Our 5 favourite new Windows Phone apps of the week
Ah, October: we can smell the Halloween candy already! If you can haul yourselves away from kicking piles of fallen leaves and hunting for the perfect conker, we’ve got some indoor fun lined to fill the darkening evenings.
Read on to hear about our five apps of the week – new or overhauled releases that have hit the Window Store over the past few days that have rocked our collective worlds.
Maestro
What is it: an email client
Why we love it: This is a beta release, so there might be a few bugs, but it might turn out to be a very nice alternative to the native mail service for Gmail and Outlook users. It’s got limited functionality right now but it certainly looks good and feels smooth; we’ll be watching with interest as it develops.
Who it’s perfect for: mobile email users, WP8.1 only.
Fhotolens
What is it: a photography app
Why we love it: This update brings bug fixes and icon updates rather than huge alterations, but it’s such a good app we thought now was a good time to nudge you about it. Take your photos, store them in Fhotolens’ custom libraries, and edit them with their very zippy and comprehensive tools. We love the timer, the HDR capture option, the abundance of manual and automatic options: there are lots of camera and photography apps in the WP Store, but this really is one of the best.
Who it’s perfect for: photographers
What is it: a news magazine app
Why we love it: We were all set to shout about this last week, but the developer pulled it; now it’s back, and we still love it! It’s got a lovely interface with plenty of content, and we’re glad it’s finally on WP8.1, a mere nine months (!) since the desktop version launched. Select your favourite categories (fashion, news…) and read news articles from sources like CNN, Elle, the LA Times, and so on. Pin, save and share articles, and collect them into your own custom collage magazine for easy reference. You’ll never be bored again.
Who it’s perfect for: Newshounds with WP8.1 with 1GB RAM only.
Coach’s Eye
What is it: a sports training app
Why we love it: Described as a ‘performance enhancing’ app, this isn’t going to get you kicked out of the Olympics; rather, it’s a video app that lets you analyze your moves in order to improve them. Slow the clips down, let your coach draw on them to explain how you might want to move differently, compare different videos – it’s the future! Sadly, it won’t work on 512MB devices, but the rest of you ought to find it extremely useful.
Who it’s perfect for: athletes and sporty types
WATCH Disney Channel
What is it: a TV app
Why we love it: This is only good if you’re a US customer who’s already a cable or satellite subscriber – but if you fit that demographic, your kids are going to love you forever and ever. This app gives access to a bunch of shows – full episodes, not just clips – as well as letting you watch the Disney Channel live on your phone. Check out the two alternatives too, Junior and XD, each of which has content specific to their particular TV channel.
Who it’s perfect for: Kids in the USA
Good or what? If you can go one better, shout in the comments: which new apps have lightened up your October days? Stay tuned as usual for another batch next week – we can’t wait!