12 best PDF readers for Android

The PDF format has always been a bit of a pain for end users. PDFs have two dominate uses and apps are generally only tailored to one of the two. For some, PDFs are useful for business documents and forms and thus require a PDF app that can edit and fill out forms. However, a lot of people like keeping their books in PDF format and thus require a PDF app that acts like an eBook reader. It’s quite frustrating figuring out which PDF apps work best with which but we have this list below to help you find the PDF reader that you need. Let’s get started with the best PDF readers for Android.

---

[Price: Free]
First up is the preeminent option for PDF readers and that’s Adobe Reader. When it comes to features, Adobe has pretty much all of the standard features you’d expect in a PDF reader and a whole bunch more. Most of the features are geared toward business use so we recommend you use it for that purpose. It can handle PDF books but you’ll probably want something with more reader features than business features. It allows for limited annotation and if you want to edit the PDF, you can convert it to other formats to edit it in other apps should you need to.

---

[Price: Free]
AnDoc’s claim to fame is how simple it is. This app can open and view PDF and DJVU file formats and that’s about all it can do. This is useful for some very basic reading only as it doesn’t contain a lot of features for anything else. If you just need something to read PDFs (or DJVUs) then you’re in luck but if you have business needs, you’ll want to try something else on this list.

---

[Price: Free w/optional $49.99/yr subscription]
CamScanner is a little bit different of an app. It can’t import PDFs from your storage but what you can do is use your phone camera as a scanner to scan documents into your phone as a PDF. This can be monumentally useful when you need to email a form that you filled out by hand. Once the document is scanned into the app, you can annotate as needed and send it to wherever it needs to go. Thus, once you get the file into CamScanner, it’s a fairly good PDF app. You can even fax things to people. Nifty.

---

[Price: Free / $3.99]
ezPDF is much like Adobe Reader because it is geared toward business use. Unlike Adobe Reader, ezPDF does have some features for those who need it specifically as a reader. The most notable features include the FormFiller feature, ePub support, and multimedia PDF support. There is a free version which gives you some of the features while the $3.99 version gives you all of them. You can possibly get away with the free version depending on your needs but if you’re a frequent flier of the PDF format and this looks like your new favorite PDF app, it’s probably better just to toss down the few bucks.

---

[Price: Free / $9.99]
Foxit definitely strays to the reader side of things but does have a few features for business users as well. This includes the all important annotation feature and the ability to sign PDFs. It also has cloud support which is always good these days and focuses mostly on opening PDFs quickly and cleanly as well as smooth operating. It’s more polished than a lot of the options on this list and does offer at least the basic features required to make it onto this list. It is a little expensive at $9.99 so be sure to check out the free version first to make sure that’s an investment you want to make.

---

[Price: Free]
Kingsoft is technically an office app but it does contain a few features that specifically deal with PDFs. Namely, you can save documents in PDF format if you need to as well as open PDFs if you need to. From there you can print or read them as needed. It doesn’t have a lot of the features of others on this list but if you need something very basic then this could be your best option. It also contains a very highly rated and popular office suite so you could be killing two birds with one stone.

---

[Price: Free]
Unfortunately, it’s been quite a long time since the developer updated MuPDF but thankfully the last update was really good. This is a more basic offering but MuPDF seems to excel at the features it does have. It opens PDF files quickly and cleanly and gives you the basic options like filling out forms and annotation. It even supports Google Cloud Print. It’s totally free to use, so it’s hard to complain about the features it doesn’t have. If you need something simple then this is another great option.

---

[Price: Free]
As the app name implies, PDF Reader is a reader of PDFs. It has one of the longer feature lists of any of the apps on this list and includes mostly features for reading PDFs rather than business uses. This is a great app to check out if all you need to is read things like books in PDF format. It includes a lot of features like brightness, auto-scroll, dictionary support, TTS support, and others geared specifically for reading. If you need something that lets you annotate PDFs or fill out forms then you’ll have to look elsewhere.

---

[Price: Free / $2.89]
qPDF has a lot of features you don’t find in most other PDF apps. It comes with cloud storage support, text reflow mode (which is difficult to find in PDF reader apps), and non-LiveCycle Javascript calculations. You can also annotate PDFs and it also has tertiary editing features along with a form filler mode. This is definitely one of the best business-oriented PDF readers available and if more popular apps like Adobe Reader aren’t doing it then this is worth a look. It’s $2.89 for the full version but considering the feature set, it’s a few bucks definitely worth spending if you need an app like qPDF.

