Top 10 Symbian apps

Maps Booster
£3
Accessing Skyhook’s worldwide database of Wi-Fi router Ids, Maps Booster integrates into the standard Symbian location system, automatically triangulating your position from the routers around you. In cities, where GPS traditionally struggles because of the tall buildings blocking GPS satellite line of sight (and generating unwanted signal reflections), Maps Booster comes into its own, generating accurate fixes from just Wi-Fi routers. Impressively, its database is self-healing and self-extending, in that all changes noticed by the software are reported back to the master servers.

Gravity
£8
This Twitter client has become legendary in the Symbian world, being the first to offer kinetic scrolling, months ahead of anything in the operating system doing the same. These days, there’s Facebook and Google Reader integration as well, plus an intuitive interface to die for. Multiple accounts are supported, it’s pretty as heck and at any point you can just tap on an item to see all the things you can do with it. In the context of a Twitter stream, in addition to the obvious functions of tweeting, replying, and so on, you can also upload photos (via Twitpic), manage your follow list and open up shortened URLs in your phone’s browser. In short, sophisticated, sexy and a stupendous success.

X-plore
8 Euros
The original Symbian file manager, X-plore allows you to browse folders that the built-in Symbian utility won’t let you near, send files that the OS won’t let you send and view files that the OS wouldn’t let you view. X-plore’s also massively configurable, in terms of appearance and file visibility, and there’s a handy Device info screen that shows how much RAM is free under your phone’s bonnet. And, if you’re really hard up, the shareware version will just work… forever.

Quickoffice Premier
around £10
Ever since the days of the original Nokia Communicator and E61, the Symbian world has been without a decent Office document suite. Yet, bit by bit, Quickoffice has been stepping up to the plate. The current v6.2 Premier has full Office 2007 compatibility and good integration with other Symbian applications. Even better, you can use the free ‘viewer’ module (often bundled with each phone) and only have to pay for the upgrade should you ever need to edit something important.

Handy Safe Pro
$35
Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s still the secure database that’s most bullet proof. With the exact same, password protected, encrypted database of PINs, passwords, URLs, security answers and registration codes, on all your desktop computers and all your Symbian phones, all kept perfectly in sync, and all licensed with the one purchase code, Handy Safe Pro starts to look better value. If you value your privacy and identity, get this – or a cheaper imitation.

PhoneTorch
2 Euros
Admittedly not working on older Symbian phones, this is nonetheless a unique and invaluable tool for users of Nokia S60 5th Edition phones, firing up the dual LED flash as a surprisingly bright emergency torch. It certainly beats the heck out of traditional screen-only ‘flashlight’ apps.

JoikuSpot Premium
7 Euros
Your Symbian phone is fully connected to mobile broadband, of course. And you can easily ‘tether’ your laptop to it, using just the supplied PC Suite. But if you’ve got more than one other device that needs to go online, use this, turning your phone into its very own Wi-fi hotspot!

Vlingo
From Free to various, depending on usage!
Not quite the cutting edge of voice utilities (the Nexus One rather steals that prize), Vlingo still excels at taking voice phrases and transcribing them to Facebook updates, SMS and emails to the spoken contacts of your choice. Well worth playing with.

Snaptu
Free
A Java-based system that works on both Symbian and generic (feature) phones, Snaptu is a surprisingly powerful online utility, pulling in feeds from the BBC, from weather stations, Facebook, London Transport and others, to give you information, literally, at your fingertips.

YouTube
Free
Although most Symbian handsets let you watch YouTube in Flash video form on the Web, make sure you grab the standalone client – it’s much faster, slicker and smoother. And the very latest version lets you log into your YouTube account and thus access the likes of Favourites.

Written by Steve Litchfield. Originally published in Smartphone Essentials magazine.

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