Apple reveals its 2019 Apps of the Year – how many do you have?
As we approach the end of 2019, you can prepare for a whole host of ‘best of 2019’ lists, and Apple has got out of the starting blocks early with its own App Store awards.
This isn’t limited to the hyper-competitive iOS App Store – apps for Mac and Apple TV were also eligible for awards, which were picked by the various App Store editors from around the world.
Spectre Camera picked up the award for “best iPhone app”. As the name suggests, it’s a photography app, which uses AI for a better standard of long-exposure photos. For the iPad, Moleskine’s Flow app – a digital sketchbook – took the title.
Away from touchscreens, Affinity Publishing took the prize for the Mac, with Apple praising its “elegant user experience and remarkably reasonable price point.” For Apple TV, The Explorers was crowned the winner: it’s an app that lets uses make a “visual inventory” of the world with photography and video.
No games, you’ll notice, but that’s because they get their own categories to avoid muddying the waters. For iPhones, Sky: Children of the Light was the best title, while Hyper Light Drifter took the prize for iPad game of the year.
On Mac, GRIS – a puzzly platformer described by Apple as “a soul-stirring work of digital art” – was the editors’ pick, while Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap was the winner on Apple TV.
Related: Best iPhone
The company also has a specific prize for the best Apple Arcade game – which is of course playable across all formats. In this category Sayonara Wild Hearts deservedly took top honours.
“We are excited to announce such a diverse group of 2019 App Store winners, showing that great design and creativity comes from developers large and small, and from every corner of the world,” said Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing. “We congratulate all the winners and thank them for making 2019 the best year yet for the App Store.”
Agree with the picks, or think something was robbed? Let us know on Twitter: @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
