If you get the feeling it won’t be long until everyone in the world has a smartphone, you’re not alone. The allure of an all-in-one device that makes calls, takes photos, accesses the web, plays music, and does pretty much anything else you can imagine is pretty hard to resist. And with the unveiling of the new HTC Radar™ 4G phone, our friends over at HTC are making it even harder. Featuring a sleek, polished-metal design and 4G speed, it uses the Windows Phone platform to offer innovative functions like Live Tiles for your updates, People Hub for your contacts, and Threads for your conversations. But that’s not all it offers: With the Windows Phone Marketplace at its disposal, it gives you access to thousands of awesome apps. While some of them — Facebook, Twitter, Angry Birds — you don’t need us to tell you about, we’ve rounded up ten of our favorites that may not already be top of mind, so you can put them at the top of your list.
One of the most addictive, beautifully designed games available on the platform, ilomilo follows the adventures of two adorable characters named (you guessed it) ilo and milo. The object of each level is to reunite the pair by moving them around a series of blocks in a gravity-defying three-dimensional environment. Of course, it gets progressively more difficult as you go along, but the last thing you’ll want to do is let these little guys remain apart.
Click through below to see all of our Marketplace app picks.
These days, having a mobile device with a camera alone simply doesn’t cut it. For most, their phone also needs to be a portable photo studio, and for Windows Phone, there’s no better solution than Thumba. This powerful app allows you to manipulate your pictures in just about any way you can think of, easily incorporating filters, borders, crops, and adjustments, while providing a convenient portal to share them online. It includes GPS features too, so you can see where each shot was originally snapped.
There’s no need for a traditional scanner when you’ve got handyscan installed on your Windows Phone. Using the camera, the app allows you to capture documents or other images, adjust them as necessary, and save them as PDF files. Offering the ability to add text or electronic signatures, it also allows you to complete documents with missing fields. Better yet, seamless Dropbox integration lets you send your docs straight to the cloud, for access anytime, anywhere.
Incorporating the technology of YouMail, MagkikMail brings the visual-voicemail experience to Windows Phone. Not only does it give you the ability to download, archive, and even forward your voicemails via email, but also the option to have them transcribed for easy reference. Push notifications, flags, and folders allow you to stay on top of it all and keep organized, making actually calling in to check your messages a thing of the past.
Everyone knows that while Craigslist is a phenomenal resource, it can be a major pain to navigate. This app creates an interface that basically reinvents the entire experience, making it easy, intuitive, and even (not a term we would normally apply to CL) pretty slick. Search is a breeze, as is bookmarking posts, and even setting alerts for things you want to keep an eye out for. You can also create posts and upload photos within the app, as well as responding directly to any listing that piques your immediate interest. Use this a few times and you’ll never want to go back to the web version again.
Sure, there are plenty of jumping games out there, but this one puts most of them to shame. For one thing, it’s full of amazing, fuzzy monsters, each with their own unique abilities. For another, the levels randomly generate, meaning you never have to play the same game twice. The graphics are pristine, the characters are extremely loveable, and an assorment of background themes offers even more variety. To be honest, we would fall for anything that involves monsters and jumping (online or off), so the fact that this game is genuinely great is simply added value.
Smartphones have been a game-changer when it comes to portable media, allowing you to take your favorite music and movies on the go with a simple sync. But storage limitations always meant you couldn’t take everything with you, and many people can’t be bothered with those constant syncs, adding and deleting files to make room. With Tversity installed on your Windows Phone and PC, however, you have access to all your media, all the time. Stream songs, shows, videos, and films directly from your computer to your phone from just about anywhere, without ever having to manage separate libraries or queues. It’s a bit like magic, really.
Having a good YouTube interface is pretty much mandatory when it comes to your phone, and LazyTube is outdoing the competition in the Windows Phone world. It uses the Live Tiles feature to keep you updated with new videos from anyone you’re subscribed to, provides like/dislike functionality, offers HD streaming, and lets you create your own customized feed. The “lazy” part of the name has nothing to do with the effort behind this app; it’s all about how easy it makes everything for you.
When it comes to avoiding information overload, a solid RSS reader is critical. RSS Central helps you track and organize all your feeds, while throwing in a host of cool features and bonuses. Download and read articles offline, search within your feeds or discover all-new ones, and share your discoveries via social networks or email. It also incorporates Live Tiles to deliver the latest news straight to you, so you’ll never miss a thing.
Remember when you used to have to carry a pen to write things down? Yet another thing smartphones are on their way to making obsolete. Of course, if you’re going to write everything down on your mobile device, you need a way to do it that will allow you to easily retrieve and make use of the information. Notes Pro is the most elegant solution we’ve seen for Windows Phone, offering expert cut, paste, undo, and redo functions, the ability to make a call from a phone number or launch a webpage from a url, and even the option to set your background and font for ease of use and maximum aesthetic pleasure. Plus, you can password-protect individual entries to keep them away from prying eyes.
Did we miss your favorite Windows Phone app? What else is on your must-have app list? Let us know in the comments below!