The Disruptors: 9 Revolutionary Apps

Disruptive apps are those extra special products that challenge a traditional industry and change it for the better.

These revolutionary apps make people’s lives easier and more fun. The innovations help to create a ‘new normal’ and often spawn whole new genres.

There are around 2 million different Android and iPhone apps available on the app stores but only a small selection really break free from the mould. These revolutionary apps are the disruptors:

SPOTIFY – Music

Back in 2008 a Swedish startup launched Spotify – an app allowing users to search through a huge library of albums and stream them instantly – for FREE!

This revolutionised people’s listening habits by opening up whole new worlds of music at the touch of a button. Gone were the days of tiresome downloads, constant reshuffling of storage on low-memory devices and bank-busting fees to try out a new album that you might not even like.

KINDLE – Reading

Whether you’re packing your bag for a round the world trip, or just the daily commute, you never want to carry too much.

Lugging a cumbersome backpack full of novels and travel guides through a busy marketplace in a foreign city is no fun at all. And to be honest, neither is it fun attempting to read a bulbous edition of Tolstoy’s 1,200-word War and Peace while trying to balance on a bumpy tube journey or bus ride to work.

That’s where Kindle comes in. The app / device allows you to carry thousands of different books everywhere you go.

ANGRY BIRDS – Mobile Gaming

Do you remember Sonic the Hedgehog? Super Mario World? Tetris? Snake? These classic games were hugely addictive but they were very simple.

As consoles and computer graphics chips evolved at the start of the new millennium video games became more and more focussed on providing ‘real-life’ graphics and cinematic experiences.

Angry Birds, with is simplistic gameplay and addictive challenges, re-defined what popular games would become. It kick-started the mobile gaming revolution. Almost every single puzzle game owes a certain debt to the revolutionary Angry Birds.

INSTAGRAM – Photography

Where would we be without Instagram? A world of crisp high-definition rectangular photos taken by professional photographers – most likely.

Instagram challenged the notion that you had to be a pro to take a decent photo. By allowing amateur photographers to add funky filters and encouraging users to show each other love, the app inspired a whole generation of happy snappers. It’s hip to be square.

CITYMAPPER – Urban Travel

Before Citymapper, visiting that new cocktail bar, underground music venue or pop-up art gallery on the other side of town was often such an arduous task that many people would just sack it off and stick on the footy / Corrie instead.

But, by tapping into a decade’s worth of data, Citymapper’s marvelous algorithms mean it takes little more than the time to fire up a TV to find the quickest route from any two points in the city.

Mapping redefined.

UBER – Taxis

Even with the magical omniscient powers of Citymapper, there are still times when it simply makes more sense to take a cab.

When the tubes have finished, when you’re journey involves five different legs or when you’re in a city that Citymapper hasn’t launched in yet – for instance.

For these times, there is Uber. The simple interface connects users with local drivers for a fraction of the cost of a traditional taxi.  Not everybody is happy about it – but the app is certainly a disruptor.

TINDER – Dating

Who knew the dating world was so fickle? Companies had been trying for years to match singles with suitable partners but none really won the hearts of the population until Tinder came out.
An app that simplifies the dating experience to a brutally honest level by letting users flick through a seemingly endless supply of pictures of potential mates.

Spawning multitudes of copy-cat apps, Tinder created the ‘swipe to filter’ genre.

REVOLUT – Foreign Exchange

Even before Brexit happened, and the value of the Pound declined double-digits overnight, the foreign exchange industry was very difficult for consumers to navigate.

Banks charge exorbitant exchange fees, FX brokers hide their fees in the rate they offer and everybody charges more to change money where you most need it – at an airport.

Revolut simplifies things by offering users the ability to change money into almost any currency in the world, at any time, for free. Once the money has been changed over on the mobile app, users can withdraw it from ATMs all over the world.

JOB TODAY – Recruitment

For years the recruitment industry was stuck in the past. Employers were faced with piles and piles of CVs – some not even relevant to the position – while jobseekers often had to wait weeks to get a response from a job ad.

But that’s all beginning to change.

JOB TODAY is revolutionising recruitment by bringing the industry into the mobile age.

Employers can create a job ad and receive responses in a matter of minutes. While jobseekers can upload a photograph, list their experience and apply for jobs as soon as they download the app.

In-app chat allows employers to communicate instantly with jobseekers, who are guaranteed a response within 24 hours.

So if you’re looking for work, what are you waiting for? Download the app and find yourself a new JOB TODAY.