Here they are: Apple's pick of the year's best iOS apps

It’s been a long year, full of surprises from Apple, but some things never change. Case in point: Cupertino’s pick of the App Store’s greatest hits, which were published by Apple earlier today. Let’s take a look at the applications which made the final selection.

The best of the bunch

First up, the big one. Apple’s iOS app of the year, for 2015, went to Periscope. This app, which is developed by Twitter, allows iOS device owners to live stream video to their Twitter feeds, and is a powerful tool for sharing news or even just for offering glimpses into users’ lives. Somewhat controversially, Periscope wasn’t the first Twitter-powered live streaming app for iOS (Meerkat beat Periscope to the punch). But that hasn’t stopped Apple handing its App Store garland over to Twitter’s own application.

The best iOS game of the year, on the other hand, went to Lara Croft GO. We celebrated this application in our original review, giving it a near-perfect score of four and a half out of five. In terms of graphics, effects, and gameplay, Lara Croft GO really does tick all the boxes. Like Periscope, it’s a worthy winner.

The best of the rest

There were plenty of runners up, and we’ve included lists below of Apple’s top 25 apps and games. Workflow, however, was given a special mention by Cupertino: it ranked at No. 4 in Apple’s chart, but was also labelled the App Store’s “most innovative” application of 2015. We’ve been covering Workflow since it launched, and it’s an application many of us use each and every day to get work done. As such, I couldn’t imagine a more innovative iOS release for 2015.

Apple also highlighted the best applications for iPhone 6s. Instagram received the title of the “best app” for Apple’s pressure sensitive handset, while Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade was awarded the title of “best game.” The top grossing app was Clash of Clans, and Game of War – Fire Age came in at second place.

Here are Apple’s top iOS apps:

Periscope

Enlight

Robinhood

Workflow

Instagram

HBO NOW

Hopper

Darkroom

Lark

The Everything Machine

Pacemaker

Tandem

Jet

Timeline

Vee for Video

Fit Men Cook

Spark

RefME

Wildcard

Paper by FiftyThree

GIPHY CAM

PRY

Reuters TV

Zova

Blue Apron

And here, on the other hand, are Apple’s top games:

Lara Croft GO

Fallout Shelter

Mr Jump

Dark Echo

Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft

Vainglory

Dungeon Boss

Puzzle Craft 2

PAC-MAN 256

You Must Build A Boat

AG Drive

MARVEL Contest of Champions

Horizon Chase – World Tour

Shadowmatic

Wonky Ship

Super Sharp

Last Voyage

Ski Safari 2

Downwell

Rayman Adventures

Afterpulse

Psych! Outwit Your Friends

HoPiKo

Blades of Brim

The lists, however, aren’t based on sales figures. Instead, the App Store’s editorial team work carefully to make their selections based on a range of different factors. Head over to the App Store to check out the full breakdown for yourself.