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Mobile Apps Making Their Way Onto Touchscreen Phones

Posted on: Wednesday, 26 November 2008, 10:50 CST

Touchscreen devices are boosting the development of new, efficient and convenient mobile apps.

Take for example Google Inc's newly updated Mobile App for Apple Inc's iPhone, which was released just before the BlackBerry Storm, Research In Motion’s new touch screen hit Verizon stores. The new app has been generating a lot of buzz for one main reason: voice search.

Touchscreen phones like the iPhone are given credit for the increased use of such applications. During the first two months of Apple’s App Store, iPhone users downloaded 100 million apps. The App Store allowed third-party developers to create and market their own applications after being verified by Apple.

Google’s update allows users to search for the nearest sushi restaurant or movie theater by simply uttering a corresponding phrase.

On Apple’s App Store, which is available via iTunes, iPhone users are able to download a wide array of programs that offer many useful features. Even better, many of the applications are free of charge.

While Apple leads the mobile application rush, other rivals are entering the field, including the BlackBerry Storm and T-Mobile's G1, which features Google's Android operating system.

The Shazam mobile app, which was recently featured in a iPhone commercial, is now available on the Android platform. With Shazam, users can hold their phone up to a nearby radio to find the name of the song, artist and album.

Another popular free app for the iPhone is offered by UrbanSpoon, which features user-generated restaurant reviews, but with a twist. If you feel like trying something new, just punch in your criteria, shake your iPhone, and UrbanSpoon will pick a restaurant for you.

The free GoodGuide app -- still an iPhone-only offering -- features ratings on more than 60,000 household and personal use products.

And with the buzz boost surrounding these mobile apps, even more apps are expected to enter the field via third-party developers.

Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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