A highlight of yesterday’s activities at MWC was the announcement of the winners in the various categories of the 16th Global Mobile Awards. For mobile and gadget fans like us, the categories of most interest are always the Best Mobile Device and the Device Manufacturer of the Year. Here’s how they panned out.

The enviable crown of Best Mobile Device for 2010 was awarded to Apple’s iPhone 4. It’s surprising, really, that this is the first time one of Apple’s iPhones has won a Best Handset award at MWC, but few would argue that Apple’s latest mobile device is worthy of the award, not only for its superb engineering and quality but also as recognition of the iconic and ground-breaking nature of the iPhone series. Here are the judges’ comments on the device:

“Great screen, sharp design, fantastic materials, and phenomenal ecosystem for app developers. In a tight race, the iPhone 4 built on the success of its predecessors to set the pace for smart phones.”

The title of Device Manufacturer of the Year went to HTC. HTC had a fantastic year in 2010, marked by their continuing support for the Android platform with the release of the hugely popular and successful HTC Desire (which got a special commendation in the ceremony) and later the Desire HD and Z models, as well as their on-going partnership with Microsoft which saw them spearhead the Windows Phone 7 launch with five new handsets. Here are the judges’ comments:

“This company has built its market presence from nowhere, with fresh branding and marketing and a strong portfolio of devices across many platforms. In particular, it has proven an exceptionally popular and enduring phone manufacturer. With great communication and good customer service, this is a well-deserved award.”

We also like to keep an eye on the Mobile App awards each year, and noted with pleasure that there were awards for RIM’s BlackBerry Messenger app, Google’s ever-improving Google Maps and, inevitably, Rovio’s game-changing game: Angry Birds.

Source: Global Mobile Awards

Scroll to top