There’s a very good reason Apple’s iPads continue to be world’s best selling tablets - actually make that 375,000. That’s how many apps are available for Apple’s iPad and iPad mini, compared to a few dozen tablet apps highlighted in the Google Play store and the Windows Store’s 60,000 options. Plus, many newer apps in the App Store take full advantage of the larger iPad’s Retina Display, delivering unparalleled sharpness.
Apple offers several of its own apps for work and play, including its iWork and iLife suites, but that’s just the start. There are tons of compelling third-party options in the App Store for keeping up on the latest news, social networking, streaming movies, managing your expenses, and cooking, and many apps have enjoyed a complete cosmetic overhaul with the arrival of iOS 7. Here are our 25 favourite apps for Apple’s tablet.
1. Infinity Blade III (US$6.99)
Epic Games' "Infinity Blade" series set a new standard for mobile gaming in 2010 with its fluid control scheme and console-worthy visuals. The all-new "Infinity Blade III" closes out the sword-swinging trilogy in epic fashion, providing more environments and combat choices than ever.
Unlike many pick-up-and-play iOS titles, "Infinity Blade III" packs a fleshed-out cinematic story and allows gamers to upgrade their hero throughout their journey. For the third instalment, players can end their battles with dazzling super-moves and shift the fight in their favour with new magic abilities. A new generation of gaming consoles might be on the way, but iPad owners can experience one of the year's best titles right on their tablet for US$6.99.
More: 20 Best iPad Games 2013
2. Evernote (free)
Evernote boasts that its productivity is “an extension of your brain,” and we couldn't agree more. The note-taking and syncing service lets you create-to-do lists, jot down notes, capture photos, and record voice reminders that are completely searchable within the app. Evernote has been completely refreshed for iOS 7, with a sleek aesthetic that makes the software as eye-pleasing as it is efficient. With new features like Quicknote and the ability to create instant reminders, staying on top of your workload has never been this easy.
More: Top 15 Productivity Apps
3. QuickOffice Pro HD (US$19.99)
If you want to use your iPad for real work, QuickOffice Pro HD is well worth its US$19.99 price tag. This office suite lets you create and edit Microsoft Office documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and PDF files. The app comes with a multi-edit toolbox that lets you format text, numbers and paragraphs without opening and closing multiple menus. QuickOffice Pro HD makes it easy to save documents to the cloud and retrieve them, as it supports Dropbox, Google Docs, Box.Net, Evernote and more.
4. Mint (free)
Who wants to squint at a tiny 5-inch smartphone screen when you’re managing your expenses? Mint.com’s official app for the iPad displays your funds in list or chart form across the iPad Mini's 7.9-inch or iPad's 9.7-inch display. Mint automatically categorizes your transactions so you can see exactly where your money is going.
Your account is protected by a 4-digit PIN, and all activity syncs with your Mint.com profile. The app also makes it easy for you to create transactions by automatically filling in merchant data based on your location.
More: 10 Best Math Apps
5. Flipboard (free)
Flipboard certainly knows how to take advantage of the iPad’s canvas. A personalized magazine optimized for mobile, Flipboard lets you choose your favourite topics and then aggregates news from across the Web. We love the way Flipboard’s high-res images look on the iPad’s Retina Display, as well as the sharper type. The latest version of the app lets you take stories and collect them in personalized magazines that you can share with others.
More: 5 Best News Apps
6. Vimeo (free)
YouTube may be the undisputed king of online video, but Vimeo has always provided a solid alternative by focusing on ad-free HD content and making its service filmmaker-friendly. The Vimeo iPad app allows users to enjoy the service's vast library of creative clips (including the latest music videos) with the option to save videos for offline playback. The Vimeo application received a fresh coat of paint for iOS 7, allowing for instant video sharing via the all-new AirDrop function.
7. Kindle (free)
You don't need an Amazon Kindle device to peruse the retailer's massive e-book library, and the iOS 7 version of the iPad Kindle app makes it easier than ever to enjoy and organize your favourite reads. The app's visual redesign reflects the flatter aesthetic of Apple's new OS, and users can now categorize their books into custom collections. Whether you live for science fiction or ancient history, the free Kindle app is a must-have for any type of reader.
More: 10 Best Reader Apps
8. Netflix (free with US$8.99 monthly subscription)
If you’re the type to breeze through a TV show on your morning commute or curl up with a movie in bed, you’ll understand why Netflix made our list. For US$8.99 a month, subscribers get access to unlimited sitcoms, cartoons, reality TV shows, movies and more.
It’s far from being the only streaming service, but analysts have estimated that Netflix’s library is roughly double to triple the size of Amazon Instant’s library. Netflix also boasts access to exclusive content that you won’t find on similar services, such as the newest season of "Arrested Development."
More: 10 Best TV Apps
9. HBO GO (free with annual subscription)
For HBO subscribers, the HBO GO app is a welcome addition to the iPad. HBO has optimized its premium TV service for mobile with its app, which brings the channel’s entire selection of TV shows, movies, behind-the-scenes specials and documentaries to the iPad.
