In the two years since Jim Lynch wrote about "The 25 Best Free iPhone 3G Apps," a lot has changed. The 3G has been replaced by the 3GS and the iPhone 4 and many apps have come, gone, and come again. (The iTunes App Store now carries more than 225,000 of them.) So the time seemed right to take another look at the free iPhone apps out there and see what's as essential today as Jim's were back in 2008 (though a number of those remain relevant as well).
We tried to stay away from games and slightly more predictable choices like instant-messaging clients—we wanted to see what out there had the best chance of being truly useful in your everyday (or almost everyday) life. In addition, this list focuses primarily on apps designed for the iPhone and iPod touch. Every app we list here will work on the iPad, but don't expect any one to work terribly well unless it's been optimized. (We have a list of excellent free iPad apps, too.)
Of course, we're sure we've missed some, so let us know in the comments what they were—or which ones we picked that you disagree with.
1. Apple iBooks 1.1.2
Apple Inc.
Apple's iBooks isn't just an e-book reader; it's also an excellent PDF reader. The app uses an attractive bookshelf metaphor to arrange your virtual books and PDFs, and Apple makes quite a few older books available for free through its online store. As with many Apple apps, iBooks becomes more useful if you have more Apple devices; you can sync your bookmarks and notations with your iPhones, iPod Touch, and iPad.
2. AT&T myWireless Mobile 1.4.2
AT&T Services Inc.
AT&T's myWireless app tells you if you're coming close to your monthly 200MB or 2GB data limit, how many minutes you've used, and when your next bill is due. It also lets you upgrade your plan if you're using your iPhone much more than you expected. Checking this app periodically is the best way to protect yourself from unexpected AT&T charges.
3. Bing 1.2.1
Microsoft Corp., www.bing.com
On the desktop we prefer Google, but on the iPhone we prefer Bing. Why? Because the Bing app provides a scrolling photo search, voice search, and local shopping searches; it even has a bar code scanner to look up prices on goods in stores. The Social tool lets you connect to Facebook and Twitter and search your results from friends.
4. CNBC Real-Time 1.3
NBC Universal Inc., www.cnbc.com
One of the best business news sites has one of the best free business apps on the iPhone. CNBC's app starts with business news alerts, but we really like it because of its detailed stock portfolio tracker. Plus, we dig its well-rendered graphics.
5. Dragon Dictation 2.0.0
Nuance Communications, Inc.
Ever wanted to dictate a long series of notes and then e-mail or text them? Dragon Dictation can do that for you. Just load up the app, tap the red button, and dictate for a one minute at a time. The latest version even has multilingual support, and lets you paste text directly to the iPhone SMS client. One downside: Some users have complained that Nuance goes through your contacts to ensure accuracy when you speak names. It's a breach of privacy, yes, but we'd rather have the names spelled correctly.
6. Dropbox 1.2.5
Evenflow, Inc.
If you have a lot of gadgets and computers (and who doesn't these days?), Dropbox lets you access your personal files on any of them. Dropbox gives you 2GB of file storage that can be accessed from any computer. On iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, the app allows you to view documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and some videos and photos that you've put into your personal file space. Occasionally, we've seen some instances where it simply won't work, but it's useful enough that we're willing to overlook a few glitches.
7. eBay Mobile 1.7.2
eBay Inc.
Have you been losing eBay auctions because you weren't in front of your PC? Pick up eBay Mobile, and you'll be able to swoop in at the last second from anywhere with an Internet connection. The app lets users search, bid on items, update their info, check bids on items being sold, and much more. Power sellers and frequent bidders should consider this an essential tool for keeping up with auctions.
8. Epicurious Recipes & Shopping List 2.1.1
Condé Nast
If you like assembling meals as much as you do assembling PCs, the chances are good you already know about Epicurious and its more than 100,000 recipes. The site's iPhone app lets you turn your favorite recipes into a shopping list that you check off. If you miss flipping through food-stained pages, you can turn your favorite recipes into a paginated cookbook. The ads here can be annoying, but we're willing to endure them for this tasty app (which is just as tantalizing on the iPad, too).
9. ESPN ScoreCenter 1.5.4
ESPN Inc.
