Apple Music
iOS
(freemium)
Apple’s rival to Spotify is finally available to try: a mix of on-demand music, curated playlists and the live Beats 1 radio station fronted by Zane Lowe. The music picks are very good, but the app could be easier to get to grips with.
Medium
iOS/Android
(free)
Initially a website, Medium has built up quite a collection of longform articles on everything from music to politics. Its app makes it simple to find things to read from writers you follow, or the wider Medium community.
BuzzFeed News
iOS
(free)
If shorter news stories are your bag, BuzzFeed’s new app is worth a look. It’s not just for reading BuzzFeed’s website: its editors gather stories from elsewhere on the web, and sort them into easily explorable categories.
BitTorrent Shoot
iOS/Android
(freemium)
You may know BitTorrent best for illicit filesharing, with Shoot showcasing a new use for it: quickly sharing lots of photos or videos with friends from your smartphone.
BBC Newsbeat
iOS/Android
(free)
More news for millennials from the team at the BBC’s Radio 1 and 1Xtra stations. It’s a quick way to browse the day’s stories in music, entertainment, technology and other categories, with video and tweets baked in.
Lumo Lift
iOS/Android
(free)
This app is the companion for a physical tracking device that you wear, with both helping you improve your posture. The idea: you get vibrational alerts if you start to slouch, with the app/device also tracking steps.
Loopimal
iOS
(£2.49)
If you’re looking for a bright to introduce your children to music-making, this is one of the best apps available. It’s an animated sequencer where they create tunes by tapping on dancing animals: accessible, but clever too.
Minds.com
iOS / Android
(free)
The app stores are packed with messaging apps, so who needs a new one? Minds.com is hoping that its promise of private, encrypted chatting will attract security-conscious smartphone owners. A curious points system is built in too, rewarding more use.
Kamcord – Game Screen Recorder
Android
(free)
Fancy broadcasting your mobile gaming skills to the wider world? Kamcord is hoping to do for mobile what popular service Twitch has done for console and PC gaming, recording your gameplay sessions, then airing them online – including on YouTube.
Lulu – Dating Intelligence
iOS/Android
(free)
Some men complain about an app that gets women to rate their skills including humour and “sex moves”. Lulu makes its money by charging men a subscription to see their scores.
GAMING APPS
Angry Birds Fight!
iOS / Android
(freemium)
Those Angry Birds are trying a new genre: match-three puzzling, albeit of the kind in Puzzle and Dragons where your matching fuels fighting, rather than the Candy Crush kind. It may feel an obvious move, but it’s done with plenty of character.
Her Story
iOS
(£3.99)
Her Story is a collection of video clips of police interviews with a (fictional) woman involved in a murder case, with your job being to work out what’s going on.
Tiki Taka Soccer
iOS/Android
(freemium)
Gamers of a certain age who lost weeks of playtime to the Sensible Soccer games will perk up at the sight of Tiki Taka Soccer, whose look is heavily influenced by Sensi. It has modern twists too: a neat touchscreen control system to string together slick football moves.
You Must Build A Boat
iOS/Android
(freemium)
Yes, this game is about building a boat – but there’s so much more to it. Battling monsters, recruiting a crew, and casting spells by matching tiles in this action/puzzler that sounds complex, but is actually glorious fun.
Lego Minifigures Online
iOS/Android
(£3.99 + IAP)
Lego may have been caught on the hop by Minecraft’s popularity, but now it’s fighting back with a massively multiplayer game that works across computer and mobile devices.Kids can go on adventures with a host of mini-figure characters, unlocking more when they get them in the real world.
Fallout Shelter
iOS
(freemium)
Console franchise Fallout is getting an eagerly anticipated fourth game later this year, but this mobile taster is fine in the meantime. You have to build an underground vault and keep its dwellers happy with jobs and activities: a Tiny Tower-style slice of strategy fun.
Vainglory
iOS/Android
(freemium)
Released last year for iOS, Vainglory is now available on Android too. It’s a polished, hardcore multiplayer online battle arena game where you lead heroes into three-on-three battles, with bags of strategic tricks to learn.
Dragon Quest VI
iOS / Android
(£10.99)
Square Enix’s Dragon Quest roleplaying game franchise has plenty of fans, so while this may seem expensive, many will be happy to pay the price to revisit this venerable RPG. A rich cast of heroes (with a choice of vocations) and a logical battling system make this a hit.
Freak Circus Racing
iOS/Android
(freemium)
Realistic racing games can be fun, but they often skimp on the big-headed circus cartoon characters. As you may have guessed from the title, this doesn’t. It’s a very playable sideways-scrolling racer with a big dollop of ridiculousness.
Hexderity
iOS/Android
(£1.20)
Finally, an inventive indie game that aims to test both your reflexes and memory skills. You have to match hexagons against the clock, with eye-popping sounds and visuals keeping you wide awake, and quick game sessions maintaining the interest.