Communication
Google Voice
Free
Google Voice offers low-cost international voice calls and unlimited free text messages for a unique Google Voice phone number. An update in November adds group text messaging, offline voicemail, and "improved" text message notifications.
GO SMS Pro
Free
Go SMS Pro is the SMS/MMS app for power Android users. You can send "short" messages containing text, voice, doodles, and photos. There's a lot of room for tinkerers to customize themes, messages, and folders for storage.
ICQ Mobile for Android
FreeGen X-ers and a few Y's will recall ICQ, perhaps the first instant messaging program to seriously blow up when it launched back in 1996. It disappeared just as quickly, but now it's back with a new mobile focus. ICQ for Android lets you send unlimited messages for free, chat with ICQ, Facebook, and Google Talk friends, and read messages offline.
IMO Instant Messenger
Free
Multi-purpose instant message apps can falter on mobile phones, crashing frequently or draining the phone's battery. While it's not perfect, IMO Instant Messenger is by far one of the lesser offenders. Another reason it's better than some others is it supports instant messaging across an impressive 11 networks (both popular and relatively obscure) including MSN, Yahoo!, AIM/ICQ, Google Talk, Myspace, Skype, Facebook,Jabber, imo, VKontakte, and Hyves.
ooVoo Video Calls
Free
Stable and reliable video chat apps for Android aren't easy to come by, but ooVoo is terrific. The Android video chat app supports group video, voice calls, and instant messaging—across iOS, OSX, Android, and Windows! Not only do you get solid Android video calling, but you can practically video chat with anyone.
Skype
Free
It's hard to beat a free, extensive communications network. Skype uses your phone's front- and rear-facing cameras to place free video and voice calls over 3G or Wi-Fi. I don't think Skype is "the best" communication app for Android, but it's one of those tools that I will continue to use because other people use it, too, and so it's often the quickest way to get in touch with certain people.
WhatsApp Messenger
Free
Send unlimited text, photo, audio messages to anyone in the world, as long as both of you are connected to the Internet. Its UI may not be as slick as KakaoTalk, but it's hugely popular and multi-platform (talks to your iOS and BlackBerry friends).Next: Best Apps 53-60: Social >
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