In brief
Prisma won both Apple’s and Google Play’s best app honours in 2016. The article forecasts that AI will influence app development and that AR / VR apps could gain popularity in 2017, supported by Daydream and reported Apple plans.
Apple and Google have both released their lists of the best apps of 2016.
Apple’s App of the Year and Game of the Year were Prisma and Clash Royale, respectively. Prisma is a photo-editing app that uses artificial intelligence and neural network technology to transform users’ images into various artistic styles within seconds; Clash Royale is a multiplayer tower defence game. Apple’s outstanding app and game honours went to Meldy and Chameleon Run, respectively. The former is a music player, while the latter is a running game.
Google 2016 Apple Store Apps of the Year Selection
Google Play’s selection of outstanding apps reflects popularity trends in the Android smartphone app market. Google Play also named Prisma its App of the Year, while Pokémon GO rode its wave of popularity to take Game of the Year.
2017 App Market Forecast: Will AR / VR Products Take Off?
From 2011 to 2015, Apple’s Apps of the Year were Instagram, ActionMovie FX, Duolingo, Replay Video Editor and Enlight, respectively. Apart from Duolingo, a language-learning app, the other four were apps for photo or video post-production.
As in previous years, photography, video recording and music production apps occupy several places on Apple’s list this year. This once again demonstrates Apple’s determination to position its devices as tools for creative production. What differs this year is the use of new technologies.
Prisma’s artificial intelligence technology is one example. Features extracted from users’ photos are sent to the cloud, where neural network technology combines the photos with famous paintings to produce results far beyond those of ordinary filters. Such new technologies bring fresh vitality to apps and are expected to become a trend in app development.
Google’s selections for best app over the past few years have covered a wider variety of categories, including social and utility apps. What changes will Google Play see next year? Industry observers believe that, as Google opens up its Daydream platform, it is likely to accelerate the development of mobile VR. AR / VR apps are expected to become popular on Google Play starting next year.
The same trend applies to Apple. Media reports suggest that Apple will introduce AR / VR content at WWDC in 2017, encouraging developers to release related apps on IOS 。
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