2021 Apple Design Award Winners Include CARROT Weather, Genshin Impact, Bird Alone, Little Orpheus and More - MacRumors
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2021 Apple Design Award Winners Include CARROT Weather, Genshin Impact, Bird Alone, Little Orpheus and More

Apple today announced the apps and games that are receiving a 2021 Apple Design Award for outstanding app design, innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement, with winners including CARROT Weather, Genshin Impact, Alba, Bird Alone, League of Legends: Wild Rift, Little Orpheus, and more.

apple design awards
Winners were selected in categories that include Inclusivity, Delight and Fun, Interaction, Social Impact, Visuals and Graphics, and Innovation, with a full list of winning apps available below.

Inclusivity
- Voice Dream Reader (App)
- HoloVista (Game)

Delight & Fun
- Little Orpheus (Game)
- Pok Pok Playroom (App)

Interaction
- CARROT Weather (App)
- Bird Alone (Game)

Social Impact
- Be My Eyes (App)
- Alba: A Wildlife Adventure (Game)

Visuals and Graphics
- Loóna (App)
- Genshin Impact (Game)

Innovation
- NaadSadhana (App)
- League of Legends: Wild Rift (Game)

During each Worldwide Developers Conference event, Apple chooses developers to receive the App Design Award, and more than 250 developers have been recognized over the last 20 years. This year's winners are receiving a physical award and hardware to continue creating apps and games.

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Top Rated Comments

4jasontv Avatar
64 months ago

$27 a year for a weather app subscription?? Are all those reviews for carrot cake or something? Whats the “feature” worth this subscription?
Agree that it's overpriced, but it has a unique position.

1. Claims to the minute accuracy of rain and snow starting and stopping.
2. Speaks to you like you are human garbage.
3. Pretty.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BigMcGuire Avatar
64 months ago
Congrats Carrot Weather! One of my most used applications - and has the middle complication on my watch for years! Absolutely love the control of the data this application provides.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HALE101 Avatar
64 months ago
Good job meatbag! I mean carrot!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
64 months ago

$27 a year for a weather app subscription?? Are all those reviews for carrot cake or something? Whats the “feature” worth this subscription?
A good chunk of the cost would be going towards the weather data, which isn’t free at scale. Most of the sources integrated with maybe offer 500 or 1000 calls a day per API key, but as the developer is using their key across the user base they need to pay for their user base to access the weather data.

Beyond that you pay for updates and the like to the app itself, and new features.

Whether that’s worth paying for is up to you. Many people are happy with the Apple weather app or one of the sources that’ll provide the data free via a search. Subscriptions for weather apps isn’t a new thing but, many have it, and it gets you a UI you might like more, additional data or features such as integrating your own weather station (or pulling data from other people’s in the area).

Personally I agree it’s a decent amount to spend, but it’s not unreasonable for those that make heavy use of the app. Having a choice of 7 providers will likely mean better weather data for many people compared to what Weather Channel provides Apple, too.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Okasian Avatar
64 months ago
Carrot huh? Just installed.

A weather app with a personality? that could evoke an emotional response.

In a sea of blandness, this is an interesting (and maybe compelling) find.

Will evaluate. Thanks for the heads-up.

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Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
64 months ago
i actually don't like carrot weather's design.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)