Apple has named Periscope the iPhone App of the Year

There are many things that defined this year’s app landscape, but few trends were as widely embraced by app developers as live streaming was. Alongside virtual reality, live streaming is considered by many to be the future of entertainment and media consumption, and numerous companies decided to hop on the bandwagon this year. Apple recognizes this, which is why the company decided to name Periscope, which is the Twitter-owned app that allows users to live stream whatever they want from their smartphone, the iPhone App of the Year, calling it a “game-changer.”

If you noticed video updates this year coming from the likes of celebrities Jimmy Fallon and Ellen DeGeneres, US presidential candidate Donald Trump, citizen journalists or your friends, well, you’re not alone. The live video-streaming app Periscope took off big-time in 2015; now, Apple has named it the coveted iPhone App of the Year in its annual year-end ranking of the best in mobile tech. “This game-changer made sharing and watching live videos an instant obsession,” said Apple in offering the nod. The company also announced its favourite games of the year in Lara Croft Go for iPhone and Prune for iPad. The best iPad app award was given to Robot Factory. You can see the full list of awards for your device by opening iTunes. Periscope co-founder and CEO Kayvon Beykpour says he was “shocked” to get the news. “This is one of the most prestigious honours you can be given.” Periscope launched in March, but had already been snapped up by Twitter for $US86 million shortly before the debut. The app, which is available for Apple and Android devices, has been downloaded over 10 million times. Using it is simple: You open the app, click broadcast, title your subject, start recording and now your Twitter followers can tune right into your video feed.