Apps for beginners

After getting an iPhone a friend of mine once told me it had improved his life 33 percent. While I'm not sure I can quantify the level, my iPhone has undoubtedly improved (or at least simplified) my life too - 3 years in and I still love it!

This post is especially dedicated to my friend who is yet to add an app to her iPhone which she bought 4 months ago! In 2012 there seems to be an app for just about anything and my iPhone is home to everything from Angry Birds to Ab workouts, Calorie Counter to Country Road, Gucci to Grab a seat.

Not all apps are created equal, many are more novelty than necessity, so here are my top 10 recommendations for beginners (in no particular order) based on practicality and ease of use.

1. ASB Mobile or BNZ Mobile – keep track of your bank balance or forex rates, make transfers or payments etc. 
2. Vodafone App – check your account summary, pay your bill & more 
3. TVNZ – read the latest news, view weather forecasts and browse TV listings 
4. Flicks– find out the movie sessions at a cinema near you 
5. AirNZ mPass – check yourself in at the airport on your phone & keep track of airpoints and bookings 
6. Maxx – plan your next journey via Auckland public transport 
7. TradeMe – browse or list items all from your phone 
8. Instagram – take and share photos, add filters and borders 
9. Facebook – sharing made easier with an interface tailored to the iPhone
10. Twitter – ditto the above