If you got a new Android phone or tablet for Christmas, then get your downloading finger ready: Google has announced its picks for the best Android apps of 2012.
On a brief post on the Google Play blog, Google merchandising manager Tavares Ford introduced the company's top 12 picks of 2012. We've got the list below, along with download links. Enjoy!
- Zappo's (FREE) - The mobile app for the popular online storefront. Download the Zappos app here.
- Evernote (FREE) - The widely-used personal organizer also syncs across all of your devices. Download Evernote here.
- Pinterest (FREE) - This year's hot new social network is a personal pinboard for anything that interests you. Download the Pinterest app here.
- Grimm's Snow White (1.99) - An "interactive pop-up fairy tale book for children" combines a narrative with gameplay. Download Grimm's Snow White here.
- Pocket (FREE) - The Instapaper competitor allows you to save online articles for offline reading later. Download Pocket here.
- Expedia (FREE) - The Android app version of the online travel booking website. Download the Expedia app here.
- Ancestry (FREE) - The app version of the service that lets you chart your family tree and find ancestors. Subscription required for some features. Download Ancestry here.
- Fancy (FREE) - Shopping app which highlights odd, boutique, and luxury items that you can "fancy" and then buy. Download the Fancy app here.
- Mint (FREE) - Popular personal finance manager now available on Android. Download the Mint app here.
- Seriesguide Show Manager (FREE) - A television guide and social TV manager for small screen addicts. Download Seriesguide here.
- Pixlr Express (FREE) - A fully-featured image editor and enhancer from Autodesk. Download Pixlr Express here.
- TED - TED Talk videos at your fingertips. Download the TED app here.
You can view the entire list here, and for more of Google's favorite movies, music, books and apps of the year, click here. And for HuffPost's guide to making your Android phone run longer, check out the gallery below.
Power Up Your Android
Clarification: The original version of this article indicated that a subscription was necessary to access the Ancestry app; a subscription is required only for certain features, not all of them.