All Things iPhone

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Posted by @jeramypwns

I’ve seen multiple Twitter messages from various users asking a pretty important question: “What is the best Twitter app?” So, I have decided to post a few reviews of applications that I’ve recently used after just becoming a new Twitter user =)

Hopefully my fellow iPhone users are as visual as me – I love seeing pictures of the applications that are being reviewed so hopefully I can shed as much light as possible on what you may be looking for.

Up first…

Twitterfon

If you’re like me, you like to see the words free and approximately three stars next to the application that utilizes the features you’re searching for. Twitterfon was the first app I downloaded to get my Twitting rolling. It’s a simple and easy to use app which anybody can use. The app is so simple that I only needed one screenshot to demonstrate the features and look of the app.

Having just become a Twitter user, this would be a great app to get your foot in the door and introduced to the world of mobile Twitter. On top of mobile notifications from Twitter.com, everything you need is in this app.

After providing your login/pass you’re brought to this screen which gives you everything you need to get started: Friends, @mentions, messages, favorites, and search (which includes location). You’re shown a clean and easy to read user interface which has all of the basics of using Twitter.com

Now having said that the app has everything you need and being basic, that’s where you’d expect to be for just getting started. Overall the app is easy, simple, and basic. I feel like I can’t use the word basic for the description enough. So if you’re looking for just a Twitter app to respond to @mentions, messages, post some tweets, and search – this is the app for you.

Twitterrific

Twitterrific was the second app I downloaded. After being introduced to Twitterfon I found myself wanting more seeing as it was pretty basic and I felt lacked features. Features which make Twitter the fun and exciting social network that it is! I began looking around the App Store and found a new jewel which was both free and had at least three stars.

After installation you’re prompted like normal for your login/password and then are brought to the welcoming screen that displays messages from the people you’re stalking.

What I do like about this app are the colors which make for a very easy read and there’s several features incorporated into this screen. Refresh, tweet, text size, and personal options.

Clicking the icon which appears to be a funnel, you’re introduced to a screen which has your personal things such as @mentions, direct messages, favorite tweets, messages you posted, and marked tweets. Tapping the down arrow brings you back to your home screen.

Tapping sources on your home screen will bring you to the Search function as well as the trends and nearby. This gives you a nice, simple, and clean interface but I feel like it could be improved on. I think it’d be cool to have a random Twit message that appears at the top from the cloud of users every time you boot up.

Options are there, but they are limited. It’d be nice to have the ability to choose from more than only three different themes. It’d be nice to actually have a choice of different gradient colors or even your choice of multiple solid colors; something to give it a more personal experience.

When posting a tweet it’s less cluttered, and you seem to be able to have more viewing room when typing those 140 character tweets.

In conclusion I do welcome this app as possibly one of the best free Twitter apps for the iPhone. It’s definitely a step above Twitterfon. You have more control regarding customization and have the ability to show pictures, no pictures, large text and small text.  It’s a beautiful and welcome step up from Twitterfon and a few additional features like customizing what happens when you double tap a user’s photo or tweet.

Of course both of these apps are useful and get the job done, but what’s left for the power users? You know – those guys and gals who constantly twit about everything they do and love to get involved with community trends.

The final Twitter application to be reviewed, and of course my favorite so far and IMO is well worth the money spent is:

Twittelator

There are many, many features included in this application that make it your one stop shop for anything you need to do via twitter. It offers the abilities of Twitter all in one easy app, and even has easy shortcuts to help you get done what needs to be done. Here are some examples:

Here you see your opening screen where those who you’re following always pop up first, along with notifications of @mentions and direct messages (DMs).  One of the best things about this app is the easy of reply, retweet, private, favorite, etc all in one click. Tapping on a users screen name will give you the second picture providing you with many options in only one motion.

Another advantage to using Twittelator are the options you have in settings. You can load from 20 – 200 tweets at a time, or choose between 20-100 tweet search results. Again you have large font selection or the ability to hide icons, or open all links in Safari automatically. Twitter even has the ability to turn off auto correction and capitalization from within the app – saving time from your iPhone’s settings menu.

And lastly we have the More tab, which has accounts, search, messages, subgroups, trends, everyone, stocks, favorites, misc, saved, etc etc etc. The app doesn’t feel cluttered and has a smooth feel to it. Even just dropping into Twitter will make you appreciate the applications simplicity yet powerful and easy to use features.

Again the only complaint I have is the lack of themes, and lack of being able to customize your colors. It would be nice to be able to have @mentions a custom color, or even @mentions from a specific user to be a different color so you can separate twits you want to quickly scroll through and twits you really want to read.

Feel free to follow me @jeramypwns or @AllThingsiPhone and ask questions. If you’d like us to review a particular app just ask! Of course we’d prefer to review free apps since all the reviews come out of our own pocket though =)

On a final note I will add that Twittelator takes advantage of the iPhone 3.0’s OS along with the new iPhone 3GS. You do have the option to upload video and record audio which is pretty sweet! Hopefully we’ll see some new videos from you users out there!