Instagram Is Apple's 'iPhone App Of The Year': ITunes Rewind 2011

Apple has released its annual iTunes Rewind, a look back at the most popular content available in the App Store over the past year.

This year, top honors went to photo-sharing app Instagram, which Apple named "iPhone App of the Year." As Apple's reigning favorite, the app will be featured prominently in the App Store and is likely to see a significant surge in downloads.

Instagram lets you shoot photos, apply polaroid-like filters and share your creations on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and other popular social networks. Its attractive interface and ease-of-use has earned the iOS app between 14 million and 15 million downloads, according to figures listed by Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom at Thursday's LeWeb conference in Paris. CNET reports that Systrom also said two developers are currently working on an Android version of the app.

Last year's "App of the Year" award went to iPad newsreader Flipboard. An iPhone version of Flipboard debuted on December 7.

As for the rest of the iTunes Rewind 2011, Apple also chose Tiny Tower as its favorite gaming app for iPhone. When it comes to Apple's iPad favorites, the company selected photo app Snapseed as its "iPad App of the Year" and Dead Space as "iPad Game of the Year."

And what did iTunes customers choose as their favorite apps of the year? Well, it should come as no surprise that Angry Birds was one of the most popular apps on the iOS platform in 2011. In both the paid and free categories, Rovio's smash-hit game received the most downloads of any iPad app. The game was also the top seller among iPhone apps, while Facebook nabbed the top spot for most-downloaded free iPhone app. (Visit the Rewind landing page on iTunes to see the most popular apps in 21 categories.)

In addition to apps, the 2011 iTunes Rewind also highlights users' most-downloaded content in categories like Books, Music, TV Shows, Movies and Podcasts. Take a look at the slideshow (below) to see Apple's favorites. Read on to see users' 13 favorite free iPhone apps.

Comments

[ted green]

10:33 AM on 08/17/2012

My best app of the year is Timeline Eons:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/timeline-eons/id433352152?mt=8&ls=1

[Trompe loeil]

04:40 PM on 01/06/2012

I don't get the appeal of Angry Birds. For one thing, you have to buy add-ons if you want to advance after a certain point.

I'll take scrabble, sodoku and crossword, every time instead.

[Omar Khan]

05:50 PM on 12/12/2011

as a photographer, i hate instagram. i know i sound elitist, but it makes any fool with a phone think they're a photographer. people will no longer be able to tell the difference between the real art and the cheap crap.

[Auz]

05:30 PM on 12/12/2011

Right now I'm using safari and I can never see these images, can someone with expertise please explain why, sans the I hate everything apple bit. Would be greatly appreciated.

[Omar Khan]

05:51 PM on 12/12/2011

same thing happening on my mac, but im using chrome.

[One Last Time]

07:56 AM on 12/13/2011

Been like that w/ Chrome for a long, long time now. Before that, constant lockups here on Firefox. H P probably doesn't test of anything outside of IE. If they test at all.

[Seer Clearly]

03:58 PM on 12/11/2011

An app that is essentially a *game* is the top app for the year? I guess Apple's still not focused on Business.

[Draekia]

08:10 PM on 12/11/2011

People's downtime crosses many fields while business apps tend to be specific. There's a reason for that. Sheesh.

[jflorish]

05:43 PM on 12/10/2011

One of the best apps is mapquest for mobile, I like the way it speaks to you about turns approaching. Thats probably my favorite app. Other then news apps, sports, and games, voxer is also good.

[GirlInNYC]

06:18 AM on 12/10/2011

Ahhh, Instagram. So that's why every amateur's pics on Twitter and Facebook are over saturated and plagued with the same drag and drop filters.

[iPadGirl2011]

05:13 AM on 12/10/2011

Who were the judges this year? I think their are much better apps that were overlooked!

[dailyfiber]

12:01 AM on 12/10/2011

Apple products are the best. But they are way too expensive for me.

[elicourey]

09:15 PM on 12/09/2011

My favorite iPhone app is HuffPost

[GirlInNYC]

06:21 AM on 12/10/2011

Mine would be if it allowed some of the features the web version does like marking a post as a favorite.

[elicourey]

10:24 AM on 12/10/2011

true, i had to use the web version to favorite yours just now.

[Gerald Sheffield]

08:28 PM on 12/09/2011

What's the primary use of your iPad/ tablet? No sarcasm. I want a "real" person's analysis. Is it a great blogging tool? Is it a great teleconference tool? I welcome a business perspective please.

[dailyfiber]

11:44 PM on 12/09/2011

Gerald--I know a handful of people with iPads. In functionality they use it in place of a laptop primarily to send and receive email, use the web, and use business related software applications (apps). They also use it to view subscriptions to NY Times, Wall Street Journal and other paid subscriptions. Also, to a lesser extent, watch videos and listen to music.

[Gerald Sheffield]

07:28 AM on 12/10/2011

Perfect. Thanks.

[RichPal]

11:33 AM on 12/10/2011

I use mine on a daily, if not hourly basis, to update clients' spreadsheets. Also the 3G version is an invaluable tool when on the road for staying up to date with email etc.

[Gerald Sheffield]

06:44 PM on 12/10/2011

ok great thanks!

[2crudedudes]

03:03 PM on 12/09/2011

"Instagram lets you shoot photos, apply polaroid-like filters and share your creations on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and other popular social networks."

This is what people are using iPads for? You couldn't get a digital camera for that?

[Brian Hudson]

03:45 PM on 12/09/2011

iPhones, not iPads. And phones have largely replaced digital cameras for many.

[starrigavan]

04:13 PM on 12/09/2011

You could get a digital camera. Or you could get a device that lets you video chat, surf the web, check your email, read books, play games, watch movies, listen to music, and yes, take pictures.

[ceez]

05:24 PM on 12/09/2011

I'll stick to my digital camera for pictures and the rest for my 'smart' phone. no camera on a phone can replace what a good camera can do. and by good I mean a decent canon digital starting at 200 bones.

[GirlInNYC]

06:26 AM on 12/10/2011

LOL! Great answer.

[solid]

02:22 PM on 12/09/2011

Wasting Light is a great album. Not sure it is the best of the year, but it is a strong effort by the Fighters.

[Jason Cocovinis]

02:14 PM on 12/09/2011

While Instagram is nice - the best Musical Theatre App of the Year, is clearly MTIshows:)

http://itunes.apple.com/app/mtishows/id470971988?mt=8

[chereen]

01:59 PM on 12/09/2011

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