and Android user, this is an app you will not want to miss.
Although it is one of the most popular apps on any mobile platform, the Android version of the Flipboard news magazine has just received a pretty notable update, taking it to version 1.9.7. The Android version of the app has enjoyed significant success with millions of downloads since the original launch, picking up a number of design and technical accolades along the way. This latest update is a continuation of the devs dedication to providing the best news reading experience available.
Experienced and hardcore gamers on the Windows platform will more than likely have used, or at least be familiar with, tools that integrate with the system to provide a visual outlet showing how many frames-per-second the running software is achieving. To a lot of people, and the average user in general, the information is irrelevant, but to developers and those who take things a little more seriously; it is extremely useful to see the real-world performance levels that are being reached. The FPS Meter app on the Play Store now mimics that functionality on Android devices.
If you love the power and portability of the iPod but sit firmly on the Android side of the fence when it comes to smartphone or tablet usage, then the price reduction that has been placed on the iSyncr app on the Amazon Appstore will definitely be of interest. Rather than having to carry multiple pieces of kit and switch between devices, iSyncr allows a library of music to be synced to an Android device over USB or Wi-Fi directly from iTunes.
Google services and the Android mobile platform are in tune with one another, and as you might expect, the system does an extremely good job at pulling in information from any associated Google account and making that information available throughout system. Nothing is as easy as it should be with all Android devices, and in some instances manufacturers go solo with their bundled software, often overwriting native Google apps or burying certain frequently used apps in layers of settings. For those who want the official Google Calendar experience, it is now available to download on the Play Store.
We should all know by now that Microsoft is involved in a fairly large launch schedule at the moment with Windows 8, the Surface tablet and the fantastic looking Windows Phone 8 all set for a public release in just over a week’s time. The company will be reveling in the attention that is being lavished on them, but it also means that consumers are starting to take a serious look at the likes of Windows Phone 8 as a viable mobile platform. For those who don't want to make the move from their beloved Android, then a rather nice little Windows Phone 8 styled launcher is now available on the Play Store.
Every now and then a rather unique and gorgeous looking installation comes along for mobile operating systems that seems to be a must have download. That would certainly seem to apply to the Real Widget offering on the Google Play Store that is available for Android smartphones running Android Ice Cream Sandwich or above. The widget itself promises to offer the look, feel and styling of Windows Phone directly on the home screen of an Android device.
Although a lot of developers are yet to accept it, it isn't a coincidence that the most popular and well-received apps for mobile devices are ones that look great and are simple and intuitive to use. Smartphones and tablets generally provide a limited landscape and usage area, and it is important that the user-interface lends itself well to the functionality of the app to provide a great experience for the user. After all, they are the ones who matter most. The HoloNotes note-taking app for Android-powered devices is one such example on Google's mobile platform that definitely ticks those boxes.
