My HTC Desire arrived yesterday (Friday) – ordered from Amazon last Friday, it was temporarily out of stock and was supposedly despatched on Monday. Super Saver Delivery really seems to take a long time these days!

Here are ten Android apps worth checking out – all are available in Android Market for FREE!

1. Google Gesture Search – search contacts, bookmarks, apps and music by drawing gestures on the screen – works very well.

2. Google Goggles – Take pictures of products, landmarks, barcodes and text and this app will search for it

3. Google Sky Map – point your phone at the sky and you can identify the planets and stars you are looking at

4. Google Places Directory – has lots of stuff in my local area (Omagh) – used it to book a Chinese Restaurant for this evening!

5. Google Maps Navigation – much better than Google maps on the iPhone – it has turn by turn navigation with voice instructions

6. Google Listen – a good app to use if you listen to podcasts like the Best of Chris Moyles Enhanced Podcast

7. Google Earth – has recently become available for the HTC Desire – I checked on my dad’s a few weeks back and it wasn’t available then!

8. Meridian – Music player with ratings – I haven’t had a chance to fully explore how I can use this in the same way that I used it for the iPhone

9. Google Translate – speak or type an English phrase and it will translate it to the language of your choice (can also read aloud some languages)

10. Shazam – also available for the iPhone of course – but an excellent app if you are listening to music and don’t know the artist – you can simply hold it up to the speaker and it will tag the music.

I’ve only had the phone for 24 hours so I may add to this list over the coming days…

As far as I know Froyo is still coming soon? I’ve seen an upgrade procedure online but I don’t know when we can expect an OTA update? perhaps August?

Gingerbread, it’s successor expected to be released at beginning of 2011!