Top 5 apps of the week: Grace your smartphone with these apps
This Sunday, we have picked out five apps that every Android or iOS user should try out! Unlike our list of free apps, we have tried the apps out for ourselves and will inform you if there are any in-app purchases or other additional costs. So sit back and download the app that you find exciting directly!
Every week we try to bring you the best possible apps that are not data traps or microtransaction nests. In addition to the editors finds, we also add the apps found by the NextPit community and shared on our forum.
From mobile games to productivity apps, here are the five free and paid Android/iOS apps from NextPit this week. We publish this selection every week, you can also check the Top 5 apps of last week.
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Grainery (iOS & Android)
Our first top 5 recommendation is so new that it basically isn't the finished article yet. The Grainery app is basically an alternative to Instagram that focuses on analog photography. With Instagram, which was formally launched as a photo network, increasingly becoming a second TikTok that places a strong emphasis on videos, many people are craving an alternative. And this is where Grainery hits the mark of a bygone era.
That's because Grainery not only sorts pictures by location and hashtags, you can also enter your camera, lenses used, and analog film used. If you're interested in what you can do with the new CineStill 400D, you can specifically search for it. The apps for iOS and Android are currently under development but Grainery already cuts a fine figure as a web app.
- Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: None / Account: Not required.
Park4Night.com (iOS & Android)
My next recommendation is to fulfill more clichés about urbanites in their late twenties with the app known as "Park4Night.com". This is a huge community of campsites, pitches, caravan sites, and a comprehensive Q&A section that answers the question "Where should I sleep tonight?". On the one hand, I would have needed this app when I was camping around the country the other day, but on the other hand, there's less and less money left for vacations, which is why you have to save money wherever you can.
Depending on where you stay, camping in the wild is illegal. However, this does not mean that there are no possibilities to think of when it comes to spending the night in a caravan or at a campsite for a very affordable fee or even for free. There are private sites where you can stay, official campsites, parking lots for motorhomes and much more. The available sites tend to have more recommendations across Europe at the moment, but there are also some sites listed in the USA.
Using it is also free, but there is a subscription model for extended functions. Have a good trip!
- Price: Free / Advertising: Yes / In-app purchases: Yes / Account: Required under certain circumstances.
Universe in a Nutshell (iOS & Android)
I have been a fan of this for quite some time now: The universe! You can lose yourself in hours of YouTube videos when it comes to this highly complex scientific matter, where said videos are not only educational but entertaining as well for virtually anyone and everyone. In my search for app recommendations, I found the app "Universe in a Nutshell", and that piqued my interest immediately.
In "Universe in a Nutshell," which was named after Stephen Hawking's legendary book, you can zoom through the universe at will. From gigantic stars to the smallest parts that make up everything in the universe. With a tap of your finger you can get more information and it's endlessly fascinating to compare the proportions of the pretty cartoonish graphics.
A quick disclaimer: The size (and tininess) of the universe in such a compressed manner can be quite mind-boggling. If you are prone to panic attacks or existential crises, this app should be used with caution. By the way, it costs $2.99 on both iOS and Android platforms, where both versions are worth every penny, if only to support good content on the web.
- Price: $2.99 / Advertising : None / In-app purchases: None / Account: Not required / Possible existential crises: Yes.
NothingbutWallpapers (Android)
My fourth top app may look too boring at first glance, but wait a minute! I remember a time in my life when I was looking for new wallpapers for my PC almost every day. Back then I searched for them in the artist community known as Deviantart, but over time it became more cluttered than a child's birthday party whenever there's cake.
NothingbutWallpapers is therefore a little gem that presents you with stylish wallpapers for Android. The advantage with the graphics selection: They are not quite as useless as many own photos or the contents of comparable apps are. Most of the images consist of calm shapes and few colors, which keeps the focus on the apps and widgets on your phone. Do you agree with me? Do you like the wallpapers? Let me know in the comments!
- Price: Free / Advertising : Yes / In-app purchases: None / Account: Not required.
Hungry Shark World (iOS & Android)
For my mobile game of the week, I actually started over and over again and got lost in it. I don't really relate to mobile games at all, but Hungry Shark World and its predecessors somehow did it for me. You slip into the fins of various sharks and have to consume as many sea or earth creatures as possible to keep growing. The controls work via a digital joystick, while a tap of your finger will activate the boost - it is as simple as that!
Even if the game is rather crass in certain parts, as a monster shark, you will definitely plow through one beach-going crowd or another over the next few days. You cannot deny that this game has a high level of fun. There are also virtually endless in-app purchases to pick up, but with a little patience and diligence, you can survive without those.
In addition, there are ads in Hungry Shark World, but they are often associated with functions. For example, if you have been eaten by a larger shark, you can revive yourself twice via advertisements. This is quite handy when you're on a good run. Another tip: Use extras like the Mega Goldrush right at the beginning when you respawn or start the game. You can collect a lot of money and buy new sharks.
- Price: Free / Advertising: Yes / In-app purchases: Yes / Account: Not required.
That's it—our top 5 apps of the week. A colorful mix, don't you think? If you have something to criticize or want to share your own suggestions, leave a comment section right below this article!
