2012 iPod/iPhone Readers' Choice Awards Winners

For the 2013 Readers' Choice Awards, go here.

With over 325 products nominated and tens of thousands of votes cast for the finalists, there were a lot of contenders for the 2012 iPhone/iPod Readers' Choice Awards.

In the competition between the big names and the scrappy start-ups, some big names prevailed, while some newcomers helped make their names. Read on to learn whether your favorite apps and products took the titles or if upsets abounded.

NOTE: All votes in this year's awards were audited for evidence of automated voting scripts, poll gaming, or other unfair attempts to win. A note has been included in each affected category.

A big thanks to everyone who participated--especially the readers who nominated products and helped spread the word!

Best iPhone/iPod App Winner: FileHound

Percentage of Vote: 43%
Purchase FileHound at iTunes

The 2012 Best iPhone App was taken home by FileHound, an app loved by travelers and mobile users.

FileHound gives its users ability to get access both files and programs on their Windows PCs from iOS devices. This is a pretty neat trick because it's not syncing those files to the iPhone; instead, FileHound provides direct access, a la a remote desktop program, and means that even if there's no iOS version of a program, FileHound users can still run it.

Despite the proliferation of apps out there, that's a pretty major benefit, especially for business users who rely on programs that aren't on the iPhone yet.

Final Vote Tally

• PDF Reader - iPhone Edition - 38%
• QuickOffice Pro - 9%
• StyleTag - 8%
• StarCall - 0%

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Our choices for the best apps in 25+ categories

Best New iPhone/iPad App Winner: PDF Connoisseur

Percentage of Vote: 62%
Download PDF Connoisseur at iTunes

There are a lot of PDF-reader apps available for the iPhone, but few of them are as full-featured as PDF Connoisseur.

PDF Connoisseur goes well beyond being a simple document reader app. It also lets you save documents and images as PDFs (something that, unlike Mac OS, the iOS doesn't offer natively), fill out PDF forms, have documents read aloud to you, and more.

It also supports annotation and syncing via DropBox. That's a pretty attractive package, one which the majority of voters in this category supported.

Final Vote Tally

• StarCall - 29%
• Flipboard for iPhone - 4%
• The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories - 3%
• Feed the Monster Game - 0%

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Our choices for the best apps in 50+ categories

Best iPhone/iPad Recipe App Winner: BigOven

Percentage of Vote: 95%
BigOven Review | Download BigOven at iTunes

For the second consecutive year, BigOven took home the crown as the Best Recipe App in the Readers' Choice Awards.

BigOven's huge userbase is drawn to the app and website thanks to its collection of over 200,000 expert and user-submitted recipes. Recent updates to the app have added the ability to sync content between a website account and the app, and a grocery list to make sure you never leave necessary ingredients at the store.

Final Vote Tally

• Epicurious - 1%
• Pepperplate - 1%
• How to Cook Everything - 0%
• VegWeb - 0%

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Our choices for the 14 best recipe apps

Best iPhone Running App Winner: iMapMyRun

Percentage of Vote: 47%
Purchase iMapMyRun at iTunes

No app ran away with the voting in this category in 2012, but in the end iMapMyRun crossed the finish line first.

As with many other running apps, iMapMyRun aids the runner's workout by tracking their pace, route, elevation, calories burned, and distance--all using the iPhone's built-in GPS features. An interesting feature not sported by all running apps is iMapMyRun's database of over 26 million routes to help runners find new routes.

Final Vote Tally

• Gazelle GPS - 38%
• LogYourRun - 9%
• Running Mate 5K101 - 3%
• GPS Running Watch - 1%

Audit notice: Votes in this category were revised based on the results of a vote audit. The audit did not change the winner.

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Our choices for the best 10 running apps

Best iPhone/iPod Comics App Winner: Disney Comics

Percentage of Vote: 56%
Download Disney Comics at iTunes

Though not well-known in the mainstream of the superhero-dominated comics industry, the all-ages Disney Comics app took the top spot in the Best Comics App award.

Like other comics apps, Disney Comics combines a digital download store and a reader that lets Disney fans enjoy the adventures of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and other Disney characters.

