Moments later Apple unveiled its picks for the best iOS apps and games of 2019, Google has announced its Best of Play annual winners. The list highlights apps and games that Google thinks represented the best of Android over the past year and, unlike Apple, also includes a User’s Choice section which reveals the results of the polls Google has been running on Android for the last couple of weeks.
Activision’s Call of Duty: Mobile beat PUBG Mobile and Fortnite to secure both the Users’ Choice and the best Android game of the year by Google titles. Google didn’t mention any runner-ups, however the nominations for Users’ Choice Game comprised of Assassin’s Creed Rebellion, Angry Birds Dream Blast, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and more. In comparison, Apple’s game of the year was a much less mainstream one called Sky: Children of the Light.
“The Best Game of 2019 should be fun, accessible, and deliver compelling gameplay that’s a blast to play. It also needs to push the boundaries of what we expect on mobile, and this year’s winner does all of that without skipping a beat,” wrote Google in the Play Store post.
On the other hand, Google picked Ablo, a social network that translates languages in real time during video calls and text conversations, letting you easily connect with new people from around the world, as the best Android app of 2019.
“This year, one app truly stood out from the rest: it surprised and delighted us with its ingenuity and polish. Beautifully designed and thoughtfully executed, it’s our Best App of 2019,” added Google.
Meanwhile, video-editing app, InShot Video Editor took home the Users’ Choice App award vanquishing nominations such as Ablo, Scripts by Drops, Enlight Pixaloop, and Peloton.
Google did not announce which apps accumulated the highest number of downloads in 2019. But it did declare the best apps and games in several different categories. Appy Weather led the Best Everyday Essentials bracket, exercise equipment maker Peloton in Best Apps for Personal Growth, CERN’s Big Bang AR in Best Hidden Gems, and many more. You can browse all the winners on the Google Play Store.
Oddly, Google’s Best of Play list didn’t feature any mention of its gaming subscription service Play Pass. Apple, on the contrary, added a special category for Apple Arcade this year.