Sports fanatics with iPhones should download ESPN ScoreCenter. It allows you to keep track of your favorite sports teams on a single page, read the latest analyses from ESPN, and provides push notifications when games start or teams score. Sportacular is also a smart sports app with similar score-tracking abilities, but we think ESPN's design is a little cleaner.
10. Evernote 3.3.8
Evernote Corporation
If your personal memory is very high latency, you may want to consider Evernote. The app provides you with several ways to keep notes—including text, voice, and photos—and lets you access them from any desktop or phone with Evernote's software. The simple interface makes it easy to write down important to-dos, locations, phone numbers, or just about anything you might need to reference later.
11. Fandango 3.2.2
Fandango
Looking for movie times on the go? Fandango can show them to you, help you buy tickets, and even display user reviews of the latest blockbusters and indie flicks. Since some theaters sell tickets through competitor Moviefone, you should also download Moviefone's app if you want to be able to buy tickets anywhere you go.
12. Flashlight. 3.0.1
John Haney Software
As simple (or dumb) as it sounds, having a flashlight app on your iPhone or iPod touch is never a bad thing. Turn up the iPhone screen's brightness and you can use it as a reading light, or even if you need some extra illumination inside the darker recesses of your computer's case. If you feel like starting a party on the go, the app can display a strobe light or other light effects.
13. Google Earth 3.0.0
Google
Google Maps is fine and dandy, but Google Earth ups the ante and takes you to wherever you want in the world. You can digitally climb mountains, browse geo-tagged photos all over the word, check out city info with Google Local Search, and search in many languages. The latest version of Google Earth for iPhone includes road layers and native support for the iPad (which makes the app even cooler).
14. Groupon 1.1.1
Groupon
Groupon offers decent-to-great coupons on stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in 65 cities. There's one deal a day and if not enough people sign up, the deal is cancelled (hence the name Groupon). It's a smart system that makes sure users and businesses alike get something from the deal. It even has a little green cred because with it you no longer have to print out coupons.
15. Kindle 2.2
Amazon.com, Inc.
While Apple's iBooks app might be slightly flashier, Amazon Kindle's library has been around longer, has more titles, and works with more devices. For those who want to read on the cheap, Kindle also has a lot more free books for download. The app allows users to read the beginning of any e-book, making it a good shopping tool.
16. Mint.com Personal Finance 1.5.70
Mint.com
Users of Mint.com know the site can help you keep detailed account of your finances. If you are new, just sign up and begin tracking your expenses. The iPhone app extends the experience, so you can keep track of your spending while on the go. Just enter a few data points in the iPhone, and you'll be able to see your spending patterns as an easy-to-read chart. (Of course, if your bank account is anemic at the moment, cool-looking animations probably won't make you feel much better about it.)
17. NYTimes 2.3.4
The New York Times Company
So you're wondering why a news app would be included in a list of a top apps when you can just go to the Web site? Simple: It allows you to save stories for reading when you don't have an Internet connection. (Thanks AT&T!) Plus, The New York Times has depth of content—even as newspapers across the country are cutting back, the Times still has niche sections like Technology, Health, Books, Travel, and Dining.
18. OpenTable 3.0.4
OpenTable, Inc.
You're out on a date that's going better than expected, but you didn't make dinner reservations. What to do? Time to bust out the OpenTable app for iPhone and make a reservation for a nearby restaurant. OpenTable makes the process so fast and easy that you might be able to do it while your date isn't looking.
19. Opera Mini Web Browser 5.0.2
Opera Software ASA
Many in the tech community (including us) were surprised when Apple approved Opera Mini for the iPhone. Since the beginning of the App Store, Apple had never approved a real alternative Web browser because it wanted iPhone users to use Safari. However, lousy connections on AT&T prompted Apple to approve Opera Mini, which uses less data and can sometimes eke out a complete Web page when Safari can't. We like Safari better overall, but Opera Mini is good to keep around for the times when your network connection isn't optimal.
20. Pandora Radio 3.1.3
Pandora Media, Inc.
For most of its existence, Pandora has been a smart, reliable choice for customized streaming radio. Pandora creates custom stations based on artists or songs you like. It uses elements from the song itself and the user's preferences to pick new songs to listen to. You're likely to hear some unfamiliar bands mixed in with a lot of bands you already know and like. Plus, if you use Pandora on your desktop, the iPhone account will sync your thumbs up or down on song selections.
