One of the best things about having an iPhone is you tend to get the hottest new apps first. And the hottest new app updates. And thanks to iPhone's tight software and hardware integration, the apps tend to look and feel better. So if you've just got yourself a new iPhone, what better way to celebrate than with some brand new iPhone-only apps?
Here are our favourites from among the recent releases. And just in case you missed them, we've thrown in a couple of oldies-but-goodies too.
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Afterlight 2
Available
on: AppStore
If
you've got a fancy new iPhone, you've also got a fancy new camera. So why not
have some fun with it and get arty? Afterlight 2 is one of the best new
photo editing apps around. A revamp of the original, hugely popular Afterlight,
this app offers tools like double exposure to blend photos together, dust
textures to add a vintage feel, selective colour to fine-tune individual
elements within a snap and plenty more cool effects. It's updated monthly and,
unlike other advanced photo-editing apps, is available for one single fee of
$4.49, no paying monthly or paying extra for this or that new feature.
Focos
Available on: App Store
If you want to get even more professional with your photos, Focos is definitely worth a look or two. This new app, with lifetime access available for $16.99, can bring realistic bokeh effects, focus-after-the-fact, depth filter, 3D lighting and render-like-a-real-lens edits to your photography. Focos features are optimised for devices with dual cameras so you'll really be making the most of your new iPhone. If you don't feel ready for lifetime access you can dip your toe with a monthly subscription for $1.49 or a yearly pass for $10.99.
Olli by Tinrocket
Available on: App Store
Ever wondered what the world would look like as art? This app will turn photos and videos you take into hand-drawn art and animations and one of the really cool things about it is it has a live preview function. So you can watch the world around you turn into an animation in real time. The app comes with 8 pre-set styles to choose from, and you can buy extra style packs for $0.99 each. This app itself is also $0.99.
Timepage
Available on: App Store
Moleskine is known for their simple and stylish notebooks. But did you know they also make apps? Like this gorgeous and intuitive calendar app. Timepage does all the normal things you'd expect a calendar to do. It keeps track of your events and appointments and can show them to you in a variety of different views. But what's cool about Timepage is the heatmap function that can show you when you're going to hit a busy period. And when you've got an event coming up it'll calculate a leaving time for you and let you know what the weather will be like while you're out. The app costs $2.99 per month or $16.99 for 12 months.
Launch Center Pro
Available on: App Store
One of advantages that Android tends to offer over iPhone is the ability to customise your experience. But that's starting to change with new apps like Launch Center Pro. This app allows you to create custom gestural controls for your iPhone. Are you always sending GIFs to a particular person? Or taking photos using the camera setting in Instagram? Instead of tapping through all the stages to get to those various actions, Launch Center Pro lets you set up a gesture to shortcut. Launch Center Pro costs $7.99.
Leechtunes
Available on: App Store
Speaking of gestures, if you spend a lot of time listening to Apple Music, you might want to add Leechtunes to your app repertoire. It adds gestural control to your listening experience so you can pause, play, skip and more without looking at your phone. It also offers a choice of themes/skins so when you do look at your music player it looks the way you want it to. It pulls in other cool features like Wikipedia info on the artist you're listening to and quick web search for related YouTube videos.
This app isn't new, but we think it's pretty nifty. It costs $2.99.
Playdead's INSIDE
Available on: App Store
Critics are raving about Inside, the latest game from award-winning indie developers Playdead and long-awaited follow-up to Limbo. It came to game consoles in 2016 but now you can get it on iPhone, for those who prefer their mobilr games on-the-go. Inside has been described as beautiful, haunting, terrifying, thought-provoking, visually stunning and mysterious. You can play the start of the game for free and then purchase the full game for $10.99.
Flipflop Solitaire
Available on: App Store
If you like your mobile games a little less creepy and a little more fresh and fun, you might want to try Flipflop Solitaire. It's a lot less restrictive than traditional solitaire but still challenging enough to keep you on your toes. But be warned, it can get addictive. Your first few plays of the game are free and you can fully unlock the game for $4.49.
Samplebot
Available on: App Store
Absolutely anyone can mix their own beats with Samplebot, the iPhone-only app that lets you record or import clips and music and create arrangements with built-in drum patterns, looping and more. Whether you're a serious music-maker or just want to mess around, Samplebot should be a tonne of fun. It costs $3.99.
Purify
Available on: App Store
Nothing kills the iPhone experience quite like getting unwanted ads. Or, for that matter, knowing your online activities are being tracked. With Purify, you can sort both of those problems out, and in the process make your web browsing up to 4x faster and 50% less data-intensive. Using Purify should also increase your battery life, according to the New York Times. It costs $2.99.
Jacqui Dent
Editorial Strategist
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