This list includes short descriptions of each app. It is catered to students and adults who have no idea how to make their lives more productive or efficient. Let us begin.
Web Browsers
Safari is definitely a good start to people who are new to the iPhone but after getting used to it, you should consider switching to more powerful browsers that are better equipped to serve your needs.
Chrome: Most recommended browser around the world. It is able to sync all your settings and browsing progress across all your platforms with just your Google Account. It also has a limited capability of blocking some ads which is better to none.
Opera: Not as fast as Chrome, Opera is still useful if you are a user who focus on saving data usage. Its turbo speed feature helps to compress data a step further. It also has the same capability of storing and syncing your passwords and settings but slightly more restrictive since a Google Account has so many more features packaged into one Gmail.
Managing your email accounts should never be a chore. The traditional Mail App included in your iPhone when first bought is still needed for various reasons (eg. sending pdf stored in iBooks App etc.) but you shouldn’t be limited to it. Here are a few more mail applications that can do a lot more.
Spark Mail: This Mail Client has the capability of adding and managing multiple email accounts from any domain (Yes even your branded emails). Its smart inbox feature only displays any new mail from all your email accounts as well as pinned/flagged mail, allowing you to focus only on what’s important. Note that you should never try to add more than 20 email accounts per mail client as it will cause it to freeze.
myMail: Similar to Spark, the only difference is that it does not have a smart inbox feature and you cannot search mail from all accounts at once. There are also ads present in the client probably to make it available to all for free in the first place. You should still give it a try if you want to have a first-hand comparison or have more than 40 email accounts to handle.
Outlook: Originally created to serve mainly Microsoft Accounts, Outlook is able to manage Gmail, Yahoo and other popular email services. However, Outlook seem to push emails rather slowly and does not support branded emails really well.
Hop: Discovered and featured on Snapchat, Hop is the new generation of email clients. It simplifies the way you handle your email accounts and displays your mail in a way similar to Chat Applications/Text Messages. You also have the option of forming groups and conversations.
Related: Battle of the Smartphone Camera Heats Up (Infographic)
Documents/Publishing
Scanners are getting obsolete ever since the iPhone was created. If you still own one, you are getting obsolete too. The apps listed below are bound to help you a great deal.
iBooks: Probably one of the greatest Apple iWork apps has been around for the iPhone for some time now. To many, it is known as a typical eBook reader application. What you don’t know is that iBooks functions as an image to PDF converter too and does an excellent job at it. Any photos in your album can be selected (individually or selection of photos) and converted into high quality pdf files without any loss in resolution. This revolutionary application will save you lots of time if you were to compare to importing those photos and documents into PC and then converting them.
CamScanner: A complementary application to iBooks, CamScanner helps you “scan” documents with your camera phone with their auto enhancer function. CamScanner is able to scan documents at almost the same quality as if you were to scan it with a real scanner. On top of all that time-saving, you have the options of importing it to your camera album, uploading it to your cloud drives or email it. Do note that the free version of CamScanner includes a watermark if you were to save it as pdf. Always save it as an image first and then converting it with iBooks afterwards.
Canva: From posters, logos, banners to resumes, Canva is a one-stop application to suit all your designing needs. A typical design only takes around 5-15 minutes to complete with millions of templates available for you to choose from.
Fotor: Cool Photo Editor with free filters released almost every month available for all. Works just like any other photo editor but it has a much smoother interface and you can use it on PC too.
Google Drive: We recommend Google Drive instead of Dropbox for the same reason why we recommend Chrome. You just need one Google Account to have access to all their Google Apps. This saves a lot of your time honestly. What’s more, Dropbox has a serious drawback where if you have shared folder with someone, it is counted as used space in both parties’ accounts. This is not the case in Google Drive
Evernote: A cooler note app that allows syncing across 2 different devices for the free account. Easily add images and scribbles to your notes.
Chat
Whatsapp: If you don’t have this app on your iPhone, you are seriously obsolete.
Telegram: It is preferred over Whatsapp which is the especially the case for students and working adults. Telegram does not auto compress and reduce the quality of your sent images and allows more documents to be uploaded over to your contacts. Some also claimed that it is easier to use on the PC as it is the only chat app that doesn’t need your phone around to be able to use the web version. The app also includes a secret chat function, which allows encrypted messages to disappear according to your own set of rules.
WeChat: Another chat app which tries very hard to integrate social features. Also has a web version like its competitors.
Travel
Google Maps: Apple’s version, Maps, is adequate for driving but you should still stick to the good old-fashioned Google Maps. Google Maps has many other features than just a simple navigation system. It is able to calculate routes for different modes of travel at different times of the day, something that Maps lack. You can also download offline maps (Pretty good if you are a traveller) which still works when your network is down. The only downside to the offline maps is that it is too general and doesn’t include detailed location information.
SG NextBus: Simple Application that tells you when your next bus will arrive.
Grab/GrabShuttle: Knowing it as a strong competitor to Uber, Grab is extremely popular in Singapore. It is cheaper, more flexible and has more promotions than Uber. You can choose from a wide variety of transport methods:
- GrabShare (Share your ride with a stranger and save 30% more than GrabCar)
- Standard/Electric/Limo Taxi
- GrabCar (With or without Premium)
- GrabHitch (Carpooling service which encourages you to make new connections)
- GrabFamily (Child booster seats equipped cars)
- 6-seater (Economy or Premium)
- GrabCoach (13, 23 or 40-Seater)
- Robo-Car (Trial Stage)
- GrabShuttle (An app by itself for you to take shuttle bus rides with crowdstart routes)
Airbnb: Rent out your house space but up till now we have no idea whether it’s legal or not. Do enlighten us.
Marketplace
Carousell: Best and fastest way to declutter your house. They have a relatively poor customer support so always be wary and self-reliant.
Read More: 6 Major Tips and Tricks to use Carousell Efficiently and Effectively
Gumtree: An alternative to Carousell. Listing your items on both apps potentially double your chances of selling your stuff.
Note: Do not try these apps: Letgo, Shopee, Qsquare etc. (Virtually zero chance of selling anything)
Entertainment
Shazam/SoundHound: Allows you to find out what song is playing in the shopping mall.
✘Getflix: Used to be able to unblock your Netflix account to watch shows that are not aired in Singapore due to licensing issues. Now, Getflix can still be used for other video streaming services such as Amazon Prime.
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