Every iPhone owner knows "there's an app for that," no matter what "that" happens to be, but we wanted to pare down the enormous selection of apps to the ten we deem the most essential. The apps that made it to this list are meant for everyone, truly, whether you're a veteran iPhone user trying to clean up your apps, or are a new convert to the iOS platform. We all need a little guidance when it comes to figuring out which apps to install of the hundreds of thousands that are in the App Store.
These ten iPhone apps are ones we recommend every iPhone owner download, install, and actually use. Each of the apps that made this list represents some slice of mobile computing or mobile entertainment that we feel should be utilized: productivity, organization, social networking and communication, and so on.
This list does not include apps that are preinstalled on iOS 5 and 6 (nor features hidden in those operating systems, although you can find ten tips for iOS 6 here). Why not? Because you have no choice about whether you'll download them. They're already at your disposal, like it or not. But don't overlook those preinstalled apps because many of them add wonderful functionality to your smartphone experience, such as Reminders, iTunes, Mail, and Calendar.
Throughout, you'll find links to our full reviews of the apps when available, where you can often find tips on how to use the apps best, as well as any tiny snags we found in testing them. You'll find even more recommendations for iPhone apps through the links below. And if you have suggestions for other essential apps, share them in the comments.
IPHONE APPS 1-5
Free
The Brewster iPhone app may be one of the most visually appealing contact managers you'll find, tapping into multiple social networks for images of people you know. It insists on having access to your iPhone Contacts and either Twitter or Facebook to work, though, which may be a showstopper for anyone who is anti-online social networks. Brewster puts faces to names in an interface you can explore, though. That design choice may lead you to waste time (I got sucked into looking for pictures of people I didn't recognize), or it may aid your memory if you're someone who remembers people by their faces rather than company affiliation, location, or name.
Free,
subscription for full service optional Dashlane is a simple and elegant password manager app for iPhone that also adds auto-complete so you don't have to retype the same information over and over again. Like any password manager, you need to set one strong password for your Dashlane account, and all other passwords can be generated and saved automatically. The app is free to download and use, but you'll hit some limitations with the free version, notably, it doesn't log you into sites automatically without a Premium account, which costs $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year; or you can pay with loyalty-like points by referring friends who sign up for the service, too. Most importantly, Dashlane is extremely secure, keeping your information private and encrypted.
Free
Everyone will tell you to download Evernote, but few are able to put into words why it is such an amazing service. The problem with convincing someone of Evernote's worth is it is a uniquely personal tool. Everyone uses it differently. To summarize, the free iPhone app synchronizes notes of all kinds, like text notes, audio recorded notes or voice memos, and pictures, and then makes them all highly searchable. It doesn't sound exciting, but the moment you figure out your own use case for Evernote, I swear you will never look for a replacement (the company highlights different use cases on the Evernote blog; do skim it). The app excels as a pared-down word processing program, and Evernote integrates with dozens of other iPhone apps. When it comes to staying organized, keeping track of ideas, and writing things down, Evernote for iPhone does the heavy lifting for you.
Free
With Apple's iOS 6, you can use some features of Facebook right from your phone, like post a photo taken with your iPhone to your Timeline, without even installing the app. The dedicated Facebook app, however, will keep you connected to your social network more fully. Even if you're not enthralled by Facebook, many of your friends and family probably are, and they use it to share important information that you might need to know. Whether you're an avid Facebooker or just an occasional user, the app helps you stay on top of the people and events all around you, which is reason enough to download it and log on. And for the time being, it still doesn't have advertisements (at least not beyond sponsored content that shows up in your feed).
Free
iPhone users around the world can stop heading to the wrong cities, falling off of warped bridges, and dying of heat stroke while using Apple Maps. Google Maps is back! Formerly included with every iPhone purchase, Google Maps got kicked to the curb as of iOS 6. But fret not, it has returned. You just have to download it. A new improvement to the tried-and-true Google Maps is it now has equal footing with the Android version of the app, including voice-enabled car navigation (technically in beta as of this writing, but present nonetheless
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2400521,00.asp
