50 Best Free iPhone Apps for 2012
Contents
- Apps 1-10
- Apps 11-20
- Apps 21-30
- Apps 31-40
- Apps 41-50
Adaptu Wallet for iPhone is great for entry- to mid-level budgeting enthusiasts, packing many unique features. Its both free and ad-free. And its the closest thing to a mobile wallet on an iPhone yet (though that may change with iOS and the new Passbook app that will be included with the operating system). Not only does the app display your latest account balances in real-time and send you bill reminders, Adaptu also tracks loyalty programs, forecasts your spending, and lets you photograph and store images of all the loose ends in your wallet, like your insurance, Social Security, and business cards. All of this sits under bank-grade security, which is more than you can say for your physical wallet.
Adobe Photoshop Express
Digital photography editing, until very recently, has been a task best suited for desktop and laptop computers, but Adobe proved that it could be done in the mobile space with Photoshop Express, a free photo-editing application for the iPhone and other iOS devices. Photoshop Express is a powerhouse of a mobile app, and can even handle noise reduction (extraneous particles that show up on photos). All in all, Adobe Photoshop Express is a solid tool for making light photo edits on your iPhone.
Airport UtilityThe free AirPort Utility manager from Apple lets you control your Wi-Fi network and AirPort base stations, including AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and Time Capsule, right from your iPhone. When you launch the app, youll see a pictorial representation of your network and devices that will tell you whats connected to what and how. You can change the network and Wi-Fi settings, start or restore a base station, access networking information (like DNS server, router address, IP address), and more.
Amazon MobileAmazon.com sells practically anything you might need, from toilet paper to dog food to magazine subscriptions. The mobile shopping app makes sure you can buy it anytime. The app contains a barcode scanner and photo tool, so if youre in a store deliberating the cost of an item, you can snap a picture or scan the barcode and see if Amazon has it for less.
BBC NewsAmong news apps, The BBCs has one of the best interfaces—clean, with relevant headlines, good photos, and no advertisements. (Whether you agree with its angles and choice of coverage is another matter.) As far as international news organizations go, though, the BBC really does have correspondents in every corner of the globe, as well as varied and widespread topics. Another perk is that you can elect to view some news in other languages, such as Urdu, Arabic, and two kinds of Chinese.
CardsWhen Apple introduced its Cards app for iPhone (free to download; cards $2.99 each U.S., $4.99 international including shipping), it created a very good tool in a particularly niche-y space, one thats easy to overlook but actually provides a lot of value to the average consumer. Using the Cards app to buy and mail customized greeting cards, with your own photos and text, is surprisingly cost effective, given that birthday cards and whatnot easily cost more than $3 at retail, not including postage. With the app, you can choose from a good number of well designed templates across several occasions—congratulations, thank-you, birthday. The cards themselves are beautifully constructed.
Chrome 
Chrome for iPhone is just Safari with a better interface and a few more features, but its a must-have app for desktop Chrome users. Anyone who has fallen in love with the "Omnibox," or combined URL address bar and search bar, wont want to use anything else.
Converter PlusThis all-in-one calculation app, Converter Plus, delivers numbers on nearly everything, from currency conversions to loan-interest figures. It converts metric to imperial measurements for temperature, cooking volumes, length, and more.
DropboxIf your files live all over the place—your office computer, home desktop, laptop—having a dependable syncing program is a must. Dropbox, the service and productivity tool that lets you store your files in the cloud and access them from anywhere you have a signal, fills that role nicely with a Dropbox iPhone app. It has a simple interface, easy uploading, and swift syncing across all accounts.
EpicuriousEpicurious is a recipe app, and Ill openly admit that its not my favorite (Im a fan of Cooks Illustrated, which requires a paid membership, and the $2.99 AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner Pro), but among the free options, its the best. This app from Condé Nast pulls recipes from a huge catalog, including the archives of
Bon Appétit and the now closed
Gourmet magazine. You can search by ingredient or by the type of dish you want to make, such as appetizers and "weeknight dinners." —Next: Apps 11-20 >
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