Freeware: Top 10 'fun' free apps from the Ovi Store for your Nokia N97

Last week when I was checking out the Ovi Store, 9 of these apps were on my recommended page, with the 10th one app’s related download section. You may have seen them elsewhere before, on different download locations, but now they’re all available through Ovi (well at least versions of them anyway) – great for casual users who won’t want or don’t want to be trawling the net for applications.

Now they aren’t your must-have downloads, like Gravity/Nimbuzz/Nokia Photo Browser/Facebook/Opera Mini/BBC iPlayer/ (and DivX Player if it worked properly on S60v5)/Nokia Messaging  etc – they’re just some “fun” free free apps to fill up some space on your phone. Whilst most are gimmicky, some are quite fun and have some potential if executed a bit better.

They’re all available through the Ovi Store, directly from your device or via your computer. Just search for the App names and download/install.

Recommended applications from Ovi Store on the N97.

Check out the video demo of these apps in action:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydisJAxS6-Q]

Apologies for using video screenshots – Screensnap on the N97 is refusing to take screenshots within the application, taking once the moment I exit them (Low RAM issue?).

10: Watch

It’s just a big analogue clock

Improvements: If it were implemented as a screen saver

9: Rotary Dialer

I remember using one of these  in my Grandad’s house when I was about 2. (They had button ones too but somehow were also using one of these). Oh the pain when you got one number wrong. It’s got all the animations of an old fashioned rotary dialler, and uses the vibration to give that feedback.

Improvements: Being able to make a call? This isn’t the same Rotary Dialler by Jamie Fuller – you can actually dial out with his. That version is available here

8: HourPower

It’s a speaking clock. Pressing the icon uses the text-to-speech to announce your current time.

Improvements: Whilst it would be quicker to just look at your clock, if you could use this whilst the phone was locked – e.g. pressing menu button – it would make for a good night clock so you don’t have to open your eyes and have the glare of the backlight hurting your eyes to know the time.

7: FridgeMagnets

A bunch of letters that you can move around. I don’t know if it’s supposed to spontaneously move and create words and sentences of its own but it does – and some are rude, insulting and jokey – it’s like as if it’s possessed.

Improvements: Maybe inbuilt screenshot or share? Or control another users FridgeMagnet over the net? Perhaps have the letters shake about if you shake the phone – but then if they’re magnetized they wouldn’t move about much. Ok ignore that last one

6: Speedtouch

It’s a thumb-eye coordination game. This is actually a pretty ok game to waste a minute or two.

Improvements: Have different levels? Gradually build up?

5: Compass

Turn your N97 into a compass. It looks really good, like an old fashioned nautical bubble compass, and tells you your current GPS coordinates and the exact degree your N97 is pointing. You have to calibrate it first to get it working properly. Check out tutorial here

Improvements: None really. Though the N97’s compass feature is best with Ovi Maps, as a stand alone Compass app – this is really good. Would have come useful for when I had to do the Duke of Edinburgh Award >_< – but then again, if I had the N97 I’d use Ovi Maps and to tell me where to go instead of the horrendous paper map. There’s an alternative version available here from Think Change

4: Mirror

You may have just been turning on the forward camera to do this but now there’s a dedicated app for it, and this one’s got glitzy decoration and reflective light streaks to make it seem like an actual mirror. :p

Improvements: Maybe somehow utilise the entire screen?

3: Bubbles

Touch the screen and make bubbles appear. I found it amusing. Simple things please simple minds I guess :D.

Improvements: Being able to pop the bubbles once you’ve made them?

2: Level

It’s a two bubble spirit level, using the accelerometer. It’s very sensitive and quite accurate.

Improvements: None really, except being implemented in the camera application. It’s useful where a spirit level would be useful, from setting a portrait straight to DIY – though you may not want to completely rely on the N97 for the latter.

Now for the camera application – it would be useful if there was some sort of indication on screen if you’re holding your camera straight. Yeah you can see with your eyes, and the 3×3 grid helps, but something like an actual indicator to show precisely when you’re level might be quite useful for those scenic shots/group photos.

1: SpintheBottle

It’s an animated Spin the bottle. It spins in both directions and as fast or slow as you spin it.

Improvements: None – it’s great for drinking games 😀

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Side note: Though the title is top 10, I was hard pressed to find alternative gimmicky/fun apps on Ovi Store. Content is growing steadily though, and a lot of the other free apps were too ‘useful’ to be included in this post.

Tags: 5800, Application, Applications, Free, Free Application, Freebie, Freeware, i8910, N97, Nokia, Nokia 5800, Nokia N97, Omnia HD, OVI, Ovi Store, Samsung, Samsung i8910, Xpress Music

Category: 5th Edition, Applications, Freeware, Nokia, Nseries, S60, Suggestions, Symbian, Video