LOS ANGELES — You weren't the only ones addicted to a mobile confection in 2013.
Candy Crush Saga,
the smash hit game that millions played on subways, waiting at the bank
or hanging around the house, was the No. 1 most downloaded free app for
the iPhone in 2013, according to Apple.
The game itself, launched
in November 2012 and available for free on the Apple and Android
platforms, has over 500 million downloads and has been played over 150
billion times, according to developer King.
APP OF YEAR : Language app Duolingo is Apple's pick
Hit games — think Angry Birds, Words with Friends and FarmVille —
come and go as players navigate to the next big game. But King
co-founder Sebastian Knutsson thinks Crush can stay on top with frequent
updates. "We add new content every two to three weeks," he says. "It
allows you to play the whole saga in a new way."
Key takeaways from the rest of the top 10:
•
Communication apps are wildly popular. Vine, a brand new app from
Twitter that lets folks make funny six-second videos, was the fourth
most downloaded free app. Snapchat, home of photo messages that can
disappear within 10 seconds, is No. 6. Instagram, which began as a place
to share photos and has evolved into a popular social network (singer
Beyonce announced her new digital album on Instagram) is No. 7.
•
Despite heated music service competition from Apple, Clear Channel and
others, Pandora — the personalized music service — had a great year,
coming in at No. 9 on the free app download chart. Apple in September
introduced iTunes Radio, a similar service that many said could spell
the end of Pandora, and Clear Channel poured a lot of promotional muscle
into its iHeart Radio.
• Hot apps from 2012 left the top 10 in 2013. The game Draw Something and original Temple Runwere
on last year's top 10. The "Flashlight" app, Twitter, Pinterest and
Skype were all top downloads last year, but didn't make this year's top
10. YouTube, last year's top download, is No. 2 this year.
More
folks have Android phones worldwide, but apps are more widely used on
iPhones and iPads in the U.S. According to market researcher Quantcast,
65% of app usage in the U.S. is on Apple's iOS platform, compared with
32% for Android and the remainder for Windows Phone and BlackBerry.
"People
are more engaged with their apps on iPhones and iPads in the United
States," says Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray. "And most new
apps are released on iOS first."
THE TOP 10
1. Candy Crush Saga
2. YouTube
3. Temple Run 2
4. Vine
5. Google Maps
6. Snapchat
7. Instagram
8. Facebook
9. Pandora Radio
10. Despicable Me: Minion Rush
—
TOP PAID IPHONE
1. Minecraft
2. Heads Up!
3. Temple Run: Oz
4. Angry Birds Star Wars
5. Plague Inc.
6. Afterlight
7. Free Music Download Pro - Mp3 Downloader
8. Bloons TD 5
9. Sleep Cycle alarm clock
10. Plants vs. Zombies
—
TOP FREE IPAD
1. Candy Crush Saga
2. YouTube
3. Temple Run 2
4. Calculator for iPad Free
5. Skype for iPad
6. Netflix
7. Despicable Me: Minion Rush
8. iBooks
9. Facebook
10. The Weather Channel for iPad
TOP PAID IPAD
1. Minecraft – Pocket Edition
2. Pages
3. Temple Run: Oz
4. Plants vs. Zombies HD
5. Angry Birds Star Wars HD
6. Notability
7. Angry Birds Star Wars II
8. iMovie
9. The Room
10. Bad Piggies HD
—
2012 LIST
Last year's top free iPhone app downloads: 1. YouTube. 2. Instagram. 3. Draw Something. 4. Flashlight. 5. Facebook. 6. Pandora. 7. Temple Run. 8. Pinterest. 9. Twitter. 10. Skype
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