5 essential apps to download to your new iPhone or iPad for 2023

App Store essentials (Picture: YouTube/KJMX)Christmas is here and if you’ve found a shiny new iPhone or iPad under your tree you’re going to want the best apps to make the

most of it. The app store has millions of apps on every conceivable subject – but there are a few that should easily make it onto your installation list. The usual ones are a

given – we’re expecting you to auto-download the likes of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Maybe even TikTok. But what about an addictive, quality game, an excellent camera

app or useful organisational tool? These are some of our favourites that you can get started with this Christmas, and into 2023. Alto’s Odyssey An epic journey awaits (Picture:

Apple App Store)Very few games have exploited a simple gameplay design with such addictive flair as Alto’s Odyssey. A sequel to Alto’s Adventure, Alto’s Odyssey still

features a snowboarder attempting to survive dangerous locales while performing as many tricks as possible. Unlike its predecessor, the new version has shifted its primary location

to the desert, which gives the game’s visuals a lovely warm ambience. The difference with most other mobile games marketed as ‘addictive’? Well Alto’s Odyssey is more

likely to generate calm than it is anxiety. It even has a special ‘Zen mode’, which led some critics to compare playing the game to meditation. £4.49, download it here.

Obscura 3 Snap happy (Picture: Apple App Store)Photography can sometimes feel like one of the more gatekeep-y hobbies. All those specialist technical terms, all those huge prices,

constant demands to add this piece of hardware or that piece of software to your arsenal. The Obscura app simplifies the process of taking great photos. Live filters allow you to

control your image in real-time, not retrospectively in the edit. You can also tinker with exposure, aspect ratio, and depth, while a spirit level feature lets you achieve

Insta-friendly symmetry in your snaps. OK, so it’s not the cheapest app on this list, but you get a lot of photographic bang for your buck. £4.49, download it here. djay Musical

magic at your fingertips (Picture: Apple App Store)If you’re anything like me, then you’ve always craved being able to DJ, while being too shy to put yourself forward for

practising in public. That’s where djay comes in. For free, you get a very manageable two-deck system with a handful of effects, plus a crossfader and the ability to loop. You

can pay more for a vast range of extras and upgrades, but the basic set-up should provide plenty for beginners to play with. One little note: djay’s intricacies can be a bit