Cross posted from http://www.marcforrest.com/2009/11/18/16-apps-for-your-new-iphone/
I have had a couple of people ask me recently what are the “essential” apps for getting your iPhone up and running. With over 100,000 apps in the app store at the moment, it is almost impossible to give an exact list. So what I wanted to do is give you my list of 16 essential (and cool) apps, which will help you fill up your first screen on your new iPhone.
The first thing you need to do is open a US iTunes account. See my post on 5 iphone tips & tricks on how to do this from a country outside of the US. This is essential to getting the best apps on the market, as many developers do not sell their apps in the South African store. After you have opened a US iTunes account, be sure to get some credit, by buying an iTunes voucher. You shouldn’t need more than $15 to get the show on the road.
(The links on the app names below all open iTunes links)
Shazam – Free
Every time you hear that song on the radio, and you don’t know what it is, use Shazam. Instantly identifies the artist and song title for you.
Layar Reality Browser – Free
If you have acquired a 3Gs, get this app. It allows you to see what is around you, using your GPS position. Going to become very useful in the future as augmented reality starts to get more popular
Skype – Free
Everybody knows about Skype.Free VoIP calls on the go. Simple, effective and easy to use.
Dropbox – Free
Keep your files in sync in the cloud, and access the on your phone. You can upload files on your computers at work or at home, and then access them on your phone.
Evernote – Free
Keep your notes synced and up to date on the go. You can also create Notes and take pictures on your phone and sync them back to your computers.
Facebook – Free
Everyone loves Facebook 🙂 The latest update is super, and you can pretty much do everything on your iPhone that you can do on the website
PicPosterous – Free
Posterous is a fantastic site that allows you to automagically upload your photos to other services like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr etc. The app allows you to take pictures on the fly and then update them to these services.
Wikipedia – Free
The mobile interface for the ever popular Wikipedia site. Useful if you looking for info on something while on the go
Doodle Jump – $0.99
What would a new iPhone be without a game. The most addictive iPhone game of all time. Just get it. You won’t put it down
Photoshop Mobile – Free
Edit your photos on your phone. Very simple to use and has loads of cool feature. You can also upload your edited photos to the photoshop.com site.
TweetDeck – Free
The best free twitter app. Also recently updated with some nifty features, and it syncs with your desktop Tweetdeck. Tweetie2 ($2.99) is also another great twitter app.
News24 – Free
The ultimate South African news site on your iPhone. You can also view news and storie from other 24.com platforms such as Fin24, Wheels24 and even has a function to view resturants closest to you.
ZATV Guide – Free
Keep up to date with your favorite tv programmes and whats showing today. You can also set your favorite channels for a quick glance
CNN Mobile – $1.99
Best app for international news on the go. The coolest feature of this app is that it offers live streaming for breaking news.
Flickr – Free
You can upload and view photos on your Flickr stream. You can also view your contacts pictures as well as comment on them with the app
Ping! – $0.99
A fantastic little app that allows you to “ping” another iPhone user, much like Blackberry Messenger. The app will send the other Ping! user a push notification to alert them to the message. There is also a free version available, which has limited functionality.
So that’s my list, if anyone else has some suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. Who knows, we may just fill up the next screen 🙂
