Note that this article takes a different approach compared to our twice-weekly Free Apps of the Week, as we’ve done our due diligence by installing and using these apps for ourselves. By doing so, we will be alerted to the presence of unnecessary in-app purchases and/or other hidden costs that you can avoid.
It’s the week of the World Cup and that’s why we’ve added the official FIFA World Cup app so you can keep up with the latest football results. Yes, I used the word ‘soccer’ on purpose because this is the most commonly used word around the world compared to the word ‘soccer’, live with it! This article is published every week and if you missed it from last week you can check out the top 5 apps. Without further ado, here are the apps that made the cut this week!
Get a 30-day free trial
With Amazon Prime Test
FIFA+ (iOS and Android)
Ole! Ole! Ole! This year’s World Cup is more than just a pure sporting spectacle, making it different from other celebratory editions. However, we want to focus on the main event as sport is about uniting and not dividing the global village. Following the news can be a very boring affair, and sometimes, you want to hear it from the horse’s mouth. Enter the FIFA+ app, which is officially sanctioned and delivers all the latest match results, team news and highlights at your fingertips.
For those who have purchased matchday tickets, you can also view a digital copy of your ticket on the app. Alternatively, if you’re in two minds about watching a live match, the app itself will redirect you to the correct website and create another way for you to purchase tickets. Yes, last minute tickets are currently on sale…
Needless to say, you can also buy official merchandise through this app. Those who love statistics will definitely want to see a history of everything from game day information for every game to weather, umpires, quarter umpires and live commentary that happened during the game.
- Price: free / Notice: yes / In-App Purchases: yes / Account: It is not mandatory
Firefox Focus (iOS and Android)
I love how you can easily clear your browsing history by tapping the trash can icon in the top left corner of the screen and everything is cleared in an instant. Overall, this is a browser option you’ll want to install on your smartphone because it’s super easy to use, and the settings won’t overwhelm you. The layout is very friendly to the eyes, and most importantly, your privacy rights are well protected.
It loads everything fast because it doesn’t load ad traffic. However, opening a new tab works differently compared to what you find on the desktop, and takes some getting used to which may not be a problem for our tech-savvy generation. I love that you can open links in another app of your choice, which is really fun. You can also pin up to four shortcuts to the home screen for quick and easy access.
- Price: free / advertisement: No / In-App Purchases: yes / Account: It is not mandatory
Search – Assisted View (Android)
Lookout is an app for people with low vision or blindness that uses your smartphone’s camera to read text, find things, explore the world, and more. Interestingly, Lookout is available in more than 20 languages and only requires a minimum of 2 GB of RAM to run, something that many Android smartphone users often get.
These modes are pretty self-explanatory, and it performed really well when I scanned text and documents. Food labels have asked me to download more data so they can provide the best possible user experience. Scan my keyboard by mistake and let me know which key the camera is looking at.
The flash turns on automatically when you try to read texts and documents, and for obvious reasons. But they found it difficult to distinguish the printed material from the glare alone when pointing at the laminated paper. Still, having Flash is better than no Flash at all, and I think Lookout has a lot of potential.
- Price: free / advertisement: no / In-App Purchases: nothing else / Account: required
Color MS version (Android)
Have you used MS Paint on your Windows machine? I’m talking about the halcyon days of Windows 3.1, when Minsweeper was another app that many people used in their spare time. Of course, paint has come a long way since then, and some people have actually gotten very creative with such a limited application. This is just a walk down memory lane, and it’s sad to see how limited it was back in the day.
Basically you get a port of MS Paint on your Android device, and everything works as expected. If you think drawing with your mouse is hard, try using your finger! This is especially true with the relatively small screen size compared to a 14-inch CRT monitor, as well as the high-resolution displays that smartphones feature.
Since it’s free, it’s more appealing to Windows 95 and earlier users, so I don’t think it’ll stay installed for long, so you might as well give it a go.
- Price: free / advertisement: No / In-App Purchases: no / Account: It is not mandatory
Pokemon TCG Live (iOS & Android)
This is a replacement for Pokemon TCG Online, so you can expect the same game mechanics. Note that the number of cards has been halved, which the developer says is a move to make the game “better” for players. Not sure if that rubs players the wrong way…
Live will be closed once it exits beta, so change is inevitable. You can also purchase booster packs online, which increases your chances of getting a better deck with more money added to the game. You know that, right?
Early reports of this game were not encouraging. Still, it carries the name of the Pokemon franchise, and I’m sure the developer will fix things eventually. Here’s crossing our fingers, and most Pokemon fans will continue to give this game a go. We hope all the original bugs are fixed ASAP so that the gaming experience is as enjoyable as other Pokemon outings. Hopefully this is one golden goose that won’t be killed by over-business…
- Price: no / advertisement: no / In-app purchases: yes / Account: Required