They're what changed how we worked and how we played. They're what compelled us to replace the devices on our wrist, in our pocket, on our laps or desks, and in our living rooms. They're what dictated the look of our home screens and our docks.
They're the devices and features, gear and accessories, and apps and games that filled us with surprise and delight, got us to forget what came before, and made it impossible for us to imagine how we ever lived without them.
They're our 2016 iMore Award winners!
Best of the Year
Best Apple device:
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 7 Plus didn't just bring a bigger screen and battery this year, it brought a significantly better camera with optical zoom and portrait mode. And that got everyone's attention. — Rene Ritchie
Runner Up: iPad Pro 9.7-inch
Best iOS Feature
Portrait Mode
iOS packed a ton of great features into its 2016 update, but the best feature of all came in iOS 10.1. Portrait Mode exemplifies the best of Apple's software engineering smarts, creating incredible photos that, in some cases, rival DSLRs. It may be exclusively for the iPhone 7 Plus this year, but it's a sure sign of what's to come for Apple's smartphone cameras. — Serenity Caldwell
Runner up: Differential Privacy Messages
Best macOS Feature
Apple Pay
Get ready to shop til' you drop, except you won't drop because you won't be exhausted, because all you have to do to buy stuff on macOS now is click on Apple Pay. You can confirm the payment via Apple Watch or iPhone, and if you have a MacBook Pro with Touch ID, all you need is your fingerprint. It really makes online shopping a breeze. — Lory Gil
Runners up: Auto Unlock Siri for Mac
Best watchOS Feature
Activity Sharing
Of watchOS's many great new features this year, none got me moving and motivated more than Activity Sharing: If Rene can get a workout in walking five miles in the snow, I can definitely pick up a few heavy things. — Serenity Caldwell
Runners up: Fast Watch Face Switching Breathe
Best tvOS Feature
TV app
The TV app turned out to be a pleasant surprise, even for cable cordcutters. It makes it easy to keep track of shows and movies you watch without having to remember which app you were watching it in, and it also helps you discover new content you didn't know was available to you through all of the various services. — Lory Gil
Runners up: Siri enhancements
Story of the Year
FBI vs. Apple
The FBI wanted Apple to create a back door into iOS. Apple said 'no'. The skirmish ended with the FBI finding another way, but the war over privacy has just begun. — Rene Ritchie
Runners up: Pokémon Go No new Mac desktops
Best of iPhone
Best iPhone app
Cardiogram
The Apple Watch measures your heart beat, but Cardiogram makes sense of it: This iPhone app gives you detailed heart history, averages, and even hooks into heart studies to help make people healthier around the globe. — Serenity Caldwell
Runners up: Ulysses djay Pro
Best iPhone game
Pokémon Go
To call Pokémon Go a phenomena is to undersell it. A beloved franchise found new life and the greatest spike in initial interest imaginable in a modern, mobile, agumented reality, geo-location world. — Rene Ritchie
Runners up: Reigns Super Mario Run
Best iPhone accessory
AirPods
Apple taketh the 3.5mm headphone jack from iPhone, but giveth AirPods, which use the new W1 chip to make pairing and switching between devices easier than ever before. And they shipped in time for this award! More... — Rene Ritchie
Runners up: Moment Lens Kit
Best photography app
Prisma
In a world of basic filters, 3D dog faces, and oversaturated, overbearing editing tools, Prisma stood out like a white knight who just destroyed a poorly-edited dragon. This incredibly creative mobile app lets users become true artists and manipulate their photos in totally new, non-cliche ways. Plus, it's super addicting. — Cella Lao Rousseau
Runners up: FiLMiC Pro Obscura Camera
Best Messages app
Square Cash
We use Square Cash constantly when splitting dinner checks or paying rent, and its Messages app makes the process even easier: Just select the amount you want to send, press pay, and watch it go! — Serenity Caldwell
Runners up: Momento Giphy
Best sticker pack
Grammar Snob
The funniest, worst thing you can do to a friend or enemy is to start red-lining the mistakes in their messages. Grammer Snob lets you do just that. I want to use it constantly... and punch it in the face every time it's used on me. — Rene Ritchie
Runners up: CARROT Weather Bitmoji
Best Maps app
Open Table
Why deal with Open Table's fussy web interface when you can reserve a table directly from Apple Maps? The big blue Reserve button appears for any restaurant that supports the reservation service, allowing you to quickly snag a table at your favorite place. — Serenity Caldwell
Runners up: Uber
Best Siri app
Skype
"Skype Serenity." "Call Georgia on Skype." "Message Mikah using Skype" — Combine Microsoft's communicator with Apple's new Siri apps and you get old world networking with new world ease. — Rene Ritchie
Runners up: Venmo ZOVA
Best 3D Touch app
djay Pro
Not only did Algoriddim manage to pack all of djay Pro's features into the much-smaller-than-iPad-or-Mac iPhone interface, they took advantage of something unique to the platform: full-on Taptic support. So, now, you don't just have to look at the beat — you can feel it! — Rene Ritchie
Runners up: NOISE Badland 2
Best iPhone case
Sena Lugano Wallet
With the iPhone 7 Plus's extra girth taking up more space in our bags and pockets, a great wallet case was a must for reducing clutter and having necessities on your person at all times. The Lugano case is a beautiful, slim leather option that lets you carry your cards without the bulk. — Serenity Caldwell
Runners up: Journal Silk Grip Case
Best battery case
Mophie Juice Pack
