Setting Up Your New Android Phone

When i first got my Android smart phone i wished there was an extensive writing on what to do with it.. well i couldn't find one that answered my questions, so i will write one. If you read my blog regarding the top apps for Android, ignore it because my top app list has totally changed after a days worth of research.

Note: I only include free apps here, and there are plenty of great apps for only $0.99. 

Setting up your phone

1. Make sure you have a Google account.  If so, use the calendar and contact address book to sync with your phone.  This is practically the best part about Android phones.  If you were to ever get another phone, transferring contacts is at the touch of a finger.
2. Extend your battery life by reducing the volume of live apps on your home screens.  Or, if your phone has the option, go into settings and change the frequency at which the apps get data from the web.  Don't use live wallpapers.  Reduce the screen brightness.  Use power controls to turn off GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-fi when not in use.

Program Apps to Download

• Must Have (Ranked)
1. Launcher Pro - The best free app i've downloaded so far.  There are tons of options you can do, so it's hard to write it all down here.  But for tops, it allows you to customize how many homescreens you want.  I personally think 7 is overkill so i only use 3.  It also allows you to make yo ur phone look like Froyo and has a slide menu at the bottom.  I've added all my most used apps - making it possible for me to not have any icons on my desktops.  The only downside at the moment is that you can resize any widgets unless you buy the full version.
2. Music Junk (Must Google, not available in market)  - Missing a song in your collection? Free downloads!  I have been able to find every song that i've looked for so far.  Great app.  The best part is, after downloading to your phone you can send it to your computer as well. 
3. Fancy Widget (Must Google, not available in market) - Good thing i didn't download Beautiful widgets.  Fancy Widgets is basically the same thing but free.  The look of the widget looked too similar to HTC Evo, so they were forced out of the Android market.  You can still Google it and find the 1.3 version.  This is the big Clock/Weather widget you will see in my screenshots below
4. 한글 (Korean IME KB) - How can you have a smart phone without Korean typing?  With smartphones you can text others in Korean.  You also need the IME style Korean KB to search your favorite celebrities
5. Battery Indicator - I replaced Quick Battery with this widget.  Instead of having an icon on my homescreen, the battery indicator in % is now in my status bar.  Makes it much cleaner
6. Gallery 3D - I believe this comes standard on most custom ROM's - but it won't for for a few phones.  You can get it in most Android forums.  It links directly with your Picasa account for easy access to all your photo collection
7. Cube 3 - The stock music player sucks.  Cube 3 is the best.  It shows the album artwork in it's widget.  You will notice i was listening to Bruno Mars
8. Droid Light - Toggle switch On/Off for your LED flash.  Works like a flashlight
9. Audio Manager - You get instant access to all your volume controls with this app.  It sucks having to go into Settings > Volume Control to change these settings.  This basically fixes that.
10. Handcent SMS - This free App has the ability to show you an incoming text message without having to unlock your phone.  Also you can make incoming text messages pop up in new windows
11. Smooth Calendar - A small program that shows the date and tasks.  Looks much better than stock.

• Optional

• Astro File Manager - The standard file manager that comes with your phone hides many of the folders that are active on your phone.  Astro is an upgraded file manager
• Advanced Task Killer - Whenever you hit "back" or the "home" key on your droid, the phone keeps the last 2 programs that ran on memory.  You can kill those apps if you want fast with this easy to use program.
• Goggles - Take pictures of things and let Google do a search for you
• Google Sky Map - This is more of a "show off" tool when your looking at the stars at night
• Solo Lite - Guitar.. pretty cool.  I need to learn how to play something using this
• Quadrant Standard - Free phone benchmark that allows you to gauge exactly how fast your phone is compared to others.
• StopWatch & Timer - This app is more useful to some than others.  If you workout often and like to keep track of reps and laps, this is a good app
• Yelp - Can't figure out what to eat?  Yelp it using GPS to find the closest restaurant near you

Games to Download

1. Angrybirds - Regarded as the best game app on the iPhone is now coming to Droid.  Only beta is available at the moment
2. Abduction! - Sort of like Frogger
3. Live Holdem - Probably the best free Hold'em app out right now.  There are countless tables always in action.  The only downside is the fact that the servers crash often and the game just hangs.
4. Unblock Me Free - A game that works the brain.  You must try and move blocks in order to get the red block out
5. Super KO Boxing - Remember that boxing game on SNES?

What your phone can look like

I'm not totally satisfied with the setup.  I still need a really good looking calendar widget.  Launcher Pro's paid version has one, which i might just end up getting. 

Terminology

1. What is rooting?  Rooting is a way to give administrative privileges to the user.  Things the phone manufacturer didn't want you to do can be done by rooting the phone.
2. What is bootloader? Unlocking the bootloader allows the user to install custom ROM (Custom Android O/S) on the phone rather than using the stock version.  This method is used to get rid of all the useless bloatware that comes with the phone.