Must-Have Apps for 2013

Best Cloud and Sync App: Dropbox

What happens on your phone shouldn't stay on your phone. Dropbox automatically syncs files between your computer, phone and tablet. When you save a document or photo to the Dropbox folder on your mobile device, it immediately downloads to the Dropbox directory on your PC. You can even configure the app to sync photos to the cloud as soon as you take them.
Platforms: Android, BlackBerry, iOS
Price: 2GB (Free), 100GB ($9.99/month)

Best Game: Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour

This first-person shooter will literally blow you away with its gorgeous graphics and dramatic storyline. Like the "Call of Duty" series, "Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour" involves a tense military mission where you're a soldier trying to stop a dangerous terrorist plot. You can either play through the game and try to save the president or enter multiplayer mode and fight against your friends.

Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows Phone
Price: $6.99

Best Fitness App: Lose It!

These days, your smartphone is a lot more than just a communications device; it's a digital companion that can help you get in shape. With Lose It!, you can keep a food diary and know just how many calories you've been consuming, and then track your exercise to see how much you've burned off. The app even lets you know how many calories your friends have burned so you can try to match or beat them.

Platforms: Android, iOS
Price: Free

Best Music App: Spotify

Whether you're looking for the latest Katy Perry single or some obscure disco ditty from 1977, you'll be able to find and play it with Spotify. The music service has an extensive library of songs to choose from, and even allows you to download your custom playlists for offline listening. The fully functional app costs $9.99 per month, but you can use the company's online, ad-supported radio channels for free.

Platforms: Android, BlackBerry 10, iOS, Windows Phone
Price: $9.99/month, Free (radio only)

Best TV/Video App: Netflix

There's a reason why Netflix is the Internet's most popular streaming service. For $7.99 a month, you get unlimited access to a library filled with thousands of popular TV shows and movies, ranging from black-and-white films to original series produced this year. The Netflix app allows you to stream directly to your mobile device while maintaining your place in any videos you began watching on your TV or PC. It also features a strong search engine, detailed recommendations and an attractive user interface with images, plot descriptions and user ratings of each title.

Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows Phone
Price: $7.99/month

Best Note-Taking App: Evernote

Think of it as your digital memory. With Evernote, you can jot down your notes for work or school, and edit them on any device, including your tablet, phone or laptop. You can do a lot more than just take text-based notes with the Evernote mobile app; it takes dictation and lets you photograph documents or record sound directly into your notes.

Platforms: Android, BlackBerry 10, iOS, Windows Phone
Price: Free, $5/month (premium version)

Best Productivity App: Quickoffice Pro

When you're working on your laptop, you probably use Microsoft Office for all your word processing, spreadsheets and presentations. When you want to edit those documents on your Android or iOS device, Quickoffice Pro is your best choice. This powerful productivity suite allows you to create or edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, as well as PDF files. Quickoffice even lets you edit formulas in your spreadsheets, make presentations from your phone or save directly to Dropbox, Evernote or Google Drive.

Platforms: Android, iOS
Price: $14.99, $19.99 (HD version)

Best Photo App: Snapseed

Whether your phone shoots brilliant high-res photos or mediocre snapshots, you'll want to edit your images before sharing them. Snapseed makes it easy to do a lot more than just basic sizing, rotating and cropping. Seven different filters -- including black and white, vintage and grunge -- can add a dose of style or make your brand-new photo look like you took it on an old-school camera.

Platforms: Android, iOS
Price: Free

Best Messaging App: Viber

Our favorite SMS alternative, Viber not only allows you to send messages to anyone with a phone number and conduct free VoIP calls with other members. The app also syncs with your contact list to let you know which of your friends are already part of its network.

Platforms: Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Phone
Price: Free

Follow us: Facebook page and  Twitter ( @comptechgist)