10 Brilliant iPhone Apps

Bruno Abrantes — Mon, 25 May 2009 20:28:55 +0000

Since the release of version 2 of the iPhone OS, developers have been able to write native applications for the iPhone platform, and make them available (free or for a price) in the iTunes App Store. In just nine months, more than a billion apps have been downloaded from the store. As a recent iPhone user, one of the first things I did with the phone was access the App Store and start downloading some applications. After a mere two weeks, I can name at least 10 applications that are so good no iPhone user should ever have to do without them.

Twitterrific: I used Twitterrific for the desktop for a long time, but have since replaced it with the far superior Tweetie. Twitterrific for the iPhone, though, is a whole different breed. It’s light-years ahead of the desktop version, and supports (almost) everything you’d expect from a good Twitter client such as multiple accounts, searching, filters, ability to “ReTweet”, support for URL shortening and image posting services, and even a built-in browser. As in the desktop version, there is a free ad-supported version and a €2.99 “pro” ad-free version.
Get it at the App Store

NetNewsWire: This may not be the absolute best RSS application for the iPhone, but the fact that it syncs beautifully with the desktop version (which is the best) is what makes it so valuable. Through the Newsgator web application, you can even define which feeds you want to read and which ones you don’t on your iPhone. The UI is minimalistic and generally easy to use, although sometimes it takes a few more button presses than it should to get you where you want to go.
Get it at the App Store

Byline: If you’re a Google Reader user, you’ll love Byline. It supports two-way syncing with Google Reader, and also features a very nice interface for reading and managing your feeds. Byline supports landscape mode, feed caching so you can still read the news when you’re offline, the ability to share and star stories, send the story by e-mail and even create and share personal notes. It’s one of the most polished RSS Readers for the iPhone, and currently goes for €3.99.
Get it at the App Store

Ego: If you manage a web site and need to quickly check analytics and access statistics, Ego is the application for you. Sporting a minimalistic but gorgeous interface, it currently supports Google Analytics, Feedburner, Squarespace, Twitter and Mint. You can have as many widgets of each type as you want, so you can manage all your digital personas in one beautiful place. Ego costs €1.59.
Get it at the App Store

Groceries: I don’t know about you, but I tend to forget things. A lot. Particularly when I go shopping, it’s common to forget at least a couple of items every time. That’s where Groceries comes in. The app is basically a glorified shopping list, but the cool thing is that it already comes with a huge database of items, with some of them even being branded. You can send your lists by e-mail, just in case you need to use them somewhere else. If you’re forgetful like me, this is the perfect app to take along on a trip to the supermarket. It currently sells for €2.99.
Get it at the App Store

LittleSnapper: LittleSnapper is a photo manager. You can use it to share your photos through it’s QuickSnapper online service, complete with title, tags, description and rating. What steals the show, though, is it’s ability to take full-page snaps of webpages, just like the desktop version. If you’re into Web Design, this is a killer feature, and allows you to develop a huge library of inspirational sites over time. The only thing that’s missing from this app right now is the ability to sync libraries with the desktop version, but I believe that will come in the future. LittleSnapper currently sells for €2.39.
Get it at the App Store

WhatTheFont: Have you ever seen a poster or magazine while out on the street that had some really awesome type? If you’re a font maniac like me, your answer is most definitely “yes!!”. Enter WhatTheFont. In just an instant, you can take a snapshot of the unidentified font, send it over the network and have it identified with generally great accuracy. This is an essential tool for every designer out there with an iPhone, so what are you waiting for? It’s even free!
Get it at the App Store

Instapaper: During the course of a normal day, you find a lot of great online articles you wish to read, only there isn’t always enough time to read them all. With the Instapaper service, you can save them for later with the click of a button. On your desktop browser, register for a free Instapaper account and install the bookmarklet. Every time you find an article you want to read later, just press the bookmarklet and the article instantly goes to your Instapaper account. Then, on your iPhone, access the Instapaper app, let it download the articles and read away, even if you’re offline! This one is too handy to pass on, and it’s free! There’s also a Pro version which sells for €7.99, but the features it offers are not that crucial.
Get it at the App Store

Siberian Strike: This is, hands-down, one of the best games currently available for the iPhone. If you enjoyed playing top-down vertical-scrolling shooters on arcade machines, this is the game for you. The graphics are vibrant and beautiful, the characters are well designed and have personality, and the controls are nearly perfect (which is a rare thing to see in an iPhone game). The frame-rate is fast and steady, and the game is very stable. The only downside is that you’ll be having so much fun that by the time you finish it, you only wish it had more levels! This five-star app is available for just €0.79.
Get it at the App Store

Wolfenstein 3D: Everyone remembers old Wolfie. One of the first games in the FPS genre, Wolfenstein 3D pitted you against the evil Nazis, and featured huge labyrinth-like maps. And now it’s ported in all it’s glory for the iPhone. The control scheme takes a little getting used to (there are virtual buttons on the screen you can touch to move around and shoot), but otherwise the game is able to convey exactly the same feeling it did all those years ago. If you grew up in the 80s, make sure you give this game a try. It currently sells for €1.59.
Get it at the App Store

I know I didn’t mention a few more outstanding apps, but I wanted to keep the list as short as possible. Comment and tell me (and the world) why a given app is essential for you!

PS: This post marks the first official collaboration by Marta Ferreirinha in this blog. She will act as Editor-in-Chief, making sure everything I write makes at least some sense and that there aren’t any gaping holes in both grammar and logic. Thank you once again Marta!

Bruno Abrantes - Web Designer » iPhone

10 Brilliant iPhone Apps