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