Today, Apple unveiled the list of the most popular apps and games (free and paid) for iPhone and iPad in 2018 and you’ll find below the top 10 charts for each category.
This year, Battle Royale-style games like Fortnite and PUBG Mobile dominated global gaming culture with exciting, last-player-standing action, while innovative apps like Fabulous, Shine, 10% Happier and Headspace expanded the practice of wellness around the world to make self-care more accessible than ever before, said Apple.
Atherton Research’s Take
In the free app category, Google’s YouTube was the most downloaded app on both iPhone and iPad, while Messenger, the Facebook app, Gmail, Netflix also appeared in the top 10 for both iOS devices.
On the iPhone, the most popular apps are predominantly for communication (Instagram, Snapchat, Messenger, Facebook, Bitmoji and Gmail), whereas apps on the iPad tend to be more video-oriented (YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Kids).
On the iPhone paid apps side, selfie-editor FaceTune ($3.99) and drawing iPad app Procreate ($9.99)—which was also awarded best iPhone app of the year by Apple “editors”— took the top spots.
In the free games category, Fortnite is the absolute winner on both iPhone and iPad. Hole.io, Rise Up, Helix Jump, Love Balls, and Rules of Survival were also popular on both iOS platforms.
Froggipedia is an augmented-reality educational app which explores the life cycle and intricate anatomical details of a frog and won Apple’s 2018 iPad App of the Year award.DESIGNMATE
In paid games, Heads Up! ($2.99) won the crown on iPhone—it was also the #5 most popular paid games on iPad—while Microsoft’s Minecraft ($6.99) was the most popular on the iPad and the second most downloaded app on the iPhone. Geometry Dash, Bloons TD 6, and The Game of Life were also popular paid games on both iOS platforms.
On a side note, Apple also named its own favorites apps, selected by “editors” working at the tech giant.
On the iPhone, Apple selected drawing app Procreate Pocket and Donut County (a story-based physics puzzle game where you play as an ever-growing hole in the ground) as its app and game of the year, respectively.
On the iPad, the Silicon Valley company chose Froggipedia (an augmented-reality educational app which explores the life cycle and intricate anatomical details of a frog) and puzzle-game Gorogoa as this year’s app and game, respectively.
Top 10 Free iPhone Apps:
YouTube
Instagram
Snapchat
Messenger
Facebook
Bitmoji
Netflix
Google Maps
Gmail
Spotify Music
Top 10 Paid iPhone Apps:
Facetune ($3.99)
Kirakira+ ($0.99)
Dark Sky Weather ($3.99)
HotSchedules ($2.99)
PlantSnap ($2.99)
AutoSleep Tracker for Watch ($2.99)
Sky Guide ($2.99)
1 Second Everyday: Video Diary ($4.99)
The Wonder Weeks ($2.99)
Afterlight 2 ($2.99)
Top 10 Free iPhone Games:
Fortnite
Helix Jump
Rise Up
PUBG Mobile
Hole.io
Love Balls
Snake VS Block
Rules of Survival
Roblox
Dune!
Top 10 Paid iPhone Games:
Heads Up! ($2.99)
Minecraft ($6.99)
Plague Inc. ($0.99)
Bloons TD 6 ($4.99)
Pocket Build ($1.99)
Bloons TD 5 ($2.99)
Geometry Dash ($1.99)
The Game of Life ($2.99)
Papa’s Freezeria To Go ($0.99)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ($6.99)
Top 10 Free iPad Apps:
YouTube
Netflix
Messenger
Facebook
Amazon Prime Video
Google Chrome
Gmail
YouTube Kids
The Calculator
Amazon Shopping
Top 10 Paid iPad Apps:
Procreate ($9.99)
Notability ($9.99)
GoodNotes 4 ($7.99)
Toca Life: Pets ($3.99)
Duet Display ($9.99)
Toca Life: After School ($3.99)
XtraMath ($4.99)
Toca Hair Salon 3 ($3.99)
MyScript Nebo ($7.99)
Toca Kitchen 2 ($3.99)
Top 10 Free iPad Games:
Fortnite
Roblox
Kick the Buddy
Love Balls
Helix Jump
Color by Number Coloring Game!
Bowmasters – Multiplayer Game
Hole.io
Rise Up
Rules of Survival
Top 10 Paid iPad Games:
Minecraft ($6.99)
Geometry Dash ($1.99)
The Game of Life ($2.99)
The Room: Old Sins ($4.99)
Heads Up! ($0.99)
Bloons TD 6 ($4.99)
Goat Simulator ($4.99)
Five Nights at Freddy’s ($2.99)
Lego Jurassic World ($4.99)
Terraria ($4.99)
Jean Baptiste “JB” Su is Vice-President and Principal Analyst at Atherton Research, a global technology consulting and intelligence firm advising clients plan, build and deliver successful go-to-market strategies. You can follow him on LinkedIn (https://goo.gl/z5zGlx) or Twi… MORE
Author: Jean Baptiste is a Vice-President and Principal Analyst at Atherton Research, a global technology intelligence firm advising clients deliver successful go-to-market strategies.
Read more online: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeanbaptiste/2018/12/04/apple-unveils-2018s-most-popular-apps-youtube-fortnite-minecraft-and-more/#d59c1460dcd8