Smartphones are not just for professionals anymore; people of all ages are constantly occupied with their phones. What makes them so enticing? Nowadays, phones are not only for making calls, they’re mobile entertainment devices. The success of a smartphone’s platform is heavily associated with the number of Apps provided; this is what makes the iPhone and Android two of the most successful platforms. Selection ensures there is something for everyone, but there are so many options available that it makes it hard to find the right App for the job. Here’s a list of my favourite Apps to make it a little bit easier.

● WhatsApp: If you’re like me and don’t have BBM, then you probably hate how ridiculously expensive unlimited text messaging plans are. WhatsApp is a great replacement for standard SMS as it’s a cross platform/cross country App that allows you to message any other WhatsApp user. Once the App is installed, it draws from your contact list so it is as simple as sending a SMS and best of all the App is free: both to download and to use. You could also share photos, videos, audio notes, contacts and locations.

● Meebo: Are you a person that feels the need to be on gtalk and MSN all the time? Then Meebo is your dream App. It is a multi-chat client App that allows you to be logged into gtalk, MSN, aim and many other chat clients at the same time. You can also configure it to push out notifications when you receive a message! Emoticons and the ability to send and receive multimedia come standard with this App.

● Mint: This is a great complement to mint.com; it allows you to keep track of your spending and manage your accounts straight from your phone. They are in the process of making upgrades to the App which will allow the user to manually enter their expenses as well.

● Skype: A great way to make voice/video calls across platforms and countries over the 3G network to any other Skype user for free. Since the App makes calls using data it does not count toward your minutes. If you are from the U.S., another great App that allows making calls to both mobile phones and landlines for free is Google Voice. For both Apps, you’ll need a phone with a front facing camera to make video calls.

● Angry Birds/Plants vs Zombies/Fruit Ninja: Whether you have few minutes to spare or few hours, these games will keep you entertained. And these strategy and adventure based games are so addictive those few minutes could very well turn to a few hours! These games are a must have for any smartphone user as they make great use of the touch gestures to provide fun and precise game play.

● Shazam: Were you ever in a situation where you have part of a song stuck in your head and really want to know what song it is, but can’t remember to save your life? If you have then the very first App you should download is Shazam. It records a few seconds of a song and sends it to the server to generate the song’s title. And it will be stored on your phone for future reference!

● Snaptell/redlaser: These two Apps are really handy when you are at a store and want to know if it’s cheaper to buy it online. You just scan the barcode of the item using your phone to generate a list of prices from different online vendors. This App has definitely come in handy for me a few times and helped me save quite a bit of money.

● Remote: A great App from Apple that allows you to control your iTunes player on your laptop from your phone. This app is super handy as I don’t have to be near my laptop to control my music.

My top Apps list does not contain Apps for popular websites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, TSN, etc.) as most users are already familiar with them. Have fun with these Apps and enjoy your smartphone to the max.

– Jony Jeyaratnam