Hands-on with 5 Android apps you should download in August 2016 [Video]

There are nearly 1.5 million applications currently on Google Play and with so many to choose from, finding interesting new experiences can be a hassle. As we have the last couple of months now, today we’ll be showing you another 5 Android apps that you should definitely give a shot…

Google Duo

After its announcement at Google I/O, Google finally released Duo this month. Duo is a 1-on-1 video chat app with a single focus: simplicity. Duo accomplishes that goal by stripping away a lot of the things most video calling apps have but don’t necessarily need. This all starts with the setup. Rather than using a Google account, Duo uses your phone number to sign in and organizes contacts based on their phone numbers.

Duo is a one-to-one video calling app for everyone – designed to be simple, reliable and fun so you never miss a moment.

Once you’ve set up, Duo launches with the front facing camera turned on, a quick option to start a new call or call a recent contact. From opening the app to getting in a call, you might make 3-5 taps in total, and that’s awesome. Another area where Duo shines is in reliability. Not only does the app adapt to your network speeds, but it will do just about anything to keep a call going. Whether you switch from Wi-Fi to data, or if you’re just in an area with really bad coverage, Duo is going to do everything it can to keep the call connected.

Duo also features “Knock Knock” which allows you to easily see who is calling with a live feed of the caller before the call even begins. It only works for those in your address book and can be turned off, but it really does make Duo stand out a bit from the crowd of other services out there today.

The app is still in its infancy, so much-needed features such as multi-device support, group calls, and even audio calls aren’t here just yet, although some of those are on the way.

Duo is completely free to use and works cross-platform on both Android and iOS.

Prisma

One of the primary uses we have for our smartphones is photography. With new flagships and even budget devices now packing amazing camera sensors, the quality of the quick snaps we take just keeps getting better. There have been dozens of apps over the years to edit and improve the shots taken with our phones, but one of the more interesting options lately is Prisma.

After making its debut on iOS last month, Prisma later made its way to Android with the same core focus: turning average pictures into art. As I mentioned, apps have done this before, so what sets Prisma apart? Rather than relying on your smartphone, Prisma actually uses cloud-computing to analyze your photo, identify objects within it, and then recreate that photo with one of several different “filters” that are available.

Prisma transforms your photos into artworks using the styles of famous artists: Munk, Picasso as well as world famous ornaments and patterns. A unique combination of neural networks and artificial intelligence helps you turn memorable moments into timeless art.

Depending on the photo you use, Prisma can create some truly stunning shots. If you enjoy smartphone photography, it’s an app I’d definitely recommend checking out. You can pick it up over on Google Play for free.

 Weather Mate

Another great app we’re featuring this month is Weather Mate. This detailed weather app gives users quick and easy access to just about every detail of the day’s forecast that they may want to know. You can easily see the current weather conditions for your area with added details such as humidity, wind speeds, and the barometric pressure at a glance. Scrolling down you’ll find both extended and hourly forecasts and even more weather details toward the bottom.

The app has a very clean and easy interface based on Xiaomi’s Android UI, and I have to say that I quite like it.

One of my favorite aspects of this app is its homescreen widget. Where most detailed weather widgets look very cluttered and, well, ugly, this one does not. The transparent background goes well with most wallpapers and it provides a ton of information at a glance. I’d almost say that Weather Mate is worth downloading solely for this widget, but either way it’s completely free on Google Play with no in-app purchases.

Iconstructor

One of the best aspects of Android is customization. In this very series we’ve highlighted a handful of great customization apps, but Iconstructor takes things to a new level. This app allows anyone who has a bit of patience to create their own custom icon packs in just a matter of minutes.

These icons pack are of course based on a set of templates, but using the various options in the app you can make some great looking icons pretty easily. You can even incorporate icon packs that you’ve previously purchased to enhance your design. One word of caution though, don’t use this app to rip off hard working icon pack designers — just have some fun for yourself.

Make your own icons! Export individual icons or generate icon packs to be automatically applied to your launcher of choice. Control the color, shape, shadows, icon pack and more of the icons! Add multiple layers to make more complex styles or add an outline for a simple, minimal icon pack.

Iconstructor is available for free on Google Play, however to get the full experience you’ll want to pick up the $2.49 pro version.

InsWall

Keeping with the theme of customization, let’s finish off the month with a wallpaper app. InsWall is free app full of great, photography-based wallpapers. As a fan of these kinds of wallpapers on my setup, I really enjoyed looking through the various options found within InsWall.

Along with all the awesome wallpapers, InsWall also features a clean, Material Design inspired UI and no in-app purchases. You can of course support the developers if you choose to do so, but it isn’t a requirement to get everything out of the app.

Experience the world of customization with over 175 beautiful wallpapers. Make your creativity fly and enjoy the broad content of InsWall.

InsWall is available now on Google Play for free. If you’re not a fan of these photography style wallpapers, I’d also recommend checking out Backdrops, also free on Google Play.

Have suggestions for what apps we should feature next month? Drop a comment down below! We’d love to hear your recommendations.