It is sometimes hard to believe that 15 years ago, it wasn’t uncommon to not own a mobile phone, period. The idea of smartphones was starting to surface, but the idea of them being as common place as they are today was as bizarre a thought as ordinary people wanting their own computers was back in the 70’s.
And it is exactly that growing interest of PCs in the general community that led to the revolution of smartphones. Mobile phones were already growing in popularity, and computer technology was getting smaller and smaller (and faster and faster); so it only made sense to create a simple handheld computer. And since the technology was available, why not slap a camera and phone on there as well?
Nowadays, it is almost hard to distinguish exactly what it is you are carrying around. It is called a smartphone, and is obviously a phone. But, the new cameras are comparable to many stand-alone digital cameras. And with the introduction of Apple’s 64-bit A7 chip; the possibility of having desktop power computing in the palm of your hand is already here.
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So obviously, the mobile age is in a new era, and if you’re going to own a smartphone, without taking advantage of the 1,000,000+ apps now available, you’re really not using your phone to its full potential. Yes, there are over 1,000,000 apps now available in the Apple App Store. Here are five that you should put on your phone right now if you don’t already have them.
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Google Maps – Forget about mobile phones, what a life changer having a GPS in your pocket is! Google Maps is unquestionably the best map app available, and probably one you’ll use more than any other.
You can look up addresses and get turn by turn directions – in real time. As if that weren’t enough, options to avoid traffic, find the best bike route, and locate other points of interest on your route are all available.
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VSCO Cam – Though the iPhone doesn’t have the best camera of all smartphones, it is pretty close, and VSCO Cam – which is currently only available for the iPhone, is one of the coolest photo editing apps on the market.
There are numerous ways to tweak your photo from cropping and rotation to exposure, temperature, and much more. It comes with a pretty well stocked choice of filters, with more available for purchase online. VSCO also allows for easy import and export of your HD pictures.
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LinkedIn (and CardMunch) – LinkedIn in any form has proven itself to be a powerful business networking tool, and the app is a must have. Card Munch is an extra feature that allows you to snap a shot of anyone’s business card, and have a contact listing created based on the text on the card.
Since it’s a part of LinkedIn, it also will add all relevant profile information to any new contacts, when available.
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Dropbox – The most popular file-synching app available, for obvious reasons. Because of its longevity and name recognition, it is able to integrate with hundreds of other apps and services with little to no problem.
Dropbox provides an easy to use and convenient sharing network for you and your team for all types of files.
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Evernote – The best tool available to collect your thoughts and little scraps of knowledge. Evernote allows you to coordinate notes of all kinds: text, audio, voice memos, and photos, and still make them easily searchable. When it comes to getting organized, Evernote can’t be beat – and it’s FREE.