21. Photoshop.com Mobile 1.2.2
Adobe Systems, Inc.
With the new iPhone 4's 5-megapixel camera and better photo capabilities, there's a good chance more users are going to use the iPhone's camera. Naturally, they will need a photo editor if they want to maximize their photos. Photoshop.com Mobile doesn't do everything, but it does allow you to crop, rotate, change exposure, and apply other effects to your iPhone photos. When you're done editing your photos, you can upload your work to an account on Photoshop.com.
22. Remote 1.3.3
Apple Inc.
Apple's Remote app turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a remote control for music on your computer or Apple TV. While music is playing, album artwork is displayed on your phone and you can even edit playlists. The app only works over your home Wi-Fi connection, so you don't have to worry about anyone else controlling your tunes—except other people in your house, of course.
23. ShopSavvy Barcode Scanner 1.5
Big in Japan, www.biggu.com
Have you ever wanted to do a global price check on item at the store? There's an app for that, and it's called ShopSavvy. All you do is load up the app and then take a photo of any bar code to find out prices from online and local retailers. If you think a product is overpriced, you can simply buy it from someone else. If ShopSavvy doesn't find what you need, check out pic2shop, another accurate barcode scanner.
24. Siri Assistant 3.1
Siri
Siri's smart search app is so compelling that Apple bought the company. Will this app be folded into iOS 5? We're not sure, but downloading it now will let you see what Steve Jobs thinks is worth spending money on. Siri Assistant is a smart search app with learning A.I. built in. As you use Siri, it begins to remember your preferences and locations, which means more accurate search results. Recent versions added the ability to post to Twitter and do math problems.
25. Skype 2.0.1
Skpye Software S.a.r.l
While the iPhone version of Skype doesn't yet do video calls (you'll have to stick to FaceTime on the iPhone 4 to do that), it finally does 3G VoIP voice calls, Wi-Fi Skype-to-Skype calls, and paid Skype-to-landline calls. Skype's international rates are much lower than AT&T's, and this app can be a real boon if you use it in a Wi-Fi zone while traveling. Skype promises to run in the background on iOS 4 devices soon, which will make it much easier to receive calls when you aren't expecting them.
26. Slacker Radio 2.3
Slacker, Inc.
Want to listen to professionally programmed radio stations on your phone? Then meet Slacker, which never slacks in finding you great music. If you enter an artist, it finds similar music you might like and you can ban or like songs to help the system fine-tune your listening experience. Like Pandora, the more you use it, the better the app works.
27. TripIt 1.6.2
TripIt, www.tripit.com
As its name suggests, TripIt helps you keep track of all those annoying little confirmation numbers and flight statuses. It might seem like a simple thing, but when your flight is cancelled, it can save you precious minutes rebooking. On a related note, the similar app TripCase isn't as good at importing your data, but it's even better than TripIt at giving you updated gate and alternate flight information.
28. The Weather Channel 2.83
The Weather Channel Interactive
Just like Twitter clients, there are many, many free weather apps for the iPhone. The Weather Channel's iPhone app is our favorite for its rich range of options. It displays current and extended forecasts, maps, severe weather alerts, pollen counts, videos, and more.
29. Wi-Fi Finder 2.3.0
JiWire Inc.
Ever needed to find a good Wi-Fi connection in a hurry because your data plan or AT&T's signal wasn't cutting it? Wi-Fi Finder by JiWire helps you find a good connection nearby. You can download a complete directory of free Wi-Fi spots in the U.S., and it even works without a data connection. The app works best in populated cities, but that's where you're more likely to find free (and paid) Wi-Fi connections.
30. Yellow Pages 3.0
Avantar LLC, www.avantar.us/
Have you ever used Google Maps to look up an address and then gone to that location only to find the store is closed? While this isn't the sharpest looking app, the latest version of Yellow Pages can help you solve that problem. Being tied to the extensive (and mostly accurate) Yellow Pages database for business queries means few wrong numbers or addresses. In our tests, we found Yellow Pages to be more accurate and complete than the competing YPMobile app.
