Google set the world on fire when it announced its Jelly Bean powered tablet the Nexus 7. The Android slate has been incredibly successful due to it being priced at a $200 bargain (8GB model).
The device sports some impressive features that is supported by some more than decent apps. Take a tour with us as we list 10 of our must have Nexus 7 apps.
Plume (Twitter)
One of the flaws that has always haunted Android tablets, is the lack of a really good Twitter application. Most Twitter clients are just over stretched versions of the phone application, which cheapens the tablet experience.
Thankfully, Plume has righted that wrong. The third-party Twitter application provides a native looking experience that incorporates Google’s Holo theme quite well. When it comes to the user interface, actions are presented in a way that’s much more convenient. Plume’s functionality reminds me a lot of the old Tweetdeck, where you have tweets, mentions, and direct message columns all pulled up on the front page. In addition, a hidden sidebar can be accessed by swiping to the right.
Download Plume here
The Pinterest app on the Nexus 7 is dope. You really get to see why the application is better suited for tablets. The functionality is simple; swipe to the left to see your profile or slide to the right and pick between a list of photo categories such as Geek, Design, Art, Technology, etc.
If you love looking at photos, then it makes all the sense in the world for you to have Pinterest on your Nexus 7 tablet.
Download Pinterest here
Angry Birds Space
Seriously, what more can I say about Angry Birds that hasn’t been said already? It’s no accident that this application has become the most successful game in history — the game is insanely addictive.
Angry Birds Space looks awesome on the Nexus 7, as the folks over at Rovio made sure it didn’t put out a half-baked experience. The app is everything you’d expect on a phone, but more with 7-inch screen support. Plus, the Nexus 7’s Tegra 3 processor is more than enough to handle the game play and visuals.
Download Angry Birds Space here
WordPress
Wow. That is what I said when I used the WordPress app. Now don’t be confused as my shock didn’t come from stunning visuals, but from usability. I didn’t expect to see an app that was optimized for the 7-inch Nexus tablet, instead I expected to see the usual clumsy design and functionality issues I’ve seen in the past.
But, to my surprise, WordPress put in a better effort in making its mobile application fit the Nexus 7. There’s no new earth shattering features, users will see the same options like new post, quick video, pages, stats, etc.
I found that the view post in the browser feature wasn’t working for me for some reason. Maybe this could be due to a bug that can be addressed in another update.
Download WordPress here
Skype
Skype is the unquestioned leader when it comes to video chatting, that’s why Microsoft found it in its best interest to buy the popular VoIP company.
The app fits the Nexus 7 screen just right. When you hit the Call phones option it opens a dialer that blankets the entire screen. And just like the smartphone version of the app, Skype integrates with all your contacts on your tab.
Download Skype here
Google+
This application was made to be on the Nexus 7 tablet. Google+ has a beautiful magazine-like layout featured prominently throughout its user interface.
Google put a huge emphasis on high-resolution photos in your news stream, while making things much improved for you and your friends. For me, I’ve found that Google+ provides a more enjoyable social experience then the drama filled pool known as Facebook.
Download Google+ here
Google Drive
This is the perfect application for those who like to get work done on the go. With the standard Nexus 7 offering up only 8 GB of storage, users will have to be conservative when it comes to adding content due to memory limitations.
Google Drive (formally known as Google Docs) brings a lot to the table. The application not only acts like other popular cloud storage services (Box.net, SugerSync, Dropbox, etc) allotting users a free 5 GB of memory, but it carries the duties of creating and editing documents. Even though the app is missing some features (like adding hyperlinks), I still believe its functional enough to do simple word processing. Hell, I wrote most of this feature using the app on my Nexus 7 tablet.
Download Google Drive here
Cordy
Admittedly, I’m not the biggest gamer, but like Angry Birds Space I grew attached to this game because of its fun nature.
Cordy is a puzzle platform game that stars a little robot that can run, jump, hover, etc. The graphics and visuals are stunning, as the Tegra 3 processor really displays its power and fluency. The game cleverly hooks you in with four free and easy levels, but once you complete those levels you’ll have to purchase the premium version of the app for $4.99.
Download Cordy here
textPlus Free Text + Calls
If you’re the type who likes to turn your tablet into a phone, then this is the app for you. textPlus does exactly what’s advertised, which allows users the ability to text and call people for free.
There’s a bit of a catch though. The application offers free unlimited texting to any mobile phone, so users are free to message a person who isn’t signed up to textPlus network. As for phone calls, the application only provides some free trial minutes to call those without a textPlus number. I did a test call and I found the service work just fine.
The app automatically syncs your Gmail contacts, and it gives the option of linking up your Facebook contacts as well. This is a well dressed VoIP application for the 7-inch tablet experience, it gives the Google Voice app something to look forward to.
Download textPlus Free Text + Calls here
If there’s any application out there more designed for a tablet, it’s definitely Flipboard. For those of you not familiar with the application, allow me to enlighten you.
Flipboard is a wildly popular reader app that grabs news from all of the most talked about articles from well known sites around the web. The app brings an innovative way to flip pages, as users move through the app flipping their finger in an upward motion. You can share articles through all the top social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and more.
Download Flipboard here
I’m sure I missed plenty of applications out there, so if you have any on your list feel free to share them below in the comment box.