Here's a run down of some of the best Android apps of 2013 just in time for Xmas

This list isn’t about the apps that everyman and his dog has – the Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify and WhatsApp-type apps of the world. No, this one’s focused on the apps that might have slipped under your radar, the lesser known but equally useful applications available inside Google Play, that make your Droid all the more useful in everyday scenarios. 

There are currently around 750,000+ applications inside Google Play. Deciding which app to download is often a case of opening Play and checking the Top 10 charts, and that’s great for the most part – but you do miss a lot of good stuff. And that’s why we decided to put this list together. Oh, and we’ll be adding new apps to this list every week in the run up to Xmas. Yes, it’s a grower.   

Microsoft Remote Desktop

So, you’re running late to work one morning and realize that you’ve forgotten some very important files on your desktop back home. Have no fear, Microsoft Remote Desktop is here to help.

Microsoft Remote Desktop offers Windows users a secure connection between their Android devices and desktop computers. The app will allow you to access files, data and applications on your desktop from your mobile device and it will even let you stream high quality video and sound. MRD supports multi-touch gestures and allows for bandwidthusage.

This app is free of charge from Google Play, but the setup is a bit more than just a simple download. The connection has to be setup through your desktop, then linked to your mobile, but don’t worry there are plenty of step-by-step online tutorials for you to sift through. 

Dessin 

A wannabe posh looking word that is pronounced ‘design,’ but a useful app nonetheless; this app “is an innovative combination of mind map and phone automator,” provided by Google Play for £2.99.

Dessin is an app that allows users to make notes, mind circuits/maps and have them connect within your phone. These connections then have the ability to control your phone. Want to silence your phone during a movie? Dessin can do that. Need to make a grocery list while simultaneously look for a place to buy the things on that list? Dessin can do that too. 

It's a bit like Google Now on steroids. Here's a list of just some of the things it can do, according to the Google Play page:

• make shopping list that your phone will show to you near grocery
• write notes during lectures (and connect them with other notes)
• automatically silence phone during lectures
• automatically silence phone when in the cinema
• enable Wi-Fi only at home
• schedule alarm at 8am from monday to friday
• keep the screen bright when reading books

Sleep as Android

Are you tired of being late because you’ve hit the snooze button one too many times? Ever wondered if you snores are as loud as your partner says they are? Or maybe you just want to know how to get the most out of your eight hours, then this is the app for you. 

This is no ordinary alarm clock, and it does not just simply track your sleep cycles. Sleep as Android is an alarm clock and a sleep cycle tracker, that provides you with a variety of options to ensure you’re getting a good night’s sleep.

Praised for its gentle alarm feature and CAPTCHA alarms, Sleep as Android is the perfect app for those of us who enjoy tracking our sleep patterns or who just need a more efficient way to get out of bed on time. The gentle alarm feature will pull you gently from your slumber, which will help your mood and productivity. The CAPTCHA alarm feature helps your brain get moving by providing a simple mind game, or math equation before shutting off the sound of your alarm. All features allow you to choose your own sound to wake up to, or lullabies for when its time to fall asleep, and it even has features that will record your sleep talk or snoring. All you have to do is download the app and lay your phone next to you while you’re sleeping, which if you’re glued to your phone like most people, is not a problem.

Citymapper

For some people it's an annoyingly all too familiar scenario: you're in a strange part of town, it's late and you have no idea how to get home.

Citymapper is an app designed to “make cities easier to use,” by providing help navigating the transit and transport around the big burgs. The app provides users with a step-by-step way to get from point A to B and real-time updates of all types of transportation, so if there is a delay on the Victoria line, you’ll know before walking all the way to the platform. Unfortunately, the app only provides information on the cities of London and New York but there are plans for expansion.

As with any good app, users have the option to personalize their Citymapper account. Set favourite locations, a “home” destination, and it will even give you location based weather reports. Rave reviews pour in from places like the NY Times and other big name publication, solidifying this app as a must-have for city goers and travellers alike. 

Your Wealth

Your Wealth is an app for anyone who wants to better understand his or her finances (or perhaps lack thereof). This app helps users understand, manage and plan their finances by tracking their salary, savings and spending.

The app tracks not only your financial data, but also trends and news in the financial world itself. Within the app users can set goals for themselves, and even calculate their net worth through the safe and secure Money Hub tool. By entering your information Your Wealth can track the changing value of your assets and liabilities, and give you a possible outcome for the future.

Just Eat

It’s 9.30 on a Saturday night, it’s pouring with rain and your fridge is empty. Yeah, you could order from that same old boring Chinese place from around the corner, but they take forever to deliver and their dumplings taste like feet. Or, you could browse through the menus of over 17,000 takeaway restaurants from around the UK.

Just Eat is a free app that allows users to scroll through menus of nearby takeaway restaurants to find just the right food they’re craving. The app provides you with thousands of places to choose from, all with reviews from other users covering both the food itself and the service. Once you’ve made your decision, place your order and either pick it up or have it delivered straight to your door.

This app eliminates the need to keep all of those takeaway menus or post notes of telephone numbers in your kitchen junk drawer because it gives you names, numbers and locations of all the places to eat. Just Eat also allows users to filter their searches by cuisine, reviews or specific restaurant names. As long as you have your hunger, a postcode and some type of payment you’re good to go.