Presenting the Apple App Store's best of the best in 2017

Enlight Videoleap and 'Splitter Critters' were the best apps on the iPhone in 2017.

The App Store has been a powerhouse for Apple recently; as part of its Services division, it has been consistently making record runs as of late.
So how about identifying the apps and trends that stood out this year?
Apple just revealed the cream of the crop of the App Store in 2017 - find out if you're using any apps that follow, or up-to-date with the latest, most popular trends.
 
iPhone App of the Year: Enlight Videoleap
Even professionals are turning to the victor of 2017 for the iPhone. It has a simple interface akin to Apple's own iMovie, but with a lot more neater tricks. It has powerful editing tools, such as layer-based editing, precise editing and a whole lotta special effects. It may sound that high-end, but you don't have to be a pro to get a grip on it; even amateurs (maybe even kids) are creating videos they want with it.

iPad App of the Year: Affinity Photo
If you've used the award-winning desktop version of this app, you'll find it even more fun on the iPad; it's fully optimised to make full use of the device's touch capabilities and hardware. Process your RAW images, resize layers without loss of quality and anything else you can think of with those photos you'd long wanted to tinker with. It's a whole new way to interact with those images.


iPhone Game of the Year: Splitter Critters
What's the best way to navigate to survive in colourful planets full of danger? Split the world with your finger, rearrange them and guide those cute critters to their spaceship and off to safety. It's a really unique game using innovative mechanics, but the best part is that you'll be compelled to think in new ways.


iPad Game of the Year: The Witness
To some extent, this reminds me of the original King's Quest series on the PC (minus the dragons and humorous shenanigans). The only difference is that you're not saving a kingdom, because you're trying to save yourself, who, for some reason, ended up on an island with no memory at all. So go ahead and explore the place, look for clues and finally find your way home. The over 500 puzzles in the open-world setting are sure to challenge you.
 
Well, Apple just isn't counting the apps that rose to the top of the rankings. The top trends were also equally important, as it gave us an idea of what people are really up to when they're on their iOS device.
At the top of the list is augmented reality (AR), and it's no surprise; Apple debuted its highly-touted ARKit developer platform this year, where we can enjoy the marriage of the real and virtual worlds.
Among the apps that have made an impact using AR are MeasureKit, which allows you to measure anything - anything - from someone's height to the dimensions of any object you may come across. Night Sky, meanwhile, is a virtual planetarium that helps you understand the universe; imagine if they incorporate the Marvel Cinematic Universe into it. Filmr, on the other hand, is a video-editing app that allows you to insert creatures like dwarfs, unicorns and even aliens into videos you've shot, while Follow Me Dragon is basically a Tamagotchi with an AR twist.
Lifestyle apps were also in the mainstream, focusing on reducing stress and mindfulness. A lot of developers used the latest research on cognitive behavioural therapy, allowing more effective apps that'll suit your needs.
Meditation app Headspace expanded this year with new topics, including mindfulness for children to give them better sleep. Lake: Artists' Coloring Books and Bloom provide you with de-stressing colouring challenges, while Aura gives you daily three-minute guided meditation sessions.
Who doesn't love to watch their favourite shows and films on-the-go? Streaming services Netflix and Starz Play has practically anything for everyone, while beIN Connect guarantees you won't miss any minute of sports action. And for those looking for some local flavour, Shahid has the largest library of Arabic content.
And no list such as this is complete without games. Four games stood out on the App Store this year, including Modern Combat Versus, Art of War: Red Tides and Titanfall: Assault all give you that combative mood not just against AI, but from players from all over the world. And CATS: Crash Arena Turbo Stars - I've seen a lot of ads for this one at one point - allows you to build killer cars and run roughshod over your opponents. And your machine's driver? Well, cats.
With the proliferation of more innovation in the mobile world, we won't be surprised if there'll be more stand-outs in 2018 - and in the years to come.
Finally, in the entertainment scene, Ed Sheeran received album of the year honours with '÷' (divide), while Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's Despacito was the top song. Amr Diab's album Meaddy El Nas, meanwhile, shot up to No.3 on the 2017 Arab qorld top album charts. Khalid, Daniel Caesar and 6LACK - artists of Apple Music Up Next 2017 - all earned Grammy nominations as part of their successes this year.
And when it comes to movies, Disney's Moana topped everyone else, followed by Trolls and The Boss Baby. iTunes is also making huge strides when it comes to 4K HDR content; most of top titles, plus holiday and classic ones, are already in this format, including Home Alone, Office Christmas Party, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the Harry Potter series.
- alvin@khaleejtimes.com