Editors’ Choice celebrates the very best apps and games – hand-picked by App Store editors around the world.

Relax, focus and escape to another world with Portal. Immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring landscapes of Iceland, drift off to the soothing sounds of St Lucia’s rainforests or be embraced by the rawness of the Scottish Highlands, minus the freezing temperatures, of course.

We knew we loved it when: Opening the app instantly brought a wave of calm. You can browse Portals at your leisure, or select something specific from Focus, Sleep or Escape. If you’re in Focus, there’s a handy timer available on the bottom right of each Portal, which is useful when you want to zero in on a specific task. In Sleep, there’s an alarm feature that has been thoughtfully integrated with HomeKit, Nanoleaf and Phillips Hue to wake you with soothing sounds and mood lighting that recreates a gentle sunrise in your bedroom.

The biggest surprise: The quality of the recordings. Portal’s co-founders, brothers Nick and Tim Daniels, capture each Portal in cinematic quality with ultra high-definition visuals, now in 12K. In their words, it provides “eye-watering realism” and we tend to agree, especially when using the app on Mac. Portal also supports Spatial Audio, a feature that enhances your immersion in wild landscapes to magnificent effect.

Our favourite discovery: Although the idea is to remain immersed in the app’s unique Portals, you can keep the audio playing after exiting the app. Tap the icon at the bottom left of a Portal and a pop-up will appear. Hit Settings, then navigate to Audio and select Play Audio in Background. Now you can enjoy the app’s soundscapes when your device is locked.