Apple announces its ‘Best of 2018’ lists across apps, games, music, podcasts and more

Share
  • December 4, 2018

Apple today announced its Best of 2018 selections – its annual, editorial list of what it considers the best content across its App Store and iTunes, along with its top charts of the most downloaded apps and games fo the year. As in other years, Apple selected a “best” app and game for each platform, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac. It also rounded-up several favorite Apple Watch apps, but didn’t award a winner.

The best app of 2018 on iPhone was the iPhone version of the popular Procreate drawing app for iPad, Procreate Pocket.

Meanwhile, the top iPad app was Froggipedia, an AR app that lets you virtually dissect a frog so you don’t have to actually dissect a frog.

Both apps showcase technologies Apple aims to promote. In Procreate Pocket’s case, it’s the iPhone companion to an Apple Pencil-powered app on iPad. On the iPhone, it instead uses 3D Touch support for painting with your finger. Froggipedia turns an Apple Pencil into the scalpel to dissect a virtual frog.

On Mac, the top app was image editor Pixelmator Pro, and top Apple TV app was the big-screened version of workout app Sweat, whose creator Kayla Itsines also showed up at WWDC this year to lead a special session.

The top games this year were: Donut County (iPhone), Gorogoa (iPad), The Gardens Between (Mac) and Alto’s Odyssey (Apple TV) – the latter which also won an Apple Design Award earlier this year.  

Showcasing their somewhat secondary status, Apple Watch apps didn’t get a “best of” pick for app and game, but a small group got a shoutout from Apple as being “favorites.”

This includes: WaterMinder, Lifesum, 10% Happier, Carrot Weather, FunGolf GPS, Swing Tennis Tracker, Slopes, App in the Air, Overcast, and Just Press Record.

While its “Best of” selections were editorially chosen, Apple also unveiled its year-end “Top Charts” across iPhone and iPad, which were separated by both apps and games (free and paid).

These are the most downloaded app of 2018. The lists still show Facebook, YouTube, Google, and other entertainment apps dominating the top free charts.

Top Free iPhone Apps – Chart

  1. YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream
  2. Instagram
  3. Snapchat
  4. Messenger
  5. Facebook
  6. Bitmoji
  7. Netflix
  8. Google Maps – Transit & Food
  9. Gmail – Email by Google
  10. Spotify Music
  11. Amazon – Shopping made easy
  12. Uber
  13. WhatsApp Messenger
  14. Pandora – Streaming Music
  15. Wish – Shopping Made Fun
  16. TikTok – Real Short Videos
  17. Cash App
  18. Google Photos
  19. Google Chrome
  20. Twitter

Top Paid iPhone Apps – Chart

  1. Facetune
  2. kirakira+
  3. Dark Sky Weather
  4. HotSchedules
  5. PlantSnap Plant Identification
  6. AutoSleep Tracker for Watch
  7. Sky Guide
  8. 1 Second Everyday: Video Diary
  9. The Wonder Weeks
  10. Afterlight 2
  11. My Talking Pet Pro
  12. Glitché
  13. Scanner Pro
  14. TouchRetouch
  15. 7 Minute Workout Challenge
  16. Forest – Stay focused
  17. Full Fitness : Exercise Workout Trainer
  18. Word Swag – Cool Fonts
  19. SkyView® – Explore the Universe
  20. HeartWatch. Heart & Activity

Top Free iPhone Games – Chart

  1. Fortnite
  2. Helix Jump
  3. Rise Up
  4. PUBG MOBILE
  5. Hole.io
  6. Love Balls
  7. Snake VS Block
  8. Rules of Survival
  9. ROBLOX
  10. Dune!
  11. Subway Surfers
  12. Episode – Choose Your Story
  13. Word Link – Word Puzzle Game
  14. Toon Blast
  15. Color Road!
  16. HQ Trivia
  17. Twisty Road!
  18. 8 Ball Pool™
  19. Kick the Buddy
  20. Sniper 3D Assassin: Gun Games

Top Paid iPhone Games – Chart 

  1. Heads Up!
  2. Minecraft
  3. Plague Inc.
  4. Bloons TD 6
  5. Pocket Build
  6. Bloons TD 5
  7. Geometry Dash
  8. The Game of Life
  9. Papa’s Freezeria To Go!
  10. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
  11. Trivia Crack (No Ads)
  12. Getting Over It
  13. Monument Valley 2
  14. Alto’s Odyssey
  15. True Skate
  16. The Room: Old Sins
  17. Terraria
  18. Exploding Kittens®
  19. Five Nights at Freddy’s
  20. The Escapists: Prison Escape

