Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous two weeks or so. Today we have some of the biggest players out there including the likes of Google, Adobe, Instagram, and Yahoo. Heck, I even have a live wallpaper and a WTF listing to round out the list. So get ready because these are the most notable Android apps released in the last two weeks.
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Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.
Featured Product
BESTEK Vertical Cube Mountable Power Strip
Today's roundup is presented by BESTEK. The BESTEK Vertical Cube Mountable Power Strip is designed to help you manage your cables while also providing you with enough power for your needs. The cube contains three AC outlets, three USB-A ( auto 2.4A ) outlets, and one USB-C ( auto 3A ) outlet. You can affix the cube to just about any surface thanks to the included base that can be screwed or glued. Any safety concerns are covered by the overvoltage, short circuit, overload, and overcurrent protection. You'll also receive an 18-month warranty that is good from the purchase date and plenty of friendly customer service should you need it.
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Apps
Google Podcasts
Android Police coverage: [Update: App is available] Google Podcasts ready to launch globally on Android with 2 million indexed podcasts
I just don't understand what Google is doing anymore. The company added podcast functionality to its Google Play Music app a while back, and people were pretty much underwhelmed because of its limited functionality. Now Google has released a standalone podcast app called Google Podcasts, and it too suffers from the same lack of features. For starters, there is no video support. The missing Android Auto support is likewise very questionable. You also won't be able to queue up podcasts to automatically download the next episode. I suppose this just means there is plenty of room to grow, but knowing Google, this app will be abandoned before you ever get around to using it.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Google Podcasts is a new way for Android users to discover and listen to the world’s podcasts. You can subscribe to any show for free and download episodes for offline listening. All your listening is automatically synced across devices so you can pause on one device and resume on another with the Google Assistant.
Adobe Spark Post
Android Police coverage: Adobe announces Lightroom CC improvements, Spark Post for Android, and more
Adobe Spark Post may only be a beta release, but it's definitely ready for casual use. You can apply design filters to your photos to instantly create a beautiful graphic. Best of all, you don't need any prior photography knowledge to get going. Everything is self-explanatory. If you frequently post your photos on the web and require a competent editing tool, Adobe Spark Post may very well be precisely what you have been looking for.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Adobe Spark Post (Beta) is the fun, fast and easy way to create stunning graphics for any occasion — no design skill necessary. Get started in seconds with professionally-designed templates you can tweak to make your own with just a few taps. Pick your photos, add some text, and apply Design Filters to instantly create beautiful, eye-catching graphics.
IGTV
Android Police coverage: Instagram announces vertical video-centric IGTV app, main app passes one billion users
I don't know what it is about bad ideas lately, but they seem to proliferate like wildfire in Silicon Valley. IGTV is a "long-form" video viewing and sharing app. All videos fit your screen in portrait, which I suppose can be convenient, but is clearly a horrible way to actually consume any video that's worthwhile. But I'm no fortune teller, so watch as this ridiculous app becomes a huge success.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Watch long-form, vertical video from your favorite Instagram creators. IGTV is different from your typical video experience. It’s built for how you actually use your phone, so videos are full screen and vertical. And IGTV videos aren’t limited to one minute, which means you can see more of your favorite content.
Yahoo Mail Go - Stay organized
Android Police coverage: [Update: APK download] Yahoo introduces new Mail app for Android Go, updates Mail experience for mobile web
Yahoo Mail Go exists as a light app for the company's email service, one that's specifically designed for Android Go phones and similar underpowered Android devices. You won't even need a Yahoo address to use it, as it works with just about every popular email service out there. Personally, I wouldn't ever recommend using Yahoo Mail in any shape or form, considering that it has been hacked more times than I can count.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $9.99
Try the lightweight version of our top-rated email app. It’s the best email app to easily organize your Gmail, Outlook (Hotmail), AOL and Yahoo accounts. Regardless of your email address, you can experience the Yahoo Mail app's beautiful design, easy-to-use interface and lightning fast speed. Plus, Yahoo Mail offers 1000 GB of free secure cloud storage, so you never have to worry about space again.
