The events of 2020 have made it completely unique . But Apple has always announced the best apps of the year, no matter how good or bad it was. The “best of the best” list used to be focused on the iPhone, but now it includes apps for the Apple TV, Apple Watch, iPad and Mac, and contenders include anything from regular apps to streaming entertainment and games .
Apple announced on December 1 list of 15 best apps of the year. Some of the items on the list are not surprising: for example, the iPad app of the year - Zoom. The selection criteria included not only usability and design, but also technical innovation, cultural influence and, of course, quick adaptation to the situation, which helped us overcome all the problems that fell in 2020.
Apps reflect culture, and in 2020, most developers were striving for utility: they devoted all their creative energy to ensuring that users are healthful, learn, connected and able to entertain themselves.
- Apple
Best of the App Store 2020 Winners
Top Apps
- iPad : Zoom (Zoom, USA)
- iPhone : Wakeout (Andres Canella, USA)
- Mac: Fantastical (Flexibits, )
- Apple TV: Disney+ (Disney, )
- Apple Watch: Endel (Endel, )
:
- : Shine — (Shine, )
- : Explain Everything Whiteboard — (Explain Everything, )
- : Caribu — (Caribu, )
- : ShareTheMeal — (, )
- iPhone: Genshin Impact (miHoYo, )
- iPad: Legends of Runeterra (Riot Games, )
- MacOS: Disco Elysium (ZA / UM, UK and Estonia)
- Apple TV: Dandara Trials of Fear (Raw Fury, Sweden)
- Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Sneaky Sasquatch (RAC7, Canada)
- Trend of the Year: Pokémon Go - Reimagining the Game (Niantic, USA)
Now let's take a closer look at these applications and see how they stand out.
Zoom - Best iPad App of 2020
Distinguishing feature : Easy three-touch user interaction .
Zoom provides a short path of interaction: just three touches. If you look at the usual scheme of interaction, then there are very few stages, the main actions are clear and simple: to connect to a meeting, it is enough to go through three stages:
- Join the meeting.
- Enter the password or room number (if necessary).
- Enter your name.
Caribu for iPhone and iPad - trend of the year
Outstanding Feature : Enhanced online convenience for kids and parents or relatives when families need it most!
Caribu has added dozens of interactive games and over a thousand new books to its live video calling platform - for families who want to connect with loved ones.
- Apple
Unsurprisingly, Caribu made it to the list of the best of 2020: I used to have to use Facetime and hold a huge book in my hands to tell a story to my 4-year-old nephew. As a UX specialist, I understand that this is not the best option.
But now I can talk on video, reading one of the many digital books to him, and we will see one screen for two. Some books even have a collaborative drawing feature that he really likes - while I'm drawing .
“It's almost like virtual babysitting,”
- Maxem Tukhman, CEO of Caribu
Shine for iPhone and Apple Watch - trend of the year
Distinguishing Feature : Excellent use of color and quick adaptation to the 2020 pandemic and the Black Lives Matters movement .
“The main thing in Shine is simple soft shapes and an understanding of the psychology of color. The application helps to unconsciously associate each pattern with an emotion or mood ”,
- Irina Korshak , illustrator
To encourage users to take mental health seriously when the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement hit the news around the world, Shine launched a section dedicated to the mental health of black users.
According to Naomi Hirabayashi, co-founder of Lidey and CEO of Shine, the app's mission is not only to support mental health, but also to help non-black Americans understand BLM-related issues.
ShareTheMeal for iPhone and iPad - trend of the year
Distinctive feature : assistance to an important noble cause during a crisis .
"The UN World Food Program ShareTheMeal app gives anyone the opportunity to participate in charity, donating over 87 million meals to those in need,"
- Apple
For the UN World Food Program - this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate - the COVID-19 pandemic is another crisis in addition to the existing ones that are causing food problems around the world. ShareTheMeal strives to make charity as easy and hassle-free as possible. "
« , , , , , , , »,
— Fast Company
Wakeout! — 2020 . iPhone
Feature : Makes exercise at home available to everyone - especially those who don't like the idea of ​​exercise!
