2 weeks ago
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Apple's App Store carries nearly two million apps across different devices. All are meant to suit different purposes and enhance your life in some way, whether it be entertainment, wellness, productivity, or more. Out of those millions, Apple's App Store editors chose 17 apps that stood out amongst the rest -- the 2024 App Store Awards honorees.
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These awards were given across different categories, including best apps for iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, and iPad, games, and cultural impact winners. From the winners, you may recognize some that already are part of your routine, but more likely than not, you'll find apps that have become your new favorite or offer a practical solution to a problem you have been facing.
ZDNET's editor-in-chief, Jason Hiner, and I both had the opportunity to meet with all 17 app developers and demo their applications. While some winners were already apps we have embedded into our daily lives, many others were new -- and exciting -- to us.
Below, you will find a full list of winners, as well as a more in-depth review of the apps that studio out to Hiner and me.
The Apple App Store Winners for 2024
- iPhone App of the Year: Kino, from Lux Optics Inc, for shooting cinematic video.
- iPad App of the Year: Moises, from Moises Systems Inc., for separating vocals or instruments from music tracks.
- Mac App of the Year: Adobe Lightroom, from Adobe Inc., for image and video editing.
- Apple Vision Pro App of the Year: What If…? An Immersive Story, from Marvel Studios, ILM Immersive, and Disney+.
- Apple Watch App of the Year: Lumy, from Raja V, for sunlight tracking.
- Apple TV App of the Year: F1 TV, from Formula One Digital Media Limited, for streaming live races.
- iPhone Game of the Year: AFK Journey, from Farlight Games.
- iPad Game of the Year: Squad Busters, from Supercell.
- Mac Game of the Year: Thank Goodness You're Here!, from Panic, Inc.
- Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year: THRASHER: Arcade Odyssey, from Puddle, LLC.
- Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Balatro+, from Playstack Ltd.
Cultural Impact Winners:
- Oko from AYES BV
- EF Hello from Signum International AG
- DailyArt from Zuzanna Stanska
- NYT Games from The New York Times Company
- The Wreck from The Pixel Hunt
- Do You Really Want to Know 2 from Gamtropy Co., Ltd.
What were some of our favorites?
Both of our top picks:
Kino is an amazing video app by the makers of Halide Photography app. What makes Kino even better is that it has pro-level control but a simpler interface that's easier for more people to use and enjoy.
At its heart, it lets you take more pro-level video and automatically apply pro LUTs (filters) so that you don't have to pull the clips into a video editing app on your computer to color grade it later. This is going to let more people take cinematic videos with the iPhone.
Jason's picks:
- Lightroom remains my favorite Adobe app because it is innovating faster than any of them when it comes to AI. The newest AI feature that's coming removes the reflection from glass when you're taking a photo from the other side of the glass. And it's bonkers how good it works. This is an established app that acts like a startup and it deserved the nod from Apple for all the practical ways it's putting AI to use.
- Moises is an amazing pro-level audio app mainly for producing music. You can play multiple instruments and add vocals and Moises can record them, split out the different instruments and vocals into separate tracks and then give you the power to speed them up or slow them down and manipulate them digitally. It's super powerful and fun.
- The Wreck blew me away. It's like a combination between a game, a comic book and a movie -- with powerful life lessons that you navigate and learn from as you go. It's a story that works backward from a tragic event and lets you explore memories from the main character to understand what led up to this pivotal life moment. And once you figure it out, then, you can go back to the pivotal moment and potentially change the outcome. It's one of the most creative apps I've ever seen and it's based on a real-world experience from one of the app's creators.
Sabrina's picks:
- Daily art makes it easy for art appreciators around the globe to discover new art every day without disrupting their routines or taking time out of their days. Every day, all users, including free ones, get one piece of fine art with a short story about it. The app's UI is also engaging and easy to navigate, giving you the option to explore should you have the time.
- Oka, also a cultural impact winner, made it to one of my favorites because of how simple yet helpful this app is for those who need it. The AI-driven navigation app allows users who are visually impaired or blind to approach intersections with more confidence as it uses the user's iPhone camera to read a walk sign and inform the user about what it says and how to proceed. It can also give users detailed navigation instructions. Everything runs on the phone, so there is no dependency on Wi-Fi, connectivity, etc.
- As an avid NYT Games player, I was excited to see that it made the list of cultural impact winners. Sometimes, whether it be a long commute, waiting in line, or procrastinating work, you need a distraction. Typically, NYT Games is my go-to for its daily challenges to beat and the feeling that I am sharpening my brain instead of defaulting to doomscrolling.
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