Keepsafe Browser: Fast, Private & Secure
Do we have enough security apps on Android yet? Every week the top new releases are filled with similar security apps, and at this point I have trouble trusting that any one of them work as intended. Maybe that isn't fair to Keepsafe, since the company appears to take its work seriously. Its latest release is called Keepsafe Browser, and as you can guess, it's a browser for Android that was built with your security in mind.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Keepsafe Browser is designed to protect your privacy. It’s a fast, private, & can also be secured with a PIN code. The app blocks ad & other invasive trackers that compromise your privacy. Keepsafe protects personal space. We make simple privacy apps to give you peace of mind. We focus on making simple to use, secure apps and services that improve your digital life.
Musitude
Musitude takes everything you hate about reading music and throws it out the window. The app ingeniously replaces musical notes with the simple to read alphabetical letters of your keyboard. By pressing corresponding keys, the correct notes of a chosen song will play, and thus you will have learned how to play music without ever actually learning how to read it in the traditional sense.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Musitude is a revolutionary music system that allows anyone to read music and play our musical instrument (your computer or phone QWERTY keyboard). Only 3% of people can read traditional sheet music and play an instrument proficiently.
StatFlix
One thing I wish Netflix offered is an easy way to view how much content I've been consuming. Would I be surprised by how many hours I watch on the service, or would I notice that I may not be getting as much bang for my buck as I thought? Luckily Julius Newman has released a solution that will tell you exactly how much time you spend watching content on Netflix, and it's all broken down in his easily readable and navigable app called StatFlix.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $0.99 a piece
Note: StatFlix could stop working at any time (maybe even permanently) due to Netflix changing their API. With StatFlix, you can monitor your Netflix Usage statistics. You can see many things, such as:
- How much time you have spent in total watching Movies or TV Shows
- Your viewing activity for each time of day, for each day of the week
- How much time you have spent watching a certain TV show
- Detailed information for each day since you started using Netflix
- Export a summary report
FMdB
Sega's new FMdB app is powered by its Football Manager engine, though this is not a game, it's a soccer companion app. Basically, it's an app designed to keep you abreast of current soccer events and stats. Now that the World Cup is in full swing, an app such as this may come in very handy. Just keep in mind that you will be required to pay a subscription fee if you want to continue to use this database.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $4.99
Powered by Football Manager, FMdB equips you with the knowledge you need on the world’s best footballers – more than 450,000 of them from over 50,000 teams. FMdB is the definitive football companion app, keeping you informed in every situation.
Manufacturer And Tie-In Apps
AR Emoji Football Edition
Samsung's AR Emoji Football Edition is a new emoji app for the S9 and S9+ that takes advantage of those hip and newfangled augmented reality emojis. Of course, the main focus of this app is that it contains a plethora of football emojis that include 32 flags and an assortment of face paint stickers.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Share the joy of football with your friends with AR Emoji Football edition. This application lets you make cheering Emojis using Samsung AR Emoji. You can choose from 32 flags for your cheering AR Emoji. Customized and animated Emoji stickers can be saved in your mobile gallery folder and used anywhere from message apps to various social channels.
XPERIA™ Dotted Dog Theme
This XPERIA Dotted Dog Theme is a new UI theme for Xperia owners. It displays a cute sleeping dog on your home screen. You will, of course, need an Xperia device to take advantage of this adorable theme, and that device will have to be on Android 5.0 or higher. A few complaints have mentioned that the dog will not display in the center if you use multiple home screens, so make sure you keep that in mind if you do want to purchase this app.
