Here they are: Our top 5 Android and iOS apps of the week
Every single weekend, we at NextPit meet to check my selection of 5 free or paid mobile applications and games that caught my eye on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
Each week, I will try to bring you the best possible apps that are not data traps or microtransaction hells. In addition to my own discoveries, I also included apps discovered by the NextPit community and shared over our forum, which I invite you to check out.
From mobile games to productivity apps, here are the 5 free and paid Android/iOS apps from NextPit this week. We publish this selection every week, you can also check my 5 free apps of last week.
with Amazon Prime Trial
Proton Calendar (Android)
Have you heard of Protonmail? That is the famous client that encrypts your e-mails end-to-end and keeps its servers in Switzerland in order to escape most intrusions or external interference and is now available in this beta application. You will need a Protonmail account to access Proton Calendar beta.
The application offers most of the features that you'd expect from a calendar, including the creation and editing of events and reminders, widgets, recurring tasks and events, as well as the ability to create and edit a calendar. The entire app boasts end-to-end encryption and has zero access (for recipients and participants of your events, for instance).
The application is obviously ad-free but in-app purchases are to be expected if you want to unlock additional features like creating and managing multiple calendars.
- Price: Free / Ads: None / In-app purchases: Yes / Account: Required.
- Download Proton Calendar from the Google Play Store.
Dey (iOS)
This productivity app may have one of the nicest user interfaces that I have ever come across. The calendar feed is very easy to use, while the interactions within the app are hyper intuitive. Visually, I really like the fact that everything remains accessible and easy to understand. One has a clear view of the day's schedule, which makes it easier to plan.
I also like the fact that you can quickly filter events based on the selected calendar, i.e. personal/work/etc. The interface is also customizable and frankly, I know I've mentioned it several times already, but it's visually stunning. This is a paid application and does not contain any ads or in-app purchases.
- Price: $0.99 / Ads: None / In-app purchases: None / Account: Required.
- Download Dey from the Apple App Store.
Foundation, The Morning Show and more!
Note-It (iOS)
Another Note app, yes. But I like Note-It because the app allows you to add to your notes by a considerable margin. From the app's home screen, you can quickly add either a link, text or an image. It's intuitive and fast.
You can then include elements to your note and make it more "impactful" (I know there's no such word) visually. When you add a link, you can display a preview and format it (display the front page image of an article, for instance). You can also quickly edit an image before adding it (that includes cropping!).
In short, the notes are nicer to look at and the process is really easy to use. The application is free, it contains no ads but the free version is, unfortunately, limited to just 5 notes. You can currently buy the full version for $6.99 (one time purchase) as part of an introductory offer before the normal price reverts to $9.99.
- Price: Free / Ads: None / In-app purchases: Yes ($6.99) / Account: Not required.
- Download Note-It from the Apple App Store.
Merge Metronome (Android)
It will not have escaped you, I am not a great sportsman and even less of a runner. But according to the developer of this application, running at the same rhythm as that of a metronome can be beneficial to your health. The idea is to maintain a certain pace and optimize your energy expenditure and endurance by controlling the number of strides per minute you take. That's cadence in a different term.
Running with your background sounding "tic tac tic tac" is fine for about 5 minutes before you go nuts. That's why Merge Metronome allows you to synchronize the sound of the metronome, at the pace of your choice, with your music. Don't expect to use Spotify or any other streaming music service though, everything is handled locally. Thankfully, the app supports most MP3, M4A, AAC, OGA, FLAC, WAV, PCM and AIFF audio files, is free, and has no ads or in-app purchases.
- Price: Free / Ads: None / In-app purchases: None / Account: Not required.
- Download Merge Metronome from the Google Play Store.
with Amazon Prime Trial
Grammarian Ltd (Android & iOS)
This game caters for those whose main vocation in life is to let anyone know that they have a better command of the English language than you. Are you salivating at the idea of pinning me down on a spelling mistake? If being a Grammar Nazi is your full-time occupation, then this mobile game is perfect for you.
In Grammarian Ltd, you play as a young mathematician in the distant future (2099 to be exact), and by accident, you find yourself working as a spellchecker. Because yes, in the future, any form of communication must be done with impeccable spelling and those who deviate from these rules are socially, financially and even criminally sanctioned.
It's a bit of a Grammar Nazi simulator but in a cartoonish and colorful universe with touches of cyberpunk. The game costs $3.49 but just between us, proving A and B to a stranger that you are more knowledgeable than him is priceless. Besides, it really makes you work on your English to be pedantic in at least another language (I am proficient in 3 and every moment is a real pleasure).
- Price: $3.49 / Ads: None / In-app purchases: None / Account: Not required.
- Download Grammarian Ltd from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
What do you think of this selection? Have you already been able to test some apps on this list? What would be your Android and/or iOS apps of the week?