Top Free iPad Apps – Chart

  1. YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream
  2. Netflix
  3. Messenger
  4. Facebook
  5. Amazon Prime Video
  6. Google Chrome
  7. Gmail – Email by Google
  8. YouTube Kids
  9. The Calculator
  10. Amazon – Shopping made easy
  11. Spotify Music
  12. Hulu: Watch TV Shows & Movies
  13. Google Docs: Sync, Edit, Share
  14. Google Drive
  15. Google Maps – Transit & Food
  16. Microsoft Word
  17. Pandora – Streaming Music
  18. Amazon Kindle
  19. Colorfy: Coloring Art Games
  20. Google

Top Paid iPad Apps – Chart

  1. Procreate
  2. Notability
  3. GoodNotes 4
  4. Toca Life: Pets
  5. Duet Display
  6. Toca Life: After School
  7. XtraMath
  8. Toca Hair Salon 3
  9. MyScript Nebo
  10. Toca Kitchen 2
  11. PDF Expert by Readdle
  12. Toca Life: Hospital
  13. Affinity Photo
  14. Toca Life: Office
  15. GoodReader
  16. Toca Lab: Elements
  17. Notes Plus
  18. Human Anatomy Atlas 2019
  19. Toca Life: City
  20. AnyFont

Top Free iPad Games – Chart

  1. Fortnite
  2. ROBLOX
  3. Kick the Buddy
  4. Love Balls
  5. Helix Jump
  6. Color by Number Coloring Game!
  7. Bowmasters – Multiplayer Game
  8. Hole.io
  9. Rise Up
  10. Rules of Survival
  11. Subway Surfers
  12. Rolling Sky
  13. PUBG MOBILE
  14. Toon Blast
  15. Snake VS Block
  16. Granny
  17. Piano Tiles 2™
  18. slither.io
  19. Run Sausage Run!
  20. Pixel Art – Color by Number

Top Paid iPad Games – Chart 

  1. Minecraft
  2. Geometry Dash
  3. The Game of Life
  4. The Room: Old Sins
  5. Heads Up!
  6. Bloons TD 6
  7. Goat Simulator
  8. Five Nights at Freddy’s
  9. LEGO® Jurassic World™
  10. Terraria
  11. The Escapists: Prison Escape
  12. Bloons TD 5 HD
  13. Monument Valley 2
  14. Plague Inc.
  15. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location
  16. Goat Simulator PAYDAY
  17. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
  18. Teeny Titans – Teen Titans Go!
  19. Teen Titans Go! Figure
  20. Scribblenauts Unlimited

Apple also rounded up its best stories

In addition to the best content across categories, Apple this year also highlighted the most-read stories from the “Today” section on the App Store.

The revamped and more editorially-driven App Store launched over a year ago in September 2017, making this year the first full year of its existence.

The store is now not just a marketplace and search engine for apps, but also a place to read about the developers who create apps, their businesses, and learn other tips and tricks.

According to Apple, the top ten most-read stories included several on popular games, and a guide for parents on Snapchat, among others.

The full list included:

  • A Parent’s Guide to Snapchat
  • A Whole New Virtual You
  • All the Feels
  • Enter the World of The Elder Scrolls: Blades
  • Games for Nongamers
  • These Puzzles Get Pretty Wild
  • Likelife—but More Fun
  • Enter Fortnite’s Epic Universe
  • Create the Perfect Wallpaper
  • Sky Guide

Apple also picked a few editorial favorites of its own, including:

  • She Beat the Heat
  • It’s Complicated
  • Lend an Ear
  • Sum Kind of Love
  • Falling in Love? Sounds Glorious

Music, books and more

The company also unveiled its editorial and most-downloaded lists for podcasts, audiobooks, books, TV shows and music.

Some highlights of those selections included Artist of the year: Drake; Breakout Artist of the Year: Juice WRLD; Song of the Year: I Like It – Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny & J. Balvin; Album of the Year: Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves; Most Downloaded Podcast: The Daily; Best Book of the year: American Marriage; and Audiobook of the year: American Marriage.

Apple isn’t the only one with a year-end “Best of” list out now. Google Play also this week unveiled its own “Best of 2018” winners. Its list included the best app, Drops: Learn 31 new languages, and best game, PUBG Mobile. It introduced a “fan favorites” category as well, where users got to vote on their own favorite apps and games. Those winners included PUBG again, but for best app, they chose YouTube TV.

Source : Apple announces its ‘Best of 2018’ lists across apps, games, music, podcasts and more