Our smartphones have gotten like computers and for the last couple of the years the software that comes with them has wiped out the need for a PC more and more but, that doesn’t stop us from having to use the humble Computer. In fact, more often than not, what we want to get onto our phones is on our PCs. It’s great that Android lets us hook up our phones just like any external drive – I love that – but, for new users and for those that want a little more control, they want more. Today we’re going to be taking a look at something a little different in the form of SnapPea, hoping to bring your PC and your Android smartphone closer than ever.
Description: SnapPea is the app that will help you sync everything together with your Android smartphone and your PC. It’s only available for Windows right now and it is currently in beta but, it’s one of those apps that you just have to try to see what it’s all about. Basically, SnapPea can sync with Windows either wirelessly over the same WiFi network or via USB. There is a whole lot that you can then get done, let’s list some of the key features:
- Sync and backup all of of your contacts
- Send and receive text messages in Windows
- Manage your music and your videos from the app within Windows
- Download and install apps from the Play Store
- Manage installed applications
- See how much storage is left on your phone
- A whole lot more!
How it Works: There’s a whole lot to love about SnapPea and a lot of features as well, it’s not difficult to set the app up either as it’s relatively straightforward. However, it’s not your typical download from the Play Store. You’ve got to go ahead and install the app from the Play Store first and then head over to their website to download the program Windows. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the app for Windows the program will take you through getting your phone and your computer talking to each other.
Go ahead and connect the two through WiFi as it’s probably the easiest. If you’ve got SnapPea up and running on Windows then it will tell you if there are phones available to connect to. I was really quite impressed with this as SnapPea knew that it was a One X and had the images in there and everything – a nice bit of added polish.
On your phone you’ll be given a passcode, this is what you need to enter into the app to pair the two together.
After that, you’ll be able to take a look at your phone in the SnapPea welcome screen that offers a nice concise look at your phone’s vitals – it even tells you how much battery you have left:
When navigating throught the app, the user interface is really straight and simple, whether it be contacts or the Play Store. To keep things simple, they’ve mounted the Play Store webpage within the program, making it nice and familiar to you:
Opinion: When it comes to Android phones, syncing is one area where it’s really been lacking. You could say that you don’t want to have to use a PC for a Smartphone, which is fair enough to say but, a lot of people out there will like the added peace of mind and security that’s offered through backups and syncs like this. Not to mention that if you’re going to be using a PC you may as well as manage your phone through it.
Take a look at the video below to find out more:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja89AwYlmgk
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – The Windows app was a little jumpy at times but it was quick to pair with Windows.
- Features (5/5) – There’s more than enough here to get your phone and your Windows PC talking together.
- Theme (4/5) – SnapPea’s Android app is more of a portal to the Windows app, that looked pretty good.
- Overall (4/5) – If you’re the type that likes to keep things under control then this is the app for you, it’s got a lot in it and it’s something I’m sure a lot of you will love.
Pros
- A lot inside the app to make sure all your data is safe.
- Quality Windows app makes whichever web browser you use irrelevant.
- For those with a business phone, this is perfect.
Cons
- Still in beta so expect some bugs.
Conclusion: As somebody who is a little particular with his phone, there’s a lot on offer here that is really useful. Being able to send text messages from your PC is absolutely brilliant, the pop up on the bottom of the screen is genius and it makes it even easier than before to reply to a message. Installing and managing apps on your PC is also great as a lot of people don’t like the Play Store website, SnapPea offers a lot more control in that regard. It is, however, only available to Windows and the common misconception that no users use Android and Mac is wrong, we’d love to see a Mac client somewhere down the line. If you want to go ahead and find out more on SnapPea and to get started with the app, head over to their website.
