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As 2025 enters its final chapter, Apple has once again announced the finalists for its annual App Store Awards, which highlight the best apps and games, as determined by its App Store editors, across all its devices.
According to the press release, the App Store Awards “celebrate developers from around the world whose apps are improving people’s lives, and exemplify the very best in technical innovation, user experience, and design.”
The list of finalists is expansive, admittedly. There are six finalists, three apps and three games, selected for each of Apple’s big devices: iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Vision Pro. There are also three finalists for the best Apple Arcade game. And 12 finalists that fall in the “Cultural Impact” category.
In total, 45 apps and games have been named finalists in Apple’s 2025 App Store Awards.
Below, we’ve chosen to just highlight the three finalists for best iPhone apps. Apple is expected to announce the winner (across all its devices) in “the coming weeks.”
The iPhone App of the Year Finalists
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BandLab
Apple
BandLab
BandLab is a free, beginner-friendly song and beat-making app. It provides creators with intuitive tools to record, edit, and remix music, as well as apply various effects. They can also discover and collaborate with other creators. According to Apple, BandLab is a finalist for “helping musicians record and mix tracks with a community.”
LADDER is a strength-training app that provides users with coaches and programs so they can, step by step, work towards their fitness goals. According to Apple, it’s a finalist “for taking the guesswork out of strength training.”
Tiimo is a visual planner and calendar app for the neurodivergent community, including people with ADHD or autism. It’s designed to help them manage time and complete tasks. It also works with Live Activities, bringing the content to a person’s Lock Screen. According to Apple, it’s a finalist “for presenting to-dos in a way that feels a bit more calming.”
About the Author: Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol’s editorial team since 2014. With a passion for consumer tech and hi-fi, he tracks everything from headphones and turntables to smartphones and wearables. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.
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Apple
Apple
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