Top 15 iPhone Apps

Posted by mattluiz on January 15, 2012 02:34 am 28

Why pay for an iPhone app when a free version does the same thing? Because developers and designers take time to improve functionality and usability. Good design not only improves an app's aesthetics, it makes it more intuitive and immersive. I'm curious as to the most common apps everyone here is using as well.

That being said, here is a list of my top 15 apps for iPhone:

Day One
Day One is a great way to jot down your thoughts throughout the day. More than just a journal, it lets you easily preserve your memories or ideas. There is also a great desktop companion which syncs via Dropbox or iCloud.

Tempus
Tempus is my favorite calendar app. Its minimalistic interface gets out of your way and loads super fast. Adding events is simple and effortless. Helvetica never looked so good.

Reeder
Reeder sets the standard of how RSS readers should function and look. It gives you quick access to your starred and unread items in a gorgeous interface. Gestures for starring, refreshing, sharing, and marking as read make this the best RSS reader for iOS.

Tweetbot
Twitter apps are a dime a dozen for iOS. Tweetbot stands out. The sounds, animations, and gestures all make this the most fun to use Twitter client. The only thing I wish Tapbots would do is bring this app to the desktop because it makes every other client look substandard.

Elements
Keeping notes in sync between your computer and iPhone should be something that happens automatically. Elements does this with the help of Dropbox (the best free service that exists) by keeping all of your notes synced and backed up in the cloud. Not only does it look great, you can organize, edit, search, and even make notes available when you're offline.

My Artists
My Artists has replaced the iPod app on my iPhone. It's a great new way to browse your music and even lets you discover new music through 8tracks. You can even scrobble the tracks your listening to straight to last.fm.

Capture
A great moment is happening and you want to record it. You have to find the camera app, switch to video mode, and then start recording. By the time all of that happens, that moment could have passed. Capture can start recording as soon as you launch it, which takes little to no time at all. Well worth the $0.99 for not missing something great.

Path
Path is a beautifully designed social network. Sharing pictures, events, songs, with friends has never been so easy. It's revolutionary UI is something we'll be seeing brought to a lot of other apps.

Verbs
Verbs is a clean and simple messaging experience. You can connect your Facebook, AIM, Google Talk, and MobileMe accounts and even send and view attachments right within the app.

Camera+
As the name says, it's like the built in camera but better. There's a built in timer, stability mode, independent focus and exposure controls, tons of great effects. After you're done touching up your photos you can easily share them quickly and easily.

Shows
Ever find out about a show near you only to find out it's sold out? Shows solves that problem by alerting you if any of your favorite musicians are playing near you. You can even import all of your Last.fm data. Not only is it useful, it's one of the most beautifully crafted iPhone apps.

Groceries
Groceries is my favorite shopping companion. There's a great database of preloaded items and adding things on the fly is as simple as one tap. You can even have multiple lists for different stores. It's simple and gorgeous, every other grocery app should take note.

Stamped
The concept of Stamped is simple, find the things you like and put your stamp of approval on them. You can choose from books, music, video, food, or other. Think of Stamped as your own personal recommendation engine. When you like a recommendation, it gives the user more clout to keep recommending things.

Delivery Status
Delivery Status is an easy way to track packages from UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL, and a ton more. You can even add orders from online retailers like Apple, Amazon, or Google Checkout. It'll make you want to order more things just to track them.

Tea
Tea drinkers look no further. Tea for iOS lets you create a virtual inventory of all your teas, create custom brew settings, and it lets you post tasting notes to Twitter and Facebook. It's a fantastic tool for getting a perfect cup every time and keeping track how many cups you have left.