Getting ready to get my first Android phone

[cptrohn]

So what are the most useful Apps that you use for Android? Or just your favorites?

[SonicSteve]

Instead of giving advice on apps here are some other things to think about.

1. Is it easy to "root" (search the web for the device your looking at)
2. Is it dual core? the newer devices are and it's needed to run adobe flash well
3. Does the manufacturer have a good history of updating android on their phones?

These are the things that matter to me. I own a samsung I7500 galaxy. Samsung left us at Android 1.6 so I was forced to find a firmware from an open source project.

All 3 of those things should answer yes or I wouldn't buy the phone.

[kaldor]

It's nonfree evil!

http://www.oreillynet.com/oscon2002/graphics/jc4_01.jpg

Android is pretty awesome for a mobile OS. "What apps should I get?" is a pretty huge broad statement. What do you plan on actually using the device for? Mozilla is working on a mobile Firefox, though :)

[LowSky]

Instead of giving advice on apps here are some other things to think about.

1. Is it easy to "root" (search the web for the device your looking at)
2. Is it dual core? the newer devices are and it's needed to run adobe flash well
3. Does the manufacturer have a good history of updating android on their phones?

These are the things that matter to me. I own a samsung I7500 galaxy. Samsung left us at Android 1.6 so I was forced to find a firmware from an open source project.

All 3 of those things should answer yes or I wouldn't buy the phone.

1. Not always.. Many newer Android phones have locked bootloaders, and you will void your warranty if you root.

2. Adobe flash runs fine on my Droid Incredible (1Ghz single core snapgragon processor). Flash also works fine on my Nvidia Tegra 2 powered Viewsonic G-Tablet.

3. Motorola is now owed by Google, so that should be a good thing. My phone is HTC and they are decent with updates, though I'm running Cyanogenmod so I don't really worry about OEM updates. If you can buy a Nexus phone. Last model was built by Samsung, I'm sure the next will be too. Google has stated that Nexus phones will be picked based on new hardware and the companies willingness to allow Google free reign on the updates.

[forrestcupp]

Here are a couple of great threads that list people's favorite Android apps:

Must have android apps? (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1730357&highlight=android+apps)

What are your favourite Android apps? (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1812063&highlight=android+apps)

[LowSky]

completely forgot to post my favorite apps.

Angry Birds (free and addictive)
Cut the Rope (fun game not free)
Dropbox (get the files on you desktop to your phone easily.)
Facebook (cliche but keeps me in touch with buddies)
Netflix (actual works fine on 3G)
Pandora (music radio)
Scrabble Free (adds do stink)
Rom Manager (great for installing new roms if your phone can be rooted)
Titanium Backup (backup your apps so if you reset the phone reinstalling quicker.)
Google Voice (visual voice mail and free sms messages! and a extra number that you can link multiple phone too. Its very cool to get a call on your cell. home, and work phone at the same time! oh and its all free)
X Construction (game about building bridges and having a train drive over them)

[Scunizi]

I just got my first android.. got a Samsung Captivate (att Galaxy S)... love it. It's last years but running 2.2 and slated for the next update according to ATT's blog.

There's lots of great software out there.. just depends on what you do.. Speed is cool for creating "tracks" of where you go and your speed along the way. outputs a file you can overlay on google earth to see your track..

Realtor.com for searching for a new home in your area.

Apps Organizer - self explanatory

Teamviewer for remote connecting to computers.. like PC Anywhere.

Various google apps..

K-9 for email

Dolphin for browsing the web

Photoshop express

Finance - track stocks

Thinking Space - compatible with Freemind

ScantoPDF - take a pic and it will create a pdf out of it for email or whatever

Super Ruler

Unit Converter

Gesture Search

ZDBox - gives more control over the phone..

All these without rooting the phone.. I can't root due to company policy and being hooked to their exchange servers.

[cptrohn]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions!

I am getting the Motorola triumph since I use virgin mobile for my cell service (just can't stand being locked into a cell contract) And the phone is good enough for my needs but not the top end by any stretch....

But I lost my cell phone addiction some time back..(used to be a huge junkie and had to have the best and newest all the time)

[SonicSteve]

1. Not always.. Many newer Android phones have locked bootloaders, and you will void your warranty if you root.

2. Adobe flash runs fine on my Droid Incredible (1Ghz single core snapgragon processor). Flash also works fine on my Nvidia Tegra 2 powered Viewsonic G-Tablet.

3. Motorola is now owed by Google, so that should be a good thing. My phone is HTC and they are decent with updates, though I'm running Cyanogenmod so I don't really worry about OEM updates. If you can buy a Nexus phone. Last model was built by Samsung, I'm sure the next will be too. Google has stated that Nexus phones will be picked based on new hardware and the companies willingness to allow Google free reign on the updates.


