Free iPhone Apps You Might Just Find Useful

So, here is the scenario. You are in the store and find an item you want to purchase; it seems like a great deal but how do you really know that you are truly getting a deal? Well, there is an app for that.

Case in point, I was in a big name department store looking for an electric carving knife and there it was, on sale from $39.99 down to $29.99. Normally I would have jumped on that and purchased the item without a second thought, but not so fast. Using a barcode app on my phone I scanned the product and in seconds found the exact same item in my local Walmart for the regular price of $19.99. Barcode scanners allow the consumer to shop with some degree of confidence, eliminating that feeling of buyer's remorse when you come home and find that you could have purchased the product cheaper elsewhere.

The two barcode scanners I use are ShopSavvy and RedLaser, both are free and whilst they don't have information on all the products you may be interested in they are still well worth downloading. If you scan an item and it is not listed you can very quickly take a photo and list the price which enters the information into the database for future consumers who may be looking for the same thing.

The following are other free apps which I think are well worth putting on your phone:

Flashlight: I am amazed at how much I use this app. Turns your iPhone into...Well…A flashlight.

QuickVoice: A simple to use voice recorder, useful for those odd thoughts that pop into your head that you might wish to remember later. The playback sound quality is excellent.

QR Reader: "QR" stands for "Quick Response." QR codes are those small black and white squares that you see popping up in the corner of ads, products, business cards etc. Basically these tiny squares hold data – a lot of data. Scan one with your iPhone and that information is then sent directly to you. A business may use it to store all of their contact information which is then downloaded to your phone. It may contain product information, coupons or a link to a company website. There are a multitude of free QR readers. The one I use is from TapMedia.

iHeartRadio: Find one of over 850 radio stations or customize your own. Tell the app what kind of music you like to listen to and it will create one tailored to your likes.

iMapMyRun: Using your phone's built in GPS this fitness app allows you to keep track of distance, time, calories burned, etc.

It's important to remember that with free apps you get what you pay for and they are not all created equal. Still, there are hundreds of free apps out there which can be usefully applied and it is well worth the time to seek them out. Many of the free apps are just "lite" versions giving you the chance to test one out before you pay for the full version. Just visit the app store on your phone to find out what is on offer. You can search by categories, most popular or by name.

All of the free apps listed here are also available for android users.