You have a shiny new Android phone. You are wondering what is the best app take advantage of that lovely phone. Well here you go. Our top picks for the new phone are as follows. If you’re new to the platform after crossing over from iOS; don’t worry some of your favorite apps are here. However we will be focusing on apps that take advantage of the Android’s openness to the system.

SIGNAL

What makes Android great and scary at the same time is that it is by nature open source. Signal is necessary. The Open Whisper Systems app secures not only text messages but keeps phone calls safe.

GOOGLE TRIPS

The app is basically TripIt but by Google. It pulls in travel data directly from your Google accounts, and provides an itinerary. A must if you travel or plan on traveling.

PLEX

Plex lets you stream music and movies you have stored on your computer via its Plex server to anywhere you are on the planet. Assuming you have internet connection of course.

500PX

500px was around before Instagram.  It is the go to place for those that care not about how many likes a picture get but rather the quality of the picture. It is a portfolio service and marketplace for professional photographers. If you have never used the app I recommend it. You will discover the most gorgeous photos you have ever seen. Sorry, there are no selfies here.

DARK SKY

This is the best weather app on any platform. That is a bold statement seeing as there are so many of them but its true. Once only a iOS app; it went went cross-platform this year. The homescreen widgets are even better here than iPhone.

SNOW

You love snapchat filters and can’t get enough of them? Well you are in luck. Snow is an Snapchat clone that copies almost every feature of Snapchat just like Instagram started doing.  However unlike Instagram, Snow adds a ridiculous amount of extra lens and filters. You can even upload your masterpiece to Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

GOOGLE NOW LAUNCHER

If you own an Android you need this. This is the best example of why I love Android. You have so many options to customize your phone to make it your own. Google Now Launcher is the most clean and simple launcher out there. The launcher gives you updates on your commute, travel info, and news that you care about because it knows you over time. This is my pick for the best launcher but there are 100’s if not 1000’s of them. Each with their own flavor and features.

By Rubens Saintel

Proud father, #Haitian, photographer, consultant, writer & entrepreneur. I love video games, movies, plays, technology (surprise), beta testing apps and all things sci-fi. SaintelDaily.com |AppleWatch101.com | NBA101.com