{"id":95,"date":"2018-12-27T04:24:27","date_gmt":"2018-12-27T04:24:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/surfshields.com\/index.php\/2018\/12\/27\/the-best-iphone-apps-weve-used-in-2018\/"},"modified":"2018-12-27T04:24:27","modified_gmt":"2018-12-27T04:24:27","slug":"the-best-iphone-apps-weve-used-in-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/surfshields.com\/index.php\/2018\/12\/27\/the-best-iphone-apps-weve-used-in-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"The best iPhone apps weve used in 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Apps are the cornerstone of the iPhone \u2013 what really set it apart from Android. The best iPhone apps are typically best in class.<\/p>\n

However, finding the greatest apps among the millions available isn\u2019t easy, and so we\u2019ve done the hard work for you.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Our lists compile the very best the iPhone has to offer, whether using your iPhone for photos, video, drawing, music, office tasks, reading, maps, weather forecasts or keeping kids entertained.<\/p>\n

This round-up compiles our favourites, from top-quality creative tools and video editors to the finest productivity kit and social networking clients.<\/p>\n

In addition to our ongoing list of the absolute best, every week we’re adding our picks for the latest and greatest new or updated apps, so check back often.<\/p>\n

Even if you don’t have an iPhone right now, it’s worth reading up on what’s available if you’re considering investing in the iPhone XS<\/u><\/a> or even one of the older models (if you need more info, check out our list of the best iPhones<\/u><\/a>) – but note that some of these titles will only work with models from iPhone 5S and later.<\/p>\n

Read on below for our free app pick of the week then click through to the following pages for the best iPhone apps across a range of categories.<\/p>\n

iPhone app of the week: Shepard Fairey AR – Damaged<\/h3>\n

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Shepard Fairey AR – Damaged<\/u><\/a> is essentially an art exhibit crammed into your iPhone \u2013 and in a rather more literal sense than you might expect. If the name Shepard Fairey doesn\u2019t ring a bell, you\u2019ll likely recognize his most famous work \u2013 the iconic \u2018Hope\u2019 image of Barack Obama. In Damaged, he tackles the current political climate in a similarly arresting manner.<\/p>\n

As a viewer, the AR bit of the app\u2019s name is important. This is no slideshow with written notes. Instead, the entire warehouse-sized show has been transformed into a virtual space you can explore with swipes and taps, or even by walking around yourself.<\/p>\n

All the while, you can optionally take in Fairey\u2019s narration, giving you extra context behind the work in what\u2019s easily the best virtual art exhibit on the iPhone.<\/p>\n

Best iPhone photo editing and camera apps<\/h3>\n

These are our favorite iPhone apps for editing snaps, capturing photos and video and applying the filters that actually make things look good.<\/p>\n

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Camera+<\/h3>\n

Camera+<\/u><\/a> is a combined camera and editor. Despite the wealth of available options, the interface is initially quite minimal, with a modes strip across the top of the screen, a zoom slider, and the shutter. But tap the + button and you reveal further modes, including a timer, a stabilizer and smile detection.<\/p>\n

Similarly, tap the viewfinder area and Camera+ enters a \u2018pro\u2019 mode, with manual controls, and scene options for shooting under specific lighting conditions. The interface is finicky compared to Obscura 2, but Camera+ is undoubtedly powerful.<\/p>\n

Post-shooting, you can edit with adjustment tools, filters, and frames in the Lightbox. This all comes across as impressively friendly and straightforward, and although the range of tools doesn\u2019t compare to Snapseed\u2019s, it\u2019s enough to keep you within the one app for the most part.<\/p>\n

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Oilist<\/h3>\n

Oilist<\/u><\/a> is a generational art app. You feed it something from Photos, choose a style, and it gets to work, continually repainting your image. It\u2019s like someone\u2019s trapped a tiny van Gogh in your iPhone.<\/p>\n

In fact, it\u2019s like a slew of artists are stuck in your device, because Oilist has a massive range of styles to choose from, taking in everything from classic oil painters through to modern art. Although the app can be left alone in a dock, you can capture stills for posterity, or fiddle with settings (including brush strokes, mood, \u2018chaos\u2019 and gravity) to redirect the virtual artist.<\/p>\n

Whether you interact or just sit back and watch, Oilist is mesmerizing \u2013 kind of like a painterly lava lamp, only what you see is based on one of your own cherished photographs.<\/p>\n

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Snapseed<\/h3>\n

Snapseed<\/a> is a free photo editor with a feature set that rivals the very best premium apps. It\u2019s geared towards users of any level, from those who fancy applying quick filters to anyone who wants to dig deep into adjustments and powerful editing tools.<\/p>\n

The range of options is dazzling, and the interface is smartly conceived. You can crop, make adjustments, and edit curves, all with a few swipes and taps. Often, vertical drags select parameters, and horizontal drags define an effect\u2019s strength \u2013 tactile and intuitive. Even better, edits are non-destructive, and can be removed or changed at any point by accessing them in the edits stack.<\/p>\n

As a final sign off, the app enables you to save any combination of adjustments as a custom preset, which you can then apply to any image in the future with a single tap. Superb stuff.<\/p>\n

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Obscura 2<\/h3>\n

Obscura 2<\/u><\/a> is the best manual camera app for iPhone. It achieves this not with a slew of features, but by providing an interaction model that\u2019s so brilliantly conceived that you simply won\u2019t want to use another iPhone camera.<\/p>\n

Echoing manual cameras of old, everything is based around a contextual wheel that sits above the shutter. Initially, you use it to select a tool. When setting focus or exposure, the wheel enables you to make fine adjustments with your thumb. You get a real feel of precision control, with optional haptic feedback confirming your choices.<\/p>\n

The app makes the odd concession to modern photography trends with a range of filters, but mostly Obscura 2 wants you to think a little more about what you\u2019re snapping, all while breathing in its minimal yet approachable and deeply pleasing design.<\/p>\n

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Filmborn<\/h3>\n

Filmborn<\/u><\/a> is an app for camera obsessives \u2013 for those who revel in the joys of film, but come away unimpressed with apps that present an over-saturated, overblown take on old-school photography.<\/p>\n

The interface is icon-heavy, but gives you fast access to tools that will improve your photography. There\u2019s manual focusing, a range of grid overlays, and a blown highlights preview that outlines problematic areas of a potential snap.<\/p>\n

The film filters will appeal to fans of real-world stock, subtly transforming images in a manner that\u2019s pleasingly realistic. Filmborn even educates you regarding when\u2019s best to use each one. The app also includes basic editing functionality, although a key tool \u2013 curves \u2013 frustratingly sits behind IAP.<\/p>\n

Despite that niggle, Filmborn is well worth checking out if you fancy fusing photography\u2019s past with its present.<\/p>\n

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Retrospecs<\/h3>\n