Apple Showcases Top Apps of 2013, Candy Crush Saga and Minecraft Rule
Freeloading iOS users found a virtual sweet treat in 2013 as millions rushed to play Candy Crush Saga, the most downloaded free title on both the iPhone and iPad this past year, according to Apple. Whether or not you've played the game, you've probably heard of it before, especially if you have a Facebook account and/or relatives or friends. The game launched in November of last year to both iOS and Android, and since then has amassed over 500 million combined downloads, its developer claims.
On the paid side, it's no surprise that the highly addicting building game Minecraft - Pocket Edition topped the charts on both iPhone and iPad. On the iPhone, it beat out Heads Up!, Temple Run: Oz, Angry Birds Star Wars, and Plague Inc. for the top 5 spots, and on the iPad it was succeeded by Temple Run: Oz, Plants vs. Zombies HD, Angry Birds Star Wars HD, and Notability, the only non-game to break the top 5 on the iPad and one of only two to crack the top 10 spots.
Some interesting trends include the No. 5 ranking of Google Maps on iPhone, No. 9 ranking of Pandora Radio on iPhone, and No. 12 ranking of Pandora of iPad. With Google Maps still notching so many downloads, it shows that Apple still needs to do some work on its native maps software, or at least do a better job convincing users it's worth using. As for Pandora Radio, it was the only streaming music app to make the charts, which are ranked from numbers 1-15.
Apple's editors shared their own opinions on which apps stole the show in 2013. In the Editors' Choice category for 2013, Duolingo took App of the Year honors on the iPhone and Ridiculous Fishing won Game of the Year. For the iPad, Apple's editors chose Disney Animated and Badland.
On the paid side, it's no surprise that the highly addicting building game Minecraft - Pocket Edition topped the charts on both iPhone and iPad. On the iPhone, it beat out Heads Up!, Temple Run: Oz, Angry Birds Star Wars, and Plague Inc. for the top 5 spots, and on the iPad it was succeeded by Temple Run: Oz, Plants vs. Zombies HD, Angry Birds Star Wars HD, and Notability, the only non-game to break the top 5 on the iPad and one of only two to crack the top 10 spots.
Some interesting trends include the No. 5 ranking of Google Maps on iPhone, No. 9 ranking of Pandora Radio on iPhone, and No. 12 ranking of Pandora of iPad. With Google Maps still notching so many downloads, it shows that Apple still needs to do some work on its native maps software, or at least do a better job convincing users it's worth using. As for Pandora Radio, it was the only streaming music app to make the charts, which are ranked from numbers 1-15.
Apple's editors shared their own opinions on which apps stole the show in 2013. In the Editors' Choice category for 2013, Duolingo took App of the Year honors on the iPhone and Ridiculous Fishing won Game of the Year. For the iPad, Apple's editors chose Disney Animated and Badland.
