Apple has announced its App Store awards for the year, and the results may come as a surprise to some. Despite ChatGPT being the current top app on the iPhone App Store in the US, Apple has named Kino, a newer app for videographers, as its iPhone App of the Year.

Kino, launched this spring by Lux, the company behind the professional photography app Halide, offers in-app lessons and features that help iPhone owners get more out of their cameras. The app was one of three finalists for the top App Store award, alongside Runna, an app for tailoring running plans, and Tripsy, an app for organizing travels.

Notably, AI-powered apps did not make the cut for the top list of iPhone app finalists. This decision is seen as a deliberate move by Apple to downplay the technology that has had a significant impact on the lives of mobile consumers since the invention of the iPhone or App Store itself. However, AI-powered apps did win in other categories, including Mac App of the Year, Adobe Lightroom, which has several AI features, and iPad App of the Year, Moises, which offers AI tools for musicians.

These apps, which focus more on artistic endeavors, are arguably more human-centric than those powered fully by AI, such as AI chatbots. This aligns with Apple's goal of showcasing how its devices are used by creative professionals. The company's emphasis on human-centric apps may be a deliberate attempt to highlight the creative potential of its devices, rather than their ability to simply process information.

In addition to Kino, other winning apps included Apple Watch App of the Year, Lumy; Apple TV App of the Year, F1 TV; Apple Vision Pro App of the Year, and Disney's What If…? An Immersive Story. Winning games were AFK Journey as iPhone Game of the Year; Supercell's Squad Busters as iPad Game of the Year; Panic's Thank Goodness You're Here! as Mac Game of the Year; and Puddle's THRASHER: Arcade Odyssey as Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year. The Apple Arcade Game of the Year was Balatro+ from Playstack Ltd.

App Store editors also picked six cultural impact winners, which represent other standout apps Apple wanted to honor. These include Oko, which helps blind and low-vision users navigate; language learning app EF Hello; art exploration app DailyArt; the ever-popular NYT Games; cinematic and narrative game The Wreck; and educational app for those living with HIV, Do You Really Want to Know? 2.

The App Store awards provide a glimpse into Apple's vision for its ecosystem, highlighting the company's focus on creativity, human-centric design, and accessibility. As the tech giant continues to shape the mobile landscape, its choices will likely have a significant impact on the direction of app development and innovation.