10 Essential Apps for BlackBerry Owners

A brand new operating system and the all-new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone have given new life to a flagging brand. But a new OS can only do so much for a smartphone. Users want apps and plenty of them!

Although popular games and apps were very much an afterthought for a company that once dominated the smartphone market with its acclaimed messaging platform and the promise of security, BlackBerry has been desperately trying to catch up. BlackBerry AppWorld is adding hundreds of new apps every week, including many of the more popular apps that are considered essential by today’s savvy smartphone user.

If you are a new BlackBerry user or are thinking about making the switch, here are 10 BlackBerry apps that will make you feel right at home:

• BlackBerry Messenger

  BlackBerry Messengerhas always been one of the biggest attractions of the BlackBerry brand and the new improved BBM app allows you to chat with family and friends virtually anywhere in the world over Wi-Fi for free. You can also switch seamlessly between text and talk. If you change BlackBerry devices, your BBM profile, contacts and groups are instantly available through your BBM ID.

  Price: Free

• GPS Maps for Google Maps Pro

  BlackBerry users can get full access to Google Maps through this GPS Maps app from Skylab Mobilesystems. As well as detailed street maps, there are satellite views and terrain maps. GPS Maps is just one of a suite of GPS tracking apps from Skylab, which include GPS monitoring, mobile tracking, disaster alerts, and more.

  Price: $4.99

• Facebook

  No smartphone is complete without access to Facebook, and the updated BlackBerry Facebook app means that BlackBerry users are well covered. You can get your News Feed, post photos and updates, add and delete friends, and do everything else to help you stay on top of your social life. You can even integrate BBM into the Facebook app and chat with all your friends.

  Price: Free

• BlackBerry Protect

  Many BlackBerry owners use their smartphones for work and the BlackBerry Protect app makes sure that any sensitive information stays safe and secure. If you lose your phone, you can log on to the BlackBerry Protect web site and lock, locate or wipe your smartphone wherever you are. You can even display a message on the home screen and backup data remotely.

  Price: Free

• Twitter

  BlackBerry tweeters can breathe a sigh of relief, because the latest Twitter app for BlackBerry gives users a much more satisfying Twitter experience, and one which they are used to seeing on the desktop. The updated navigation bar includes a Connect tab to see all your tweets, mentions, retweets and new followers, and a Discover tab gives you an easier way to find people and browse the latest trends.

  Price: Free

• Slacker Radio

  With millions of songs and hundreds of programmable stations, Slacker Radio offers listeners anytime, anywhere music and entertainment. Pick a music genre or select an individual song and Slacker will build a personalized music experience just for you. The basic Slacker Radio app is free, or you can subscribe to the premium version for commercial-free listening, on-demand access, and the music download service.

  Price: Free

• Wikitude

  The Wikitude augmented reality app allows you to ‘see’ hidden places all around you by superimposing points of interest on your camera view. You can search for particular places like restaurants or banks, or let Wikitude find places for you. You can even locate your BBM buddies and make new friends if they share their locations publicly. Wikitude features over 100 million places from more than 3,500 different content providers.

  Price: Free

• 360 Panorama

  Designed specifically for the new Z10 smartphone, the 360 Panorama app produces dramatic panoramic shots by seamlessly stitching multiple images together. You just pan the camera and 360 Panorama does the rest. You can share your images via Facebook, Twitter or e-mail, or you can share them directly with your BBM contacts. Each 360 Panorama photo can be geo-tagged, including a compass heading.

  Price: $3.99

• Flashlight

  You’ll never again have to search for those dropped keys in the movie theater or struggle to read the menu in a poorly-lit restaurant. The Flashlight app uses the flash on the BlackBerry camera to turn your smartphone into a handy flashlight. Latest improvements to the Flashlight app include faster start-up and less battery drain.

  Price: $0.99

• BlackBerry Travel

  With the BlackBerry Travel app, you can plan, book, manage and share all your travel arrangements, including air, hotel, car rental and any other travel-related bookings. Everything is stored in one place for easy reference, and you get notifications if a flight is delayed or anything else in your plans change. You can even share your plans direct with all your BBM contacts.

  Price: Free

• Comments
• Permalink
• Print
• Email