Samsung Galaxy S2, iPad 2 Scoop Highest Honours at MWC Awards 2012

After the golden Oscar night came one of the most prestigious events of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the Global Mobile Awards 2012.

GSMA , the organization that represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry and hosts the MWC in Barcelona laurelled Samsung and Apple with the top categories of the night.

While Samsung was awarded two accolades -- Manufacturer of the Year and Best Smartphone for Galaxy S2 -- which recently gained 20 million hits in sales, it was Apple's iPad 2 that won the title of the Best Tablet at the Conference.

In the sea of Android phones, Samsung Galaxy S2 held its own against tough competitors, including the iPhone 4S, the HTC Desire S, Nokia Lumia 800 and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Commenting on Samsung's success in the smartphone market, judges stated, A phenomenal success around the world that has outperformed all its Android rivals and demonstrated the maturity of the ecosystem.

Although, Apple pegged cutting edge sales in the fourth quarter of the last year from the iPhone 4S, Samsung's achievements were equally commendable, as it took home the device manufacturer of the year award at MWC. On this surprising take-home title, the judges concluded, Success across the board with progress in every category, and outperforming rivals in a tough market.

Commenting on the honours received, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division J.K. Shin, Samsung Electron, stated, We are pleased to receive this honor from GSMA and believe that it's a testament to Samsung's innovation, quality products, and attention to consumer preferences. We sold over 97 million smartphones in 2011, demonstrating that this is the right approach.

On the tablet front, iPad 2 was an obvious champion among all, going by the dominating sales the device enjoyed in the market, leaving behind the Samsung Galaxy tab, Acer Iconia Tab A500/501, Amazon Kindle Fire and the Asus Eee Pad Transformer. A unanimous choice for a tablet that has defined the market and dominated sales, the judges said.

Making light of Apple's absence at the MWC with no representative to accept the award, GSMA Awards host Tim Minchin jokingly announced to the crowd, But I'm sure they'll be quietly delighted.

Further, GSMA handed out around three dozen awards that were culled from more than 600 entries and judged by more than 170 independent analysts, journalists and academics. Here's a list of some other key awardees:

Best Feature Phone or Entry Level Phone: Nokia for Nokia C3-00

Best Mobile App for Consumers: Rovio Entertainment Ltd. for Angry Birds Rio

Best Consumer Mobile Service: Google for Google Maps for Android

Best Overall Mobile App: WhatsApp Inc. for WhatsApp

Best Mobile Innovation for Automotive, Transport or Utilities: Ford for Ford SYNC with Emergency Assistance

Best Mobile App for Enterprise: Citrix Systems for Citrix Receiver

Most Innovative Mobile App: SwiftKey

Best Mobile Innovation for Automotive, Transport or Utilities: Ford for Ford SYNC with Emergency Assistance

To have a look at the complete list, you can visit the following link: GSMA Global Mobile Awards 2012 winners at MWC.

Check out the IBtimes slideshow on GSMA Global Mobile Awards 2012 winners here:

The Top 10 Winners of GSMA's 17th Annual Global Mobile Awards 2012 At MWC