Top 7 Windows Phone apps

Windows Phone 7 might be the underdog of mobile operating systems, but it holds a special place in our heart thanks to its minimalist Metro user interface and silky smooth operating system. If you’ve just bought a WP7 handset, or are thinking of getting one, make sure you download our top seven apps from the Marketplace.

Windows Phone 7 might be the underdog of mobile operating systems, but it holds a special place in our heart thanks to its minimalist Metro user interface and silky smooth operating system. With the Mango update adding hundreds of tweaks including Twitter integration, and new phones from the likes of Nokia and HTC giving Android a serious run for its money, there's never been a better reason to switch. If you've just bought a WP7 handset, or are thinking of getting one, make sure you download our top seven apps from the Marketplace.

1. Assassin's Creed - Altaïr's Chronicles HD [₹260]

Jerusalem, 1191 AD. The Third Crusade between the Crusaders and Saracens is tearing the Holy Land apart.

You are Altaïr, a Master Assassin sent by the Order of the Assassins on a quest to steal the Chalice from the Templars in order to end the Crusades. The fate of the Holy Land depends on you.

Plunge into this direct prequel to the critically acclaimed Assassin's Creed, offering rich gameplay and a well balanced mix of stealth, chaotic action, and puzzle-solving exploration in the midst of the fully 3D-rendered, historical Middle Eastern environments of the Crusades.

- Incredible variety of acrobatic moves for a very rewarding gaming experience.

- 6 weapons for both close combat and long-range attacks: swords, daggers, grappling hooks, and bombs.

- Skill-based mini-games put your patience & dexterity to the test: perform pickpocket maneuvers and make informants talk.

- Unique dramatic tension, intensified by 3D cinematic cut scenes and character voices.

- Collect orbs to upgrade health and weapons.

- Highly polished 3D graphics providing full immersion into a true-to-life Medieval Middle East environment.

2. WP7applist [Free]

This app lets you track changes like new releases, app updates, price drops, apps gone FREE. It also provides rankings for every app available in the Marketplace for Windows Phone 7.

Search the Marketplace, discover new apps and download them right away.

The optional Live Tile feature will show the current app count, as well as new releases and updates in the last day.

3. Epicurious Recipes & Shopping List [Free]

Recipes from the award-winning food site Epicurious.com are now available on your mobile device. Search more than 30,000 delicious, professionally created recipes from Bon Appetit, Gourmet, SELF, and renowned chefs and cookbooks. Save and share your favorite recipes, create shopping lists, and e-mail recipes and shopping lists to yourself and friends. Plus, get access to hundreds of thousands of recipe reviews and ratings from Epicurious.com members.

4. Pictomaphone [Free]

Pictomaphone is a photo editing app for your Windows Phone. The simple interface lets you modify your photos with a selection of adjustments and effects. From the simple Brightness and Contrast adjustment to the more powerful Levels and Overlay tools, you'll be able to get just the right amount of light in your photos. Adjust colors with the Channel Mixer or Hue, Saturation and Lightness. There are many more adjustments and effects to play around with.

5. Bingle Maps [Free]

Bingle Maps is a full featured map application that searches, finds directions, drops pins and synchronizes with DropBox. It integrates with both Google Maps and Bing Maps.

- Switch between Bing Maps and Google Maps.

- Search whatever you want, wherever you like, whenever you need.

- Tap your current location to drop a pin.

- Hold down on anywhere else on the map to drop as many pins as you like.

- Hold down on a pin to move it.

- Tap on a pin to expand it.

- Easily find directions between pins and current location.

- Browse and quickly navigate between pins, searche results and itineraries.

- Share your pins and searche results to others via sms and email.

- Synchronize your pins with DropBox.

6. Pulse [Free]

Meet Pulse. A beautiful application that makes reading news fun and engaging. Pulse is a beautiful app that takes your favorite websites and transforms them into a colorful and interactive mosaic. Tap on an article to see a clean and elegant view of the news story.

- All your content in one place: So easy to add any content you want - from major publishers to blogs and social networks.

- Dual view: For each article on Pulse, you can switch between a clean summary of the article or go to the website directly. When you tap on an article, both are ready to view, almost instantly!

- Offline sync: No Internet? No problem. Pulse loads the news stories you read, and makes them available wherever you are.

- News discovery: Pulse features new publishers each week. You can also search for a news source by simple keywords.

7. Angry Birds [₹160]

Angry Birds by Rovio. The survival of the Angry Birds is at stake. Dish out revenge on the green pigs who stole the Birds' eggs. Use the unique destructive powers of the Angry Birds to lay waste to the pigs' fortified constructions. Angry Birds features hours challenging, physics-based demolition gameplay, and lots of replay value. Each of the 225 levels requires logic, skill, and brute force to crush the enemy. Protect wildlife and play Angry Birds!