Despite no presence whatsoever from Apple and a tendency among the judges to favor exhibitors, the iPhone 4 bested several attending rivals -- including all the current and just- introduced Android devices, as well as the Samsung Galaxy S, HTC Desire and innumerable new iPad competitors to win the "Best Mobile Device" award at the 2011 Mobile World Congress, which is happening in Barcelona, Spain. HTC was named "Device Manufacturer of the Year" both for building their brand into a formidable presence in the world market as well as their own HTC Desire smartphone. Last year, the HTC Hero won Best Mobile Device.
While this was Apple's only award, it was the most important -- reflecting the remarkable success and influence the nine-month-old device has had on the entire market, even with carriers or areas where it is unavailable. Remarkably, the Android OS itself did not garner any direct awards, though Google itself won an award for the best app on its own Android App Marketplace, for Google Maps.
While this was Apple's only award, it was the most important -- reflecting the remarkable success and influence the nine-month-old device has had on the entire market, even with carriers or areas where it is unavailable. Remarkably, the Android OS itself did not garner any direct awards, though Google itself won an award for the best app on its own Android App Marketplace, for Google Maps.