Apple shares its best apps, podcasts, books/audiobooks of 2020

Source: Apple

Apple has released its comprehensive list of the best app, podcasts, and books/audiobooks based on editorial picks and data from the App Store, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Books. Vancouver-based game developer RAC7 won the Apple Arcade Game of the Year with Sneaky Sasquatch.  

The company noted that a trend that dominated the year lent towards helpfulness, which meant to help users "stay healthy, educated, connected, and entertained."

"This year, more than ever before, some of our most creative and connected moments happened in apps. This was thanks to the amazing work of developers who introduced fresh, helpful app experiences throughout the year," said Phil Schiller, Apple Fellow. "Around the world, we saw remarkable efforts from so many developers, and these Best of 2020 winners are 15 outstanding examples of that innovation. From helping us stay fit and mindful, to keeping our children's education on track, to helping fight hunger, their impact was meaningful to so many of us."

It's also the first time Apple designers made a physical App Store Best of 2020 award, inspired by the signature blue App Store icon. The award has the logo set into 100 percent recycled aluminum with the winner's name engraved on the other side.

Best Apps of 2020

iPhone App of the Year: Wakeout!, developed by Andres Canella

iPad App of the Year: Zoom

Mac App of the Year: Fantastical, developed by Flexibits

Apple TV App of the Year: Disney+

Apple Watch App of the Year: Endel

Best Games of 2020

iPhone Game of the Year: Genshin Impact, from miHoYo

iPad Game of the Year: Legends of Runeterra, from Riot Games

Mac Game of the Year: Disco Elysium, from ZA/UM

Apple TV Game of the Year: Dandara Trials of Fear, from Raw Fury

Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Sneaky Sasquatch, from RAC7

App Trends of 2020

App Trend of the Year: Shine, for helping users practise self-care

App Trend of the Year: Caribu, for connecting families to loved ones

App Trend of the Year: Pokémon GO, for reinventing the way we play, from Niantic

App Trend of the Year: ShareTheMeal, for helping users make a difference

App Trend of the Year: Explain Everything Whiteboard, for helping bring remote classrooms to life

As for the most downloaded apps and games of the year in Canada, you can check them out below.

