10 of the Best Apps in Apple’s 5-Year-Old App Store

by Don Reisinger

One of the worst issues travelers can run into is being unable to communicate with local people. That’s where iTranslate Voice comes in. The application allows two people with iPhones to talk through their devices to communicate. They each choose the language the other person is speaking, and iTranslate Voice takes it from there. It’s a must-have for any traveler, and at just 99 cents, it’s affordable.

Flipboard is an absolutely fantastic app for anyone who wants to go to one place and get all the news and information they care about. The app allows for users to access articles from around the Web, as well as access updates from friends on social networks. And since it’s running on both an iPhone and iPad, it all syncs across devices for those who own both products. Best of all, it’s available for free.

Evernote has been around the App Store for a long time, and yet, it’s still wildly popular. Of course, its success makes sense. The free note-taking application works with voice dictation and text, and syncs all of that across the many installations users have across the browser and mobile devices. Evernote is extremely useful for productivity addicts.

Hipstamatic has established itself as the go-to application for iPhone owners who want to make their pictures look a bit cooler. The $1.99 app allows users to snap photos and then place upon them all kinds of effects. Hipstamatic claims “hundreds” of effects are available in the program. There’s even a way to swap lenses.

WhatsApp Messenger has earned its place as the App Store’s most popular paid application. The app, which is pumping out billions of messages each week, allows for users to share text, video and audio messages with other app users. It also works across platforms, effectively eliminating the need for Short Message Service (SMS). And at 99 cents, it’s well worth the price.

Snapseed is another application designed for photo enthusiasts. However, rather than solely place effects on images, the program has some “pro” features like brightness, saturation and others that can make a picture look much better. Think of it as “PhotoShop light” for the iPhone. Not bad for a free app.

Kayak Pro

Things is an ideal application for those who don’t mind spending a bit to get their work done. The application, which is available for $9.99 on the iPhone and $19.99 on the iPad, allows users to create to-do lists, and automatically tracks them across the browser and other devices it might be installed on. The app also includes cloud integration to ensure all tasks are backed up. It’s a great app for those who can get over its hefty price tag.

Another hit among travelers, FlightTrack Pro provides all of the information a person would need when on a flight or tracking one. The application tells users where a particular flight is and says whether it’s on-time or not. It also provides gate information and the best place to sit on a particular plane. However, it’s a little expensive at $9.99.

Shazam was one of the first breakout hits in the App Store. And for good reason. The application started out as a tool to determine the name of a song playing on the radio. It’s also morphed into a video-analysis tool that tells users what they’re viewing based on audio clues. In other words, it’s a really, really cool app. Plus, it’s free.