The Windows Phone operating system provides a unique challenge for app developers. Sweeping panoramas make apps easier to use, and there are some amazing-looking choices for your Nokia Lumia. We take a look at some of the best.
LinkedIn
Price: Free
Description: Your professional social network site for Windows Phone
LinkedIn follows Microsoft’s design guidelines for Windows Phone apps so closely that it actually looks like a part of the Windows Phone operating system. Swipe up and down for news updates, or use the panorama feature to sweep through different pages and options. Features like ‘Groups’, ‘Jobs’ and ‘Companies’ are split into tiles, and everything is perfectly familiar for those who already know their way around a Nokia Lumia.
Evernote
Price: Free
Description: A quick and easy way to create notes, images and To Do lists on your Lumia
As with the other apps here, Evernote is made up of attractive, finger-friendly pages, but you’ll also find icons and options split up into different tiles. It results in an app that mirrors your Nokia Lumia’s Start Screen, and once again it means that as long as you’re familiar with the Windows Phone operating system, you’ll know how to use and get the best out of Evernote.
Pouch
Price: £0.79
Description: Access your favourite Internet articles on your Nokia with this Pocket client
Pouch is actually the first app created by developer Joshua Grzybowski. That doesn’t stop it from looking perfectly at home on the Nokia Lumia, with an interface that matches the Windows Phone OS perfectly. The app revolves around five simple pages, and there are thumbnail images and headlines for the stories you’ve saved via Pocket.
Attractive and elegant, Pouch looks every bit as good as apps that come pre-installed on Windows Phone 8.
Endomondo Sports Tracker
Price: Free
Description: A free personal fitness trainer for your Nokia Lumia
Endomondo offers everything you need if you’re trying to get fit, making it possible to track your movements and the distances you’ve covered. Panoramas split the app into different pages, comprising ‘Workout’, ‘History’, ‘Newsfeed’ and ‘Friends’, and Endomondo even syncs with the music on your Lumia, giving you tracks you can run to. It’s also possible to track and comment on workouts that your friends are enjoying.
Amazon Mobile
Price: Free
Description: The most comprehensive mobile shopping companion?
Amazon Mobile encapsulates everything that’s great about Windows Phone. It boasts an intuitive interface and the ability to find out all about the product you want to buy at the swipe of a finger. The main pages couldn’t be simpler, made up of a Welcome page and a Featured page. Delve a little deeper, however, and you’ll get a lot more options.
Once you’ve zeroed in on a specific product, there are more panoramas on offer, including ‘Details’, ‘Reviews’, ‘New&Used’, ‘Related items’, ‘Images’ and ‘Overview. Perhaps the best thing about the Amazon Mobile app is the fact that it’s never daunting, and it’s always easy to find out exactly what you want to know.
Have you come across other amazing–looking Windows Phone apps? Let us know in the comments below.