Top 5 Android and iOS apps of the week

Do take note that this article is different compared to our twice-weekly edition of free apps of the week. We do not just read about them, but we actually downloaded and installed these apps individually, going through them and checking them out personally to ensure that none of them come with unwanted in-app purchases (I am not referring to essential functions). Needless to say, we will also make sure that none of them go behind your back and mine your data or personal information with wanton abandon, as we too, want to maintain our privacy in a safe and secure manner!

This article is published on a weekly basis, so do check out our Top 5 apps from last week (or should we say, last year? Hah!) just in case you want to see how you can kick off your new year with a bang. Without any further delay, these are the following apps that made it on our list this week!

Fabulous Daily Routine Planner (iOS & Android)

There is nothing quite like getting on track at the beginning of the year. How about having the assistance of an app to help you out? The Fabulous Daily Routine Planner comes to mind, helping you unlock the power of habits and routines. If 2023 is the year you want to prioritize your mental health, end the year on a strong note, and in a better physical condition, this is the app to do so.

I am someone who adopts a laissez-faire attitude—I tend to go with the flow. With Fabulous, I found it has helped me get back on track with my running, and the first week alone, I managed to drag myself out of bed in the wee hours of the morning (all right, it is not that early, I'm talking about 7 am here) to pound the pavement and have this app to thank for. 

You can upgrade the app that will see additional features unlocked, including a coaching series, having an unlimited number of habits for your daily routines, and Premium Journeys for better mental health and self-care. For me, I am all right with just forming one or two habits for the year and see where those lead me when 2024 rolls around.

• Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes / Account: Required

• Download Fabulous Daily Routine Planner - get it now from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

NeuroNation - Brain Training (iOS & Android)

I remember when I first bought my Nintendo DS Lite, one of the initial titles that kept me glued for hours on end was "Brain Age". Now that was a fun game that also helped jog my brain cells. NeuroNation takes a more scientific approach to exercise your mental faculties and caters to an extremely wide range by improving your memory, helping you be more focused, and thinking faster on your feet. 

The app asks for nothing more than 15 minutes of your time each day to help give your brain new momentum. It is highly personalized, performing a comprehensive analysis of your strengths and potential before churning out a personal training plan to suit your needs. Have that competitive streak in you? Get some friends to jump on the bandwagon and see who can outscore the others!

Do bear in mind that this app is not meant to make any kind of diagnosis, but rather, it is just a fun tool to keep your noggin' joggin'. For a proper medical diagnosis, it is best you visit a professional health officer and go through the right kind of tests.

• Price: Free / Advertising: Yes / In-app purchases: Yes / Account: Required

• Download NeuroNation - Brain Training from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Deepstash (iOS & Android)

What can you achieve in 5 minutes? I know I can take a power nap, or simply waste my time away with some inane rogue-lite game on the smartphone. Perhaps this is why my life has been stagnant with little or no improvement. With Deepstash, 5 minutes is all it takes to learn something new. It relies on the principle of using bite-sized knowledge from books, articles, videos, podcasts & other sources on a daily basis to feed your brain so that you end up better than yesterday.

How does it work? Ideas are presented to you in the form of tiny cards that can be read at a glance. These short notes basically condense profound thoughts into simple sentences, which might pique your gray matter to do a deeper dive. At the end of the day, nothing beats digging deep into a particular topic in order to master it, but Deepstash is useful to plant a seed in your psyche that might be the catalyst for something bigger and better. 

• Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes / Account: Required

• Download Deepstash from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Rewind: Music Time Travel (Android)

Time travel, the very idea of it has inspired stories, movies, and odes. While theories might abound about the subject, here is an app that makes everything simpler. It plays on the idea of music time travel, which is why the moniker Rewind is extremely apt. Basically, Rewind tries to let you know what your favorite music app would look like if it were to be launched in an earlier era, such as the grunge 90s or the hippie 60s, based on the top hits of that time, the dominant artists of the era, and the up-and-coming divas. 

A fun and harmless ad that lets you discover "new" old music based on context while dropping subtle hints of nostalgia along the way. There is an infinite vertical feed in the app which allows you to listen or watch 30 seconds snippets of songs from the selected year, adding some spice to it. In fact, it did feel as though I tuned in to a radio or TV station from that era. 

• Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: None / Account: Not required

• Download Rewind: Music Time Travel from the Google Play Store.

Eversoul (iOS & Android)

Kick off the new year with a new strategy RPG that merges strategy, idle battles, and town-building. This mish-mash formula results in... Eversoul. This game allows you to recruit characters that are known as Souls, which you then put through a baptism of fire in the form of (what else?) battles. Needless to say, it is fun trying to juggle the different stats and skills for each character, figuring out how you can make the most of what you have.

Your task? Slay monsters that are keen on nothing but sheer destruction, laying waste to the reality you know of that is Eden. There are plenty of characters to choose from, and you might want to stop being so abrasive in your personality when talking to your troops since a good relationship is of utmost importance. Another interesting aspect of this game is how you work your way to finding out other Souls' true names, so ensure you make the right choices!

• Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes / Account: Not required (but highly recommended)

• Download Eversoul from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

That is all that we have for you this week! How do you think our list of the Top 5 apps of the week stacked against yours? If you have something you would like to recommend or want to share your own suggestions, leave a comment in the section right below!