Favourite Useful Apps

[DanAR]

I'm looking for a few apps to kit out my new android phone.

What are your top 2 or 3  favourite useful apps that I should consider?

Thanks

[CFPartDeux]

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@srlawren wrote:

@CFPartDeux fair enough, and to be fair, I do generally (always?) ask for more info from people looking for phone suggestions, to make sure I'm suggesting something that meets their needs and budgets as closely as possible.  But bear in mind that Android is an OS that definitely loves RAM.

I wasn't necessarily aware of that, BUT, generally speaking, almost any device will benefit in some way(s) with more RAM.

  Even if your'e not actively using a ton of apps, it will cache a lot of things in RAM that help it perform better, as well as giving you a better chance at the apps you are actively using don't get terminated on you while sitting in the background.  But of course everyone's needs are different.

Well, my wife uses a Samsung S5 Neo, which is also only 2GB, and she has anywhere between 2 - 8 apps sitting open at any one time, and AFAIK, she's not had apps get terminated in the background, and they all seem to work when called upon. 🤔

I'm not sure what your budget or priorities were when you chose your phone, but I'm glad you're happy with it.  

My budget was "as low as possible, while still having something usable", and my priorities were as mentioned in my last post, i.e. "others, like me, use their phones as.... a phone, with occasional alternate uses, when necessary", i.e. very few apps open at any one time, and usually only opened when needed.

EDIT I'm not sure if you were insinuating that I'm guilty of over-recommending to people?  Can you think of (or find) any examples?  Like I said, I'm usually pretty careful to gather as much info as I can.  If I am given vague requirements, I might try to give a range of suggestions and then ask for more feedback to help refine.

No, I was just speaking generally, and not about any of your particular recommendations. However, there have been a couple of posts, in recent days, where the OP is looking at a certain phone, and others have recommended something higher spec'd, either in spite of the OP having lesser phone needs, or not having stated what their requirements really are.

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[srlawren]

@CFPartDeux fair enough, and to be fair, I do generally (always?) ask for more info from people looking for phone suggestions, to make sure I'm suggesting something that meets their needs and budgets as closely as possible.  But bear in mind that Android is an OS that definitely loves RAM.  Even if your'e not actively using a ton of apps, it will cache a lot of things in RAM that help it perform better, as well as giving you a better chance at the apps you are actively using don't get terminated on you while sitting in the background.  But of course everyone's needs are different. I'm not sure what your budget or priorities were when you chose your phone, but I'm glad you're happy with it.  

EDIT I'm not sure if you were insinuating that I'm guilty of over-recommending to people?  Can you think of (or find) any examples?  Like I said, I'm usually pretty careful to gather as much info as I can.  If I am given vague requirements, I might try to give a range of suggestions and then ask for more feedback to help refine.

[CFPartDeux]

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@srlawren wrote:

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@CFPartDeux wrote:

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@srlawren wrote:

@DanAR this is a very open-ended question!  

Here's the stuff I have open pretty much all the time....

[snipped extensive list]

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I guess this type of phone usage is why some folks feel, that when someone is asking about phone x, y, or z, they need to steer them towards higher spec'd (3 or 4 GB RAM, lots of storage, and larger batteries) phones, without first asking about that person's individual use case.

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@CFPartDeux even with lesser usage, I wouldn't recommend a phone with less than 3 or 4 GB of RAM.

Why not? My new phone, as mentioned in another thread, is a Moto G7 Play(2GB RAM/32GB storage), and it's fine for my uses.

  My OP7 has 12 GB RAM and 256 GB of storage.  Currently using 6.1 GB of RAM and 183 GB of storage.  🙂

That's my point, about individual use case scenarios - everybody doesn't use their phones in the same way, i.e. some people use them as their everyday driver computer, whereas others, like me, use their phones as.... a phone, with occasional alternate uses, when necessary. Folks that recommend higher spec'd phones, to users that don't need them, is akin to one of us computer nerds recommending a $2500 - $3000 decked out gaming computer to someone that's only going to use it to surf the 'net & check email.

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[srlawren]

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@CFPartDeux wrote:

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@srlawren wrote:

@DanAR this is a very open-ended question!  

Here's the stuff I have open pretty much all the time....

[snipped extensive list]

---

I guess this type of phone usage is why some folks feel, that when someone is asking about phone x, y, or z, they need to steer them towards higher spec'd (3 or 4 GB RAM, lots of storage, and larger batteries) phones, without first asking about that person's individual use case.

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@CFPartDeux even with lesser usage, I wouldn't recommend a phone with less than 3 or 4 GB of RAM.  My OP7 has 12 GB RAM and 256 GB of storage.  Currently using 6.1 GB of RAM and 183 GB of storage.  🙂

[DanAR]

Thanks

I think I've got decent specs such as 4/64 so I don't mind a few resource-intense apps if they are useful and not dead weight.

[DanAR]

Thanks

I'll look these up.

[CFPartDeux]

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@srlawren wrote:

@DanAR this is a very open-ended question!  

Here's the stuff I have open pretty much all the time....

[snipped extensive list]

---

I guess this type of phone usage is why some folks feel, that when someone is asking about phone x, y, or z, they need to steer them towards higher spec'd (3 or 4 GB RAM, lots of storage, and larger batteries) phones, without first asking about that person's individual use case.

[srlawren]

@DanAR this is a very open-ended question!  

Here's the stuff I have open pretty much all the time....

Instant messaging:

- WhatsApp

- Skype

- Google Messages

Music:

- DoubleTwist Pro (though there's a free version that's very good too)

Social Media:
- Fenix 2 (Twtitter app)

- Instagram

RSS:
- Newfold (thought FeedMe is also great)

Ad and tracker blocking:
- Blokada (but the version on the Play Store is limited, blokada.org for the better version)

EDIT: and of course, stock Google that's already on your phone:

- YouTube

- Chrome

- Gmail