12 Jun 2015
Does Apple Know a Good App When it Sees One?
Does Apple Know a Good App When it Sees One?
The Apple Design Awards existed before the App Store but the apps are the true star of the show now. The annual event is part of the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) and it recognizes apps that stand out for their design, technology, and innovation.
Every winner gets an aluminum cube topped by a glowing Apple logo and, of course, the endorsement of the company, which can mean that much more in app downloads. This year, Apple selected:
- Shadowmatic – A puzzle game Apple picked in part for its “gorgeous atmospheric environments rendered with highly realistic textures and shadows.”
- Metamorphabet – An interactive letter game that Apple says has “outstanding creativity, convincing physics, smooth animations, and exploratory design.”
- Robinhood – A stock-trading app that gives crowdsourced tips and also works on WatchOS.
- Crossy Road – Like Frogger but with chickens. It has “heart and personality,” Apple says.
- Workflow – An app to unite apps and actions, a bit like IFTTT.
- Does Not Commute – A harrowing driving game in which you dodge objects and reveal a small town’s secrets.
- Vainglory – A real-time, multiplayer battle game.
- Pacemaker – Not what you’d think from the name, Pacemaker is a music-mixing app that integrates with Spotify and iTunes.
That list is nice, but will they be around a year from now. How good is Apple at picking a real-life winner of an iPhone app? Let’s look at past winners and how well some of them have fared.
malikmuddser