What's the best app from the past 12 months?

What's the best app from the past 12 months?

It's that time of year again - the 2015 TechRadar Phone Awards are just around the corner and we're calling on your, the fabulous general public, to help us pick a winner in our 'App of the Year' category.

There are a ton of apps which have a strong case for a nomination in this category, so we've winnowed down the selection to 15 apps which have pushed the boundaries of our smartphones, and our lives, over the past 12 months.

Please scroll down to place your vote.

Whatsapp - iOS / Android / Windows phone

WhatsApp

WhatsApp's dominance hasn't been diminished by the buyout from Facebook, and with peer to peer calling added into the mix, it's still proving a phenomenally popular app.

Google Photos - iOS / Android

Google Photos

Endless storage of your photos? Cross platform? Auto enhancements? This is the kind of awesome thing Hooli would do - except it's available in real life.

Pushbullet - OS / Android

Pushbullet

This app is proving increasingly popular thanks to finally beginning to draw together all those strands of your life in one place - be it notifications on your desktop or finally letting your phone and tablet talk properly, this is one of the hottest apps around.

Instagram - iOS / Android / Windows Phone

Instagram

While this is still a very similar app to the one that launched all those years ago, subtle improvements have kept it as an indispensable app for millions and millions of people worldwide. Trending pics, location awareness and curated content all combine to make this a hugely popular app

Evernote - iOS / Android / Windows Phone

Evernote

The ultimate productivity app for so many, this is the cross-platform place for anything from to-do lists to creating agendas for your work stuff. An all new interface is keeping things fresh, and is one of the must-have apps for so many around the world.

Spotify- iOS / Android / Windows Phone

Spotify

Last year's winner is back in the running again - and it's got a good chance too. Revamped design, better functionality and new price tier for families are joined by a new Running mode, letting your speed dictate the tempo of songs. Fancy.

Uber - iOS / Android / Windows Phone

Uber

Another app that, while it hasn't changed a great deal since inception, has gone from strength to strength and is becoming the simple to use, indispensable choice for those that want to get around the big cities quickly and cheaply.

Strava - iOS / Android

Strava

You'd be forgiven for thinking that social networks around specific topics are doomed to fail, but Strava is growing at a huge rate. Everyone from weekend warriors, new runners and professional athletes are on here, with new training plans helping your performance explode to the point where you can finally beat Lyriki11 on that local section of cycle track he's holding the record for.

Periscope - iOS / Android

Periscope

While some people think this is only used for smut, it's got a much, much wider reach than that and is allowing a new generation of video bloggers and the average Joe alike to bring their experiences to light.

We're still waiting for that moment where a Periscope offers access to something truly ground-breaking before anything else... so for now, we'll be content seeing what's inside people's fridges.

Google Maps - iOS / Android

Google Maps

Isn't this the same app that launched over half a decade ago? Dear lord, no. This has become such a sophisticated app that most smartphone users can't find their own toilet without it, and new integration with Mail has started showing you places that you're going to be visiting based on reservations the all-knowing G has spotted in your inbox.

Pocket - iOS / Android

Pocket

The ultimate 'read it later' app (which is also the original name of this little wonder), it's the perfect way to grab content from anywhere and save it to a central location to read offline later. Multiple reading modes make it a snap to use, and integration to social networks, desktops and phones is making saving things to Pocket easier than ever.

CityMapper - iOS / Android

CityMapper

This app unlocks cities in a way most other apps could only dream. The interface is clear and simple, the information up to date and relevant to wherever you are and even comes with real time ETA updates that will dynamically change should you accidentally get lost. Plus it now comes with a great Apple Watch app too!

Snapseed - iOS / Android

Snapseed

This is an image editing app, created by Google, that has a mind-numbing level of ways to make your terrible snaps look, well, a little less terrible. Previously only available on desktop, this is your chance to make your photos presentable on social media (or sending them to your mother) without having to connect to your computer.

Timehop - iOS / Android

Timehop

Facebook and Dropbox have tried to create their own versions of this app, which lets you see what you were doing in previous years on this day. Replaying your past a day at a time, this isn't the sort of app you'd use hourly, but it's a lovely way to swim back through memories, exploring a time when you used to actually look half decent in front of people.

Scannable - iOS

Scannable

From Evernote, this is one of those massive scanners from your childhood (you know, the ones where you'd press your face into it and then email to a friend) but done with the camera on your smartphone.

Insanely packed with function, this is the kind of app that your young self would have dreamed up if they were writing a project on 'stuff we'll have in the future'.

The winner is all set to be revealed at the TechRadar Phone Awards on 23 July - so stay tuned to find out which app made it to the top of the pile!

John McCann
Former Global Managing Editor

TechRadar's former Global Managing Editor, John has been a technology journalist for more than a decade, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s interviewed CEOs from some of the world’s biggest tech firms, visited their HQs, and appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC, and BBC Radio 4.

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