NZ Indian Insights — Tech News | December 2025
Apple has officially revealed the winners of the 2025 App Store Awards, celebrating 17 apps and games that made a meaningful impact across creativity, innovation, design, productivity, fitness, entertainment, accessibility and storytelling.
Each year, Apple’s App Store editors choose apps that push boundaries — reflecting global culture and offering tools that improve day-to-day life. This year’s winners include apps for students, creators, fitness lovers, gamers and people seeking mental balance or artistic exploration.
For Indian and Kiwi-Indian communities in New Zealand, many of these apps deliver practical value in studies, work, fitness and creativity.
2025 App Store Awards
iPhone App of the Year — Tiimo
A smart, inclusive daily-planning app that blends friendly design with productivity tools — ideal for students, creatives, busy parents and professionals.
iPad App of the Year — Detail
An intuitive video creation app designed for creators and educators, offering simple but powerful editing using AI-enhanced tools.
Mac App of the Year — Essayist
A powerful writing assistant for structured essays, academic work and long-form content — useful for university students or professionals preparing research material.
Vision Pro App of the Year — Explore POV
An immersive experience that lets users explore environments and perspectives through a visually rich spatial interface.
Apple Watch App of the Year — Strava
The go-to fitness app earns recognition again — tracking movement, supporting challenges and encouraging community-based fitness motivation.
Apple TV App of the Year — HBO Max
Recognised for bringing cinematic entertainment, intuitive navigation and interactive experiences to living rooms.
Game of the Year Winners
iPhone Game of the Year — Pokémon TCG Pocket
A playful digital trading-card battler mixing nostalgia with modern mobile gameplay.
iPad Game of the Year — DREDGE
Atmospheric, mysterious and beautifully crafted — a standout choice for gamers who enjoy narrative exploration.
Mac Game of the Year — Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
The award-winning futuristic RPG continues its legacy with a smooth Mac experience.
Vision Pro Game of the Year — Porta Nubi
An engaging spatial game delivering an immersive, next-generation gaming experience.
Apple Arcade Game of the Year — WHAT THE CLASH?
A vibrant, chaotic and fun arcade-style adventure.
Cultural Impact Winners
These apps were honoured for promoting social awareness, accessibility, creativity and community support:
- Art of Fauna – celebrates nature-based creativity
- Chants of Sennaar – explores language, culture and puzzle-based learning
- despelote – delivers immersive storytelling
- Be My Eyes – enhances accessibility for blind and low-vision users
- Focus Friend – supports mindfulness and mental clarity
- StoryGraph – encourages reading habits and personalised book discovery
FAQs:
What are the App Store Awards?
An annual recognition event where Apple highlights the best apps and games across all its devices — acknowledging exceptional quality, innovation and real-world impact.
How many winners were selected in 2025?
A total of 17 winners were chosen from a broad list of finalists.
Who selects the winners?
Apple’s App Store editorial team evaluates apps based on design, technical excellence, cultural influence and user experience.
Are these award-winning apps available in New Zealand?
Yes, almost all major winners are available globally, including in New Zealand.
