New Galaxy S II owner here - what are some "must have" apps & other recommendations?

[MDE]

What does Handcent do that the stock messaging app doesnt?

It's not that it necessarily does more, but does the same things better (IMO).

 

[GoodEnough]

New guys, so far, here is what I am going to install this weekend:

1. Handcent
2. Swype - One of the best alternatives to the stock touchscreen keyboard
3. Bright Flashlight
4. Browser: Opera, Dolphin
5. LMI (log me in rescue) for remote support to the phone
6. Google maps/navigator - awesome free gps
7. Quick Office
8. Barcode Scanner
9. Google Maps
10. Android Speedometer (Kinda fun for skiing, biking, driving, etc.)
11. Lookout. (Anti-virus. Lost-phone finder/tracker/shut-down.)
12. Pandora / Jango
13. Sorami. (Lets you access 25GB of free Windows SkyDrive cloud storage.)
14. SoundHound.
15. Ultimate Stopwatch.
16. Where's My Droid. (Find, track, or ring your lost phone by sending it a secret text message.)
17. Google Voice. (Needed for free phone calls through SIPDroid.)
18. Chess
19. Google Goggles

 

[GoodEnough]

Swype is beta? It's not in Android marketplace. Where do you get it?

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Swype is beta? It's not in Android marketplace. Where do you get it?

It's included by default on the galaxy S2.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Just picked up an S2 Skyrocket yesterday and new to the android platform. Been mulling around the thought of rooting it but because the phone is brand new I'm not sure I should. I love the phone and getting to know it has been a blast, but I was a little disappointed with a lot of the bloatware that came on it that I'm not able to remove at this time.

 

[gorcorps]

Just picked up an S2 Skyrocket yesterday and new to the android platform. Been mulling around the thought of rooting it but because the phone is brand new I'm not sure I should. I love the phone and getting to know it has been a blast, but I was a little disappointed with a lot of the bloatware that came on it that I'm not able to remove at this time.

Rooting is worth it to remove the bloat at least. The AP app/widget specifically is known to suck battery life and data by constantly updating in the background.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Rooting is worth it to remove the bloat at least. The AP app/widget specifically is known to suck battery life and data by constantly updating in the background.

I'll give it a shot tonight but I'm a little worried I'll brick it. That won't sit well with my wife lol

 

[titaniumsoul]

I personally like zedge ringtones & wallpapers. I also like:tip me(tip calculator), mouse,gmail, facebook messenger, allrecipes.com dinner spinner, work out trainer, and tiny flashlight. Enjoy!

 

[vshah]

PS there is a sticky on this....

 

[T_Yamamoto]

The only app I need is tapatalk. Face book. Titaium backup. Rom manager.

 

[soccerballtux]

Ok... uninstall the antivirus? Why is that? Is there any protection for the phone? And, Shabby, are you serious?

As for use:
Some light business - check email, read docs, nothing major or heavy. I'm considering a tablet for when prices drop next year for that.

On the personal side, light game playing, definitely price checking (I did get the Amazon app). I'm not much of a facebook user (it came preloaded). I did grab Skype, but I have to say that for some reason, the sound was horrible. The picture quality was good, though.

I'm sure that as time goes on, and I get more experienced, I'll use it more. Of course, with your help, that will come in no time! There are so many things out there that I don't know where to begin.

Thanks again!

HI WUT IS COMPUTER????

i am new 2 this plz halp kthx



Warning for thread crapping
I don't see the point of why you are mocking the poster. Soccerballtux, if you don't have anything helpful to say, then don't reply.

Moderator PM

 

[poofyhairguy]

If you want to get the best battery life out of a i777 SGS2, I found this works great:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1477942

You have to flash a SiyahKernel first but nothing else for it work. When in use, the battery life rivaled my iPhone.

It turns down the performance a little bit, but only down to the level of something like a Razr.

 

[GT1999]

I'd see if there's a near pure AOSP ROM, if not CM7 or CM9 Alpha. I prefer pure AOSP due to less bugs (depending on the dev), faster experience while being able to undervolt the processor(s) without noticing any lag. I've also noticed bugs with apps like Facebook in non-AOSP ROMs where you have to clear cache/data to get it to refresh correctly. AOSP / CM ROMs also offer the app "Torch" with a high brightness option which is awesome as a good backup flashlight. DSPManager is a nice audio option with a bass boost and equalizer.

For apps I use GoSMS for backing up SMS to SDCard for easy restore once you flash a new ROM.

If on ICS, try the app HaxSync for higher def facebook contact pictures.

As for gapps Maps is a must, Google Voice for free texting.