Apps are the best part of any smartphone.

Apps are the best part of any smartphone. Widgets, on the other hand, don’t get much love but if you really start using them, you’ll find them more indispensable than apps. Widgets are a godsend – they let you quickly monitor and toggle settings.

Here’s a hand-picked list of some of the best widgets available for your Android phone. Pick and use what you really need. Appbrain links included. (repost)

Mobile Signal Widget

The Mobile Signal Widget for Android constantly displays the signal strength that you’re getting on your phone in dBm. This is particularly useful if you have a mobile phone with reception issues – you can keep an eye on the signal strength right from the home screen.

Multicon Widget

The Multicon Widget helps you increase the number of icons that are displayed in a specific row/column. For instance, a 2×2 widget can show 4 icons in the same area which cannot usually hold more than 2 icons.

Days Until Widget

The Days Until Widget lets you set a date and see the number of days left till that date. Multiple instances allowed, and you can choose events from your calendar. Colors and size can be customized and weekdays can be excluded.

Audio Guru Widget

The Audio Guru Widget lets you set multiple profiles and adjust volumes quickly from the home screen. You can also auto activate profiles based on the time of the day. Absolute powerhouse.

Data Counter Widget

Don’t install bulky apps to monitor network usage. Try the Data Counter Widget instead. Shows Wifi, 3G or GPRS usage for a particular day, week, month or all time or since last boot. The widget isn’t aesthetic, but does its job perfectly.

Gmail Unread Widget

The Gmail Unread Widget can be used to keep track of your unread emails. It monitors your local Gmail app database for new email. The widget’s icon and its name are customizable. To keep track of unread emails in individual labels, check out the Gmail Label Widget.

Mini Info Widget

Mini Info is a complete system monitor widget. Shows all the data you’ll ever need – memory, RAM, battery and SD card usage. You can make it show only the data you need.

Silent Toggle Widget

You can switch to silent mode by long pressing the power button on your phone but a widget is even more handy. The Silent Toggle Widget lets you quickly toggle between sound only, sound and vibrate, and silent modes in a jiffy.

Battery Watcher Widget

The Battery Watcher Widget shows your phone’s battery level in percentage. The widget also shows the temperature. Simple and up to the point, does what it says.

Android Agenda Widget

Arguably, the best widget on Android for busy people. Android Agenda Widget shows upcoming events and tasks from Google Calendar, Astrid and several other apps. It is extremely customizable with plenty of skins.

Tip: Make sure you add the services run by these widgets to the ‘Ignore’ list in your Task Killer app. These services are necessary for the widgets to function perfectly.