With its list of Apple Design Awards winners, Apple celebrates indie apps and startups against larger tech companies — including those that offer AI chatbots.
At a time when its App Store model has been challenged by lawmakers and regulators alike, Apple’s annual list of the best and most technically innovative software available on its platform turns its attention to the little guy. For example, ChatGPT is not listed as a finalist in Apple’s Design Awards. In contrast, Apple’s list of Design Awards finalists favored small to mid-sized app makers Copilot Money, SmartGymrecipe application Croutoncreative application Create dreams, Smoother streakand more, as well as from venture-backed startups like the Rooms creativity app and the redesigned web browser Arc search.
The latter has built-in AI with an agent that navigates for you and a new feature that lets you ask questions by holding the phone up to your ear in “Call Arc,” but it’s the only app on the list with a description that mentions the technology that’s taken it by storm the App Store – and the tech industry at large – over the past year.
Although ChatGPT launched last year to record downloads, both Apple and Google have shied away from naming it “app of the year” in 2023. ADAs would give Apple another chance to support the innovation—or any AI chatbot— but still overlooked. (The fact that Apple has an OpenAI partnership in the works could be one reason why, although conflicts of interest have never stopped the tech giant!).
Among the finalists were a number of indie games such as Rhythm from Copenhagen Floppy Club; match-three puzzle finiteness in Apple Arcade; The Shipwreck by an independent game studio based in Paris The Pixel Hunt; The bear from the self-proclaimed German “strange creations” Muck Games; and others.
The non-gaming apps that Apple has chosen to highlight this year are also often indie efforts, such as Think, a meditation timer from India-based indie developer RhythmicWorks Software. sun tracking app Sunlit, by a small team led by indie developer Nicolas Mariniello, based in Italy. design application Dudel Draw from indie outfit Stupid little apps in the USA; calendar application It brings Gratitude by Australian developer Isuru Wanasinghe. and Things Inc Rooms, a creative app for designing imaginative spaces in 8-bit style, designed by ex-Googlers and powered by a16z. (Apple has doubly blessed Rooms by designating it in two categories, in fact.)
That’s not to say there aren’t some bigger developers on the finalist list, like South Korea’s Neowiz, a contender for Lies of P title; 505 Games’ Death Stranding Director’s Cut; Honkai: Star Rail by Genshin Impact creator HoYoverse. and Activision Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, for example. But in these cases, Apple makes its choices in part due to the use of Apple technologies such as MetalFX or optimizations for M1 and higher chips (or perhaps the use of in-app purchases!).
Other titles that got the nod this year include finalists What car?, NYT Games, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Cityscapes: Sim Builder, How We Feel, Front: Emotions Coach, The bear, Lost in Play, Wave length, Little Nightmaresand a small handful of apps and games built for the Vision Pro, such as Black box, Loona, Synth Ridersplus djay, NBA and Sky guide. Notably, several of these were originally built for iOS and then ported to Vision Pro.
Inclusiveivity also strengthens Apple’s global app community, including members in the EU where regulation is ongoing through the Digital Markets Act. In this section, Apple’s nominations include an app for users with low vision ok (Belgium); the one focused on diversity Complete Anatomy 2024 (Ireland); Tiimo (Denmark), an app for neurodeviant users. and games Unpacking (sold from the digital storefront Humble Package), Quadline by Ukrainian Kovalov Ivan, and Crayola Adventures.
Apple Design Award (ADA) 2024 winners
As for the ADA winners, Apple selected a smaller set of apps and games that represented values and capabilities it endorsed, including “Delight and Fun,” “Inclusivity,” “Innovation,” “Interaction,” “Social Impact,” “ Visual and Graphics” and “Spatial Computing”.
Among the finalists above, Apple has chosen the following winners:
This article was originally published on May 28, 2024. It was updated on June 6, 2024 to reflect the list of winners.
