Christmas might have faded from our memories even before all the good ones made their way out of the chocolates tin, but for those of us who unwrapped our very first smartphone for Christmas, it may not seem like we’ve had much time to get acquainted with it at all. Since apps are one of their best and most useful features, we feel that a guide to some of the most helpful ones is in order.

But with such a wealth of different apps out there, how to narrow it down? According to recent Castle Cover – who has cast an interesting light on smartphone usage – the proportion of users aged over 55 has risen from 38 per cent in 2010 to 51 per cent in 2012, with this demographic now an increasingly prominent part of the smartphone users group, the apps that could save them money presents a fruitful focus, and one that has been adopted in infographic, which explores the following apps – and many more – in greater depth.

First up, the Free App Tracker is a collection of the very best free and discounted apps out there. Use it to find the tools to help with utilities and finance in no time at all.

Next we have the Meter Readings app, which (as you may have guessed from the name) keeps track of your meter readings when you enter them and creates helpful graphs and statistics that you can use to keep track of your usage. Also, you can use it to compare energy companies to check you couldn’t be saving money with another provider.

This infographic from Castle Cover takes a look at some of the top money saving apps for daily activities. View the interactive version here.

The Viber app is a free way to talk, text and send photos. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

We all hate the fact that 0800 numbers cost 41p per minute on a mobile, but the 800 Wizard app lets you find a business’ 01 and 02 UK landline phone numbers, meaning the call can come out of your minutes allowance instead of costing you more.

Check out the infographic for more information, and plenty more apps to try!