If you’ve become a fan of devices running the Google Android operating system then there are plenty of ways of making the interface even better. And, key to improving the user experience is to select some of the latest and best Android widgets. These are the little apps that can be embedded into your home screen and allow you to speed up productivity and get that much more out of your mobile device.

What to get?

There is no shortage of widget options for Android gadgets, and they come in all shapes and sizes too, so there’s something for everyone, no matter what kind of gadget or gizmo is being used. One to start off with in practical terms is Quick Battery, which allows you to keep better tabs on the power usage of your smartphone or tablet. You can tweak settings with ease, ensuring your device goes on for just a little bit longer.

Being able to take control of basic settings is a common request and the Extended Controls widget enables you to do this in quick and easy fashion. There are quick access routes for things such as GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi too, while the widget can also be customised to suit your very own requirements. It’s not mind-blowing to look at, but certainly practical.

Most of us use our Android devices to keep tabs on the time these days too, so who needs a watch when you can install the Fancy Widget option? This is a cool looking clock that comes looking way better than the standard Android version. It’s great on the eye, tells you the time beautifully and it too, can also be fully tweaked in order to look and behave just as you want it to.

Smartphones and tablets are also ideal for keeping you organised and one widget that allows you to do that, in much more powerful ways than using a basic calendar or notes based system, is the Touch Calendar widget. This little bit of software offers super-powered calendar tools with the capacity for building up an entire diary for your year ahead. Easy to use and quick too, although you’ll have to pay for the full version.

We’re all enjoying the benefits of having great photos on our smartphones and tablets too, so the Picture Dial widget is another must-have option that takes this visual appeal and makes it all the more useful. Picture Dial enables you to build up a highly visual collection of photo-based contacts, which when tapped on can call whoever it is you’re looking at. Simple but definitely very effective.

Finally, get hold of the TweetDeck widget for Android too, because this is a simple bit of software that makes Tweeting from mobile devices wonderfully straightforward. It’s got a simplistic interface but works like a dream. You can use it to tell people all about the cool new widgets you’ve just added to your favourite Android gadget!

Guest Post contributed by Chris who writes on behalf of Broadbandgenie.co.uk where you can find more information on mobile devices like the best tablet and the latest iPad deals.