Apple iPad is the T3 Winner for Gadget Of The Year

The iPad is way more than a gadget. It is a game changer and a paradigm shifter.

Apple iPad named Gadget Of The Year at prestigious T3 Awards
By Graham Smith

The Apple iPad continued on its unstoppable march towards world domination last night as it scooped the top prize at the T3 Gadget Awards.

The tablet computer was named Gadget Of The Year at the London ceremony, where awards are presented based on the results of more than 750,000 reader votes and an expert panel.

Fending off tough competition from the HTC Desire, Sky+ HD and even Apple's iPhone 4, the iPad emerged the clear winner.

Described by T3 magazine as ‘the best thing that’s happened this year in the tech world, hands down’, it was also named Innovation Of The Year, in a category that included the Toshiba Cell TV and the Microsoft Xbox Kinect.

This time, however, the expert judges reached a split decision. So it was the buying public, who loved the way the iPad can charm anyone from the tech-fanatic to the technophobic, who swung the vote.

But it was by no means a clear run for Apple, especially after the technical problems which dogged the launch of the iPhone 4.

HTC once again took the award for Phone Of The Year, this time for the HTC Desire, beating the iPhone to the title for the second year in a row.
Suzi Perry

With a clean and functional design, and access to an expanding Android Market, the Desire won extra points for its attractive pricing.

App Of The Year - Google Maps Navigation
Music Gadget Of The Year - Cambridge Audio DacMagic
Gaming Gadget Of The Year - Alienware M11x (pictured above)
Home Gadget Of The Year - Samsung NaviBot SR8845E
Commuter Gadget Of The Year - Apple iPhone 4
Green Gadget Of The Year - OneClick Intelliplug
Work Gadget Of The Year - Three Mobile MiFi
Innovation Of The Year - Apple iPad
New Media Service Of The Year - Spotify
Computer Of The Year - Apple Macbook Pro
Camera Of The Year - Panasonic Lumix GF1
Camcorder Of The Year -Sanyo Xacti VPC-CS1
Retailer Of The Year - Apple Store
T3 Design Award - Samsung UE55C9000
TV Of The Year - Panasonic VIERA TX-P50VT20B
Gadget Personality Of The Year - Suzi Perry
Tech Brand Of The Year - HTC
Phone Of The Year - HTC Desire
Gadget Of The Year - Apple iPad Wi-Fi + 3G

And when it came to the prestigious Technology Brand Of The Year category, the judges were unanimous in their verdict that HTC deserved the title.

They decided that it was not just about the products HTC has delivered - the Desire, and the equally impressive Google Nexus One - but in the way HTC has conducted itself throughout the year.

This was because ‘smugness’ and ‘control-freakery’ from certain American mega-brands didn’t go down with the judges and the public, according to T3 magazine.

There was consolation for Apple, however, when it bagged the Commuter Gadget Of The Year award for the iPhone 4, in spite of ‘antenna-gate’.

Apple also beat Amazon, John Lewis, Play.com and Tesco to be named Retailer Of The Year.

With the Macbook Pro scooping the Computer Of The Year award, thanks to its improved specs, graphics and energy efficiency, Apple made it an awards total of five.

The New Media Service Of The Year award divided the judges, with their votes split equally between Spotify, iPlayer and Twitter, with Facebook notable by its absence.

So it was the readers who had the deciding vote in the closest-run category of 2010.

In the end Spotify emerged victorious, thanks to its smart interface, solid mobile versions for iPhone, Android and Symbian, social networking and, of course, the fact that it lets you listen to more or less any piece of music for free.

2010 saw the introduction of the App Of The Year award, a honour that was taken by the Google Maps Navigation app.

Described by T3 magazine as a ‘genuine killer app for the massively popular smartphone platform’, it beat competition including Foursquare, which helps users find nearby people and places, and Spotify, the app which threatened to make the mighty iPod redundant by supplying listeners with music tracks on the move.

Gadget Show host Suzi Perry was named Gadget Personality Of The Year, ahead of last year’s winner Stephen Fry, journalist and TV personality Charlie Brooker, government digital champion Martha Lane Fox, broadcaster Jonathan Ross and Gizmodo editor Jason Chen.

Luke Peters, editor of T3 magazine, said: ‘The response to this year’s awards was incredible.

‘Reaching three quarter of a million votes shows just how passionate consumers have become about technology in recent years.

'And again, this year has proved that it’s not enough to be a huge brand name. HTC bagged the Technology Brand of the Year award because, not only do they have great products, but they’ve got the personality to match.’