Best racing apps for Android
Whenever the comparison of a gaming console is made with the quality of games available on a smartphone, one is bound to hear the name of a racing game. The quality of games has no doubt improved rapidly for smartphones, thanks to the improved processing capability of Android devices. However, when it comes to life on the fast lane, it is not just racing games that Android users so avidly seek, but also other kind of apps that can quench their thirst to stay connected to the racing track. Therefore, we have compiled a list of some handy racing applications for Android to help you fulfill your need to be fast and furious.
Need for Speed Shift
When it comes to making high quality games, no one does the job better than Electronic Arts. The Need For Speed series is arguably one of the most famous gaming series which has spanned across multiple platforms, including Android. Need for Speed Shift brings all the goodness of E.A. Sports magic and 18 astounding racing tracks from locations such as London, Tokyo, Chicago and others. Need For Speed Shift provides a complete package for your racing car, with the option to fine tune and customize the selected car model. The customization options are so detailed that you can modify your car right down to the Nitrous upgrades, body kits and rims.
Need For Speed offers the option to start a one off race or to go far an all-out “Career Mode”. It has three difficulty levels, namely Rookie, Pro and Veteran. The only downside of NFS is that just like most things in life, it is not free. It costs $2.99 and is recommended for Android devices with good hardware specifications.
Drag Racing
In case you aren’t interested in spending money on Need for Speed, then Drag Racing is perhaps the next best thing. Just like NFS, Drag Racing provides you with many options to customize and tune up your car. Each car has its own unique sound and features that make you think hard before selecting a model. Each race is compensated with cash for both the winner and the loser, along with reputation points for beating certain competitors. Earned cash and RP (Reputation Points) can be used for purchasing new cars, as well as to tune up or customize your existing vehicle. You can even sell your car to collect money for buying a more expensive and efficient model. Furthermore, cars can also be taken for a test drive before they are purchased.
One of the best features of Drag Racing is the ability to play with real time users via online competitions. These competitions also earn RP and cash for each race. Furthermore, the offline mode allows users to gain ample practice by racing with a beginner, amateur, pro racer or with “The Boss”.
Drag Racing: Bike Edition
If you thought that we had forgotten about our biker friends, think again. Drag Racing: Bike Edition is the bike version of the Drag Racing game. Like the car edition, the bike edition is free, with the exception of buying driving credits. Drivers are provided with 17 different bike models to choose from, along with the option to compete against thousands of online users in four gaming modes. Users can also share their scores on Facebook and Twitter. Like most racing games, you can tune up and customize your vehicle for better performance and more speed.
In both the biker and car editions, the user has to not only focus on the vehicle and its tune up but also the combination of gears that are used during each race. It takes a while for one to realize that going for the biggest gear immediately will not yield any fruitful results and that the combination of gears has to be sorted out according to the opponent’s skill level and vehicle.
F1 2012 Timing App
While racing games are no doubt a lot of fun, nothing beats the real deal. The F1 2012 Timing App is your one way ticket to the latest updates for Formula One this year. The extent of details that F1 fans can acquire from this app seems to be infinite. For example, you can check out the DRS activation zones, which are marked on the track maps, along with the detection point. Similarly, you can get marshal news about warnings, investigations, flags, and track statuses. The app has both a free and paid version. The basic version provides information about the racing schedule, short demos, driver positions, F1 news and notifications, event counter, and tire information. The paid version provides 130 hours of live F1 coverage, interactive 3D maps for F1 sessions, and more. It is worth mentioning here that the premium version of the F1 2012 Timing App costs an astounding US$32.13.
Livesports24 F1 Racing
Livesports24 F1 Racing is another fine app for racing enthusiasts. The Livesports24 F1 Racing app has been designed to provide users with comprehensive information about the Grand Prix. The application offers not just precise details about the event but also brings live commentary, live session by session coverage, race positions, leaderboards, latest event news, and more. A good aspect of this app is that the news is updated regularly to keep users updated with the latest action from the racing tracks. Livesports24 also features precise details about every participating driver and venue, along with a simplified menu that lists news, race detail, and a results section at the bottom of the apps interface. Furthermore, you can also indulge yourself in live comments and forums to discuss F1. The only downside of the app is, perhaps, that it does not have an ads-free version. In other words, although the app is free, a paid version which may offer a reprieve from distracting ads is not available at the moment.
