For the curious outsiders who are just now deciding to take their first digital steps into the world of glorious, sometimes baffling, often shallow and mostly time wasting yet all encompassing activity of fiddling around with your phone, ignoring the outside world and filling in the mundanity of the free minutes (or hours) in one’s life.
Welcome to The Mobile Lifestyle!
Here are a few resources to get you started:
Games
The following apps are the closest thing to a “true gaming experience” I’ve found for the Android platform thus far. Oh sure you have your Angry & Flappy Birds, your endless runners and your endless Match-3 “Sagas”, but the following are a (loosely) ordered list of some games which actually benefit from the mobile platform specifically because the developers knew the benefits (and limitations) of their medium.
Terra Battle
An addictive tile-sliding, pincer maneuver puzzle game with some light story telling.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mistwalkercorp.guardians&hl=en
Tomb Raider GO
An isometric puzzle game which forces you to not only take the environment into consideration but the environment as it will be several turns from now.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.squareenixmontreal.lcgo&hl=en
Deus Ex GO
Same as the above but with a cyberpunk slant. I haven’t played this one as much, it seems more situational.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.squareenixmontreal.deusexgo&hl=en
Hoplite
A hex-based board game where you move in turns and try to plan ahead to avoid damage, defeat your enemies and descend deeper.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.magmafortress.hoplite
Templar Battleforce
A top down turn based strategy game in the vein of classic X-Com with a dash of Warhammer 40K inspired Space Marines lore.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tresebrothers.games.battlefront&hl=en
Fire Emblem Heroes
One of the first names in Strategy RPG in a mobile format.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nintendo.zaba&hl=en
Trivia Crack
Think you’re smart? Prove it.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.etermax.preguntados.lite&hl=en
Communications
Truecaller
Automatically flags spam callers, of which there are hundreds.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.truecaller&hl=en
AudioManager Pro
Design profiles and adjust your volume based on your situation: Media, Average, Mute All, etc.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smartandroidapps.audiowidgetpro&hl=en
Skype
I’m on Skype all the time…so why aren’t you?
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.skype.raider&hl=en
Listen
Play Music (Google)
Built in MP3 player; decent. That is all.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.audible.application&hl=en
Audible
My Life’s Blood. I enjoy nothing more than to lay down and listen to an audiobook.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.audible.application&hl=en
Amazon Music
A pretty crappy MP3 player connected to an excellent music service.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.amazon.mp3&hl=en
Simple Radio
Listen to ‘The Best of Art Bell’ and other radio web radio stations.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.streema.simpleradio&hl=en
A Soft Murmur
Calming… Do not underestimate its effects.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gabemart.asoftmurmur&hl=en
Smart AudioBook
Third Party audio book application; got a book in MP3 format? This will allow you to save bookmarks, FWD/RWD 30 seconds, etc.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ak.alizandro.smartaudiobookplayer&hl=en
Google
(Literally everything Google preinstalled on your phone)
Time
Alarm Clock Xtreme
It’s an alarm clock.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alarmclock.xtreme.free&hl=en
Stopwatch Timer
It’s a stopwatch.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hybrid.stopwatch&hl=en
Files
My Files
Built in the file navigator, good for finding decent downloads and little else.
File Manager (File Explorer) by Astro
A decent file explorer is a must.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.metago.astro&hl=en
Easy Uninstaller
Once you’ve inevitably filled up your phone’s memory with garbage it’s nice to have an easy way to bulk uninstall all the apps you’ve downloaded and probably never even got around to trying.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.infolife.uninstaller&hl=en
Read
Moon+ Reader
An excellent eBook reader.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flyersoft.moonreader&hl=en