When Apple opened its online App Store five years ago, the iPhone got a lot more useful, mobile apps suddenly went mainstream and "there's an app for that" became a cliché. Here are five that soon became indispensable -- or just really popular:
5 apps that changed mobile computing —
When Apple opened its online App Store five years ago, the iPhone got a lot more useful, mobile apps suddenly went mainstream and "there's an app for that" became a cliché. Here are five that soon became indispensable -- or just really popular:
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/File
Until Apple launched its own mapping service last year, Google Maps came preloaded on the iPhone. Suddenly, you didn't need to carry a map around with you when visiting a strange city.
Google Maps —
Until Apple launched its own mapping service last year, Google Maps came preloaded on the iPhone. Suddenly, you didn't need to carry a map around with you when visiting a strange city.
Google
Pandora was already a popular desktop music-streaming service, but its appearance on smartphones allowed users to take their personalized tunes on the go.
Pandora —
Pandora was already a popular desktop music-streaming service, but its appearance on smartphones allowed users to take their personalized tunes on the go.
John Sepulvado / CNN
One of the earliest offerings in the App Store, music-discovery app Shazam meant you no longer had to wonder what that song was playing on the radio or in your neighborhood bar. The app now boasts more than 300 million users.
Shazam —
One of the earliest offerings in the App Store, music-discovery app Shazam meant you no longer had to wonder what that song was playing on the radio or in your neighborhood bar. The app now boasts more than 300 million users.
From Shazam
Released in 2009, "Angry Birds" became a phenomenon and heralded the smartphone as a worthy platform for casual games. It's now the most popular paid app of all time for iPhones and iPads.
'Angry Birds' —
Released in 2009, "Angry Birds" became a phenomenon and heralded the smartphone as a worthy platform for casual games. It's now the most popular paid app of all time for iPhones and iPads.
Rovio
Despite being an iPhone-only platform in its first year and a half, Instagram became hugely popular as a way of snapping and sharing artful photos. The app now has more than 100 million active users.
Instagram —
Despite being an iPhone-only platform in its first year and a half, Instagram became hugely popular as a way of snapping and sharing artful photos. The app now has more than 100 million active users.
From Instagram