It’s no secret that smartphones have become an essential part of our lives. Whether it’s taking those Instagram worthy snaps or battling it out on PUBG Mobile, we tend to be busy buried in the many apps on our phones. So this week we thought of taking a look at a few of these apps to fuel your geeky needs.
1. Asphalt 9: the latest of the Asphalt series
If you enjoy gaming on your phone then no doubt you would know what Asphalt is all about. A little over a week ago, Asphalt released their latest iteration of the series, Asphalt 9 Legends. Beyond the fun gameplay, what’s even more interesting is the actual quality of the game. Gameloft has certainly looked to bring about console-quality arcade racing to mobile.
Asphalt 9 in all its glory
Although microtransactions can get a tad bit annoying sometimes, Asphalt 9 is definitely a must-have on every mobile gamer’s phone. In case you’re curious, it’s a little over 1 GB and is free to play. But do keep in mind, the game can certainly be quite a battery drainer.
2. Deezer
It’s sad that we Sri Lankans don’t have access to services like Spotify. But luckily there are other options. Deezer serves as the ideal alternative for the everyday audiophile. Like Spotify, the app allows you to stream music seamlessly on your smartphone, or even your computer.
Image Credits: 5thingstodotoday.com
The service comes with a comprehensive selection of music across many genres, including quite a few local ones as well. We personally like the Rock playlists. As of now, Deezer will cost you $5.99 per month for the Premium plan. Alternately you could always opt for the free version. The only caveats are the advertisements and the inability to download songs on to your Deezer app on the phone.
3. Netflix
We can’t talk about streaming without mentioning Netflix. Yes, it has been quite some time since the service was offered to Sri Lanka. But this is focusing more on the mobile experience. We’ve found Netflix to be quite handy on mobile, particularly if you’re one of those using a large screen smartphone.
Image Credits: Mac Rumors
As seen with some of the other streaming services, Netflix allows you to download videos on to its mobile app. It’s a useful feature considering how most of us are conscious of our data usage. But what’s even handier is the new ‘Smart Downloads’ feature. This is where the app will set up automatic downloads. The setting will automatically delete the last watched episode and download the next episode. By default, the feature will only work on WiFi. So in case you haven’t already, do give Netflix mobile a try.
4. CastBox
Here’s something for ones who enjoy podcasts. CastBox is one of the few free podcast apps out there. It includes over a million podcast in its collection and it comes as an ad-free app by default. The UI isn’t too bad either.
Image Credits: varfix.com
Other than being unable to change the audio speed of podcasts, the app seems to have gotten most things right. Its cross-platform support even includes for cars and smart speakers. If you’re looking for a decent alternative for your podcasts, you might find CastBox useful. We even have our own podcast series up there as well.
5. Blinkist
Finally, if you’re a book lover then you’ll likely find Blinkist to an interesting app. Even if you’re not a book lover but hoping to build a reading habit, you’ll especially find this handy. Blinkist takes iconic non-fiction books and then breaks them down into bite-sized chunks. In a nutshell, it gives you the key insights of a book instantly.
Image credits: Hapi
There’s a wide variety of books in its huge library. So you’ll probably find something that suits you. Additionally, every book in the library has an audiobook version as well. So you can either listen or read the book of your choice. The only downside is that the free plan of Blinkist limits you to one book per day. And even that is a book selected by Blinkist. But the one-month free trial makes a strong case to buy a subscription.
So there you have it. These were some of the apps we thought you might find interesting to satisfy your geeky needs on mobile. Have your own list? Do let us know in the comments below.
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