10 of the best Android tablet apps
Got an Android slate? You'll want to get these apps to show it off in all its glory
It’s fair to say that Android tablets like the Xoom 2 and Transformer Prime aren’t as well-served as the iPad when it comes to optimised apps. There are some super-sized gems on the Android platform, though – and these are some of our faves.
Google Currents
£free
Just launched in the UK, this Flipboard-style app presents blogs and news sites in a rather attractive magazine-style format. Some publications, like The Guardian and The Independent, have been customised to take advantage of the app’s look, but you can add any RSS feed and flip away.
Shadowgun
£3.49
Madfinger’s Gears of War clone looks amazing – especially if you pick up the Tegra 3-optimised THD version of the game. Okay, the run-and-gun gameplay is a bit simplistic, but just look at it. Plug in a controller and connect your slate to an HDTV and you could be playing a full-fat console game. If you squint a bit.
BBC News
£free
The BBC has yet to release an Android tablet version of the iPlayer – hurry up, Auntie! – but its Android dev team hasn’t been slacking. The BBC News app lets you swoosh and swipe through the website’s stories in a lovely tablet-optimised layout – two columns in landscape mode, with a swipeable row of stories along the top of the screen in portrait orientation.
OfficeSuite Pro 6+
£9.41
Sometimes you just have to knuckle down and get to work – and this full-featured office suite is the way to do it. You can create and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, and it supports Word 2010 file formats. Transformer Prime owners will delight in the ability to use all the standard keyboard shortcuts, too.
TweetComb
£free
Want to get your tweet on? This tablet-optimised Twitter app features a nice-looking three-column layout, and supports saved searches multiple accounts. Some may say it looks suspiciously similar to Tweetdeck. We couldn’t possibly comment.
Google Chrome Beta
£free
Google’s own browser is set to become the default Android browser – so it’s just as well that it’s a great piece of kit, loading pages double-quick. Sync up your bookmarks with the desktop version and get surfing.
Netflix
£free
Streaming video service Netflix is on a mission to colonise every device you own. Its Android tablet app follows the same layout as other platforms, with swipeable rows of films and TV series tailored to your own personal viewing preferences. New releases are conspicuous by their absence, but if you buy a couple of DVDs a month from the second-tier shelves at Tesco, a £6 a month subscription is well worth it.
Grand Theft Auto III: 10 Year Anniversary Edition
£2.99
Rockstar’s classic 3D open world crime caper looks fantastic on a tablet’s large display – and with Android you can use a gaming controller for the full console experience. So until Apple gets its rumoured gaming controller off the ground, there’s really no contest.
TED
£free
The Technology, Entertainment and Design organisation serves up talks on science, technology and global issues. Speakers include everyone from Bill Gates to Jane Fonda, and this app takes full advantage of your screen real estate to deliver a grid of thumbnails, full-screen videos and sharing options. Get your daily dose of concentrated inspiration here.
Friend Me
£free
Facebook has yet to optimise its Android app for tablets, but this big-screen-friendly app does everything a social butterfly could want. Its clever nested three-column layout lets you breeze through your chums’ updates, and it supports multiple accounts. It’s free as an ad-supported version, but an in-app purchase of £1.89 will strip out the adverts.
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Dan Grabham
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