Top 10 Symbian applications I can't live without

I’ve been using the Nokia E7 for the last few weeks, as you may’ve noticed from my top 5 things I like and 5 things don’t like posts. While that period I tried using the Finnish company’s flagship product as my primary device and have found several apps particularly useful. To tell the truth, these are the apps I’ve put on the phone’s homescreen(s) to be able to fire them up quickly. Without furthermore ado, here they are.

We all need to check our Facebook accounts every now and at that time. This is especially true while the summer when your friends and/or family members are taking everything into consideration travelling. Facebook for Symbian may not be as powerful as its iPhone and Android counterparts, however it for all that provides you with the access to all of the key information, as then as with the ability to comment and leave wall posts. Heck, I’m not sure I as a matter of fact need all the additional bells and whistles Facebook for iPhone and Facebook for Android offer. Yet I said it enough – you know you need Facebook on your phone, right?

What can I say here?

What can I say here? Although it’s not necessarily the cheapest way to call long-distance numbers, it’s sort of a default app on your desktop/notebook computer, hence you need to install it on your phone, too. Skype for Symbian doesn’t offer video calls, but at the time again I’m not sure I need that capability at all. Voice calling is all I need from Skype.

And in case you’re looking for more affordable alternatives to call fixed and mobile phone numbers, you may want to check out Tru, Fring or Nimbuzz, which as well serve as instant messaging customers. What’s more, Fring as well supports video calls which is nice, however not a must-have feature in my book.

Although it comes preloaded with every Nokia smartphone, it is always recommended to download the latest version to give it a try. Heck, if you feel adventurous, you can try out beta versions from Nokia Beta Labs and experience some of the forthcoming features earlier the rest of the world. Ovi Maps supports both driving and pedestrian navigation, during also offering additional services and content just as live traffic, travel guides, ability to check-in to places, and keep your friends in the loop on Foursquare, Facebook and Twitter. But, Nokia’s mapping app as a matter of fact shines in the offline mode, enabling users to preload maps on their phones earlier travelling to other countries.

I’ve already mentioned these two when I talked about Skype however here I’ll mention them again. The reason is obvious – aside from Skype I as well have both Fring and Nimbuzz running on my Nokia E7. This is not to say you need to have both of them as then — one of them will do the job just fine. And that job, in case you wonder, is instant messaging. Personally I prefer Fring cause that was the first multi-network IM app I used on a Symbian phone. For all that, few friends of mine prefer Nimbuzz so I guess it’s safe to say whichever you pick – you won’t be wrong. Best of all, both apps are free to download.

Wi-Fi hotspot

This little app turns your 3G connection into a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing you to easily connect your laptop, tablet or any other Wi-Fi-enabled device to the Internet. JoikuSpot exists in two flavors – Light, which is free to download and Premium which costs 10 EUR. The latter comes with few additional features, including enhanced internet security and the ability to name your HotSpot as you like. In addition, the Premium Edition as well features full internet protocol stack, not just the web. As a result, you will be able to use email customers, messenger services like MSN, or connect to your corporate intranet via secured VPN tunneling.

We all need some music on our mobiles. In short, no one wants a separate MP3 player when our phones can do the job just as so then. For openers, most MP3 players don’t support apps and only allow you to listen to the music you’ve before stored on them. What if you want to check out some new tunes? There are various Internet radio apps like Pandora or Spotify offering that service. Since the former is not available for Symbian smartphones, Nokia users have turned to the latter service… and Spotify became an instant hit, delivering on the go access to a catalog of more than 15 million songs. Love it!

Still in beta, Nokia Sleeping Screen makes your phone stand out by painting beautifully crafted images on the sleeping screen, which you wouldn’t use definitely. But, it’s not just about aesthetics – this little app as well provides you with information on missed calls, unread text messages, and reminders presented with clear icons and animations. Best of all, thanks to the OLED-based screens Symbian^3 devices like the Nokia E7 and N8 have, Nokia Sleeping Screen maintains the battery operating time of your phone. Bear in mind although that it requires Qt versions 4.6.4 and 4.7.2 to work.

Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the straightway logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. Just in case to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan as well loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits even though, he's for all that searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis.