We’ve updated all of our essential apps lists for iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows Phone to include some long-awaited arrivals and awesome new apps. Check them out!
The Best iPhone Apps July 2012
Checkmark: It’s so easy to forget those mundane things you have to do every day — pick up the laundry, wash the car, drop off a prescription. Checkmark, however, is a location-based reminders app that will send you a notification based on where you are, so you never have an excuse to space on your errands. $2.99. [clear]
Solar: The iPhone’s native weather app does its job well enough, and the Weather Channel app gives you every piece of data you could ever imagine. But they’re not much to look at. Solar, by contrast, is exquisitely designed. It has colour schemes that reflect the weather, and it responds to intuitive touch-based controls. $0.99. [clear]
Chameleon Clock: Careful. If you don’t look closely enough you might miss it — a clock that uses its camera to blend in with its surroundings. While there are heaps of timekeeper apps around, this one does it in a very unique way, displaying its background as its face. $0.99. [clear]
Flock: There’s always that one friend you constantly have to beg to email or upload pics. But if you have this app you’ll never have that problem again. It figures out who you’re Facebook friends with, finds the ones that have the same camera metadata as you (time and location), and adds all those images to the same album like magic. Free. [clear]
PyroTouch: This cute game will appeal to your inner pyromaniac. Fly to new cities, set off fireworks and collect happiness in this beautifully designed arcade game. Free. [clear]
Visit our updated list of the Best iPhone Apps right here
The Best Android Apps July 2012
Untappd: There are countless brews out there for you to try, but which one will you like? This social app will help you discover new beers to try, as well as identify the bars near you that have them. What an excuse to drink! Free. [clear]
DJrun: It’s hard to work out let, alone run, without the right soundtrack. Using your phone’s accelerometers, this app promises to give you the perfect playlist to match your your pace to keep your motivation up and your feet moving. Free. [clear]
Word Lens: It’s disorienting and confusing to be dropped in a country where you don’t know the language. This handy app uses augmented reality through your phone’s camera and automatically translates signs and other things in the real world into your native tongue. $4.99. [clear]
Visit our updated list of the Best Android Apps right here
The Best iPad Apps July 2012
Polymer: Stretch your brain muscle a little bit with Polymer. It’s a smart puzzle app that’s a little bit Lego, a little bit Rubik’s Cube, offering heaps of different shape-creating games of varying levels of difficulty. $1.99. [clear]
Wikiweb: The Wikipedia app is fine for simple searching, but it does nothing for discovery — or for the eyes. Wikiweb visualises the connections between articles on everyone’s favourite online encyclopaedia as firework-like webs. The layout is lovely, and you just might learn something new. $5.49. [clear]
Guest’d: If you run a business, you want to keep track of the people that stop in. This helps you save all that information in beautiful, completely customisable guest books for your iPad. $10.49. [clear]
Echograph: GIFs are sharable, and it’s entertaining to send them back and forth between your friends, but many of the apps for making them are pretty low-quality. But not Echograph — with support for high-res images, it’s meant for creative folks and pro photographers. $4.49. [clear]
Gilt Taste: Eating well is not cheap, but it feels so good. This app helps you cut the cost on your highbrow tastes by offering daily discounts on gourmet items, as well as recipe ideas from prominent chefs and food writers. Free. [clear]
Visit our updated list of the Best iPad Apps right here
The Best Windows Phone Apps July 2012
Nextgen Reader: Need a solution for going through Google Reader on your phone? This app lets you do it, Metro-style. Features offline caching and Mango support. $2.49. [clear]
Skyscanner: Travelling is expensive, so you want to find a bargain anytime you go somewhere. This app searches more than 1000 databases to find you the best deal, and it will send you the info if you can’t book right away. Free. [clear]
Photosynth: This is a beautiful social panorama app. Take large lovely pics of the people and places around you, and share them with your friends. Free. [clear]
Translator: Need an interpreter? This is a really versatile way to translate a language — it can do it through the phone’s camera with text and it supports spoken word as well. Free. [clear]
Baconit: Are you an avid Redditor? This is an awesome way to check out the front page of the internet. The speedy, live-updating app lets you do all the things you can do on the regular old site, including up-voting and down-voting, commenting, posting and perusing subreddits. Free. [clear]