We"re nearing the end of the year, and both Google and Apple have taken the opportunity to highlight some of the most popular and influential content on their respective software distribution platforms, the Google Play Store and the App Store.
Apple actually revealed its winners at a previously-announced event last night, and the winners only come from two major categories: apps and games. Each of these categories has a winner for each of Apple"s device categories, like iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. Here are the winners for each category.
Apps:
- iPhone App of the Year: Spectre Camera (Lux Optics)
- iPad App of the Year: Flow by Moleskine (Moleskine)
- Mac App of the Year: Affinity Publisher (Serif Labs)
- Apple TV App of the Year: The Explorers (The Explorers Network)
Games:
- iPhone Game of the Year: Sky: Children of the Light (thatgamecompany)
- iPad Game of the Year: Hyper Light Drifter (Abylight S.L.)
- Mac Game of the Year: GRIS (Devolver/Nomada Studio)
- Apple TV Game of the Year: Wonder Boy: The Dragon"s Trap (DotEmu)
- Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo)
In addition to the winners, Apple has also released the charts of the most downloaded apps and games of 2019. Among the most popular free games are Mario Kart Tour, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Fortnite, while the top paid games include Minecraft, Plague Inc., and Heads Up!. As for apps, the free chart is dominated by major services such as YouTube, Snapchat, and Facebook. Top paid apps include Facetune, HotSchedules, and Dark Sky Weather.
Over at Google"s Play Store, things are organized a little differently. For starers, there"s a User"s Choice category, with a winner for apps, games, movies, and books. Here are the winners in the category:
- App: Video Editor - Glitch Video Effects
- Game: Call of Duty: Mobile
- Movie: Marvel Studios" Avengers: Endgame
- Ebook: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Google also highlights its own winners for best app and best game. The best app of 2019 is Ablo, and the best game is Call of Duty: Mobile, so Google"s awards align with users" opinion on that one. Finally, the company also highlights the best-selling movies, TV shows, and books of the year:
Top-Selling Movies of 2019
- Marvel Studios" Avengers: Endgame
- Aquaman
- A Star Is Born
- Marvel Studios" Captain Marvel
- Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
Top-Selling TV Shows of 2019
Top-Selling Ebooks of 2019
- The Mister by E L James
- Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
- Tiamat"s Wrath by James S. A. Corey
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
- The Institute by Stephen King
Top-Selling Audiobooks of 2019
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
- Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life by Gary John Bishop
- A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One by George R. R. Martin
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer"s Stone by J.K. Rowling
If you"re interested, you can also check the full charts for Google"s Best of 2019 picks on the Play Store.