Top Free iPhone Apps 

1. ZOOM Cloud Meetings 

2. TikTok 

3. Disney+

4. Instagram 

5. YouTube 

6. Messenger 

7. Microsoft Teams 

8. COVID Alert 

9. WhatsApp Messenger 

10. Facebook 

Top Paid iPhone Apps 

1. TouchRetouch 

2. Procreate Pocket 

3. AutoSleep Track Sleep 

4. The Wonder Weeks

5. Forest — Stay focused 

6. Facetune 

7. Sky Guide 

8. Go Snowmobiling Ontario 2019 

9. SkyView 

10. iMotoneige 

Top Free iPhone Games 

1. Among Us!

2. Brain Out 

3. Call of Duty: Mobile 

4. Subway Surfers

5. Woodturning 3D 

6. Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles

7. Roblox 

8. Magic Tiles 3: Piano Games 

9. Ink Inc. — Tattoo Drawing 

10. Mario Kart Tour 

Top Paid iPhone Games 

1. Minecraft 

2. Plague Inc.

3. Heads Up! — Trivia on the go

4. Monopoly 

5. Bloons TD 6

6. Geometry Dash 

7. True Skate 

8. The Game of Life 

9. Stardew Valley 

10. NBA 2K20 

Top Free iPad Apps 

1. ZOOM Cloud Meetings

2. Disney+

3. Netflix 

4. YouTube

5. Google Chrome 

6. Amazon Prime Video 

7. TikTok 

8. Microsoft Teams 

9. Messenger 

10. Google Meet 

Top Paid iPad Apps 

1. Procreate 

2. GoodNotes 5

3. Notability 

4. Duet Display 

5. Teach Your Monster 

6. LumaFusion 

7. Affinity Designer 

8. Toca Life: Neighborhood

9. Affinity Photo 

10. Toca Life: Hospital 

Top Free iPad Games 

1. Among Us! 

2. Roblox 

3. Brain Out 

4. Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game 

5. Ink Inc. — Tattoo Drawing 

6. Fishdom 

7. Homescapes 

8. Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles

9. Dancing Road: Color Ball Run!

10. Save The Girl! 

Top Paid iPad Games 

1. Minecraft 

2. Plague Inc. 

3. Bloons TD 6 

4. Geometry Dash 

5. Monopoly 

6. Stardew Valley 

7. The Game of Life 

8. Terraria 

9. Five Nights at Freddy's 

10. The House of Da Vinci 2

Top Apple Arcade Games 

1. Sonic Racing 

2. Skate City 

3. PAC-MAN Party Royale 

4. Hot Lava 

5. Sneaky Sasquatch 

6. Oceanhorn 2

7. SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit 

8. WHAT THE GOLF? 

9. LEGO Brawls 

10. Outlanders 

Apple also shared the year's biggest podcast shows, including a curated list made by the company's editorial team. You can discover these recommendations on the Browse tab of Apple Podcasts or by visiting podcasts.apple.com. Apple awarded Canada's Show of the year to The Hopeful.

Apple Podcasts Biggest Shows of 2020 

Call Her Daddy 

The Daily (The New York Times) 

Spittin' Chiclets 

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard 

Canadian True Crime 

Stuff You Should Know 

Unlocking Us

This American Life 

Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations 

Uncover (CBC Podcasts) 

Apple Podcasts Biggest New Shows of 2020 

Unlocking Us

Smartless

Sofia with an F

Rabbit Hole (The New York Times) 

Chasing Cosby 

Nice White Parents 

The Don Cherry's Grapevine 

The Dating Game Killer 

Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction (CNN) 

Dying for Sex 

Apple Podcasts Our Favourites this year 

Hustled 

Notes from the Frontline

This is Not a Drake Podcast (CBC Podcasts) 

Cityline Real on Race 

Recall: How to Start a Revolution (CBC Podcasts)

History of the 90s 

Jay de Temple Discute 

We Are Not the Virus 

Unreserved (CBC Podcasts) 

More with Anna Marie (CBC Podcasts) 

Parkdale Haunt 

Avec son Sam 

As for the best books and audiobooks of 2020, here is Apple's compilation for Canada, which you can also check out in the links.

Apple Books: Best books of the year  - https://apple.co/best-books-2020 

CANADA (EN)

Seven, Farzana Doctor

The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett

They Said This Would Be Fun, Eternity Martis 

Rage, Bob Woodward

Ridgerunner, Gil Adamson

Long Bright River, Liz Moore

The Roommate, Rosie Danan

Black Sun, Rebecca Roanhorse 

Don't Stand So Close to Me, Eric Walters

Little Stranger, Fred Caron 

CANADA (FR)

Consent, Vanessa Springora

Em, Kim Thùy  

Comment devenir antiraciste, Ibram X. Kendi

La Source, Félix Séguin, Éric Thibault  

Civiére 41, Catherine Cloutier-Charette  

Brasiers, Marc Menard

La vie rêvée des chaussettes orphelines, Marie Vareille

La Mort ou la gloire, Nicholas Eames, Olivier Debernard

Deux fleurs en hiver, Delphine Pessin

Petit étrange, Fred Caron

Apple Books: Best audiobooks of the year (CA) - https://apple.co/best-ab-2020

CANADA (EN)

Untamed, Glennon Doyle

Humankind, Rutger Bregman

The Skin We're In, Desmond Cole

The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett

The Sub-Tweet, Vivek Shraya

Missing from the Village, Justin Ling

Fair Warning, Michael Connelly

Take a Hint, Dani Brown, Talia Hibbert

Hench, Natalie Zine Walschots

More Myself, Alicia Keys

CANADA (FR)

Méditer pour être heureux

Quiproquos, Malcolm Gladwell

Canot Western. Laurette Laurin

Nickel Boys, Colson Whitehead

La bête intégrale, David Goudreault

Mafia, Inc, Andre Cedilot 

Ghetto X, Patrice Robitaille 

Pauline Marois, Élyse-Andrée Héroux  

Hunger Games - La Ballade du serpent et de l'oiseau chanteur, Suzanne Collins

La mort immortell, Liu Cixin

Apple Books: 2020's most popular fiction and non-fiction books (CA) - https://apple.co/top-books-2020

Apple Books: 2020's most popular fiction and non-fiction audiobooks (CA) - https://apple.co/top-ab-2020