Top Ten Android Apps for Productivity

Since there have been a few HTC devices floating around the office as of late, I decided to set my beloved iPhone aside for a week and put the Android to the test. Naturally, as a lover of all things productive, I challenged Android owners to convince me to convert. Here’s a list of my personal top ten Android Apps for Productivity in alphabetical order.

1. ASTRO File Manager (Free, Upgrade for $3.99)

Remember that old mp3 player (note: Not iPod) that simply stored information as files and folders? Remember how dead simple and easy to get to exactly what you wanted, when you wanted it? Thanks in part to Metago, the ASTRO File Manager app replicates this method and puts you in charge of your device, and not vice-versa. Part file manager, part digital Swiss Army knife, if there’s only one productivity app you’re willing to put on your Android device, this is it!

2. CamCard (Free, Upgrade for $6.99)

Sure, the business card has been on the decline since Don Draper left Sterling Cooper, but that doesn’t mean your post-conference notebook isn’t stuffed full of watermarked, embossed, and printed paper. You could spend a few hours on the flight home to enter all those contacts in your address book, but why? CamCard delivers on it’s promise, and with the snap of an iris, CamCard can recognize key text and titles, phone numbers, and email addresses, and *insto-presto*, contacts entered into your address book. A huge time saver for just about any working professional.

3. Dropbox (Free)

If you’re not already intimately familiar with DropBox’s services, please stop reading, and go get yourself an account. A go-to for anyone working on more than one machine, the ‘box’s Android application keeps my files with me at all times. Not so different from it’s iPhone counterpart, but still, a flawless execution of a dead-simple concept that’s hard to beat.

4. Evernote (Free)

Like Dropbox above, Evernote belongs in every professional professional’s toolkit. Evernote has been spotlighted time and time again, and it’s quite clear to see why. An organizer/idea saver/note taker/to-do list(er), Evernote keeps just about everything you’d want to take at a look at later in a neatly organized format. Similar to the Dropbox app, I didn’t notice too many glaring differences between the iOS and Android version, but good to know that no matter which OS you’re packing, all your notes are with you.

5. ezPDF Reader ($0.99)

I’m going to go out on a limb with this one, and it’s not too often that a 3rd party app does it better than the original, but in this case, Adobe’s got a thing or two to learn (or an acquisition to make) from Unidocs Inc.. After just one day with the “Official” Adobe PDF Reader app, I was left with the striking impression that something wasn’t just quite right. It’s not that Adobe’s version didn’t have everything I need, but that’s about it. Unidocs’ ezPDF Reader was far more intuitive that the official app, and I had a PDF annotated and replied before I was even up and running with Adobe’s version.

6. Google Docs (Free)

Hallelujah, and why did this one take so long? With Google being behind the Android market, it’s quite surprising that they’ve not rolled out an entire suite of Google based products for Android. Thankfully, only just a few weeks ago, Google released the Official Google Docs app for Android. Initially, I was confounded, as I couldn’t edit my existing files, and jumped to, “FAIL.” However, it takes an “update documents to latest document format,” to edit docs on your Android device. Once updated, the app functioned like a charm, allowing me plenty of time to change that softball practice to 3:00, and make it home in time for dinner.

7. JuiceDefender (Free, Upgrade for $4.99)

Not a true “Productivity” app, per se, but what’s the point of all this productivity, if your battery is dead? Latedroid offers a variety of versions of this helpful app, but ever the tinkerer, I went with the Ulitmate version which allows you to modify just about every power setting you’d want to. One drawback that I found (and is echoed in the reviews) is that the wifi management can be a bit spotty at best, but when it comes to overall power management, JuiceDefender is a win!

8. MindMeister for Android (Free)

Although I’ve chosen to list these apps in alphabetical order, in this case, I’m sure you’ll agree that MindMeister comes before ASTRO. A long requested offering from MindMeister, our MindMeister for Android allows you to access, modify, and create new data visualizations all from the palm of your favorite Android OS device. While not 100% quite as fully functional as our web based app, Android owners are sure to appreciate our feature rich app which includes Offline mode and full sync support (think roaming charges – yikes!), Pinch and Zoom for all the juicy details, Notes, Links, and Task features to further expand upon node topics and keep you focused, and connections to bridge ideas together. All this and more…and for free? Grab your copy of MindMeister for Android now!

The MindMeister for Android video is coming soon. Until then, here’s our MindMeister 6 video tour!

9. SemiSilent (Free, Upgrade for $0.99)

There are a select breed of individuals who thrive on chaos, specifically that of the aural variety. For the rest of us, obtaining the zen like status of productivity often requires a bit of quiet. To this end Lyote brings us SemiSilent for Android. This little app allows Captains of Productivity to hand select who gets through to them and who doesn’t. Personally, I created a “Critical,” “Important,” and “Ok” set of contacts and with a tap-tap filtered out all but the most essential interruptions, with the added benefit of not having to turn my device off. Go on…tell me that doesn’t make you feel like your last name isn’t Buffett.

10. SlideScreen (Free, Upgrade for $6.99)

Always the customizer, one of the first things I set about to do with this Android-on-loan was to see how far away from “factory” I could take it before breaking something. After tirelessly trying to get X to do Y while still showing me Z, our support guy Oliver mentioned SlideScreen. This is an absolute customizers dream! Better yet, if you’ve got umpteen million sources of info flying at you at any given moment, SlideScreen will intuitively prioritize which info is shown on your home screen, as well as break it down into calls vs. sms vs. rss, etc. allowing you to see your most important events at a glance.

Overall, I have to say, Android; I’m impressed. There are a number of things I like about both HTC’s Desire HD handset, as well as the Android operating system. My iPhone contract runs out in just over a month, and with iPhone 5 somewhere off on the horizon, I might just be swayed to the ‘droid side of the field….