With the release of the first Android phone today (Google’s new open source mobile phone platform), I’ve been thinking about some apps that, if they showed up on an Android phone, could make me want to turn in my iPhone–ok, maybe that’s pushing it. Better scenario: they show up on the awesome phone I already own. Here are the three:
1) Skype app. If it could give me free iPhone-to-computer calls when connected to a wireless network (like you can call computer-to-computer now), I’d pay $10 easily for this app, plus purchase Skype credit to call mobile phones overseas, too (AT&T won’t ever let this happen, I’m sure). Considering I have a lot of friends in China, this may sound more appealing to me than some others–but I would love it and might be my most-used app if it ever came into existence.
2) Hulu app. If you’re a fan of TV and you don’t know Hulu, you’re missing out on tons of great current and classic TV shows for free, with minimal advertising. Hulu is flash-based (and the iPhone doesn’t support flash) but other flash-based sites (like Seeqpod), have released iPhone-friendly players. A Hulu app that worked well would be AMAZING and might be my biggest distraction yet. I’d pay $5 for this, especially if it came with reduced ad time.
3) amazonmp3 app. Of all three (all of which I’m highly unlikely to ever see), this is the least likely, because it directly competes with the iTunes store, which has a nifty downloader automatically on the iPhone–which I’ve never used. I’ve pretty much sworn off tracks with the ugly DRM (me and the RIAA will never be friends again after they killed Muxtape–speaking, of a Muxtape app would be pretty rad, too), and I do all my music purchasing at DRM-free amazonmp3 and through music subscription services like eMusic. There is an amazonmp3 app for T-Mobile’s first Android phone, and that makes me way, way jealous.
BUT, the iPhone does have some super apps, some of my favorites being Remote, Pandora, Last.fm and Shazam. It’s still a great phone (too great, sometimes, as I lamented in my last post), but those three apps would move it from great into near uncharted terriotories of awesomeness. I already have a hard time putting it down, with Skype, Hulu and a DRM-free music downloader, I never would.
Now if only it had copy and paste…
Filed under: Uncategorized , amazonmp3, hulu, iphone, skype, tech
[...] sure that people don’t start switching devices. My friend wrote a piece the other day about apps that he would turn his iPhone in for, which is a good list. And just now I read a crappy list about what new features the iPhone needs [...]
for the skype app, check out fring