Monetization: $1.49 / no ads / no IAPs
Official Dotted Dog theme for Sony XPERIA. Tested on Xperia Devices XZ1, X, X Performance, Z5, Z5 Compact, Xperia Z4 Tablet, Xperia XA1 etc. XPERIA™ Themes can customize over 300 graphical assets. Style everything from lock screen and home screen wallpapers to icons, colours and buttons. Requires Android 5.0 and above.
FOX Sports: 2018 FIFA World Cup(TM) Edition
Hisense recently launched a couple of new TV sets that also include Android TV functionality. That is why FOX Sports: 2018 FIFA World Cup Edition exists. It's a tie-in app for those Hisense TVs. This means most of us will never get to use the app, but for those lucky few that own a H6E, H8E, or H9E, you'll be able to get in on this World Cup experience with ease.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
The “FOX Sports: 2018 FIFA World Cup™ Edition” application streams 4K World Cup moments and content, across a select range of Hisense premium Ultra HD TVs, including the recently launched Hisense H6E, H8E and H9E. Viewers are able to direct their own World Cup experience this summer by selecting one of five live video feeds or watch highlights from an additional 32 potential camera angles.
LEGO® POWERED UP
A few weeks ago LEGO released a remote control app for its Duplo line of toy trains, and it would appear this week the company has released a similar app for their City line of toy locomotives. The app is called LEGO POWERED UP, and really you won't ever need to use it unless you happen to already own or just purchased the LEGO City Cargo Train or the LEGO City Passenger Train toy sets.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Combine this app with the LEGO® City Cargo Train (60198) or the LEGO® City Passenger Train (60197) (both sold separately) to operate the motorized engines with a 10-speed Bluetooth remote control. These cool LEGO® trains can be controlled with the Powered Up app to haul goods or pick up passengers around LEGO® City.
Live Wallpapers
WAVERO LiveWallpaper FREE
It's often rare that quality live wallpaper apps get released on a weekly basis, but that doesn't mean there aren't a few hitting the Play Store worth mentioning. WAVERO in one such live wallpaper. You can easily choose your pattern and gradient, and there are even a few extra features you can unlock through an in-app purchase.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $1.99
WAVERO is a 3D Live Wallpaper for FREE. Real time pattern animations, tons of unicue colors and details. Interactive touch screen animation. Many patterns and in full version many predefined gradient colors, custom colors. Best for oled displays and save battery. For phones only and oled displays. Please rate it. Thanks.
WTF App Of The Week
PlantSnap - Identify Plants, Flowers, Trees & More
Have you watched the first season of Aziz Ansari's Netflix show Master of None? If so, then PlantSnap should sound familiar. The main romantic interest in the first season playfully pitched a similar idea as a lighthearted joke. Honestly, it's not even that bad of an idea. I mean who wouldn't want to point their phone's camera at an unknown plant to learn exactly what type of plant it is? The problem is reality doesn't always align with TV. We simply do not have the technology to make such an app that works consistently, which is why I have placed PlantSnap in our WTF listing. Sure, it sort of works sometimes, but if you plan to use this app for anything other than simple curiosity, you may very well misidentify something that could be very harmful.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $2.99 - $19.99
Instantly identify plants of all kinds, anywhere in the world. Flowers, trees, succulents, mushrooms and more can be quickly recognized with PlantSnap by Earth.com, the mobile app built to help you identify flowers, plants & trees in a snap. PlantSnap’s huge database covers everywhere on earth so you can identify plants instantly, wherever you are.
Know A Worthy New App? Let Us Know!
If you have an application in mind for the next issue of the roundup, feel free to send us an email and let us know.
Important: there are 2 requirements in order for the app to be considered, listed below.
- the app's launch date has to be no longer than 2 weeks ago
- it has to be original, ground-breaking, well-reviewed, interesting, fun, etc - the cream of the crop
Now, if and only if the above requirements have been satisfied, fire up an email to this address: oh.no.its.the@androidpolice.com.
1 sponsored placement per week is available (your app would be featured at the top and marked as sponsored) - please contact us for details.