Apple released its annual list of the best and most popular products offered on its iTunes store. It highlights this year’s hottest iPhone and iPad applications, as well as the best films, TV shows and books.
Best Apps
According to Apple’s Best of 2014 list, the best iPhone app is Elevate – Brain Training. This free application aims at improving users’ speaking skills, math skills focus, processing speed and memory through different brain training games and daily workouts.
The best iPad app, on the other hand is Pixelmator. This is like Photoshop but for iPads. It is a powerful image-editing application and it supports tools for professional-grade colour correction, retouching, painting and many more.
Best Mobile Games
The top mobile game app for iPhone, according to the 2014 Best of iTunes list, is Threes! This puzzle game already won a number of awards, including one for best design. Moreover, it is believed to be the only app that could crush the Candy Crush Saga application game.
As for best iPad game, the crown went to Monument Valley. Although it is paid, it managed to accumulate an impressive fan base. In addition, it was praised for its beautiful design.
Best Music
In this category, Apple selected, 2014’s best music album, artist, song and best new artist. According to iTunes sales, Beyoncé was the hottest name in music industry this year. We remind you that last December she surprisingly dropped her latest album on iTunes and since then she’s been on top of the music charts. However, Beyoncé’s album is not the best of 2014. Young musician Taylor Swift took that award with her recently released “1989.” The most successful new artists on iTunes was Sam Smith. His song “Stay With Me” in both its original version and countless cover versions were almost subscribed to iTunes’ top 10 list this year.
According to Apple, best song of 2014 is Iggy Azalea’s Fancy featuring Charli XCX. The song was often compared to popular tunes of artists like Gwen Stefani, Missy Elliott and Fergie.
Best Movies
Apple announced “Guardians of the Galaxy” as the biggest blockbuster of 2014. The Best Director award, however, went to Richard Linklater for his work on the movie “Boyhood” which already got some Oscar buzz. “The LEGO Movie” was called Best Family Movie of the year, where as “Obvious Child” was recognized as Best Discovery.
Best TV Shows
The top-rated TV on iTunes in 2014 was “Fargo,” whereas “Key & Peele, Vol. 4” was called iTunes’ best breakthrough. HBO’s crime drama “True Detective” won Apple’s award for Best Performances and the British spy thriller miniseries “The Honourable Women” is 2014’s best discovery in the category TV shows.
Best Books
iTunes’ readers choose Anthony Doerr’s “All the Light We Cannot See” as their favourite fiction novel, which spend 28 week on the New York Times Best Seller list. Jeff Hobbs’ “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace” became readers’ favourite nonfiction book.
