Best Lumia apps of 2012

Well, another year has flown by, hasn’t it? Whoosh. It’s been a thrill though in the technological world where the Nokia community (yes, you guys) have been treated to the fabulous Nokia Lumia 920and Lumia 820 – considered by many consumers and reviewers as two of the leading smartphones on the marketplace.

As with any such device, the phenomenon of apps plays a major part in the Lumia devices’ success and here we provide our choice of the best Lumia apps of 2012. We’re open to your suggestions in the comments too, but for now, our choices:

Angry Birds Star Wars

Cost: £0.79/$0.99  from the Windows Phone Store
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: This *IS* the game you’ve been looking for

In the interests of full disclosure I am a bit of a Star Wars fanboy, and love the Angry Birds, so this was a bit of a double hit for me. Yes, I love it. Yes, I am trying to limit myself to one level a day to make the experience last as long as possible. And yes, I can’t help myself and try at least two! Here’s a look at what the game looks like (on a Lumia 610) from Shah Rizan:

Have you taken on the Dark Side Pigges yet?

Phototastic

Cost: £1.49/$1.99 from Windows Phone Store (or free version)
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Add filters, make collages

As I posted back in November, Phototastic allows users to decorate their own images using classic frame borders from a diverse variety of Polaroid and filmstrip film templates. Arguably, 2012 could also be known as the ‘Year of the Photo’, and Phototastic’s quick and easy connectivity to social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr adds to the fun nature of building your own collages. Ewan Spence of All About Windows Phone applauded Phototastic as ‘a great way to express yourself online.’

Plants vs. Zombies 

Cost: £3.99/$4.99 from Windows Phone Store
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Defeat the undead using….plants

This all-action tower defence game consisting of plants and zombies has left many a poor soul glued to their Nokia device. No wonder then, Windows Phone Central’s Paul Acevedo named Plants vs. Zombies ‘the very best game in its genre.’ Built around the premise of a homeowner who uses various different plants to resist the evil threats of an army of brain-eating zombies, its smooth gameplay has made Plants vs. Zombies a massive hit in 2012. 

Nokia City Lens

Cost: In the Nokia Collection on your Lumia
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Signposting the world around you

Emerging from beta status in August, Nokia City Lens has been an app providing a cool augmented reality browser which points out interesting buildings, sites and more, which are close by. Users are complimented with nice 3D icons and the welcome option to remove suggestions that are not a stone’s throw away. Kevin C. Tofel, from GigaOM, gave Nokia ‘kudos’ for ‘sharing some of its most innovative software’, while Andrew Webster, writer for The Verge, states the program ‘works excellently to provide suggestions of landmarks around you.’

Those are our choices, but it’s a very subjective area, so we’re very open to hearing what selections you’ve made. What was your top app of 2012? Pick one (OK, maybe two) and share your thoughts below for others.