Apple has released its own list of best apps of 2012, which contains the 10 most-downloaded free apps and 10 most-downloaded paid apps of the year. Rather than popular apps based on total download counts, Apple has collected a list of hidden gems that you may have missed out on in the app store in 2012.

In this article, we will explore some of the best iPhone apps of 2012, which may not have been the most popular in terms of downloads, but are still outstanding in their own way.

Khan Academy (Free)

Khan Academy gives you free access to Khan Academy’s complete library of over 3,500 videos. Khan Academy covers a large number of topics including maths, science, finance & economics and even humanities. If you have some free time, you can learn about the fundamentals of computer science or prepare for SAT. The app is easy to navigate, and the videos are both informative and engaging.

Rechner Calculator ($0.99)

Rechner is a simple and elegant calculator. Rechner is the first calculator taking advantage of the finger gesture on iPhone. With a few simple swipes, you can use this sexy calculator. Apart from its aesthetic appeal, Rechner is also great in functionality.

Snapguide (Free)

Snapguide allows anyone to submit step-by-step guides. It covers a wide range of topics including beauty, cooking, gardening, pets, and even automotive. You can create your own guides and share your interests on Twitter, Facebook, or other social networks. By using Snapguide, you can discover people who share the same interests as you.

Video Time Machine ($2.99)

Time machine contains over 10,000 hand-picked videos from 1860 to 2012. You can easily spend your whole afternoon on specific categories including TV, Music, Sports and Advertisements. You may even find all the epic videos of your youth. Try video time machine and you will lose many hours to it.

Mr Mood ($0.99)

Mr Mood use a simple method to keep track of your mood every day. If you find that you are consistently depressed or unhappy, it’s time to make some changes. Mr Mood can help you track your emotions, and pinpoint the specific triggers that affect your mood.

Feedly (Free)

Feedly is the most stylish app among all of the RSS reader apps in App store. Feedly also transforms web site content into beautiful cards which are easy to read and load extremely quickly. You can save your articles via other read it later apps such as Buffer, Pocket, and Instapaper. If you’re an avid reader, Feedly is a must-have app.

Showyou (Free)

Showyou is the best way for you to explore videos on YouTube, TED Vimeo, and other video sites. The videos on Showyou are selected by your friends and people that you know. Thanks to air-play mirroring, you can now stream Showyou videos to your TV. Enjoy your new TV channel!

Fantastical ($2.99)

Fantastical is the most user-friendly calendar app on iPhone. Simply type in a sentence such as “Lunch with Greyson in Cupertino on Friday” and this app will schedule it automatically. This app also supports voice dictation. If you can speak the details of your events, Fantastical will handle the rest of the input.

Manga-Camera (Free)

Manga-camera can convert whatever photos you take into a comic-like image. There are more than 20 frames built-into the app. You can also download new frames from the in-app frame store. All the frames are FREE at the moment. If you’re a manga fan, this app is definitely worth a try.

Zinio (Free)

Although Zinio was first launched in 2009, the developers have been updating the apps to optimize the performance of the app. It is a better way than any other reading apps to explore, read, and shop for more than 4000 magazines in the world. The interface of the app has been revamped since version 2.0, and the new UI makes it easier to read your favorite magazines anytime and anywhere.

Labelbox (Free)

Labelbox, launched in 2011, has been updated most recently in December of this year. It’s still better than other photo labeling apps, and the revamped version has a label store which provides access to many more labels. The app itself, is ideal for labeling photos with an easy to use UI that has kept this app popular.

Conclusion

These are just some of the hidden gems in the App Store that you might have missed in 2012. They are not necessarily the most popular, but they are definitely worth downloading. From learning new skills, to tracking your mood, to reading your favorite magazines, these apps are sure to provide you with hours of entertainment and productivity.