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With another year coming to a close, the editors at Apple have weighed in on their favorite apps and games of 2019. Top picks include titles designed for the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and more. For this year's awards, games were given their own category. Apple also designated "Storytelling Simplified" as the App Trend of 2019. The trend cited apps which help the creators of podcasts, novels, and photo collages tell stories in their own voices.

As expected, Apple has launched the official Smart Battery Case for its 2019 iPhone lineup. The iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max each have their own Smart Battery Case models in various colors. This year the case features a dedicated camera button, which launches the Camera app and captures still images or video right away. The camera button works whether the iPhone is locked or unlocked, further increasing the iPhone 11 lineup's focus on photography.

The holidays are here. As a result, Apple has opened its annual holiday gift guide. The special online store is focused on "gifts that inspire and spark creativity" for loved ones, with free personalized engraving available only at Apple. This year's tagline is "Make someone's holiday", with the iPhone 11, AirPods Pro, and Apple Watch front and center in colorful snowflake and ornament patterns.

Minecraft Earth has launched its early access version to the App Store in the US and other countries. The title follows the tremendous success of augmented reality (AR) game Pokémon Go on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. With Minecraft Earth, fans of the game can build structures overlaying the real world using their mobile device's camera and display.

Apple quietly published a press release announcing the long-rumored AirPods Pro wireless earphones. Not only are the upgraded AirPods Pro official, they are launching on Wednesday, October 30th. Apple detailed the design and features of the AirPods Pro, as well as their cost. The new design offers "truly immersive sound" along with Active Noise Cancellation and silicone ear tips for optimized fit.