Android app suggestions for a complete and utter noob?
It looks like I'm going to be getting a Moto E phone, which I'll use maybe three times a year when I go on trips, then leave in a drawer for months on end. I've never used Android before - this comes with 4.4.2 - and I'm looking for app recommendations. I don't need many, but I don't know what the OS comes with, and here's the basic list of things I'll use the phone for, and not much else:
- Most of all, for SMS texting. (And occasionally Twitter, but pretty infrequently.) In my ancient phone, I activated this from my address book. When there were people I was unlikely to need to contact, I'd add a "z" to the start of their name so they'd get bounced to the bottom of the list. So if there's a way of organizing contacts by assigning them into multiple groups or categories or something, that would be great!
- An easy way to make quick notes to myself. Related to this, any recommendations for a good keyboard app? I've heard mention of something called "SwiftKey". I am a klutzy finger-typist and it'd be really convenient to have basic punctuation on the same screen as the lowercase letters.
- Making phone calls, occasionally. I might also want to install some other ringtones, but I don't know what's involved.
- E-mail. I probably won't be using GMail; instead it would be nice to make a POP connection to my home ISP and download new messages, but without deleting the originals from my ISP's mail server.
- GPS, map viewing, optionally with something that gives driving directions (but that last one would be used very rarely).
- Any app that can shut down other apps to prevent unwanted roaming charges, or stop background programs that use up the battery life.
- Web browser preference? Ways to minimize downloading extra unwanted data?
That's about it! Halp! Or if not, can anyone point me to useful resources? :-)
- Most of all, for SMS texting. (And occasionally Twitter, but pretty infrequently.) In my ancient phone, I activated this from my address book. When there were people I was unlikely to need to contact, I'd add a "z" to the start of their name so they'd get bounced to the bottom of the list. So if there's a way of organizing contacts by assigning them into multiple groups or categories or something, that would be great!
- An easy way to make quick notes to myself. Related to this, any recommendations for a good keyboard app? I've heard mention of something called "SwiftKey". I am a klutzy finger-typist and it'd be really convenient to have basic punctuation on the same screen as the lowercase letters.
- Making phone calls, occasionally. I might also want to install some other ringtones, but I don't know what's involved.
- E-mail. I probably won't be using GMail; instead it would be nice to make a POP connection to my home ISP and download new messages, but without deleting the originals from my ISP's mail server.
- GPS, map viewing, optionally with something that gives driving directions (but that last one would be used very rarely).
- Any app that can shut down other apps to prevent unwanted roaming charges, or stop background programs that use up the battery life.
- Web browser preference? Ways to minimize downloading extra unwanted data?
That's about it! Halp! Or if not, can anyone point me to useful resources? :-)