Readers will also find comics that are part of the Disney company, but not of the animal variety, such as Toy Story and TRON.

Final Vote Tally

• VIZ Manga - 41%
• Comics by comiXology - 1%
• Big Nate Comix - 0%
• Graphicly - 0%

Audit notice: Votes in this category were revised based on the results of a vote audit. The audit did not change the winner.

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Our choices for the best 7 comics apps

Best iPhone/iPod Shopping App Winner: ShopKick

Percentage of Vote: 86%
Download ShopKick at iTunes

Everyone likes to get something for nothing, and ShopKick--the Best Shopping App winner this year--helps its users do that.

Most rewards programs require users to buy things in order to earn points. Not ShopKick. While of course its users can get points (AKA kicks) that way, they can also earn kicks just by walking into participating stores. With enough points, users can turn their kicks into gift cards, movie tickets, Facebook credits, and more.

Final Vote Tally

• Eyeona (formerly Savvy.com) - 8%
• LivingSocial - 4%
• iSlick - 0%
• ShopSavvy - 0%

Audit notice: Votes in this category were revised based on the results of a vote audit. The audit did not change the winner.

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Best iPhone/iPod Ringtone App Winner: AutoRingtone Pro

Percentage of Vote: 44%
Purchase AutoRingtone Pro at iTunes

While most ringtone apps are thought of as ways to create song snippets, the Best Ringtone App award winner--AutoRingtone Pro--offers something else entirely.

Rather than simply grabbing parts of songs and looping them AutoRingtone Pro employs a text-to-speech feature that lets you write the contents of a ringtone and then have it spoken back to you in a variety of voices and accents, including Australian or British, cowboys and Jersey girls and robots.

Final Vote Tally

• Ringtone DJ - 28%
• Ringtones Uncensored Pro - 20%
• Ringtone Designer Pro - 4%
• Ringtone Wizard Pro - 1%

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Our choices for the best 9 ringtone apps

Best iPhone/iPod Texting App Winner: Text Me!

Percentage of Vote: 45%
Download Text Me! at iTunes

While every iPhone comes with the Messages app for texting, using it requires a monthly plan. If you prefer your texting to be free, Text Me!--the Best Ringtone App winner--is a top choice.

Text Me! lets users send unlimited text and picture messaging to other Text Me! users and regular phones throughout the U.S., Canada, and 40 additional countries.

Text Me! users can also get voicemails, chat with friends, and convey emotions using hundreds of emoji options.

Final Vote Tally

• textPlus - 31%
• Textfree Voice + VM - 21%
• What's App - 0%

Audit notice: Votes in this category were revised based on the results of a vote audit. The audit changed the winner.

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Our choices for the best 6 texting apps

Best iPhone/iPod Radio App Winner: iHeartRadio

Percentage of Vote: 51%
Download Boingo Wi-Finder at iTunes

The app that won the top spot as the 2012 Best Travel App is Boingo Wi-Finder.

With the Internet such an integral part of our lives, being able to find a way to get online wherever you are is as much a part of modern travel as finding accommodations. But finding those networks isn't always easy--unless you've got an app like Wi-Finder, by Boingo.

It helps Boingo users find both Boingo and free hotspots based on your location.

Final Vote Tally

• Quickoffice Pro - 22%
• Packing Pro - 19%
• Trover - 6%
• Speed Tracker - 0%

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Our choices for the best 12 travel apps

Best iPhone/iPod Music App Winner: MyTunes Pro

Percentage of Vote: 72%
Download iHeartRadio at iTunes

Radio listeners proved that they heart iHeartRadio by voting it as the Best Radio App.

This app takes a normally local medium, radio, and transforms it into a national thing. Wth iHeartRadio, users can listen to over 800 stations from across the country on their iPhones, as well as create their own custom stations that combine their favorite kinds of music, ad-free.

Final Vote Tally

• Slacker Radio - 21%
• Pandora - 4%
• Digitally Imported - 0%
• StreamS HiFi Radio - 0%

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Our choices for the 15 FM radio apps

Best iPhone/iPod Kids' App Winner: Feed the Monster Game

Percentage of Vote: 66%
Download MyTunes Pro at iTunes

The music app that struck the truest note in the 2012 Readers' Choice Awards, according to the voters, was MyTunes Pro.

