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Best free Android apps of 2012

By
June 7, 2012

Do you have the best Android apps on your phone right now? If you think you don’t, then it’s time that you download them to your Android device.

If you’re not too keen on shelling out cash for the best paid Android apps of 2012, why not try going for the best of the free ones.  We have listed some of 2012’s best free Android apps on the Google Play Store.

Some free apps are not worth the trouble.  In fact, many people equate freebies with low-quality, dispensability, and feature impairment.  But, not the apps on this list.  They have been downloaded, installed, and used by countless Android users all over the world–and have been

Read on to check out our list of the most awesome free Android apps for 2012.

Twitter has definitely become a vital communication network and the best way to enjoy it on your Android phone is through TweetCaster for Twitter.  Boasting speed, a clean-looking interface, and numerous features, it’s the number one Twitter app for any Android device.

The app has several unique features which differentiate it from other Twitter apps. It has a Search Party feature allowing you to easily narrow down your search  for tweets. And, if the tweets are too messy for you to see, it allows you to group people on a list, keeping things orderly.

You can also choose to speak your tweets, too. Instead of typing in your tweet, you can say your tweets out loud then the phone uses your voice as input.

If we talk about social networking sites, there could be no site more famous than Facebook. It’s a global phenomenon and almost everybody is on it. Friendcaster for Facebook is not the official Facebook app for Android, but many users choose to download it because it has better features than the official Facebook app itself. It can definitely give you the best Facebook experience on your Android device.

The app has loads of features for an amazing mobile Facebook experience. It has a simple yet nice-looking interface (just like Facebook ) which you can customize to some degree. It’s also very fast, letting you enjoy real-time updates and posts so that you won’t miss out on anything in the news feeds.  So, if you are stuck with a slow Facebook app, you better switch to this app or else you’ll have a horrible Facebook mobile experience.

With the boom of social media, social networking sites have become quite numerous, providing users a variety of ways to communicate with friends. If you own accounts for several networking sites, you will find yourself unable to manage all of them, especially if you are a bit busy. It’s like using several mobile phones to contact your friends and it’s really hard to keep up with. Good thing there’s Seesmic, allowing you to manage your social media accounts in one place.

The app has a very simple interface allowing you to see feeds from your accounts where you can comment, like, or follow posts easily. However the app’s free version can only be used to manage your Twitter and Facebook account. Nonetheless, those are the most famous sites but if you want to enjoy more features, you can download the pro version of the app.

Social media is not just about famous sites like Facebook and Twitter; even Google has its own way of connecting you with friends and family. Google+ is another way to keep in touch with friends while you are using your mobile device. The app allows you to upload photos and chat with friends, and uploading videos has just recently been supported.

The app has a feature where you can automatically sync your photos and they’ll be instantly uploaded to a private Google+ album. The app has really fun and handy features. You can video chat with up to 9 friends with mobile hangouts in messenger. If that’s not enough for you, the app allows you to chat with all your friends at once! Imagine that? You can also check out trending topics through a “what’s hot stream”. All that, you can do on your mobile device with this app.

If you like exploring new places or if you want to know the latest buzz about freebies and discounts then you’ve got to have Foursquare pinned on your Android device. Through this app you can check out what new things your friends are up to or share your experiences about the places you’ve been to r about a certain brand of clothing that you just bought.

Through this app, you will know some of the tips and advice from experts, brands and even some of your favorite celebrities, not to mention a list of the best places you can go to. You can save money with discounts from businesses and you can also ask your friends what the best places to go to are, whether it’s a hotel, restaurant or a store. This app is probably the best guide you could have.

If you are fond of watching movies and TV series on your phone or tablet then GetGlue is the perfect app for your entertainment. Through this app, you can check in to movies, TV shows and music, allowing you to discover new things that you will love to watch. It’s also more of a social networking site for entertainment because you get to interact with friends and know what movies they like. You can also share your favorite movies and shows with them.

You can also check out what your friends are watching and even chat with them while you are watching your favorite shows. The app has over 700 shows for you to check out, including some of the most famous, such as American Idol, The Vampire Diaries and The Walking Dead. You can also unlock stickers and discounts as you use the app, and what’s even more fun is that you can get the real stickers in the mail. Check it out!

If you’ve heard about Siri, the famous virtual assistant for the iPhone, you’ll have been amazed by the things that it can do. But, did you know that it has an Android counterpart? Vlingo Virtual Assistant is the app which makes everything easy if, say, you are driving or cooking, or for when you just can’t hold your phone. Just speak to it and it will take care of everything.

There are a bunch of things that this app can do for you. You can order it to send texts and emails, call a contact, and search the web. It can even tell you directions, find an establishment, buy a movie ticket, and even book a hotel room. Aside from that it can also update your Twitter or Facebook status for you, as well as check in with Foursquare. Most of all, if you don’t have someone to talk to, you can ask it any question. It’s really helpful and must-have app to install on your phone, not to mention that it could be fun to talk with.

Are you a music lover who wants to be updated on all the new songs? If that’s the case, then you should have Shazam on your Android device. The highlight of this app is that it can find almost any song that you are looking for, even if you don’t know the title. Just type in some of the lyrics and presto! The app finds that song for you and it narrows down the search unlike other music search apps which often show irrelevant results.

Once you have search results, you can listen to a 30 second preview to check if that’s the song you’re looking for and then you can save it right away. Singing along to the tune of your new song is also easier because the app streams lyrics in time to the beat of the music.

Also included in our list of some of the best apps for 2012 is Lookout Security & Antivirus. It’s one of the best security apps downloaded by many users to protect their devices from malicious contents or from anyone who wants to mess with their Android device. It’s an all-in-one security solution promising to protect your device from loss, theft, and even hackers. It runs effectively and efficiently in the background to protect your phone without draining your battery.

The app has many features designed for your phone’s security, but one of the most highlighted is the anti-theft/anti-loss feature. Using any web browser, you can locate your phone if it’s stolen or lost–all from the app’s official website. It also has a Backup & Restore feature, securing a backup of your data on the cloud which can be easily restored to your mobile device.

The last but not the least app on our list is Evernote. Staying organized is an everyday struggle, especially for those of you who have a lot of things to do. It’s impossible to remember every appointment or task that you have to do if you have a hectic schedule, except if you have a photographic memory. But, that’s not a problem when you use Evernote. The app will help you keep things organized and you can leave procrastinating behind.

It’s not just a simple notepad because it can do a lot of stuff. Aside from the notepad function, you can save files, capture photos, and even record voice reminders. You can organize your notes by tags and notebooks to make sure that everything is in place. And, you can sync all these files across several devices so that your notes can guide you on what to do, whether you are at home or at work. You can even share your notes with your friends or officemates to remind them, as well.

Those are just some of the best free Android apps for 2012 (so far), but there are more not included in this list. This app list however is subjective and some of the apps included may not be one of your favorites. Let us know about your favorite apps by leaving us a comment.