Apple has released its annual list of what it believes were the year’s best apps and games across iOS, macOS, iPadOS, and tvOS and the trends which dominated their app stores. On top of that, the company revealed the apps and games that bagged the highest number of downloads over the course of the past year.
Despite a relatively late start, Nintendo’s free-to-play Mario Kart Tour was the most downloaded iPhone game of 2019, followed by Color Bump 3D, Aquapark, and Call of Duty: Mobile. Surprisingly, PUBG Mobile was absent from the top-20 charts, while Fortnite finished 8th. On the other hand, Microsoft’s Minecraft retained its lead on the premium games leaderboards outpacing the trivia title, Heads Up which often makes an appearance in the Ellen DeGeneres show.
Meanwhile, the apps list was fairly typical as, exactly like last year, YouTube accumulated the most downloads with Instagram and Snapchat trailing on the second and third positions. TikTok, which was 16th on last year’s report, skyrocketed to the fourth spot in 2019 leaving Facebook Messenger, Gmail, and Netflix behind.
Apple’s own editorial picks, however, are not based on numbers and instead, driven by how creative and cleverly designed they are. Spectre Camera, an A.I.-powered camera app for easily taking long-exposure shots, is Apple’s best iPhone app of 2019. What’s more, Sky: Children of the Light, a social-adventure title, has been crowned as the best iPhone game of 2019.
“Developers around the world inspire us all with innovative apps that have the power to influence culture and change our lives, and this year that is as true as ever. The 2019 App Store Best Apps and Games winners reflect our global desire for connection, creativity, and fun. We are excited to announce such a diverse group of 2019 App Store winners, showing that great design and creativity comes from developers large and small, and from every corner of the world,” said Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller.
Apple also added a special category for its new gaming subscription service, Apple Arcade this year and from over a hundred games, selected Sayonara Wild Hearts as the winner. Sayonara Wild Hearts was, incidentally, one of the few games Apple demoed at its September iPhone event.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.