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Photo-sharing site Flickr performed an analysis of uploads for its annual Year in Review. Following recent trends, smartphones were used to capture a full 50 percent of photos in 2017. The majority of remaining photos were posted by DSLR users, clocking 33 percent. Point-and-shoot cameras declined to 12 percent of images, with mirrorless cameras holding steady at 4 percent. The breakdown of device brands is where Apple shines.

The sequel to the popular "swipe'em" card game Reigns is now available on the Apple App Store. Reigns is a previous iPhoneFAQ App of the Week and it was selected by Apple as one of the best 10 games of 2016. The follow-up titled Reigns: Her Majesty follows the same gameplay where you swipe left or right to make tough (and sometimes superficial) decisions that affect your kingdom’s most powerful factions.

Apple has announced its Best of 2017 for the App Store. This year the winners for the best app and game were announced alongside the Trends of the Year. App Store editors identified "four breakout trends" in app culture such as AR (augmented reality), real-time multiplayer games, mental health and reading.

Apple introduced its ARKit for developers in iOS 11. The new technology allows iPhone and iPad owners to use their devices to interact with virtual objects digitally rendered over the real world. Developers have already created hundreds of apps and games making AR the top trend of 2017, according to Apple.

As part of its "Today at Apple" program and in celebration of Computer Science Education Week, Apple will be holding "Hour of Code" workshops at brick-and-mortar Apple Stores across the world each day starting Sunday December 3 continuing through to Sunday December 10. Several sessions a day will explore the basics of coding with Swift and there will be sessions geared toward kids involving programming Sphero robots.

Examples of workshops include:

Apple has introduced Apps for (RED) to the App Store. (RED) Apps are just like (RED) Apple products where a portion of proceeds from designated in-app purchases will help provide HIV/AIDS medicine to sub-Saharan Africa.

Apple has raised over $160 million through the sale of (RED) products such as leather iPhone cases, Apple Watch bands, Beats products and more. iOS users can now also save lives by in-app purchases in popular games.