 |
With mobile data getting faster and more ubiquitous in most urban areas in the developed world, you may wonder: why even bother saving things for offline viewing? The question is indeed valid, but unfortunately, mobile data has not become truly international – it has not crossed the borders of countries, as roaming fees are still hefty and costs can go up quickly if you choose to pay for roaming data.
Offline apps could be a lifesaver
In those cases, apps with offline functionality are an absolute must and could be a lifesaver if you are lost in a foreign land.
HERE Maps
We’re still surprised that not everyone knows about HERE Maps, the most polished free offline maps for Android and iPhone. Taking advantage of Nokia’s maps that were years in development and still updated on a regular basis, HERE Maps can be used completely offline: you have to first download a map of your country or state, and then you can use the full set of features including voice-guided driving directions without having to use mobile data. The app even comes with an offline mode that you can enable to not accidentally run into data charges.
While mobile data is pretty much a given in urban areas across the developed world, it is still a hassle to get affordable Internet on your phone while you’re traveling, so this is pretty much an essential app for travellers.
Duolingo
Duolingo is a service that needs little introduction: it has become the de-facto standard for language learning and you can use the app offline to learn new languages while you’re on your flight or traveling abroad. The app uses a step-by-step approach with a lot of images, and best of all, it works by activating all four areas of language acquisition: reading, writing, listening AND speaking. The latter part is often underestimated, especially in mobile apps, but Duolingo takes the right approach and will help you learn languages quicker and in a fun way.
Google Translate
Google Translate is another essential offline app available for both the iPhone and Android. It also needs little introduction: you can type words or whole sentences to translate, but quite neatly, the mobile app allows you to download a language pack and translate on the go without worrying whether you have or don’t have an Internet connection.
Amazon Kindle
Amazon’s Kindle app is probably already on your devices if you’re an avid reader, but if you have not given it a shot yet, you should. The Amazon ecosystem works great across all devices: a book you buy on Amazon instantly appears on your Kindle, as well as on the Amazon Kindle app right here, and you can read it offline right after that initial download is finished in seconds. With plentiful options to customize your background and reading fonts, and a polished interface, reading a book on the go is a pleasure with the Amazon Kindle app, and the neat thing is that you can use it offline – even if you have previously only read on the Kindle e-reader, all your books will automatically appear on the Amazon Kindle app.
Finally, we have pocket: an offline app at its core, Pocket allows you to save articles for later, offline reading, and you just need to share the article to Pocket and never think about it until you want to read it later on. Pocket prepares it for reading, formatting out nasty ads and beautifying it with some great fonts, and it’s a hassle-free experience that you can use for longer reads that you don’t want to miss, yet cannot read in the moment.