Wakeout! it differs from other similar apps in that it offers over 1000 exercises suitable for everyone - even those who are too busy or in principle do not like exercise. Plus, the app notifies the user when they sit for too long. The app includes short, simple exercises to help fight sedentary lifestyles during a pandemic.
Fantastical is the best app of 2020 for macOS
A distinctive feature : a single interface for managing the schedule and its visualization, which is lacking in Calendar, Reminders from Apple and other similar applications for macOS .
The application is equipped with advanced features for synchronizing all data between different devices and managing appointments and tasks. Among other things - integration with Zoom, dark mode and weather forecasts, which make planning the day even easier.
As you can see below, there is also a new 'Interesting Calendars' feature that allows you to add different calendars:
Source: Fantastical by Flexibits
Disney + Best Apple TV App of 2020
Distinctive feature : relevance and affordable price: $ 7 per month .
The Disney + app was released in November 2019 and its interface is still improving, but now is the time for this service. In addition, the price is more affordable compared to other platforms.
Comparison of different streaming platforms and monthly subscription prices.
Explain Everything Whiteboard for iPhone and iPad - trend of the year
Highlighted Feature : Ease of use for all ages, especially students (younger users) and teachers (older users) .
With this app, students don't have to worry about file formats — it gives them a competitive edge over other apps. The tools offered are easy to use, and its cloud-based collaboration features allow students to work remotely on projects in a group.
Teachers can easily work in a flipped classroom style with templates for a variety of popular classes. The preloaded templates are easy to use and can be dragged and changed.
Endel is the best Apple Watch app of 2020
Distinguishing feature : Using scientific methods to change the situation in an environment where mental hygiene is the most important concern .
Endel is an application based on scientifically proven methods. His job is to recommend soundscapes based on the weather, circadian rhythm, and of course, current activities. Personalization of the approach is provided by tracking the following data:
- Current activity,
- Times of Day,
- heart rate (measured via Apple Watch),
- weather
- and much more…
Endel states that the parameters measured are related to the concentration and state of the flow - total immersion in the work .
Best Games of the Year
Due to the "boredom pandemic" in 2020, people who usually do not play video games started playing them - on the devices they have. The video game market has even grown this year.
Pokémon GO - trend of the year
Highlight : Transforming outdoor play into home exercise + gamification of exercise and social interaction .
- Exercise : Allows you to track indoor steps such as running on a treadmill as game progress.
- Social Interaction : The virtual social functions in the game have been improved so that players can keep in touch even when they cannot meet in real life.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit earlier this year, Niantic reacted quickly and changed Pokémon Go so that people could still play without going outside. The audience welcomed the innovations well, and at the end of March, revenue from the game increased - this was the best week in 2020. "
- Game Industry
Legends of Runeterra for iPad
Distinguishing feature : generally neat interface, no lag + simple navigation .
“It's nice to have the opportunity to entertain people who just have to wait for this to end.”
- Jeff Joo, Executive Producer, Legends of Runeterra
“When the pandemic broke out, Riot Games was already working on Legends of Runeterra ... And it turned out that people stuck at home were actively looking for new games similar to Runeterra: this is a virtual card game, so it did not have problems due to coronavirus , as in the case of offline games - such as Magic: The Gathering in its traditional paper form. "
- Fast Company
Sneaky Sasquatch - Apple Arcade Game of the Year
Distinctive feature : easy and enjoyable gameplay, a sense of freedom and escape from reality, when the players especially need it .
— « Apple Arcade». , , — .
