Best apps to download for your new smartphone

Enjoying the benefits of a  smartphone over a feature phone all depends on the apps you use it with.

More and more Filipinos are shifting from regular feature phones to smartphones, thanks to the popularity of budget handsets running Android and Windows Phone 8 mobile operating systems.

Recent reports indicate a 30-percent smartphone penetration in the country with a 70-percent adoption rate last year. This means seven out of the 10 new mobile phone purchases are now smartphones, which will significantly increase the adoption rate.

However, enjoying the benefits of using a smartphone over a featurephone all depends on the apps you use it with.

Here are some suggested apps you might want to download and use with your smartphone right after you take it out of the box.

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Perhaps one of the single biggest reasons people buy smartphones is to be able to access their Facebook account. With the Philippines being the social media capital of the world, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will definitely be among the first apps to download.

Google Chrome. As one of the most popular browsers on the desktop, Chrome is also as popular on mobile. It’s a basic browser app everyone should have.

Gmail/Inbox by GMail. If your smartphone is running on Android, Gmail is installed by default.

Dropbox, Google Drive. Having access to files and media on the fly despite the limited storage capacity of phones, services like Google Drive and Dropbox are essential.

Google Maps, HERE Maps, Waze, MMDA. Location-based apps are very popular especially if you are in urban areas. Google Maps, HERE and Waze can provide you directions while local app MMDA should give you an idea how heavy traffic is in Metro Manila any time of the day.

Spotify, Rdio, Shazam. Music streaming apps allows you access to millions of songs on the fly. You will never have to download and save a limited number of music files in your handset and your playlist will be a mile long.

If you don’t know the title of a song you just heard on the radio, let Shazam listen to the tune for a few seconds and it will quickly identify the song and artist.

Viber, Line, WeChat, Skype, Voxer. Save money by skipping SMS and voice calls in favor of messaging apps like Line or Viber. If you prefer leaving voice messages, try Voxer.

Microsoft Office Mobile. Access to office documents and productivity files can be possible with Office for Mobile.

VSCO Cam, Camera 360, PhotoGrid. Edit and lay out photos taken with your smartphone using VSCO Cam. If you’re also into Instagram, PhotoGrid and Camera 360 can also come in very handy.

Skyscanner, AirBnB, OLX. If you travel a lot, apps like Skyscanner can help you look for the cheapest flights and AirBnB will find you the best deals to stay in your destination. If nothing else, there’s the OLX app for almost anything you want to buy, rent or borrow.

There are so many more I’d like to suggest but the ones mentioned above are the must-haves worth downloading.