1. on this subject thanks for reminding me about warranty. The warranty isn't a big deal to me since they're only for 1 yr anyway. I want a rooted device.

2. Isn't the tegra 2 dual core? I think what matters isn't so much the number cores but what instruction sets the cores have. Flash needs a certain instruction set to run properly from what I've been told and some CPU's are nearly incompatible. Correct me if I'm wrong on this.

3. Cyanogenmod was the base for my firmware. Truth is on this that if the firmware is properly developed and updated #1 becomes less important. Samsung laid a giant rotten egg on the galaxy I7500 and that's why this has become important to me.

[Merk42]

I can tell you what App to not get. Advanced Task Killer. It's completely unnecessary in Android 2.2+ and does more harm than good. If you do need to force close a frozen application such a thing is built in.

[forrestcupp]

I can tell you what App to not get. Advanced Task Killer. It's completely unnecessary in Android 2.2+ and does more harm than good. If you do need to force close a frozen application such a thing is built in.

I like ATK because it stays in my notification area and I can force close an app a lot quicker that way than if I had to go through the settings and find the right built in place to do that.

I agree that Android is made to intelligently close apps when the memory is needed, and that because of that it's a waste of time to constantly freak out about how many apps are running. But there are times when you legitimately need to close something, and ATK is a quick way to do it.

[Oxwivi]

There any phones with 'vanilla' Android (Android minus the absolutely useless OEM-preinstalled apps) and rooted?

By the way, is there no Google repo for updates? Would be cool to stay up-to-date from the source.

[scottishbloke]

I have a Samsung Galaxy Apollo, Fantastic little phone. Apps I use are...Ubuntu One ( obviously ) History cleaner, SMS pro, TV guide, BBC News, Recipes, Zedge and Yahoo mail.

[forrestcupp]

There any phones with 'vanilla' Android (Android minus the absolutely useless OEM-preinstalled apps) and rooted?

No. The phone companies make a lot of money by having those useless apps preinstalled.

[drawkcab]

angry birds
unblock me
blast monkey
dragon, fly

xbmc remote
rtorrent
postagram

flashlight
quickoffice
hacker keyboard
quick random number generator
barcode scanner
trip advisor

astro file manager
elixir
google maps, earth, sky
3g mobile hotspot
vignette
wifi analyzer

handscent
gmail
dolphin browser
my weather
feedr
yelp
thrutu

[Merk42]

No. The phone companies make a lot of money by having those useless apps preinstalled.Aren't the two Nexus phones free of all that?

[SonicSteve]

I can tell you what App to not get. Advanced Task Killer. It's completely unnecessary in Android 2.2+ and does more harm than good. If you do need to force close a frozen application such a thing is built in.

I'm running 2.3 on my Galaxy i7500 and I find that after killing all the apps that start up by themselves the extra memory is helpful. Perhaps on the newer phones with more ram it's less needed.

[forrestcupp]

Aren't the two Nexus phones free of all that?

I hope the trend is going in that direction.

[Merk42]

I'm running 2.3 on my Galaxy i7500 and I find that after killing all the apps that start up by themselves the extra memory is helpful. Perhaps on the newer phones with more ram it's less needed.Extra ram for what though? Just to have free ram?
If an application needs the ram, then Android will close a sleeping (running background program) to free up the ram.
That's how Android works.

[Oxwivi]

Aren't the two Nexus phones free of all that?
Are the Nexus rooted?

[SonicSteve]

Extra ram for what though? Just to have free ram?
If an application needs the ram, then Android will close a sleeping (running background program) to free up the ram.
That's how Android works.


Perhaps it's the CPU power needed, I'm not sure. I know that killing the apps will give a performance boost. It's noticeable.

[Merk42]

Perhaps it's the CPU power needed, I'm not sure. I know that killing the apps will give a performance boost. It's noticeable.or placebo

[SonicSteve]

or placebo

I have a chinese Epad tablet and I can say with all certainty that Angry birds plays choppy before I kill tasks. After the tasks are killed it's much better. Believe it or not I'm telling you my experience, I can't help that it doesn't line up with your theory.

I would imagine that it has more to do with inferior CPU's that can't keep up with the way Android wants to manage things. Each task needs CPU time to operate, they each sync up with servers as they see fit, that requires CPU time. On an Android device with adequate CPU power I think your theory holds true. On inferior devices however having a task killer is needed.

[forrestcupp]

I have a chinese Epad tablet and I can say with all certainty that Angry birds plays choppy before I kill tasks. After the tasks are killed it's much better.
Can't really argue with that.

[cptrohn]

Ok found my first really useful App the other day.... a WiFi analyzer, its actually pretty darn slick and we used it to do some WiFi mapping at a local church where we are doing some volunteer networking stuff...

Much nicer to use that signal meter on the cell phone instead of lugging the laptop around the building doing it..