Apple’s iPhone 6 and LG’s G3 on Tuesday shared an award for best smartphone of 2015 during a ceremony at the GSMA Mobile World Congress, which runs March 2 through 5 in Barcelona. Among the other winners of the GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards were Ericsson’s technology for cloud-connected cars; Jasper’s platform for Internet of Things businesses; Citi’s mobile Web app; and Huawei’s solution for delivering better broadband.
This is the 20th year the awards have been handed out by the Groupe Speciale Mobile Association, or GSMA, an international organization of companies involved in mobile telecommunications. The awards ceremony was hosted by Monty Python and Fawlty Towers star John Cleese.
Thirty-six awards were given in six categories: Connected Life, Mobile Services, Social and Economic Development, Apps, Mobile Handsets and Devices and Mobile Technology. Honors also went to Dato’ Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim, Managing Director, President and Group CEO of Axiata Group Berhad (GSMA Chairman’s Award); Brazil’s Ministry of Communications (Government Leadership Award); and Pakistan’s Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (Spectrum for Mobile Broadband Award).
iPhone 6 ‘Unmatched Success’
In awarding a tie to the iPhone 6 and the G3 for best smartphone, the judges called Apple’s device an “unmatched consumer success,” while lauding LG for an edge-to-edge screen that “offers the best quality mobile viewing experience around today.”
The LG G3, with its 5.5-inch display, set “a new precedent as a device developed primarily from consumer feedback,” the award noted. The launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus last September broke sales records, helping Apple to achieve 93 percent of the global smartphone market in the fourth quarter of 2014.
Other handset and device awards went to the Motorola Moto E (best low-cost — under $ 100 — smartphone); the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (best mobile tablet); and Motorola Mobility’s Moto 360 (best wearable mobile technology).
Connected Cars, Connected Businesses
In the Connected Life category, Ericsson won the award for the best automotive mobile innovation for its Connected Vehicle Cloud. The platform connects cars and their occupants with vehicle manufacturers, auto dealers, traffic agencies, network operators and repair shops, as well as with content and media providers. The judges called Ericsson’s technology “a compelling future vision for the connected car.”
Jasper’s Internet of Things (IoT) platform, meanwhile, was recognized in the Connected Life category for “continuing innovation in core enabling systems for cellular IoT applications.” Jasper’s platform enables businesses to create a connected presence with support for connectivity, monitoring, diagnostics and billing.
Other award winners at the Mobile World Congress included Citi’s CitiDirect BE Mobile (best mobile service or app for enterprise); Huawei’s LampSite solution for delivering targeted indoor mobile broadband coverage (best mobile infrastructure); Alcatel-Lucent’s VoLTE (voice over LTE) (best mobile network product or solution for serving customers); Samsung’s Knox Workspace (best security/anti-fraud product or solution); and Etisalat, which won awards for best use of mobile for retail, brands and commerce and for best authentication and identity solution.
The GSMA awards also highlighted a number of products or services with social or environmental benefits. Among these were Trice Imaging’s and Qualcomm’s Mobile Ultrasound Patrol Project for women in regions underserved for prenatal care; BBC Media Action’s Mobile Academy; Mobile Kunji for women’s healthcare education in India; the OtoSense app that lets hearing-impaired people see audio alerts for doorbells, smoke alarms and other sounds; and the Indus Towers green energy program in India.
