Street Peeper Zimbabwe Street Peeper April 2018 | Page 51

The latest generation of smartphones comes
with a panoply of apps to get you started,
from email and photography to navigation,
weather and video-calling services. But every
one of those default apps has at least one al-
ternative on the app stores, and there are
often dozens more that can represent a big
upgrade.
Here are 20 examples that will improve your
smartphone’s stock features, and in some
cases provide the functionality that is puz-
zlingly missing from apps in 2017’s starter
packs. A number of them also have smart-
watch extensions, providing an upgrade on
your Apple Watch or Android Wear time-
piece’s features too.
CITYMAPPER
Android / iOS (Free)
Urban travellers swear by Citymapper, which
works for London, Manchester and Birming-
ham in the UK, as well as other cities around
the world. From trains, tubes and buses to
cycle hire and walking, it’ll guide you from A
to B with a choice of routes and transport
methods.
SLEEP CYCLE
Android / iOS (Free)
Set your smartphone’s default alarm to per-
manent snooze in favour of this app, which
aims to dispel your morning blues. It uses
your phone’s microphone and accelerometer
(the thing that detects when your phone is
moving) to track your sleep through sound
and movement, then wakes you in your light-
est sleep phase near to your alarm time.
DARK SKY
Android / iOS (£3.99)
Preinstalled weather apps will tell you the
forecast for your town, but Dark Sky
boasts“hyperlocal” predictions that pinpoint
where you’re standing. It also offers short-
term warnings if it’s about to rain or snow in
the next hour where you are, providing
enough time to take coat and/or umbrella-
related action.
DASHLANE
Android / iOS (Free)
The seemingly endless number of passwords
needed to sign into your digital apps and ser-
vices is dizzying, which makes password se-
curity a priority. Alongside the equally well-
regarded 1Password, Dashlane password
manager will help you generate secure pass-
words, then encrypts and stores them on your
device so you don’t lose track.
CLUE
Android / iOS (Free)
In 2015, Apple came under fire for leaving
period-tracking out of iOS’s Health app. The
company swiftly rectified the omission, but
many women have turned instead to third-
party apps like Clue. It’s an easy tool for
tracking periods and ovulation, whether
you’re trying to get pregnant, store data for a
doctor, or simply curious about your cycle.
MICROSOFT OUTLOOK
Android / iOS (Free)
On the desktop, Microsoft’s Outlook email
software is still used in lots of businesses,
even if it isn’t always loved. But on mobile, the
revamped Outlook app has been a critical hit:
simply and stylishly blending email, calendar
and file management, and working well with
other services including Gmail and Yahoo
Mail.
VSCO
Android / iOS (Free)
Each iteration of Android and iOS brings
faster, better photographic software to go
with the more powerful cameras of new
smartphones. But alternative apps are big
business, with VSCO one of the best: not just
for shooting, but for editing and sharing too.
WAZE
Android / iOS (Free)
Google Maps and Apple Maps both do a good
job as GPS navigation apps, but if you’re after
an alternative, Waze – also owned by Google –
is well worth a look. It draws on 90m drivers
for live traffic data, and has good features to
plan your journeys, including leaving at the
right time.
QUIP
Android / iOS (Free)
Apple has Pages and Google has Google Docs,
but Quip is a powerful third-party documents
app with an emphasis on collaboration. Be-
sides word processing, it can do spreadsheets
and task management, with chat features
built in so colleagues don’t get in a tangle. It’s
also good as a quick note-taker for individu-
als.