By the end of 2012, 71% of the Irish population expect to own a smart phone. Whether it is Apple, Android, Windows, BlackBerry or Symbian, Ireland is well ahead of the international curve when it comes to smart phone ownership.

I’ve been using “mobile internet” in some form or another since 2000. Most people weren’t back then (with the exception of a small pocket of Nokia Communicator geeks), but I remember carefully lining up my Nokia 8210 with the infrared on my Palm handheld so I could receive and send email, and even surf the internet. Back then, it was about as slow as the modem I bought for my computer in 1995, and I paid by the minute, just like a phone call. These days, your phone’s internet speed could easily rival your home broadband, and thanks to dedicated apps for specific tasks, a phone can be a far quicker solution to most internet-related tasks than a computer.

The big question when you finally get your hands on your first smart phone, or your newest, is what apps you think you’re going to use.

I have a handful of must-haves: the apps I use everyday. Twitter, Gmail, WordPress, Tumblr, Facebook, Google Talk, WhatsApp, The Journal, Adverts.ie and Lightbox. The super-popular iPhone app Instagram was released for Android today, but it can’t handle my 12MP camera, so we’ll see if I’ll bother using it much.

Because I’m trying to lose weight and get healthier, I use My Fitness Pal (calories/carbs tracking), My Days (for tracking my cycle) and RunKeeper. I know a few of my friends are very happily using the Couch-2-5k app to get them running. I’ve downloaded an app that shows me new kettle bell moves so I can vary my workouts.

Also, it’s not an app on Android (because Android supports flash content natively), but I spend a lot of time on 4 On Demand. It’s available as an iPhone app. TV3 have an app too.

The Irish Kidney Association have an organ donor e-card as well.

What are your favourite apps? Can you live without Angry Birds? What do you think of the 2011 Appy Award Winners?

Also, what did we do before apps?