Did you just get a new iDevice? Then put this stuff on it.
With all of those apps, finding the essentials for your new device is truly overwhelming. You've heard this thing does it all, so where do you start? Instead of rattling off a mega-list of "If you like X, then you should download Y," were going to get specific and help you populate that device with seven of the best apps and games you need. And this list will not remain static. We'll keep coming back to it, updating it with new must-have apps and games because there will undoubtedly be no shortage of essentials in 2010 and beyond.
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Price (as of 1/5/10): $6.99
The tilt sensitivity of your iDevice essentially turns the whole thing into a steering wheel controller. Whether or not a game developer uses it well is an entirely different situation. However, Electronic Arts' Need for Speed Shift, one of the very best racers in the App Store, has excellent tilt steering that feels just right. Each degree of tilt is seen on-screen as you weave through a pack of aggressive rivals across a series of racing events. It doesn't hurt that Need for Speed Shift is an absolute looker, too. There simply is no better place to start your iPhone racing career.
Publisher: Pandora Media
Price (as of 1/5/10): Free
Pandora is an unparalleled music source. This Internet radio service is one of the world's most popular music destinations for good reason. It is easy to set up your very own personalized stations to listen to the bands and music genres you like, and the smart DJ creates a playlist. I cannot tell you how many forgotten songs and new bands were introduced to me by Pandora. The iPhone app works just as well as the website, easily streaming music through your device (as long as you have a connection) and its integration with iTunes right on your handheld means you can buy new tracks with just a few taps.
Publisher: Mint Software
Price (as of 1/5/10): Free
Effective money management is more important than ever. If you can trust a single source with access to your accounts, Mint is a revolutionary singular location for monitoring balances and transactions across banks, credit cards, and loans. You can create monthly budgets that update as you spend and with tools like 401K and IRA monitoring, you know when you may want to throttle back a little and save for a rainy day. Sounds boring, right? It's not. There is a security in knowing how money flows in and out of your accounts and having it all on one device with access anywhere – from your bedroom to the restaurant lobby – makes Mint an essential.
Publisher: Dromsynt
Price (as of 1/5/10): $0.99
Squareball won IGN's award for the Best iPhone Game of 2009. That's no small shakes, beating out some heavy hitters. You got an iPhone because you wanted a new device that offered new things, including new ways to interact with entertainment. Squareball is a fresh action-puzzle game that truly feels like it wouldn't work on any other screen. You scroll stages to keep a block from flying out of bounds. It's that simple – but it's not that easy. Squareball gets incredibly hard in its upper levels. The retro charm is undeniable, especially for older folks that grew up with Atari 2600s in the living room. While there are so many typical puzzle games to play on your iPhone, such as Tetris and Bejeweled, you really owe it to yourself to take your new device and try something new with it. Squareball is that kind of game.
Publisher: fringland
Price (as of 1/5/10): Free
You wanted a communications device, right? Then you need the Fring social hub on your iPhone or iPod touch. Fring was initially a great place to manage your instant messenger clients on the iPhone, but it has grown so much in the last year. With push notification, you no longer have to be staring at Fring to know when you're being messaged. Fring also supports calling over WiFi, which is a good way to save serious cash if you make calls anywhere near a hotspot, such as your office. Fring now even supports video calls over WiFi (one-way only) and Twitter friends. Fring really fills a necessary niche on the iDevices – a smart messenger – that will save you time and money.
Publisher: Amazon
Price (as of 1/5/10): Free
Everybody thinks Apple is up to something that will absolutely blow Amazon's e-reader, the Kindle, out of the water. Well, after a boffo 2009 holiday, Amazon has an impressive head start. Amazon was very smart to allow iPhone and iPod touch users access to Kindle books via this simple-to-use app. While the iDevice screen is not as easy on the eyes as the actual Kindle hardware's digital ink screen, this app is the best reader out there right now. Buying and transferring Kindle books to the app is a snap and if you decrease your screen brightness, you can get enough battery mileage out of your iDevice to make it through an entire book. Well, maybe not "War and Peace," but definitely "New Moon."
Publisher: Rock Software
Price (as of 1/5/10): $1.99
There really is an app for everything. There are so many clever apps and programs for the iDevices, but Run Pee really epitomizes the breadth of stuff on the App Store. Here is an app that tells you when it is safe to go to the bathroom (number one, mind you) during a movie so you don't miss any of the good stuff. Run Pee has a timer that lets you know when a "boring part" is coming up and how long you have before you better get your fanny back in that seat. Plus, a quick summary of that specific bathroom break tells you exactly what you may have missed. Of course, firing up your iPhone in the theater to read is frowned upon, so you may want to read when taking care of business. Just make sure you wash.
What are your absolute iPhone essentials? What should be included in the next revision of this list? And what app should be knocked out of the seven? We'll always keep track of which apps were in this list so no great app disappears into the ether. Don't limit your suggestions to games, either. Tell us about a great photo app or comic organization app you found. Maybe it will make the next list.
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