5 and 4
Who doesn't love a bargain during these cash-hungry times? Having already taken a look at the top five paid-for Android apps of 2011, we're now going to see which free apps you've been downloading in your thousands and, what's more, what makes them so popular.
5
Viber
Viber has been remarkably successful on iOS with over 12 million users
downloading the app to make calls and send messages. In 2011, Viber has
now quickly established itself on the Android platform, too, as the
second most popular VoIP service (to Skype) for contacting
other users free of charge (data costs still apply over 3G.)
The advantage that Viber has over Skype during set-up is that there
isn't a long-winded sign-up process, or the need to assign a username.
Instead, it uses your phone number as the registration. You receive an
SMS code to input when first downloaded and can activate the
account within seconds.
Unlike many free services, there are no intrusive advertisements to
slow things down either, so you can move quickly between the message
and call panels with no slowdown. Voice quality has been exceptional
over a Wi-Fi connection, with some fuzziness over 3G, and having used
Viber to call international numbers on numerous occasions we've
experienced a stable connection and excellent audio.
Unlike Skype, Viber doesn't have a video-call feature, or the ability
to call non-Viber users, though it's a premium feature that is set to
be added in the future. You're also stuck with the default purple
interface
which can be a little jarring on the eyes. However, it is less
battery- and memory-intensive than Skype, so leaving it running in the
background is less of a concern.
Overall, Viber has a way to go to catch up with the Skype service in
terms of the interface and variety of services, but its high
performance as a free call and message service is impressive.
With popularity growing and many Android users now on board, more and more people on
your contact list may end up using Viber as an alternative to Skype.
Download
Viber.
4
Go Launcher EX
Go Launcher EX enables one to totally transform the look of a
smartphone's home screen and replaces the default launcher, competing
directly against products such as ADW Launcher and Launcher Pro.
There are currently over 4,000 themes on offer and via the dedicated
store you can download 'GoWidgets', including Message GOWidget,
Contacts
GOWidget and Calendar GOWidget. Unlike many similar apps that just
offer skins and themes, Go Launcher allows personalisation of
icons and provides an unprecedented amount of control over
customisation.
It's really easy to navigate and use and a quick tap of the app drawer
provides options to add themes, wallpapers and effects, as wells customise the screen with
applications, widgets and folders. If you're
feeling brave enough you can also make themes for Go Launcher via a
dedicated Windows application.
The Go Store is impressively packed full of great designs, and even though you do have to pay
for some themes and widgets, there's more than enough content available for free. Transforming the look of the screen and,
more importantly, making it feel personable and fun to navigate can be quite an obsession, and Go Launcher offers all the tools you need.
We don't
have a bad word to say about Go Launcher. The amount of content that it
gives you entirely for free is outstanding.
Download
Go Launcher EX.
