With the latest Nexus devices coming out and Android Lollipop rolling out to devices, folks are now getting to experience Google’s new Material Design interface. Naturally people are going to want Android apps that are inspired by this new look. Here are eight that are already doing a sweet job of utilizing Material Design.

1. Journal (by Journey)

Just like its real world equivalent, Journal is a tool you can confide in. Each day, or as infrequently as you like, you can fire up the app to jot down your thoughts and attach photos of special events you want to remember. The app can also keep track of your location, so that you remember where you were during each entry.

2. Cabinet

Cabinet is a basic file manager, and it’s a pretty one at that. If you need to manually see what’s on your phone and move stuff around, this app should get the job done just fine. It’s still in beta, so there’s always the risk that something might get damaged in transition. But from my experience so far, it’s stable enough to use comfortably.

3. Pushbullet

Pushbullet is one of the quickest ways out there to get files, links, images, and text from one device to another. It sure beats popping out microSD cards or uploading something to a cloud provider only to manually download it on the other end. Just select what you want to send, hit “push”, and click on the notification that pops up on your target device.

4. Shuttle Music Player

If you want a music player that isn’t tied to a streaming service, Shuttle is the traditional player you’ve been looking for. It plays locally stored albums, create playlists, and tweak the theme to your liking. It will look right at home on any device running stock Android. If you want to edit id3 tags or play music via Chromecast, you can jump up to Shuttle+ for 99 cents.

5. Potential

Potential keeps track of battery life across all of your many devices. Once installed, the app syncs your remaining power automatically, so you can see how much juice your smartwatch has from the comfort of your phone’s larger screen or check up on your tablet even when you left it behind at home. You can also toggle Bluetooth and Wi-Fi remotely to help a device last just a bit longer. It’s in beta, so try to be patient while it grows to reach its full potential.

6. Textra

Textra is an alternative text messaging app. Sure, the one Google ships with Android 5.0 already has a spiffy Material Design look. But if you want extra features, such as the ability to edit the theme or respond to messages more quickly with a pop up, Textra may just improve your texting experience.

7. Today Calendar

Today Calendar is a gorgeous alternative to Google’s own offering. It can display your events in various views, allowing users to peruse events on a daily basis, by the week, or months at a time. It syncs with Google Calendar, so you don’t have to worry about starting over from scratch.

8. Notes

Notes is a simple app for taking notes. Users can share their writings with others, or turn on Night Mode for typing away in the dark. It’s still in beta, so keep that in mind. You might not want to write anything terribly important with it until things officially go stable.

Conclusion

These are eight different types of apps that all should look great on Android 5.0. They’re also pretty compelling even if you’re running an earlier version.

If you’ve come across another app that’s already sporting Material Design, feel free to share it with our readers in the comments below!

Bertel is a tech blogger and independent novelist who puts perhaps a tad too much trust in Google. He’s loved Android since the moment he got his eager hands on his first device – if not sooner – and has understood the Chromebook Pixel from day one.You can follow his work at bertelking.com.

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