While many music apps for the iPhone help you get new music, MyTunes Pro takes a different approach: it helps you enjoy the music you already have by hearing it in a new way. MyTunes Pro applies audio enhancement techniques and lets you create your own presets to control control EQ, equalize volume across all songs, add DJ transitions, and more.

Final Vote Tally

• Slacker Radio - 23%
• Spotify - 6%
• SoundHound - 2%
• SoundTracking - 0%

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Our choices for the best 10 free music apps

Best iPhone/iPod Game Winner: Feed the Monster Game

Percentage of Vote: 38%
Purchase Feed the Monster Game at iTunes

The winner of the Best Kids' App category, Feed the Monster, was a dual winner. It also picked up the Best Game award.

Feed the Monster allows kids to combine adventures and express their creativity. In it, kids can create their own monsters--complete with burps, sneezes, and other rude eruptions--and then take care of them during games like Food Fight, Food Catch, and Feeding Frenzy.

Final Vote Tally

• Bugs and Buttons - 36%
• Don't Let The Pigeon Run This App! - 18%
• Animals for Tots - 4%
• Green Eggs and Ham - 2%

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Best Educational iPhone/iPod App Winner: LetterSchool

Percentage of Vote: 59%
Purchase Feed the Monster Game at iTunes

Feed the Monster was the only dual winner in the 2012 Readers' Choice Awards. In addition to the taking the Best Game award, it also won the Best Kid's App category. For more on it, take a look at that page.

Final Vote Tally

• W.E.L.D.E.R. - 27%
• Temple Run- 8%
• Dr. Seuss Band - 3%
• Newton's Apple - 0%

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Best iPhone 4S Case Winner: LifeProof

Percentage of Vote: 80%
Purchase LetterSchool at iTunes

Of course, apps aren't all fun and games, and when it comes to educational apps, the award went to LetterSchool.

This app helps kids ages 4-6 learn how to write by using the iPhone's multitouch screen to teach letterforms. Through a series of educational games, kids learn basic letter and numbers shapes (all English letters and numbers 1-10 are included), trace them, and draw them from memory.

Recordings of the sounds made by each letter are also included.

Final Vote Tally

• Animals for Tots - 9%
• Presidents vs. Aliens - 4%
• There's No Place Like Space! - 4%
• BetterLetter - 1%

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Best iPhone/iPod Speaker Dock Winner: KICKER iKick501

Percentage of Vote: 59%


We all know that iPhones can face a lot of wear and tear, so the cases that protect them have to be sturdy. Readers said that the sturdiest this year was LifeProof, the winner of the best iPhone 4S case category.

In addition to the rugged exterior protection you'd expect from any case, LifeProof is waterproof up to 6 feet, adds additional protection from cold, and is tested against military specs.

It locks out dust using plugs to cover the headphone jack and dock connector. And unlike many cases that don't protect the iPhone's screen, it includes a glass overlay for even greater security.

Final Vote Tally

• OtterBox Commuter Series - 22%
• Speck CandyShell Grip - 12%
• SGP Neo Hybrid 2S Snow Series - 3%
• RainBallet - 0%

Audit notice: Votes in this category were revised based on the results of a vote audit. The audit did not change the winner.

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.

Percentage of Vote: 52%


The 2012 Best Speaker Dock winner, according to readers, was the Kicker iK501.

The iK501 combines high-quality sound with sci-fi design to create a pleasing package. It includes a built-in subwoofer, a remote control that can navigate the menus and screens of an iPhone or iPod connected to it, AUX and RCA inputs for additional components, and much more.

Final Vote Tally

• Audyssey Audio Dock - 17%

• Altec Lansing Octiv 650 - 16%
• Soundfreaq Sound Stack - 9%
• Jawbone JAMBOX - 5%

Audit notice: Votes in this category were revised based on the results of a vote audit. The audit changed the winner of the category.

Note: Rounding errors may result in voting percentage not totaling 100%.