What we truly love about the app is the specialized content HBO has created to accompany its TV selections. For example, tapping the Show Interactive Features will launch a panel displaying more information about the characters on screen, among other goodies related to the show you’re watching. The latest HBO GO update for the iPad also brings AirPlay multitasking, which means you can run other apps on your iPad while streaming content via AirPlay.
10. Snapseed (free)
Photo aficionados are sure to love Snapseed’s gorgeous and intuitive image-centric interface. The free touch-optimized photo editing app lets you adjust images with a single tap, tweak individual objects and experiment with filters. For instance, users can select an adjustment or filter from the left side of the app and simply tap the image they wish to edit.
From here, Snapseed pulls up a scrollable list of options such as Brightness, Ambience and Contras, among others. Besides its smooth interface, we also love the intuitive Selective Adjustment feature, which automatically detects which parts of the photo you’d like to edit based on the previous control points you’ve dropped.
11. Sketchbook Pro for iPad (US$4.99)
The iPad can be just as useful for creating content as it is for consuming it, and Sketchbook Pro for iPad lets you channel your inner artist. The painting and drawing application has been optimized for Retina display and touch interfaces, and comes loaded with customization options, such as the ability to save your favourite brushes, create canvas shortcuts, and adjust canvas sizes.
Sketchbook Pro also comes with a rich multi-touch interface that allows for two-finger pan and zoom and three-finger swipe gestures. This means you can move, scale and rotate layers using this multi-touch interface, and you can pin toolbars of your choosing to the screen for quick and easy access. With both iTunes and Dropbox integration, Sketchbook Pro for iPad makes it easy to save and share the content you create.
12. Gilt for iPad (free)
Shopaholics, beware. Gilt for iPad is one seriously alluring shopping app. An offshoot of members-only shopping website Gilt Groupe, users can browse by brand, size, colour or category and access exclusive pre-sales through the app. Upon opening the Gilt app, you’ll be greeted with a colourful tiled home screen that displays different styles, categories and sales.
Our favourite part of the Gilt UI is the scrollable menus that appear on the side of the screen while shopping. For example, if you’re currently viewing a handbag, pressing the list icon in the top corner will pull up a list of similar items, complete with an image, pricing and the name of the product. This makes it easy to compare items and view multiple products simultaneously.
13. Notability (US$2.99)
There are plenty of ways to record audio, create images, and take written notes on an iPad, but Ginger Labs' Notablity app allows for full synergy between the three functions. The US$2.99 productivity app enables users to create stunning multimedia presentations and record important lectures and meetings. Trying to remember exactly what was said while you were scribbling notes? Simply tap a word and you'll hear the audio from that moment. All of your notes can be easily organized and shared, making Notability an excellent replacement for your old pen and paper.
More: Notability: Full Review
14. WatchESPN (free with cable subscription)
Who says you need a TV to watch the big game? If you’ve got a cable subscription you can stream any game directly to your iPad. WatchESPN greets users with a Featured section that organizes sports highlights from the day in a streamlined, easy-read rotation.
Underneath the featured section is a scrollable menu of games that are currently live, and you can also choose to browse by sport or channel as well. You’ll also get access to programs such as SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, SportsNation and more as long as you have a cable subscription.
15. Spotify (free)
We prefer Spotify to Pandora because of its more appealing user interface and deeper social integration. Plus, you can go ad-free and download all the tracks you want on demand or US$9.99 per month. With 20 million songs to its name, Spotify boasts the biggest music library of all its competitors, including Pandora (900,000 songs), iHeartRadio (15 millions songs) and Slacker (13 million songs).
More: 12 Best Music Apps
16. AllRecipes (free)
Take your iPad into the kitchen with AllRecipes. The iPad app is filled with thousands of recipes, including those catered to dietary restrictions such as gluten free, low carb or low sodium dishes. You can also sync the app with your AllRecipes.com account to gain full access to your Recipe Box.
AllRecipes simulates a virtual cookbook with its notebook-style recipe directions, not to mention the gorgeous hi-res photos that are sure to make your mouth water on the iPad’s sharp display. We also love the AllRecipes app’s built-in search function that offers robust options for search criteria, including prep time, course and cooking method. You can even filter these results by popularity if you wish.
17. The Walking Dead: The Game (free)
This may be a game, but it sure doesn’t look like one. Based on the award-winning television series and graphic novel, “The Walking Dead: The Game” is an interactive adventure that brings the zombie apocalypse to your iPad. The app is broken up into a series of five episodes, each of which requires you to make quick decisions, explore, and solve problems as you fend off the undead.
A decent portion of the game is based on plot, with dialogue boxes popping up on screen prompting you to choose the right words at the right time. The Walking Dead stands out as one of our favourite iPad apps because it’s just as much of an interactive adventure as it as a game, creating a happy medium between the acclaimed comic series and television show.