---

[Price: Free]
Radaee is another PDF app that is useful mostly for reading. It does have a few very, very basic editing features but nothing that some of these others don’t have. Radaee’s claim to fame is better-than-average language support and quick rendering which translates to good performance. It features a simple interface as well as some reader features like page turning animations should you want that. This is definitely more of a reader than a business PDF app so do keep that in mind. It’s free to download if you want to try it out.

---

[Price: $2.99]
RepliGo PDF Reader doesn’t have a lot of features but the features it does have are the most important ones. They include cloud support for services like Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive (SkyDrive), form filling, annotation, text reflow, TTS, and there are even a few theming options. It has a lot of upside but unfortunately there isn’t a trial version or a free version to try first so you’ll have to figure out if this is the app for you within the refund time or just pray that your $2.99 wasn’t wasted on something you don’t want or need.

---

[Price: Free]
Last up is SmartQ and it’s also one of the more obscure on the list. It rocks a 4.5 rating in the Play Store and includes pretty much all of the features you’ve come to expect from apps on this list to have. This includes annotation, adding text notes, and drawing. All of which can be used to fill out forms on PDFs. It also includes some unusual features like syncing with Kingsoft service. It’s totally free to download and use so if you’re interested, check it out!

---

Which PDF reader is best for you really depends on your needs. Some people need them to read books while others need them to fill out forms. Unfortunately there is no best option that covers every use so your best bet is to figure out what you need it for and get the app that best fills that use. For instance, if you have a couple of novels in PDF format, you’ll probably do better with an app that has more reader functions. Also be sure to check out our best eReaders list which has a few options that allow for PDF reading. With so many options and so many different uses for PDFs, we very well may have missed an app or two. If so, let us know in the comments!

previous post

---

Verizon Galaxy S5 Developer Edition coming soon

next post

---

Age of Empires: World Domination coming to Android this summer

AndroidPIT readers get 40% discount on Sygic GPS Navigation

Sygic 2014-03-21T10:07:07Z1 day ago

This advertorial was sponsored by Sygic.

With a special 40% discount for AndroidPIT readers, you can save additional 40% on already discounted (-20%) apps Sygic Europe, Sygic World and Sygic North America. In this offer you can get Sygic Europe and North America for just 33.59 USD instead of 55.99 USD, and Sygic World for 58.79 USD instead of 97.99 USD.

© Sygic

With over 35 million installations on iOS and Android, Sygic is the world’s most installed offline navigation app. Android users can download the app for free on Google Play and test it in a 7 day trial.

If you decide to purchase the full version of the application you can take advantage of the special 40% discount for Androidpit readers here. To get the discount enter the code APIT854558 into the discount code field during the checkout. The code will give you additional 40% discount on top of the already discounted prices (-20%) of Sygic Europe, Sygic World and Sygic North America apps. The discount code will be valid only until Monday 24.3.2014.

Link to the video

Sygic GPS Navigation is an offline application based on high quality TomTom maps stored directly on the phone; free map updates are included in the price of the app. In addition to the full navigation functionality you're used to from PND devices such as TomTom or Garmin, the advantages of a mobile application include easy updates, customization with Points of interest from TripAdvisor and realistic 3D view of cities and terrain for better orientation.

 © sygic

Sygic GPS Navigation for Android was recently updated with its own Head-up display (9.99 USD in-app purchase). It reflects navigation information onto the windshield, without requiring extra hardware. The display is easy to read when reflected on the windshield at night. 

 © Sygic

 Previous

QuizUp gets over a million downloads in its first week on Android

 Next

Link Bubble is about to revolutionize the way you use mobile internet

View the Original article

Capture your Readers: 8 Tips to Writing Engaging Blog Posts

Editor’s note: This is a contributed post by Issa Mirandilla, who writes about freelancing, writing, marketing, careers, personal finance and other business-related topics. Give her a nudge on Twitter or visit her website here.

Remember how Ratatouille’s Chef Gusteau said: "Anyone can cook, but only the fearless can be great"? You can easily rewrite his inspiring words as, "Anyone can write a blog post, but only the fearless bloggers can be great."

