Wow, there are a lot of apps in the app store! And the number seems to be growing exponentially. Any sane person would just ask their friends for app recommendations, and since we're your friends, we've made it easy for you to find the very best apps for your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. So get your device ready, pour yourself a nice beverage, and feast away through this year's top apps across every single App Store category. By the way, since we also love some apps more than others (hey, that's life), below we've picked our five absolute favorite apps. Enjoy!
iPhone Life's Top 5 Apps of the Year:
1. Kindle
(Free, app2.me/2482)
Amazon's Kindle app is my absolute favorite. It lost a few points from me when they removed the dedicated Kindle Store button, but they had to in order to comply with Apple's rules. It is still very easy to purchase books, organize and read them, and it is especially enjoyable on the iPad. If you were to choose one app this year, this would be it.
2. Netflix
(Free, app2.me/2968)
If you have a Netflix account with access to online streaming, this app is a no-brainer. This is probably the app I use the most. Somehow the movie and TV show suggestions look more enticing when I see them through the app, instead of my computer. You can't go wrong with an app that turns your device into your own portable movie player.
3. Keynote
($9.99, app2.me/2481)
I talked about this app so much that it became a running joke at iPhone Life headquarters. As someone who loves public speaking and creating presentations, I was just blown away by the versatility and functionality of the Keynote app. And even though it still doesn't have all the features of its desktop counterpart, it is a must-have if you ever work on presentations.
4. Mint
(Free, app2.me/2711)
This app is a neat little companion to Mint.com's free financial tracking service. I've found it incredibly useful to have this app with me. I can check my balances with one glance, I can get useful reminders about when bills are due, and I can know instantly if I'm going over a specific budget I've set up.
5. Flipboard
(iPad Only: Free, app2.me/3473)
For iPad users, this app is a must-have. I love using Flipboard to read the latest news, see my Twitter and Facebook feeds in a new layout, and browse through interesting content. It's amazing how much we'll keep reading if the information is presented beautifully. I could make jokes about how you'll "flip" for this app, but I'm pretty sure the pun police just pulled up to my front door.
Books
30 Best of the Best
30 Children's Books
31 Readers
31 Bible Apps
31 Best Comic Apps
Business
32 Best of the Best
32 Remote Desktop
33 Made for iPad
33 Office Docs
33 Best Business Card Readers
Entertainment
35 Best of the Best
35 Made for iPad
35 Biggest Time Killers
35 Best Movie Apps
Education
36 Best of the Best
36 Made for iPad
37 Elementary School
37 High School
37 College
37 Alphabet
37 Outer Space Apps
Finance
38 Best of the Best
38 Best Budget Tracking Apps
38 Best Investing Apps
38 Best Banking Apps
Games
39 Best of the Best
39 Best Casino Apps
39 Best Free Games
39 Best Role-playing
40 Most Addictive
40 Best Multiplayer
40 Best Word Games
40 Best Mahjong
40 Best Arcade
40 Best Puzzle Apps
41 Best for Kids
41 Made for iPad
41 Best Racing Games
41 Best Shooting Games
41 Best Sports Games
42 Best iPad Board Games
Healthcare & Fitness
44 Best of the Best
44 Made for iPad
44 Best Workout Apps
44 Best Yoga and Meditation Apps
Lifestyle
45 Best of the Best
45 Made for iPad
46 Best Shopping Apps
46 Best Drinking Apps
46 Best Cooking Apps
46 Best Coupon Apps
46 Best Locating and Tracking Apps
46 Best Wallpaper Apps
Medical
50 Best of the Best
50 Made for iPad
50 Medical Professionals
50 Best Pharmacy Apps
Music
51 Best of the Best
51 Made for iPad
51 Best for Streaming Music
51 Best for Musicians
Navigation
52 Best of the Best
52 Made for iPad
52 Best Free
52 Public Transportation
News
53 Best of the Best
53 Made for iPad
53 Newspaper
53 RSS Readers
54 Best Personalized Magazine Apps
Photography
58 Best of the Best
58 Made for iPad
58 Best Free
58 Best for Displaying Photos
59 Best Apps and Gear for iPhoneography
Productivity
63 Best of the Best
63 Made for iPad
63 Best Cloud Storage
63 Best To-Do List
63 Best Apps for Freelance Writers
Reference
64 Best of the Best
64 Made for iPad
64 Best Dictionaries
64 Best Translators
Social Networking
65 Best of the Best
65 Made for iPad
65 Best Instant Messengers
65 Best Emoticons
66 Top 4 Off the Beaten Path Social Apps
Sports
67 Best of the Best
67 Made for iPad
67 Best Fantasy Football
67 Best Sport News
Travel
68 Best of the Best
68 Best on the iPad
68 Best Travel Guides
68 Best Free Apps
Utilities
69 Best of the Best
69 Made for iPad
69 Best Alarm Clocks
69 Best Free
Weather
70 Best of the Best
70 Made for iPad
70 Best Hurricane Tracker
70 Best Free