As great as the iPhone is, it’s really the apps that make it spectacular. After most new iPhone buyers get over “the new car smell” their first question is usually what apps they should put on their iPhone. If you ask a hundred different people you will probably get a hundred different answers. So just to add to the hundreds of answers here is my list of the top ten apps that I use on my iPhone in no particular order. Note: All links below are iTunes links.

#1 Tweetie 2: ($2.99) Tweetie is probably the application that gets the most use on my iPhone. Tweetie is a simple and clean Twitter application. The 2.1 update it also includes support for Twitter lists and the new retweet feature.

#2 Facebook: (free) I don’t think this application needs much in the way of an introduction. It is, after all, the official Facebook app. If you use Facebook and you have an iPhone, then why don’t you have this app?

#3 Google Mobile App: (free) The thing that makes this the killer Google search app is the voice to text feature. Once launched, all you need to do is tap the “voice search” microphone icon and speak your search. The voice to text engine is pretty good. It even recognized “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”. It works great as a search app, but if you use Google Reader or Gmail a lot, then it adds an extra step. Tap once to launch the Google app, again to switch from search to apps, and a third time to open the Google app (e.g. Gmail). I have found it more convenient to add a shortcut to Gmail and Google Reader to my home screen since I use these two web apps often.

#4 Instapaper: (free) I only use the free version of this app since I don’t feel I have a need for the extra features in the paid version. Instapaper is an application that will allow you to save (via their bookmarklet) any article you might want to read later. The most valuable feature of this app is that it allows you to save a text only article for off-line reading.  It’s great for long articles that you might want to save and read while drinking a cup of coffee in a café or when on an airplane or a bus.

#5 Simplenote: ($1.99)  Simplenote is just that, a simple notes application that lets you write notes on your iPhone.  This application is a step up from the built in notes application on the iPhone because it will sync back to a web server. I find this really useful since now I can sync, over WiFi or the Internet, all the notes on my iPhone with my desktop. I use a program on my iMac called Fluid and I created a separate application with the Simplenote web interface. The application on my iPhone and the application on my iMac are both syncing back to the cloud so I don’t have to worry about either one being out of sync.

#6 Evernote: (free) With Evernote, you can take a picture of a business card and then have Evernote perform OCR. If you take a picture of a business card for John Smith, and then later if you want to the view that card again, all you have to do is type in “John Smith” into Evernote’s search box. Evernote will bring up all the images that have the text “John Smith” in them. You can take pictures of menus, receipts and any other document and refer to them at anytime. This is also an application that syncs back to a web server, so all the notes on your iPhone or desktop will be available anywhere. There are also Mac and Windows clients available.

#7 NightCamera: ($0.99)  NightCamera uses the iPhone’s built-in accelerometer to sense when the camera is stable before it will take a picture. Like the name implies, this application is very useful in low light. There are also some extra features in the application such as a digital zoom, a timer, and different photo ratios.

#8 Photoshop Mobile: (free)  Photoshop is probably one of the most recognizable applications for both Windows and Mac computers. Photoshop mobile is not nearly as powerful as its desktop counterpart but it gives you the ability to make quick edits, colour corrections, crops or even apply filters to pictures you have taken on your iPhone.

#9 Boxcar: (free+) Boxcar gives you push notifications for Twitter, Facebook, and email. Boxcar uses the iPhone’s push notification system to notify you when you have messages on Facebook, direct messages or @replies on Twitter or a new email message. One great feature is you can set quiet times so that you won’t get notifications in the middle of the night. You can also set the application to open your default apps for Facebook, Twitter or email when you get a message. Boxcar pricing is unique, the first service you add is free, but each additional service is $.99. To get Twitter, Facebook, and email notifications you will have to pay a $1.98, in app.

#10 Canabalt: ($2.99) Canabalt is probably one of the  least complex games I’ve played on the iPhone but for some reason this game is highly addictive. To play the game you have to tap the screen to make a character jump. The character jumps from rooftop to rooftop while avoiding danger. The whole point of the game is to run as far as you can without dying. I think I like this game because it’s easy to pick up or put down at any time.

Honourable Mentions

Gowalla: (free) Gowalla is a location based social game. When you visit a new location you “Check In.” If you are the first visitor to the spot you will be asked to create a new spot. after you’ve checked in, you will then be able to pick up an item or drop an item from your Gowalla passport. The idea is to collect as many items as you can. If you’re the first person to drop an item at a spot, you’ll become the founder. You can add friends and see where they are or where they’ve been. I only give this application and honourable mention because recently the application has become nearly unusable for me. Gowalla will not load any nearby spots in my neighbourhood. This bug has been acknowledged by Gowalla and I hope they fix it ASAP.

ReelDirector: ($4.99)  RealDirector has been called iMovie for the iPhone. Using this application you can edit video clips that you have taken with your iPhone. You can also add images, credits, transitions and a voiceover to your project. There are some drawbacks to this application. First, you can’t add music from your iPhone’s library to your video project. Second, you can only edit video from your Camera Roll not video from you albums or iTunes. Also, you can only add titles at the beginning or end, not lower thirds. Hopefully they will add all of this in later updates.

Layar: (free) Layar is a slick augmented reality application, but I don’t use it much. However, when I do use it I feel like I am living in the futre. I mostly, use it to show people the power of the iPhone. Layar uses your GPS location and compass to locate you. You can then use different layers or “layars” to augment your reality. Think Terminator view. As an example, if you chose Wikipedia you will be able to hold your iPhone out and see what places around you are on Wikipedia. From a different Layar you can see who is Twittering around you. Additionaly, you can also use the local search to see how far away the closest coffee shop is. It’s worth checking out, even just for the wow factor.

I Cheated

Okay, so I cheated. I said that I was going to narrow it down to 10 apps. If you count the Gmail and Google Reader shortcuts on the home screen, along with the honourable mentions I actually mentioned 15. I probably use about 20-25 apps on a regular basis and a bunch more occasionally. As I write this,  I have more than 60 applications in current use on my iPhone. I’ve added and deleted countless others and I’ll probably continue to do so. I find that I am always rearranging the apps so that the applications on the first page of the SpringBoard are the ones that I use the most. I will probably develop OCD over it. So, what apps do you use and love?

(Image Credit: .reid.)

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About the author

Matt
I'm Matt and I share how to build an internet presence through internet business, social marketing, lifestyle design and productivity tools. While here, read about me to learn my story or find out how you can hire me.

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