See, a good idea or topic, decent spelling and grammar, and a strong mastery of the essay form are enough for a good blog post. But if you want to write a great blog post, or one that makes people go "Wow! I’ll share this on Facebook!" instead of "Meh, this is nothing special", you have to go further than the essentials.

Here’s how you can do it.

Recommended Reading: 6 Simple Tips To Write Your Next Killer Post

1. Hook Them With The First Sentence

Admittedly, this is the hardest part of writing a blog post. That’s because the first sentence should be able to reel in the reader, and at the same time, give them an idea what your post will be all about.

You can start with a:

1. Thought-provoking question – "Do you know what a blog post and a sandwich have in common?"
2. Quote – "Ernest Hemingway once said: ‘There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.’
3. Statistic – "According to the Official Federation of Bloggers*, 99.9 percent of bloggers experience writer’s block."
4. Story – "The other day, I had a Newtonian experience. That is, an apple fell on my head."

*Disclaimer: This is a hypothetical example. As of this writing, the Official Federation of Bloggers doesn’t exist.  

2. Make Every Word, Phrase & Sentence Count

Because Internet users’ attention spans are shrinking by the day, you have to work harder to hold your readers’ attention from the beginning until the end of your post. To do that, every word, phrase, sentence, and even punctuation mark must add something to your piece.

A handy trick is to read your draft out loud. If it feels like you’re explaining things too slowly, or you’re falling asleep to your own voice (gasp!), you may need to edit the extraneous bits. Your draft could possibly feel "incomplete", in which case, you can insert additional information to clarify your thoughts or strengthen your arguments.

3. Shorten Your Sentences, If Possible

In relation to the tip, here’s a rough guide to help you decide whether you should cut down a kilometric sentence.

Do your eyes glaze over while reading a sentence? Do you read a sentence out loud, and lose your breath by the end of it? Do you see too many adjectives, adverbs, and other words that don’t add anything to a sentence?

If any of these happen, shorten it! Otherwise, that kilometric sentence is probably fine as is.

4. Use Simple, Yet Precise, Words

You know how MS Word’s "Shift + F7" pulls words from the more obscure parts of the thesaurus? Well, you might not want to rely on that function too much. Readers hate it when you bombard them with highfalutin jargon. Not only do these words sour the reading experience, but they also make your blog post look stilted and pretentious.

Instead of trying to sound "smart", try to sound sensible. Use words that best convey your idea and can be understood by the layman. For example, "to utilize resources" can be shortened as "to use resources".

5. Play With Analogies

Blogging is like dating. It’s not enough that you make a great impression on the first date. You also have to show, again and again on your following dates, that you’re a person worth someone’s time, commitment, and love.

See what I did there?

6. Throw In A Few Pop Culture References

Pop culture references add flavor to your blog post. They give your readers the impression that you’re relatable, and therefore likeable.

That said, be mindful of your audience when using these references. You may think that "The Beatles" are the greatest rock band of all time, but referencing the Fab Four while writing for "One Direction" fans may not be the best idea in the world.

7. Make Your Post Unique (Even If The Idea Isn’t)

Let’s face it: coming up with 100% original blog post ideas is anything but easy. If you run your topic through a quick Google search, chances are someone else has already written about it. So, what should a blogger do in this scenario? It’s simple, really.

Find a new angle.

If someone already came up with "5 Reasons Why You Should Try Freelancing", you can write a post about the darker side of freelancing like "20 Reasons To Say ‘No’ To Freelancing". Or you can run with "5 More Reasons Why You Should Try Freelancing".

8. End With A Punchy Conclusion

So, you’re done with your introduction and body. Now, it’s time to write the conclusion, which is just as hard to write as (if not harder than) the introduction. The easiest way out of your dilemma is to summarize all your points in the conclusion. Then again, that would be boring, since that’s what most bloggers do.

Instead, you can either end with a thought-provoking question or a call-to-action; or restate your main point, and persuade your reader to care about your point.

A Few More Tips (a.k.a. Something That Resembles A Conclusion)

These rules aren’t set in stone. Feel free to use them – or not – depending on what’s appropriate for your piece. What matters is consistently writing posts that are engaging, informative, and unique enough to keep your readers coming back for more.

View the Original article