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5 Android apps you shouldn't miss this week! - Android Apps Weekly

Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! This week we'll talk about the latest Pokemon Go news along with other big stuff from the world of apps and games!
By
July 17, 2016
android apps weekly

Welcome to the 149th edition of Android Apps Weekly! This is going to be done a little differently than normal. We’re going to separate the Pokemon Go news from the rest of the show so if you don’t want to see it, just scroll down to the “other news” part and start there. Let’s get started with the headlines!

Pokemon Go news:

Other news:

  • Google launched Google Hangouts version 11 this last week. Included in the update is the addition of video messages while the update also took away the ability to merge SMS and Hangouts threads. This isn’t a huge deal, because SMS is still allowed, and it’s rolling out to users now. It also now includes the ability to join a group chat by sharing a link!
  • A new video came out this week that shows just how much effort Facebook puts into testing their app on Android devices. The device farm, which is about 200 devices and swiftly growing, tests performance on everything from high end to low end devices as well as older devices. It’s a lot of work for an app that uses so many resources.
  • It’s been announced this week that San Francisco will be hosting the Google Play Indie Games festival on September 24th. The premise is that Indie developers will submit their games to show off at the festival and the whole thing will be about the wacky, fun, and awesome things they create. We’ll cover as much of it as we can when the time comes!
  • Microsoft is working on a competitor to the popular IFTTT. This alternative, called CAP (or Conditional Action Programmer), functions in much the same way that IFTTT does. The difference is that CAP can use voice commands. This would seemingly let you program your own voice assistant that does the things that you want. It’s not available just yet, but if it’s half as good as it sounds, it should be fun to use.

For even more Android apps and games news, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter by clicking here! There you’ll find a ton of stuff that we didn’t have time for here. If you’d like, you can sign up using the form below and we’ll send the newsletter straight to you every Sunday! Also, don’t forget to check out our official app for even faster updates!

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bitly android apps weekly
Bitly

[Price: Free]
Bitly, one of the world’s most popular link shortening services, has launched its official app. It comes with some gorgeous Material Design and mirrors pretty much all of the functionality from the actual website. You’ll be able to shorten links, share those links quickly, and check out the click stats on those links. It’s an excellent tool with a simple design that should just work for most people. There isn’t a lot wrong with it and it’s worth having around just in case.

bitly android apps weekly

fear the walking dead dead run android apps weekly
Fear the Walking Dead: Dead Run

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Fear the Walking Dead: Dead Run is a a tactical runner where you must run through hordes of zombies and survive. You can play as your favorite characters from the show and, consequently, you can play through some scenes that are actually in the show. It’s a freemium game looking to cash in on The Walking Dead, so you can expect the usual flaws that come with over-produced freemium games. Despite that, the game isn’t all that bad and it is free to download to see if you like it for yourself.


parceltrack android apps weekly
ParcelTrack

[Price: Free / $2.99]
ParcelTrack isn’t necessarily brand new, but it’s actually really handy. The idea is that it lets you input all of your tracking numbers from shipped packages in one spot. It will then give you updates and alert you when the delivery status is updated. It supports most known carriers, including UPS, USPS, DHL, DHL Express, and FedEx, among others. You can get additional features if you go premium, but even the free version is one is pretty good. It’s a must-try if you get or ship packages frequently.

parceltrack android apps weekly

card wars kingdom android apps weekly
Card Wars Kingdom

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Card Wars Kingdom is the latest game out of Cartoon Network. It’s based around the characters of Adventure Time and the game is a pretty standard card-collecting experience. You’ll collect various characters, battle them, and upgrade them to unlock better stats and abilities. There is an online component as well where you can battle with other players, share your creatures to other players, and borrow helpers from allies. At its core, it’s not too different from other card collectors, and that includes the freemium aspect, but it’s goofy and fun to play.


discogs android apps weekly
Discogs

[Price: Free]
Discogs is a unique application that is perfect for all of you record collectors out there. The idea is that you put your existing record collection into the app and then it helps you find and purchase albums that you don’t have. Along with physical music discovery and purchasing, the app will also provide an estimated value for your entire collection. Record collecting is niche, but virtually all collectors should try this out. It also features Material Design and no price tag to download.

discogs android apps weekly

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If we missed any big Android apps or games news, tell us about them in the comments!To see our complete list of best app lists, click here.