In 2010, Android apps were rarely in the same league as their Apple counterparts, so beyond the entrants in last year’s top 10 list, there was a steep drop-off in quality.

But this year, with devices using the Android operating system reaching a dominant position in the world’s smartphone market, deeper-pocketed developers turned their full attention to them. The result was a slate of new apps that can more seriously challenge Apple’s best.

Note that this list does not include seasonal standouts like MLB.com’s At Bat 11; nor does it include games.

Google Music (Free): Google’s music service lets a user upload 20,000 songs from a PC or Mac to the cloud; the Android app instantly syncs those tunes and playlists, so there’s no longer any worry about plugging a mobile device into the desktop computer to pick up the latest purchases for the next workout or commuting trip. Wireless syncing is also available through Apple or Amazon, but with less free storage. Google Music is nicely integrated with the Android Market, which in recent weeks has featured popular songs free, as well as millions of other titles for 49 cents each.

Webroot Security and Antivirus (Free): One unsettling thing about Android phones is that their apps often reach the market without any testing for malicious software. That is not the case for Apple apps, or Android apps offered by Amazon. Webroot is a good place to start. The app’s free version automatically scans a phone for viruses and blocks malicious websites and SMS messages. It includes a device locator feature, which is activated from the company’s website.

Swiftkey X ($3): If your thumbs don’t fly on a touch-screen keypad, and newfangled typing options like Swype do not work for you, SwiftKey X is a great option. The app offers corrections and predictions as you type, and it can scan your Gmail, Facebook, Twitter and SMS accounts to refine its predictions. In some cases, if not many, it will even stay one step ahead by suggesting the correct next word.

Any.Do (Free): There is no Web component to this reminder service yet, but Any.Do is still a tremendously useful and smart way to manage one’s to-do list. Those needing Web synchronization might try Wunderlist, which is also free. Any.Do includes an auto-fill feature to save keystrokes, and tasks can be rescheduled by dragging entries from one day to the next.

8tracks (Free): This is my new favorite app for listening to other people’s music. Spotify is great online, but it is greatly limited on a mobile phone unless you pay $10 a month. With 8tracks, strangers are your DJs. Type the name of an artist or genre, and it delivers related playlists from other listeners.

Paper Camera ($2): Too often, camera filter apps are not nearly as fun as they initially appear, since loading the special effects takes time, and the results frequently fail to impress. Paper Camera suffers from neither shortcoming. When you point the camera, it applies the chosen filter to the viewfinder, so you know exactly what shot you will get.

TextOnly — Browser (Free): People who are watching their data limits can cut corners with TextOnly — Browser, which works as advertised for most of the well-known news sites. It is far from flawless, since users must type in the precise Web address rather than searching with keywords, and some important sites seem immune to the technology. The Huffington Post and ESPN.com, for instance, repeatedly failed to load pages last week. Still, it works smoothly on most sites.

Other new Android apps

BeWeather (Free): Delivers quick, essential information with a flick of the thumb.

Google Currents (Free): An efficient way to view all news sources in a single magazine format.

Speaktoit Assistant (Free): The closest thing on Android to Siri, the personal assistant for iPhone 4S owners.