PCMag.Com - The iPhone made its debut in June 2007. One year later, in July 2008, Apple launched the official App Store, the ultimate source of programs for the iPhone (in the first year, iPhone owners got apps through iTunes).
For iPhone owners, 2008 may seem like a long time ago, but it’s only been three years. What’s most interesting to me about the iPhone is the thought that neither consumers nor developers have yet worked out what standards and norms they want in the app ecosystem. Sure, Apple has its own set of rules, some of them quite strict, about the process for getting apps to market, but in terms of what consumers are willing to buy and how much they’re willing to pay, I think we’re still in uncharted water.
And you might as well drink up while you can! Truth be told, for most paid apps, there is a free and suitable alternative. Some developers give their apps away for free, but require a subscription or membership to get the real meat of the content. Other developers charge $4, $5, or $6 for their app, but it’s a one-time only fee. And of course, some developers program their apps and give them away totally free. Because the marketplace for iOS apps is still relatively new, I think we’re going to continue to see free apps—truly free apps, and good ones at that—for some time to come…another year or two at least.
The 40 free iPhone apps that made the cut for this list are the ones that have shown outstanding performance, have been well received by a variety of technology users, and are free. And “free” means free. No gimmicks, no “membership required.” Free. Period.
Missing from this list are apps and features (like Siri) that come pre-installed on the iPhone, although they are certainly not to be overlooked. The YouTube, Maps, and Clocks apps in particular should not be ignored, while the iTunes, Music (formerly called iPod app), and App Store apps typically see a fair share of well-deserved usage, but I suppose you technically paid for them because you bought the phone, so they’re not really free. In any case, you don’t need to choose to download them, so we’re not listing them here.
If you have more recommendations for more free apps that we at PCMag need to check out, post your suggestions in the comments.
Adobe Photoshop Express
Digital photography editing, until very recently, has been a task best suited for desktop and laptop computers, but Adobe proved that it could be done in the mobile space with Photoshop Express, a free photo editing application for the iPhone and other iOS devices. It’s a powerhouse of a mobile app, and can even handle noise reduction (extraneous particles that show up on photos). All in all, Adobe Photoshop Express is a solid tool for making light photo edits on your iPhone.
Amazon Mobile
Amazon.com sells practically anything you might need, from toilet paper to dog food to magazine subscriptions. The mobile shopping app makes sure you can buy it anytime. The app contains a barcode scanner and photo tool, so if you’re in a store deliberating the cost of an item, you can snap a picture or scan the barcode and see if Amazon has it for less.
BBC News
Among news apps, The BBC’s has one of the best interfaces—clean, with relevant headlines, good photos, and no advertisements. (Whether you agree with its angles and choice of coverage is another matter.) As far as international news organizations go, though, the BBC really does have correspondents in every corner of the globe, as well as varied and widespread topics. Another perk is that you can elect to view some news in other languages, such as Urdu, Arabic, and two kinds of Chinese.
Bing
PCMag proclaimed Bing for iPhone “the best general search app” in the iTunes App Store when it debuted in 2009. Since then, Microsoft has expanded the functionality of its Bing app to include voice, barcode, and photo-based search to give users a variety of ways to gather information. The iPhone app sports a simple yet elegant black-and-white interface, highlighted by a large wallpaper image. The Vision Search feature needs more time to mature, but Bing delivers consistently good search results on the iPhone. More