Year after year, mophie hits iPhone charging cases out of the park. They're not the cheapest, but they're high quality, high performance, and often the ones worth waiting for. — Rene Ritchie
Runner up: Apple Smart Battery Case
Best headphones
Bose QuietComfort 35
There's no other headphone I want to travel home for the holidays with than the Bose QC35. Wireless, noise-cancelling, and battery for hours on end — who could ask for anything more? — Serenity Caldwell
Runner up: Liberatone Q Adapt
Best HomeKit accessory
iHome Smart Plug iPS6
The iHome Smart Plug is easily the best start to any HomeKit home, because it's far simpler than fiddling with bulbs, thermostats, fans, etc. You can easily turn anything that plugs in into a HomeKit-enabled device: It's responsive, it looks great, and it's so easy to set up! — Mikah Sargent
Runner up: August Smart Lock
Best of iPad
Best iPad app
Procreate
iPad Pro and Apple Pencil are fantastic tools, but Procreate harnesses them to help you create fantastic art. With its new screen broadcast features and support for the PSD format, it's an easy app of the year in our books. — Serenity Caldwell
Runner up: Swift Playgrounds
Best iPad game
Human Resource Machine
"Coding can be fun!" But you have no idea just how fun it can be until you've played Human Resource Machine: It plays like a puzzle game, all the while teaching you the basic fundamentals of coding. — Lory Gil
Runner up: Severed
Best iPad accessory and keyboard
9.7-inch Logitech Create
After working on an iPad Pro for a year, there's no other keyboard I want by my side than the 9.7-inch Logitech Create. It's a great keyboard, offers Pencil storage, and protects my iPad Pro like nothing else. — Serenity Caldwell
Runner up: Jot Mark
Best of Mac
Best Mac app
Spark
Spark was already a great email app for iOS, but this year Readdle brought it to the Mac with tons of useful features, including a smart inbox — my favorite way to keep track of important emails. — Lory Gil
Runner up: Capo 3.5
Best Mac game
Firewatch
Simplicity, stunning visual style, and a truly engaging story make Firewatch our game of the year: It's a pleasant reminder that indie game studios can blow Triple-A studios out of the water. — Luke Filipowicz
Runner up: Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Mac accessory
Twelve South Fermata
The big downside about Bluetooth headphones? Remembering to charge them. Twelve South's Fermata takes that stress out of the equation with a gorgeous desktop headphone stand that also packs in a built-in charger. — Serenity Caldwell
Runner up: LG 5K Display
Best Mac speakers
Libratone Zipp
The Libratone Zipp is an amazing speaker: Beautifully designed and impeccably built, the rounded cavity delivers 360-degree sound that works with Bluetooth, AirPlay and Spotify Connect. Combine two for whole-room or whole-house playback! — Daniel Bader
Runner up: UE Boom 2
Best Mac hub & dongles
OWC USB-C Dock
When USB-C alone is not enough, OWC's dock gives your MacBook or MacBook Pro more ports than you can shake a dongle at! — Rene Ritchie
Runner up: USB-C to USB-A Adapter
Best Mac external drive
LaCie Porsche Design USB-C Drive
Zoom zoom: Who doesn't want a hard drive with a race car name? Porsche Design may only be loosely affiliated with its sports car cousin, but it still makes darn nice hard drives — and the LaCie brand backs that sleek design up with a rock-solid USB-C option for MacBook and MacBook Pro users alike. — Serenity Caldwell
Runner up: G‑DRIVE USB‑C 1TB Drive
Best Mac bag
Waterfield Staad Attaché
If you need a stylish bag for the new MacBook Pro or your iPad, you can't go wrong with the Waterfield Staad: It has a cushioned compartment for your primary device and pockets and pouches to spare. — Serenity Caldwell
Runner up: Pad and Quill Roll Top Backpack
Best of Apple Watch
Best Watch app
Breathe
Breathing isn't just essential to life. It's essential to managing stress, anxiety, and your life. Breathe for Apple Watch is an amazing addition, reminding us all to simply stop, become mindful, and regain our focus. — Georgia Dow
Runner up: Streaks
Best Watch complication
Carrot Weather
Snarky and ever-present, Carrot's myriad complications for Apple Watch present you with a little weather in your life no matter what watch face you wish to wear (not that it will save you, puny human). — Serenity Caldwell
Runner up: Fantastical
Best Watch accessory
Time Porter
Traveling for the holidays is never easy, especially when you're worrying about toting around charging gear for all your electronics. The Time Porter takes care of this for your Apple Watch, giving you a travel stand, charger, and accessory case — all in one! — Serenity Caldwell
Runner up: AirPods
Best Watch band
Woven Nylon
How do you beat the Sport Band at its own game? If you're Apple, you introduce the funner, more breathable Woven Nylon. Bought. So. Many. — Rene Ritchie
Best of TV
Best TV app
Hyper
The Hyper app for Apple TV offers up the best of the best videos on the internet in a beautifully designed interface. Skip sifting through YouTube lists and Vimeo recommendations and get right to the good stuff with Hyper! — Mikah Sargent
Runner up: Pokémon TV
Best TV game
Minecraft
Minecraft is a fantastic game on any device, but it is especially wonderful on your television: It's the first major game on Apple TV that requires a separate game controller. We've spent hours building, tearing down, and exploring vast landscapes in Minecraft — and are sure to spend many more. — Lory Gil
Runner up: Pokémon TV
Best TV accessory
Studio Neat Apple TV Remote Stand
Simple and sophisticated, the Studio Neat Apple TV Remote Stand gives your glass remote a small wooden home to call its own. (It's a much better place than inside the couch cushions or under the coffee table, believe us.) — Serenity Caldwell