iOS Today 757: Apple Design Awards 2025

Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard go over Apple's 2025 Design Award winners, exploring groundbreaking apps that showcase the best of Apple's platforms. From AI-powered language learning tools to visually stunning adventure games, these winners represent the pinnacle of mobile innovation and design excellence.

Delight and Fun Category

• CapWords - Revolutionary language learning app that transforms everyday objects into interactive stickers, supporting nine languages with AI-powered photo recognition
• Balatro - Award-winning poker-inspired deck builder that cleverly teaches poker fundamentals while delivering addictive gameplay across multiple platforms

Innovation Category

• Play - Developer-focused app enabling interactive SwiftUI prototype creation with seamless cross-device syncing between iPhone and Mac
• PBJ, the Musical - Quirky Shakespeare adaptation telling Romeo and Juliet with condiments as characters, featuring original soundtracks and creative storytelling

Interaction Category

• Taobao - Pioneering Apple Vision Pro shopping experience with photorealistic 3D models allowing users to visualize furniture and products in their actual spaces
• DREDGE - Atmospheric horror fishing adventure with seamless gameplay continuity across iPhone, iPad, and Mac platforms

Inclusivity Category

• Speechify - Accessibility-focused text-to-speech app supporting 50+ languages and hundreds of voices, designed for users with dyslexia, ADHD, and low vision
• Art of Fauna - Beautiful wildlife puzzle game featuring vintage-style artwork with full voiceover support and innovative block-based puzzle mechanics

Social Impact Category

• Watch Duty - Critical wildfire tracking app providing real-time evacuation updates and emergency information faster than traditional services
• Neva - Emotionally resonant adventure game exploring environmental themes through the relationship between a girl and her wolf companion

Visuals and Graphics Category

• Feather - Intuitive iPad app enabling users to transform 2D designs into stunning 3D models using touch and Apple Pencil interactions
• Infinity Nikki - Visually spectacular open-world adventure game featuring magical outfits, whimsical creatures, and breathtaking rendering quality

Shortcuts Corner

• New "Use Model" action in Shortcuts enables cloud, local, or ChatGPT model integration for AI-powered automation
• Apple's Shortcuts Gallery now features dedicated Apple Intelligence examples including leftover recipe generation and PDF summarization

App Caps

Mikah's Pick: Gigapixel

• AI-powered photo upscaling app that enhances image resolution and quality using sophisticated machine learning models
• Features standard and low-res enhancement modes plus specialized face recovery for portrait photographs
• Particularly useful for printing older photos or enlarging images without quality loss

Rosemary's Pick: Dark Noise

• Premium white noise app enabling custom sound mixing with extensive library of ambient sounds
• Supports audio layering with other apps, iCloud sync across devices, and Siri Shortcuts integration
• Includes whimsical features like "unnamed goose mode" and developer-friendly privacy controls

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