Download These Apps First For Your Brand-New Smartphone

Did you get a new smartphone for the holidays? Whether you just bagged an iPhone, Android phone (including Verizon's Droid line), a Windows Phone 7 or even a BlackBerry, you probably want to start loading apps onto it pronto.

The days just following Christmas are some of the biggest app downloading days of the year, according to app trackers 148apps.com, because everyone wants to load up their new smartphones. Fortunately, we've been spending all year rounding up the best apps for you, whether free or paid. Download these apps with confidence, and add your favorites to the comments below.

Android Apps (Motorola Droid, Samsung Galaxy, LG, HTC and more)

The 50 Best Android Apps
The 40 Best Free Android Apps
Also, remember that the Android Market isn't the only place to get apps for your new Android phone; you can often find deals at the Amazon AppStore or on GetJar.

iPhone Apps (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch)

Windows Phone Apps (Samsung Focus, HTC Radar, HTC Titan)

BlackBerry Apps

The Top 10 Free BlackBerry Apps

About Our Expert

Sascha Segan

Former Lead Analyst, Mobile

My Experience

I'm that 5G guy. I've actually been here for every "G." I reviewed well over a thousand products during 18 years working full-time at PCMag.com, including every generation of the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S. I also wrote a weekly newsletter, Fully Mobilized, where I obsessed about phones and networks.

My Areas of Expertise

US and Canadian mobile networks
Mobile phones released in the US
iPads, Android tablets, and ebook readers
Mobile hotspots
Big data features such as Fastest Mobile Networks and Best Work-From-Home Cities

The Technology I Use

Being cross-platform is critical for someone in my position. In the US, the mobile world is split pretty cleanly between iOS and Android. So I think it's really important to have Apple, Android and Windows devices all in my daily orbit.

I use a Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1 for work and a 2021 Apple MacBook Pro for personal use. My current phone is a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, although I'm probably going to move to an Android foldable. Most of my writing is either in Microsoft OneNote or a free notepad app called Notepad++. Number crunching, which I do often for those big data stories, is via Microsoft Excel, DataGrip for MySQL, and Tableau.

In terms of apps and cloud services, I use both Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive heavily, although I also have iCloud because of the three Macs and three iPads in our house. I subscribe to way too many streaming services.

My primary tablet is a 12.9-inch, 2020-model Apple iPad Pro. When I want to read a book, I've got a 2018-model flat-front Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. My home smart speakers run Google Home, and I watch a TCL Roku TV. And Verizon Fios keeps me connected at home.

My first computer was an Atari 800 and my first cell phone was a Qualcomm Thin Phone. I still have very fond feelings about both of them.

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