The Best Free Apps for Phones: All Models

What are the best free apps for America’s favorite smartphone platforms? Check out the short list below, but remember-it’s just the tip of the iceberg. A huge number of free apps are available for Windows Mobile, Android, iPhone, and Blackberry.

Apps for Java Phones

Gmail 2.0.6
If your phone has a keyboard, this email app’s for you. Gmail 2.0.6 gives will give your email program a major upgrade. It’s faster and smoother than built-in programs. You get a conversation view and a search function. You can even star messages. To get Gmail 2.0.6, go to m.google.com/a/.

Google Maps 2.3.2
Your feature phone will become a navigation tool with Google Maps. Depending upon your phone’s type, Google Maps provides GPS location, directions (for drivers, walkers, and mass transit users), and satellite as well as street views-for free! Most providers charge as much as $10 per month for GPS. To get Google Maps, go to m.google.com/a/.

Opera Mini
If your phone’s WAP browser is poor, get Opera Mini at mini.opera.com. Even the least expensive phones can run Version 4.2, which has web pages that look like a real desktop. With Version 5, you get tabs and a graphical bookmark page. A good alternative is Bolt. It also supports streaming video; however it won’t run on as many phones as Opera will.

Apps for Symbian OS

Fring 3.40
The Fring app, available at www.fring.com, allows you chat over Twitter, Yahoo, MSN, Skype, AIM, and Google Talk. If you’re Wi-Fi connected, you can also send files. Although it doesn’t allow for true VoIP Skype calling, it does let you call Skype contacts via a cellular/Skype gateway.

Qik 1.00
If you want to film yourself and broadcast it online, get the Qik Symbian app at qik.com. With Qik, you can stream live video through your Symbian cell phone over Wi-Fi to Qik.com. Not all phones have video capabilities; however, the Nokia N95 and several others popular ones do.

Tweets60 1.36
Tweets60 is just what Twitter users with Symbian phones need. It almost provides complete Twitter functionality. For instance, you can retweet, update, and follow as well as unfollow others. For ease of access, each account is divided into five columns: updates, messages, favorites, replies, and favorites. Tweets60 is available for free at www.tweets60.com.

Palm WebOS Apps

AP Mobile 0.9.21
AP Mobile is the best free app for news junkies. It’s updated frequently and provides you with local as well as national and global news. It also streams videos. Get it at www.ap.org.

Pandora 1.0.0
The Pandora Internet radio app, available at www.pandora.com, allows you to customize your channels. It’s also well integrated into WebOS, so it runs flawlessly, even when you’re multitasking.

Stitcher 0.9.8348
Stitcher, available at www.stitcher.com, assures that you’ll never run out of music-unless your battery dies. It collects groups of like podcasts and plays them in sequence like a virtual radio station. It also allows you to create playlists that contain the podcasts of your choice.

TweeFree 1.0.0
Tweed, the most popular WebOS Twitter app, costs $1.99 these days. TweeFree, however, is still free. Get it at www.deliciousmorsel.com. TweeFree comes with all the basics-user profiles, search, trends, and fast retweeting.

As for other phones, the Symbian OS from Nokia, which is popular abroad, has met with little success in the U.S. phone market. The Pixi and Pre, two smartphones from Palm, run a WebOS of their own. Of course, smartphones aren’t the only ones that can run apps. Sprint and AT&T;, for instance, run free apps in Java.