Published on November 17, 2023, 7:36 pm
Image source: Fox News
TLDR: Apple's recent unveiling of its iPhone App of the Year finalists has sparked a discussion about whether the App Store is still the go-to place for new technology innovations. The finalists consist of well-established apps, which may lead some to believe that there aren't many new and interesting gems on the App Store. However, there are still exciting new releases out there, but they may require more extensive exploration and investigation to find. Some noteworthy new apps include Blank Spaces, Break The Web, Swipewipe, Corner, Feeeed, Bandto, and Hardcover. These apps offer unique experiences in categories such as home screen customization, news summaries, photo management, personalized maps, RSS reading with learning features, professional networking with AI algorithms, and social networking for book lovers.
Is the App Store still the go-to place for new technology innovations, or has AI development taken the spotlight? Apple’s recent unveiling of its iPhone App of the Year finalists raises this question. Surprisingly, the finalists include three well-established apps – hiking app AllTrails, language learning app Duolingo, and travel app Flighty. Rather than highlighting new releases that gained popularity this year, Apple has chosen these long-time favorites with a significant following. This selection seems to ignore the boom in AI-powered apps and may lead some to believe that there aren’t many new and interesting gems on the App Store.
However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The truth is that great new apps do exist but can be harder to find unless they go viral on platforms like TikTok through influencer marketing strategies. Additionally, the App Store’s editorial collections have become somewhat stagnant. The current collections on the Apps tab focus on specific categories like “best dating apps,” “best audio apps,” and “best streaming apps.” Unfortunately, these collections rarely include any surprises.
To discover hidden gems on both the App Store and Google Play now requires more extensive exploration and investigation. We took it upon ourselves to dig a little deeper and unearthed some fascinating (and relatively) new releases worth mentioning. We’re confident you’ll find at least one app on this list that sparks your interest or that you haven’t heard of yet.
Blank Spaces is a minimalist home screen “launcher” for iOS users. Although iPhones don’t support true launchers like Android devices, Blank Spaces offers a Home Screen widget that allows easy access to your most-used apps without distractions or clutter. If you’re trying to reduce screen time and break your addiction to certain apps, this tool could be useful. It even has potential for a dedicated “downtime” Focus mode where only this widget is accessible.
Break The Web is an intriguing way to stay up-to-date with the latest news and trends. This app provides real-time AI-powered summaries of online trends and news articles, ranked based on their virality. It also offers different viewpoints on stories, presenting a diversity of perspectives. Other features include trending alerts for breaking news and a daily AI-generated newsletter summarizing the day’s events. However, it’s essential to note that as an AI-powered app, there may be inaccuracies or potentially offensive content.
Swipewipe is a Camera Roll cleaning app aimed at making the task of clearing out unwanted photos more enjoyable. The app uses a Tinder-like swipe mechanism to help you decide whether to keep or delete each photo. If you accidentally swipe the wrong way, fear not – a simple tap lets you undo your decision. Swipewipe allows you to complete the task of managing your photos one month at a time while tracking your progress with a visual wheel on the main screen.
Corner is a personalized map and social app that helps users curate places they love or want to try and share them with friends. As you travel, you can add places from around the world that you’ve enjoyed or share links from various platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Maps. Corner utilizes AI technology to identify shared locations in links and save them to your Corner bucket list. Based on your usage patterns, Corner provides personalized recommendations tailored to your preferences.
Feeeed is an innovative RSS reader that offers more than just news articles from websites supporting RSS feeds; it also allows following YouTube channels, TikTok profiles, Reddit communities (subreddits), and even email newsletters. Alongside its reading feature, Feeeed includes flashcards for learning purposes while scrolling through content and reminders for tasks you need to complete. You can even track the weather or create a reading list for your saved items.
Bandto demonstrates an impressively forward-thinking concept by using AI algorithms for professional networking purposes. After linking your resume (such as your LinkedIn profile), you provide details about your industry, profession, and digital footprint. With added objectives like “Networking” or “Work with me,” Bandto matches professionals from various cities based on their objectives. It also enables joining professional networks related to your specific interests.
Hardcover is a social network designed for book lovers. It allows users to track their reading progress and connect with others who share similar interests in books. In addition to rating and reviewing books, the app helps users discover new titles through curated lists, trending recommendations, friends’ bookshelves, or genre and mood categories. Hardcover even provides a personalized Match Score to help you decide if a particular book aligns with your preferences. Users can import data from Goodreads, although the process involves downloading and uploading .csv files.
Although we may question the App Store’s prioritization of long-standing apps over innovative newcomers, it’s important to recognize that there are still exciting new releases out there if you’re willing to go beyond the popular charts and explore deeper. These apps offer unique experiences across different categories, so give them a try and see if any of them spark your interest!
Original article posted by Fox News
