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Top Free iPhone Apps - 2009

Posted on 20. Mar, 2009 by Shawn in iPhone

Apart from the sleek style and beautiful interface, apps are the number one component of the iPhone that seperates it from the competition. There is only one problem with apps for the iPhone, there are literally thousands and thousands of them. Not a bad problem to have, but still an issue.

iTunes has managed to improve there rating system for iPhone applications making it a bit easier to navigate through them. They have added a user count next to the star ranking system to add some weight to those stars. The improved system is better, but as with anything one persons trash is another persons treasure. This applies to apps as well. Some users hate some apps while they are at the top of the list for others.

Most people who visit this site are interested in finding technology that improves there lives in some fashion. Taking this into consideration, I essentially compiled a list of my favorite apps. I’m more into apps that increase productivity, replace a paying service with a free one, or bring me personalized information quickly. I do love social apps and games as well though. That being said, here is my list of top free iPhone apps for the beginning of 2009.

Top Free iPhone Apps - 2009 (no particular order)

Pandora is one of the most unique ways to have internet radio delivered to your phone or even car with the right accessories. This app has managed to stay in the top apps for sometime now. Just pick any song, artist, genre etc… and Pandora will deliver the music you want. I have actually replaced the satelite radio in my truck because of this app. It’s free to download and a must have app for music lovers.

Nothing beats a free service that you should be paying for. Text Free Lite allows you to send free text messages to anyone. When you first install it, you are prompted to enter your name so that the receiving party knows who the text is coming from. After that, you’re ready to start working those thumbs. It knows all of your contacts or you can type in the number. With the free version you are limited to 15 texts a day, but there is an unlimited paid version. BONUS: It works on your iTouch too!!

Around Me is a great app for, well, “finding things around me”. It gives you quick access to nearby banks, coffee shops, gas stations, hospitals, hotels, bars, movies, parking, pubs, restaurants, supermarkets, taxis… you get the point. The interface is easy to use and very slick. It gives you all of the info that you need including address, phone number and GPS route. To me it is a lot faster than doing a manual search on my standard GPS.

I love this app for parties, or to mess with my neighbor. Remote is a timeless app that will remain in the top free apps for a reason. Start out by easily syncing Remote with iTunes on your computer through your wireless router (it’s a one time step). You can then access your entire playlist with your iPhone giving you the ability to change songs, video etc.. plus change volume levels. TRICK: Sync to your neighbors computer to change their songs.

I have been using Units since last July and haven’t even considered removing it. Units allows users to convert any unit into another including area, currency, energy, temp, time, length, weight, speed, pressure, power, volume and data storage . I use it mostly when I’m whipping up a recipe (do you know how many liters are in a gallon?), but it’s great for so many other uses.

If “Shazam it” isn’t in your vocabulary yet, get this app now. Another app that’s been out for a while, Shazam makes you ask how did they do that. Simply hit the Tag Now button and let Shazam listen to any background music. The app sends back, within seconds, the artist, album, genre and label of the song. You also get the ability (with most songs) to download that song, see the video in youtube and a few other options.

I change my iPhone background on a weekly basis. Backgrounds offers over 5,000 different wallpapers in over 30 categories all for free. New backgrounds are updated on a daily basis and the majority of them are original in design. This app has stood the test of time and currently has 5,334 five star ratings. If you are like me and are always looking for a new background, check out this app.

I usually go through game apps pretty quickly. Zombieville USA Lite is such a fun game that it convinced me to buy the paid version. The graphics are stunning and it gives you the feel of a timeless arcade game. I first saw this reviewed on G4TV, where they are pretty good at reviewing apps. I tried it out the next day and was addicted. Try out the free version before buying the full game.

Forget the weather app that came with the phone. The Weather Channel app has replaced it as my favorite way of staying in touch with mother nature. You can check the local radar map, get a video local forecast, add as many locations as you want and much more. It will also alert you to severe weather in your area. The Weather Channel typically lives up to its name, this is true of its app as well.

If you have a Facebook account, then you need this app. The Facebook app allows you to use your iPhone to start a conversation with Facebook chat, check your friends’ latest photos and status updates, look up a phone number, or upload your own mobile photos while on the go. I’m just glad that the social networks don’t charge for these apps. They make staying in touch with friends much easier.

Tags: iPhone, iTunes