Top 8 android apps for 2014

It’s a good thing purchasing an android smartphone because it keeps you busy and never makes a day of your bored. Actually smartphones are getting more powerful every year with faster processors, bigger screen resolutions and sharper cameras, but without the right apps it may as well be a hunk of plastic in your pocket.  Today am going to make some reviews on the top 10 best apps for 2014.

1.       SKY SPORTS NEWS:

Sports fans in need of their daily news fix need look no further than the Sky Sports News app. As well as all the day’s top stories, Sky Sports News has separate tabs for football, cricket, rugby union, rugby league, golf, tennis, formula one and boxing. Its football and cricket coverage is particularly good, as it includes upcoming fixtures, live scores, results, league tables and TV listings for every game that’s being broadcast on Sky Sports. It’s a shame it doesn’t cover athletics in the same level of detail, but it’s still a great resource tool that doubles up as a handy news app.

Download app here

2.       ACCUWEATHER:

If there's one thing we love to check more than train times, it's the weather, and Accuweather is by far the most detailed weather app on the Google Play Store. You not only get the current temperature, humidity, UV index, dew point, visibility, pressure, wind speed and wind direction, but it also gives you all this information in detailed hourly and daily weather forecasts as well. It does have some downsides: the blocky weather maps don't match the rest of its slick, minimalist design and the weather related news and videos aren't always particularly relevant to your location, but if all you're looking for is a quick rundown of the weather, AccuWeather is our app of choice.

Download app here

Alternatively: BBC WEATHER

The new BBC Weather app is very slick and provides all the basic information you need, but best of all it uses the familiar BBC symbols that we all instinctively understand.

3.       NETFLIX:

The range of devices that Netflix works with is a key reason it's our favourite TV and movie streaming service; LoveFilm is also excellent but there's no Android app for it as Amazon wants to promote its own Kindle tablets. The range of content is excellent and the resume function means you can start watching on one device and then switch to another seamlessly. There's a one-month free trial if you don't want to hand over your money straight away, but TV and film buffs won't regret it. One of our biggest hopes is that the service will one day let you download content to watch on the go, but there's no sign of that yet.

Download app here

4.       MX PLAYER:

One great thing about Android handsets is that you can simply drag-and-drop video files to their internal storage from a PC via a basic USB lead. Every phone has its own native video player, but MX Player is one of the most stable and easy to use media players we've tested. It supports a wide range of file formats thanks to its extensive number of codecs, and its multi-core decoders make it very fast and powerful. Pinch-zooming to change the aspect ratio is quick and simple, so you can resize video to fit the screen to your liking. If your phone runs out of battery while watching a film or video, MX Player will even remember where it stopped when you return to the app.

Download app here

 

5.       SPEEDTEST:

If you're having trouble with your phone's internet speeds, SpeedTest will show you the ping rate, download and upload speed of your mobile network using its quick and simple test. It's accurate and you can test other servers to compare results. We also use it at home as a quick test when things are lagging online, you can instantly see if it's your broadband that's at fault. Speedtest also keeps a log of your tests which can you can export to CSV or share over email, and you can pass on individual results via social networks.

Download app here

6.       JUICEDEFENDER:

If you find your phones continually running out of battery, JuiceDefender can help make the last few pixels of the bar last longer. There are three set profiles to choose from, ranging from balanced to extreme, or you can create your own customised conservation plan using the advanced profile option. Each profile gives you a detailed rundown of how the app will affect your phone's performance, and you can configure individual apps as well. It's very easy to use and once its set-up, it works quietly away in the background to give you as much juice as possible.

Download app here

7.       AVG ANTIVIRUS SECURITY:

We often don't think about installing security apps on our phones and tablets in the same way we would a PC or laptop, but Android devices are increasingly targeted by criminals. AVG's free antivirus app not only scans your apps and files for malware and lets you browse the web safely and securely, but it also helps you find lost or stolen devices via Google Maps, kills programs that are slowing down your phone, protects you from phishing attacks and lets you lock or wipe your device remotely.

Download app here

8.       FREE ZONE – FREE WIFI SCANNER:

Finding free Wi-Fi often feels like the Holy Grail for smartphone users, but Free Zone not only shows you every free and paid Wi-Fi hotspot nearby, it also uses Google Maps to give you directions on how to get there. If you find an undiscovered hotspot, you can add it to the map, too. You don't even have to search for hotspots to get connected, as you can set the app to connect automatically whenever your phone comes within range. This could quickly lead to a worn out battery, though, so you'll probably want to make use of its notification settings to alert you to hotspots instead.

Download app here