Thanks to the App Store’s Utilities category, you can turn your iPhone into the type of gadget that James Bond would be proud to own. There are Utility apps that enable you to find your iPhone should you lose or misplace it at some point. There are also those which can give you a better web-browsing experience, providing more fluidity than even Apple can manage. Onavo is also included as a fantastic little tool for saving you money by compressing your mobile phone data, allowing you to get more out of your monthly plan.
Your iPhone can also be used as a quick and easy means of scanning QR codes, interpreting the data they provide within seconds and taking you straight to the relevant webpages so you can make a purchase and find out more information.
“A better webbrowsing experience”
5 essential apps
01 Find My iPhone
Price: Free Developer: iTunes S.a.r.l.
An absolutely essential tool for any iPhone user, this app gives you the best chance of finding your phone should you lose it. You can remotely access your device, sending out an audio alert to help find it should you have misplaced it in the house. You can also trigger an alert message, complete with contact details for the benefit of someone who happens to find your phone.
02 Chrome
Price: Free Developer: Google
The very slick browser makes surfing the web on your iPhone an even better experience, with a great overlaying tabs appearance that makes jumping between different searches and pages such a smooth motion. You can sync all your personal data, such as bookmarks, across from your computer so it feels very much like your Internet even when you’re browsing on the bus to work in the morning.
03 RedLaser – Barcode Scanner, Shopping Assistant & QR Code Reader
Price: Free Developer: eBay Inc
RedLaser has evolved to cover all sorts of bases. The app is now a barcode scanner and indeed shopping assistant, taking the products you scan into it and providing price lists and comparisons so you can get the best deal for what you’re looking for.
04 Onavo Extend
Price: Free Developer: Onavo Mobile
The ideal utility app if you’re looking to save a little bit of money, Onavo takes your iPhone data and compresses it so that you can get more usage out of your monthly plan without having to pay extra for it. The app will then give you a breakdown of your usage and the amount it has managed to save you.
05 Sparrow
Price: £1.99/$2.99 Developer: Sparrow
A really classy mail client that brings all your email together into one inbox without it ever feeling cluttered or overrun. The app contains some smart gestures for organising mailboxes and folders, and a single swipe on a message gives you all the filing options
you need. Contacts are organised by frequency of interaction so the ones you use the most are right there at the top of the list when you need them.