5 best Android apps of 2016

ES File Explorer

ES File Explorer has been around since the “good old days” of Android and has been consistently improving and evolving ever since. The app is totally free to use and it always has been without any catches although it now comes with an option pro version that adds a few new features. It has a ton of features including file browsing, root explorer, zipping and unzipping various types of archives, FTP support, multimedia playback support, cloud storage support, SMB support, WebDAV support, and a lot more. Are there other great file browsers? You bet, but there are few that have the pedigree that ES has. The only downfall is the addition of a “phone cleaning” feature which is superfluous at best, but that can be easily ignored. This app is powerful and should work well for just about everyone.

Evernote

Evernote is arguably the most powerful note taking application ever created. It comes with a ton of note taking features including the ability to create lists, insert audio/video/images, and all of that is synced to the cloud where it can be accessed from any web browser. There are also a host of organizational features so you can keep all this info in line. It also features collaboration functionality if you need that and it’s all wrapped up in Material Design. The in-app purchases are for Evernote Premium, which is a subscription that gives you additional features such as PDF annotation, better privacy options, and offline access.

 

The Google Drive suite

Google Drive is a cloud storage solution available on Android where all new users get 15GB for free permanently upon signing up. You can, of course, buy more if needed. What makes Google Drive so special are the suite of applications that are attached to it. They include Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Photos, and Google Keep. Between the office apps, the Photos app (which allows unlimited photo and video backup), and Keep for note taking, you have apps for practically anything you need to do in terms of productivity. Some of the features of these apps include live collaboration, deep sharing features, and compatibility with Microsoft Office documents.

Google Play Music, YouTube

Google Play Music is a special case. Sure there are music apps out there that let you play local content and there are streaming apps out there that let you stream content. Do you know how many apps combine these two concepts? One, and it’s Google Play Music. The service lets you upload up to 50,000 of your own (non-DRM) songs to Google’s cloud for streaming wherever you are. That functionality is totally free. On top that, for $9.99/month, you get a very above-average streaming service with over 30 million songs, playlist support, and various Internet radio options. When you add in YouTube Red, which gives additional features including the removal of ads from YouTube, and you have a truly amazing experience. Of course, YouTube itself is an app worth having whether you buy the subscription service or not.

 

SwiftKey Keyboard

SwiftKey Keyboard is one of the most powerful and customizable third-party keyboards available. It hit the market several years ago with a predictive engine unlike anything any other keyboard had and the app has grown a lot of over the years. It’s a free download and you can purchase themes for it if you want to. Other features include a dedicated number row, SwiftKey Flow which allows for gesture typing, multiple language support, cross-device syncing of your library and much more. It’s about as good as it gets in the keyboard space.