— Apple
RAC7 Games co-founder Jesse Ringros told Complex (Canada):
“We can't live a normal life right now, so we decided to give the opportunity to be a Bigfoot. There is a lot of escapism in the game. I think it came out just in time ... The
popularity of the game began to peak just during the pandemic. Cartoony graphics, relaxed, low-stress gameplay and the ability to escape reality for a while. You find yourself in a very cozy environment. And you don't have any explicit goals and objectives. You can play pranks, explore the world and or just do whatever you want ... "
Dandara: Trials of Fear for Apple TV
Distinctive feature : the similarity of the plot with the current situation in the world .
“The plot of the game seems surprisingly relevant today. The story essentially focuses on isolation and its impact on society. The game does not spend a lot of time on plotting; you won't find long animations and lengthy explanations - you will have to piece the story together using diaries and notes scattered around the world. Finding some of them will take a lot of work - but if the plot interests you, they are worth looking for. ”
- Switch Player
Disco Elysium for macOS
Distinguishing Feature : An innovative RPG experience: A fun reading adventure!
Yes, that's right: the game is based on reading fascinating texts!
“Disco Elysium is not an ordinary role-playing game, but rather the opposite: there are no battles, the hero has no incredible super powers, and the volume of texts in Disco Elysium is more than the complete works of Shakespeare. The main thing here is attention to detail, reflection on your actions and thinking outside the box. In essence, this is a detective role-playing game "
- a review from Mef Tech
If you're interested in digging deeper than just the “best apps of 2020,” here's a list of the most downloaded apps:
Top Free iPhone Apps
- ZOOM Cloud Meetings
- TikTok
- Disney +
- Youtube
- Snapchat
- Messenger
- Gmail
- Cash App
Top Paid iPhone Apps
- TouchRetouch
- Procreate Pocket
- Dark sky weather
- Facetune
- HotSchedules
- AutoSleep Track Sleep
- The wonder weeks
- SkyView
- Shadowrocket
- Sky guide
iPhone
- Among Us!
- Call of Duty: Mobile
- Roblox
- Subway Surfers
- Ink Inc. — Tattoo Drawing
- Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game
- Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles
- Brain Out
- Coin Master
- Cube Surfer!
iPhone
- Minecraft
- Plague Inc
- Heads Up!
- Monopoly
- Bloons TD6
- Geometry Dash
- NBA 2K20
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- The Game of Life
- True Skate
iPad
- ZOOM Cloud Meetings.
- Disney+
- YouTube
- Netflix
- Google Chrome
- TikTok
- Amazon Prime Video
- Gmail
- Hulu
iPad
- Procreate
- GoodNotes 5
- Notability
- Duet Display
- Teach Your Monster
- LumaFusion
- Affinity Designer
- Toca Hair Salon 3
- Toca Life: Hospital
- Toca Kitchen 2
iPad
- Among Us!
- Roblox
- Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game
- Ink Inc. — Tattoo Drawing
- Call of Duty: Mobile
- Subway Surfers
- Dancing Road: Color Ball Run!
- Tiles Hop — EDM Rush
- Mario Kart Tour
- Save The Girl!
iPad
- Minecraft
- Monopoly
- Bloons TD 6
- Plague Inc.
- Geometry Dash
- The Game of Life
- Five Nights at Freddy’s
- Human: Fall Flat
- Stardew Valley
- Terraria
Top Arcade Games
- Sneaky Sasquatch
- Hot lava
- Skate city
- Sonic Racing
- PAC-MAN Party Royale
- SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit
- Oceanhorn 2
- Crossy road castle
- WHAT THE GOLF?
- LEGO Brawls
Obviously, this year's winners are not only user-friendly, but also quick to adjust to the situation and promote values ​​such as caring and helpfulness, which are more important than ever today. Thanks to all the developers and designers who put a lot of effort into creating apps that help people stay safe, healthy, and productive in 2020.
About the translator
The article was translated by Alconost.
Alconost localizes games , applications and websites in 70 languages. Native native translators, linguistic testing, cloud platform with API, continuous localization, 24/7 project managers, any string resource formats.
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