The Best Apps

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) 


KindleAmazon'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.


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2. Netflix


(Free, app2.me/2968)

NetflixIf 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)


KeynoteI 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)

MintThis 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)


BlipboardFor 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

Issue: 
2011 Buyers Guide
Department/Section: 
Apps
TOC Weight: 
10