10 Top Rated Android Apps You Shouldn't Be Caught Without

With every Android smart phone you get the "essentials" that I call bloatware. As you all know, it comes with a default music, camera, gallery, GPS, and other apps that you can find replacements of in the Android Market app store. It is from my personal experiences that I have found the 10 top rated Android apps (most of which are free) you wont want to be caught dead without.

10. Craigslist Mobile (Free)

There is a lot of controversy as to what could be deem-able as a #10 in the 10 top rated Android apps, but when I go over and over it, Craigslist wins hands down. Craigslist is a place of opportunity, you look for things you either need or want. If you want something, you are able to check for it over and over and with the mobile app you can make sure you are the first person to get it.

9. Pandora Internet Radio (Free)

Pandora, despite it's position on the 10 top rated Android apps, is critical in my everyday life. With Pandora you don't have to worry about changing songs while driving, you don't have to worry about listening to the same song over and over like on the radio, and it knows exactly what kind of music you like! If you like or enjoy music, you'll love Pandora.




8. Linda File Manager (Free)

Linda is useful especially if you do not ROM your phone (changing or modding your phone's operating system to customize their phone [it will void phone's warranty if you were planning on looking into that])


What it does is lets you explore the contents of your internal data and storage data (SD) cards. Linda also lets you install .apk files (Android Package Kit) which are installers for apps on your phone for when or if you get them from the web.






7. Words With Friends Free (Free)

Anyone who has played this game already knows why it is a Top-10. It's a simple game based off of Scrabble that you play with anyone. It may cause slight cases of cockiness and bragging. Perfect for if you are waiting for whatever reason you may be waiting. Show the world your vocabulary prowess.





6. The Weather Channel (Free)

I find this to be the most accurate mobile weather app, and that's coming from Oregon, where it's almost impossible to tell the weather due to its randomness. It also has cool features like videos and weather tweets from Twitter as well as alert systems to tell you important information.



5. JuiceDefender (Free/$4.99 Full)

If you have a data plan that is not unlimited, then you need this app. This will limit any data usages while the phone's screen is off. You can also permanently restrict the usage from individual apps from accessing the data network. Juice Defender also allows you to control WiFi for increased battery life. If you were to pick one of the 10 top rated Android apps, I would recommend this one. If I go one day without this on my battery goes down the crapper.



4. Social Networking App (Twitter/Facebook/Ect.) (Free)

It's the 21st century, lets be honest. We all have at least one social networking site we are apart of. I could fill up the rest of my 10 top rated Android apps list with these, so I jam packed them into one. It's pretty self explanatory that we all need to be in contact with our friends, and these social networks do that.



3. Google Maps (Free)

Who has that friend that cannot give you accurate directions to save his or her life?


We all do. Let's face it, people can suck at giving directions, so you need all of the help you can get, and Google Maps is perfect and easy to use. Maps comes stock(with the phone) by default for most smart phones but if you don't have it, you need it.

2. Vignette ($3.99/Free Demo Available)

Vignette is the only app I have ever payed for. It allows you to take HDR (Hi Dynamic Ranged) photos. It also allows the full capabilities of your phone's camera to be used, while the stock camera app does not. And in my opinion, you're going to need all of the help you can get if your main source of pictures is your smart phone.

1. Power AMP($4.99/Free Trial Available)

 Power AMP is number one on my list for a number of reasons:

• The default music app isn't up to par.
• Power AMP's equalizer is far superior to the stock music app
• Eye-candy
• Superior sound quality

Anyone that enjoys listening to music should have Power AMP, even though it is one of the few apps I have that are not free, the trial edition has serviced me for many months.





Feel free to give me feedback on my 10 top rated Android apps, and if you have any apps that I didn't announce and you feel like they are 10 top rated worthy, let me know. These are apps that I can't go a day without.

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