2012 DAKAR Rally
If your idea of a racing track are harsh terrains and uncharted territory from around the world, then the 2012 Dakar Rally app for Android is just what you need. It is similar to the F1 2012 Timing app, in the sense that it offers a comprehensive set of information for the Dakar Rally. In fact, this application is the official app for the rally. The 2012 DAKAR Rally app provides everything — race updates for each stage, rankings, daily videos, pictures, and breaking news. The homescreen of the application displays the latest news headlines, start date details for the race, and a video related to the race. You can watch the latest pictures from the event via the Photos section and you can also head over to the News section to read the latest Dakkar developments in a convenient reading interface. Despite the fact that 2012 Dakar rally is the official Android app for the event, it has a low rating of 2.1 at the Google Play store. This can perhaps be attributed to complaints by certain users that the app wasn’t functioning properly before a few recent bug fixes, as well as lack of features of the app.
MotoGP Live Experience
Going back to our biker friends, the MotoGP Live Experience app is a premium app for any fan of the MotoGP Championship. It runs as a 24-hour trial, after which the full application can be acquired via an in-app purchase. Alternatively, you can opt for unlocking access to the circuits timings, guide sections, etc., without live timings. MotoGP Live Experience is an official application for the event, which is why it provides access to a number of handy features such as race schedules, details about qualifying and warmup sessions, as well as biography, stats, and videos related to riders and teams. The Real-Time Tracking feature of the app allows you to follow any riders around the clock, whereas the Live Timing option keeps you updated with the race schedule. The MotoGP Guide and Event Info sections provide stats and information about teams, riders, and events. You can also check out photos and videos from each Grand Prix. The MotoGP Live Experience application is available in English, Spanish, and Italian.
World Motorsport News & Videos
When we talk about racing apps, unfortunately most of them seem to be focused on one event. One seldom finds a comprehensive application that can provide users with news and information about multiple events. World Motorsport News & Videos is a comprehensive application that features news and exclusive videos from numerous racing events, including Formula One (F1), World Rally, British Touring Cars, World Touring Cars, Dakar Rally, American Le Mans Series, Indy Car, MotoGP, National Hot Rod, NASCAR, and other major events. The app costs US$1.59 and requires a Wi-Fi or 3G connection to access available resources, including podcasts and video feeds. You can even share the latest developments via Facebook and Twitter to update your friends with news from racing tracks around the globe. The application displays the latest incoming news in the form of the Headlines and Latest Uploads sections.
Motorsport Update
Motorsport Update is another application that covers multiple racing events and keeps users updated with news and stats from global racing tracks. Unlike the World Motorsport News & Videos app, Motorsport Update is available for free. The events for which you can get the latest headlines include Formula One (F1), GP2 series, MotoGP, Indy Car, WRC, LeMans, DTM, NASCAR, British Superbikes, British Rally Championship, and others. The application displays news feeds from numerous racing events that are labeled according to the event’s name. You can select a feed to view news regarding an event. Motorsports Update is perhaps not as comprehensive as some other applications for various sporting events, however it serves its purpose of providing news for numerous racing championships, within a single application. The interface of the app is quite minimalistic and all one has to do is to select an event to check out the latest headlines or/and news regarding an event.
Motorsport Calendar Free
If you are a racing fan who likes marking your calendar, then you should try the Motorsport Calendar Free app for Android. This application caters to literally any major bike or car racing event that one can think of. With the help of this application, you can easily create a list of individual races or an entire series to keep track of upcoming racing championships. The supported events for the Motorsport Calendar app include Le Mans 24 hours, FIA GT1 World Championship, Moto GP, Formula 1 , Formula 2, British Superbikes, British Touring Cars – BTCC, Grand Am Series, British F, British Formula Renault, World Rally Championship, Formula BMW Talent Cup, NASCAR, Porsche Supercup, Dakar Series, and several others. The “All” section of the app lists all upcoming races, whereas the events can be sorted in the form of events by going to the “Series” section. Items can be added to the Favorites section by long-pressing individual items. Similarly, items can be removed from Favorites the same way. The Options tab enables removing all favorites simultaneously.
Armed with both racing games and apps that help you stay connected with the racing world, you’ll never feel like you’re going at a snail’s pace. If your favorite racing app didn’t make it on our list, let us know what it is in the comments section.
This article, Best racing apps for Android , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com – Your Android News Source.
