The Android phones we use on a daily basis pack powerful hardware with pro-grade cameras and high-density batteries. However, none of it matters if there aren’t any apps to take advantage of it.
Thankfully, the Play Store has millions of apps to offer. The library grew significantly last year, with hundreds of developers pushing new apps every day. Hence, it makes it virtually impossible for users to keep track of all the latest apps.
Just like last year and the year before, we will continue our tradition to pick up the five best Android apps every month. The list below contains our picks for the month of January 2021. Some are the latest apps, while others are relatively old but quite underrated.
1. HiPER Scientific Calculator
The stock calculator app on Android has everything most people need, but it isn’t good enough for complex mathematical calculations. HiPER Scientific Calculator is an excellent utility app for those who regularly use a scientific calculator for study and research purposes.
It has nine digits of exponent and up to 100 digits of significand values. The virtual calculator also lets you enter numbers as fractions and write expressions in a simpler way. It can even auto-detect repeating decimals and display the results in an intuitive expression.
Besides, HiPER Scientific Calculator offers several other functions, including basic arithmetic operations, mixed numbers, periodic numbers, operator priority, equations, repeated operations, derivatives and integrals, variables and symbolic computation, trigonometric and hyperbolic functions, powers, roots, logarithms, permutations and combinations, and many more. It has over 90 physical constants and offers conversion among 250 units.
HiPER Scientific Calculator allows users to change the theme and tweak various functions. It has a built-in user manual that describes all the features of the calculator in detail. You can toggle haptic feedback as per your preference. Based on your device’s screen size, you can choose between pocket, compact, and expanded layouts to get the most out of the app. It is useful especially for tablets, as the expanded layout enables a multiline display that shows the complete calculation history and offers easy access to the previous results.
Some of the features like expression mode, symbolic computation, graphing, equation graph, and complex number calculations, are included in the HiPER Calc Pro version. However, you get the option to either pay $3.49 for the Pro version or enable ads in the app to unlock the premium features. HiPER Scientific Calculator has over 25 million downloads and 100,000+ very positive ratings on the Play Store.
2. Fabulous: Daily Motivation & Habit Tracker
Since the beginning of the pandemic, many people have struggled to keep up with extreme pressure and anxiety. The Fabulous app is designed to motivate users to be more productive and have higher energy levels. It’s more just a habit tracker. The app helps you reduce your stress, achieve fitness goals, reset your sleep cycle, and build up life-changing habits – all in just 30 days.
Fabulous offers integrated health sessions, which elevates your workout and fitness routine to the next level. You can begin with a 7-minute scientific exercise based on Atkins and HCG diet, helping you stay in shape. To discover mindfulness and reduce high anxiety, you can try out Vipassana, Zen, and Yoga exercises.
Along with power nap and deep work sessions, you can effectively boost your focus and productivity. Once you create your morning routine, the app will send you daily suggestions on building up healthy habits and staying motivated throughout the day.
When you launch Fabulous for the first time, it will walk you through everything you need to know about the app and set your goals. You will be reminded every now and then to do certain things, starting from drinking water to stretching to meditating.
If you find it challenging to stay productive or cope with anxiety these days, you must give Fabulous a try on your Android device. It takes an easy-going approach to self-improvement, helping your forge transformative habits.
Fabulous has a subscription model, which is $9.99/month and $35.99/year, respectively. The app itself is free to download.
3. Poweramp Equalizer
Poweramp is one of the most downloaded music players on the Play Store. From the same developer, Poweramp Equalizer is a universal audio equalizer for Android devices, giving users access to advanced audio processing features and granular equalizer controls from the Poweramp Music Player.
The app allows you to tinker with up to 32 bands on its equalizer. It has built-in equalizer presets, but you also get the option to save custom profiles. The equalizer engine offers powerful bass and treble tone controls, along with limiter and compressor sliders. Additionally, it has a Direct Volume Control mode that you can enable to get the highest possible equalization range.
Furthermore, Poweramp Equalizer works with almost every third-party music player and streaming app on Android. If you are a Poweramp user, you will find the following app’s UI quite familiar. It supports visualizations, as well as existing Poweramp preset packs. You can also change the skin of the interface if you wish.
You can install Poweramp Equalizer for free from the Play Store. It doesn’t have any in-app purchases, and there are zero advertisements throughout the interface.
4. Pocket Casts – Podcast Player
Pocket Casts is one of the most popular platforms for podcasts. It has all the features you need in a podcast app without dealing with clutter. It’s also a Google Play Editor’s Choice, receiving positive reviews from all around the press.
Some of its playback features include the playback queue, variable speed, volume boost, and sleep timer. The ‘Trim silence’ option also cuts the silences from podcast episodes so that you can save some time. Furthermore, you can jump between chapters from the player.
Pocket Casts provides access to both video and audio podcasts. You can import lists of subscribed podcasts from other podcast apps as well. Alternatively, its Discover page lets you browse new podcasts by networks, charts, and categories.
Not to mention, you get customization options for the player’s appearance. You can also set up auto-downloads in the app so that you can listen to your favorite podcasts while you are offline. Once you log in with a Pocket Casts account, your listening history and preferences will sync across your devices.
Pocket Casts is available on major platforms, including Android, Windows, macOS, iOS, Chromecast, Sonos, and Alexa devices. It also has a web version, which you can access only when you have the Pocket Casts Plus membership. For only $1.17/month or $11.79/year, you can unlock the desktop versions of Pocket Casts, premium themes, app icons, and 10 GB of free cloud storage for uploading your own podcasts.
If you plan to use it on your Android devices only, the free version of Pocket Casts is all you need. It’s available for free on the Play Store, and it never interrupts you with advertisements.
5. Your Phone Companion – Link to Windows
Microsoft’s Your Phone app on Windows 10 has been in development for quite some time now. You can use install the Your Phone Companion on your Android device to get instant access to pretty much everything you do on your phone.
Whether it’s about making or receiving calls, managing notifications, reading or replying to text messages, or managing files, you can now do it from your Windows PC or laptop instead of taking out your phone every time. The latest update has also brought support for remote access, which lets you use your favorite Android apps on the big screen with keyboard, mouse, and touchscreen. You can also transfer files between your phone and PC.
If you have a Samsung device, chances are it already has the Link to Windows feature. Either go to Settings > Advanced Features > Link to Windows or tap the quick access tile in the notification shade. Click here to check the list of Samsung devices that natively support Your Phone features.
Make sure to update to the latest build of Windows 10 on your PC or laptop to get the most out of the Your Phone app. The companion app on Android is free to use.
Talha Ali is your tech generalist, covering a wide spectrum of topics within the ever-evolving world of technology. With a curiosity for the latest innovations, industry trends, and breakthroughs. Whether it’s hardware, software, emerging technologies, or the intersection of tech with daily life, Talha’s articles provide readers with a well-rounded perspective on the dynamic landscape of the tech industry.