More: Top 12 Android Games
18. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (US$9.99)
There are no shortage of great original games for the iPad, but you should definitely save space for this classic. Originally released in 2003 for Xbox and PC, "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" is one of the most popular and critically-acclaimed games of all time, and now you can play it on your Apple tablet.
"Knights of the Old Republic" immerses gamers in a living, breathing Star Wars universe, allowing players to customize their own Jedi warrior in a story-line set before the films. Every choice matters, and every action you take pulls you closer to either the light or dark side of the force. This is a must-have for any Star Wars fanatic, or anyone who wants to experience a sprawling science fiction adventure anywhere.
19. Yoga Studio (US$2.99)
Yoga Studio truly utilizes your Apple tablet as a learning device. While the app comes with an extensive library of instructional videos like most other yoga apps, its customization features really caught our attention. You can choose the order and duration of each pose, and even stitch clips from various videos together to create your own custom class. Yoga Studio’s Smart Search feature lets you browse through its database to find poses based on type, focus and ability.
20. Dark Sky (US$3.99)
Almost any weather app you’ll find will offer forecasts for the next day, or even the rest of the week. Dark Sky, however, specializes in telling you precisely what will happen within the next hour. Dark Sky uses state-of-the-art weather forecasting to predict when it will rain or snow.
This iPad app pinpoints your precise location and pulls up a scrollable map of your surrounding area. If there aren’t any storms nearby but you’re eager to see radar emission in action, don’t fret. The app will say, “Clear skies are boring, tap here to see a storm” and then navigate you anywhere in the country where there are stormy skies. Shaking your iPad also gives you the chance to submit your own weather report by answering a few quick questions.
More: Top 5 Weather Apps
21. Hotel Tonight (free)
This iPad app not only offers last-minute rooms at reasonable rates, but it features a fluid, visually appealing interface. When launching Hotel Tonight, you’ll see a scrollable menu of cities that light up when a deal is available. If there are no current options, pressing the city will allow you to set up an alert for when a new deal pops up.
The compelling visual truly make Hotel Tonight a worthwhile iPad app. Selecting a city will bring you to a sprawling map of neighbourhoods with available hotels, which you can navigate through with a simple swipe. Better yet, choosing a hotel launches a collage of photos of the hotel’s interior, offering a detailed look at what you can expect from your stay.
More: Best Travel Apps
22. Facebook (free)
Facebook has helped define the way we keep in touch with friends online, and Facebook for iPad provides a simple, attractive interface for interacting on-the-go. The popular social app has received a full cosmetic makeover for iOS 7. Facebook works just great on iPhone, but the iPad apps allows you view photos and status updates with plenty of screen room for the new pop-up chat windows. Chances are you're already on Facebook, so pick up this free iPad app to make the most out of the world's biggest social network.
23. LinkedIn (free)
At first glance, you might not even guess LinkedIn for iPad is a social network. Borrowing a page from reader apps such as Flipboard, LinkedIn’s iPad app puts content first by giving more most of its screen space to news stories from connections in your network. Swiping to the left and right lets you navigate through pages of stories and updates, making your news feed feel like a virtual newspaper filled with headlines revolving around the people you know.
LinkedIn recently added a new personalized activity stream makes it even easier to browse through updates in your network. The app organizes your feed in a clean and intuitive interface, with upcoming events displayed in a column along the left and a list of who’s viewed your profile and connections with new jobs on the lower right side.
More: 10 Best Social Apps
24. Twitter (free)
It’s common for Twitter users to whip out their smartphones to post a new update, but Twitter is just as much a forum for consuming content as it is creating it. Twitter’s optimized iPad app gives you a full-screen view of your feed, complete with real-time stories, photos, videos and more. The Twitter experience has also been tailored for touch, with an easily accessible sidebar listing the four main Home, Connect, Discover and Me buttons.
Like many popular social platforms, Twitter for iPad has been revamped to match the flattened, bright look of iOS 7. Whether you're curious what your friends are up to or want to hear the latest from your favourite celebs, Twitter's iPad app makes it incredibly easy to enjoy a wealth of short-form updates.
More: 10 Best Vine App Tips
25. Pinterest (free)
Pinterest is all about the visuals, and we love the way images look on the iPad’s crisp Retina display. Pinterest has also been progressively optimizing its virtual pinboard for mobile, such as one update that lets users view pins in a close-up perspective on the iPad. In addition to getting a zoomed-in view of pins, a collapsible pane on the left serves as your navigation bar whenever you need it.
iPad owners will appreciate how Pinterest breaks pinboards down into specific categories based on your interests, which are neatly organized in the left-hand menu. Swiping to the right dismisses a pinboard and directs you right back to the boards you’re following.
Top image via Mac|Life
Evernote App and Dropbox App are some of the best apps which people generally include in there app lists. Some good apps here. further adding to this list I would like to suggest Photo Album – Photobook which, let you create the albums on your iPad. Photo Album is the most unique and advanced photo book and album creating app.
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