The nominees are in for phone of the year…
The Mobile Industry Awards are the mobile world’s version of the Oscars.
Everyone who’s anyone is in attendance, like Samsung, Apple, Google, our friends at Affordable Mobiles of course, and many, many more players in the industry. You get the idea.
It’s the one time a year where networks, manufacturers, boardroom members, and everyone in between all come together to celebrate the very best of the mobile industry.
The 2021 awards will take place on the 29th of September and when we say you’re in for quite the show, you better believe us.
The categories are endless. From Start up of the Year and Best Place to Work to 5G Innovation of the Year and Best Online Retailer (which our friends Affordable Mobiles are up for), there are ample nominees that all make for great competition.
Of course, as with the Oscars, there are a few categories that people are a little more eager to hear about than others.
We’ll cast your mind back. It’s 2016, actors and actresses are rolling down the red carpet with blood thirsty journalists screaming ‘Who are you wearing?’ at them. Everyone’s seated and the show is rolling.
We all sat at home graciously tucking into snacks and sugary drinks (a bottle of red) and listened to various celebrities announce who won the award for Best Supporting Actor and Best Animated Short Film.
Winning any award at the Oscars is massive, but we wanted to know if poor Leonardo DiCaprio was going to be robbed of Best Actor yet again. Spoiler alert, he wasn’t. And we’re not shocked; did you see The Revenant?
The point is, just like the world of celebrities, we’re all eager to hear about who’s up for one award in particular at the Mobile Industry Awards. And that award is of course… Phone of the Year!
We’ll stop teasing soon we promise, but there’s nothing quite like a bit of suspense is there? We’re simply setting the scene.
The nominees are in and there are some absolute corkers. The competition is tougher than tough, and we simply can’t call it.
So, instead of trying to guess which mobile we think will take the crown, we thought we’d give you a handy guide that tells you a little about each of the nominees. Afterall, if they’re all up for an award, they must be pretty special.
Drumroll please…
iPhone 12
It should come as no shock that iPhone 12 has been nominated for the Phone of the Year award. When it was first announced at the end of last year, Apple fans were blown away by its incredible 5G tech and the love for the iPhone 12 has only continued to grow.
It’s the phone that everyone was waiting for, and boy was it worth the wait. Not only does it pack Apple’s speedy 5G tech, it also has the fastest chip seen in any smartphone: the A14 Bionic. That in itself is worthy of an award.
If you were going to stream the Mobile Industry Awards 2021 on any mobile, we promise that the iPhone 12 is perfect.
Packing a huge 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, you wouldn’t miss a single bit of action. Pair this with an all new dual-camera and Phone 12 quickly becomes tough competition for all the nominees.
iPhone 12 Pro
It’s not surprising to see iPhone 12 Pro up for the Phone of the Year award. Apple haven’t used the term Pro lightly; this iPhone packs features that deliver the full pro mobile experience.
The 12 Pro takes mobile photography to the next level. Not only does it deliver awesome shots, it adds something so special and unique to AR experiences.
Apple went and built LiDAR tech into the 12 Pro, the very same tech that NASA uses. LiDAR lets you measure how long it takes light to reflect back from objects, creating a depth map of the space around it.
Don’t switch off just yet. This can then be used to better your augmented reality experiences. Whether you’re gaming, working or taking photos, LiDAR will better it all and transform you somewhere completely new.
Pretty worthy of an award, don’t you think?
Samsung Galaxy S21
The Samsung Galaxy S21 is another that we’re delighted to see on the list of nominees, but again by no means shocked. As one of the four new additions to the Galaxy family, this phone quickly became popular with our customers.
It’s a phone that’s designed for the entertainment lovers of the world. With super-fast 5G and a stunning 6.2-inch Infinity-O display, S21 users are promised an elevated viewing experience.
Whether you use it for a Netflix binge, a good gaming session or a general nosey on your socials, the Galaxy S21 is perfect.
Pair this with a pro-grade triple camera and a battery built to last all day long and we think the S21 will prove to be extremely tough competition for other nominees.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is Samsung’s second nominee and when we tell you that it’ll be ultra-difficult for the other nominees to beat it, we mean it.
This phone is ultra in every aspect. The whopping 6.8-inch Infinity-O display beats Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max and its 6.7-inch display – forget the taking part, it’s all about winning in this case!
Don’t even get us started on its camera. Director’s View is a fancy feature that lets you switch between your different camera lenses while you’re live filming, meaning you can literally see your reaction as and when it happens.
Even if this phone had nothing else and only packed this fancy Director’s View feature, we still think it’d be worthy of an award.
Of course, it does pack a lot more than just this. S21 Ultra users can reap in the benefits of ultrafast 5G, a flawless design and powerful battery for long-lasting fun.
Google Pixel 5
Enough about iPhone and Samsung now, Google are in the spotlight and everyone’s watching. Their Pixel 5 has claimed its place in the list of nominees up for Phone of the Year.
If there was a category for Best Camera of the Year, we think the Pixel 5 would definitely be in the running. It boasts two sensational camera lenses, one 16MP lens and one 12.2MP lens. Both make your photography a breeze and give crystal clear shots in an instant.
Night Sight lets you take photos day or night – and without the flash too! Throw HDR+ into the mix and you’ve got the brightest photos you’ve ever seen.
Google didn’t stop there. They threw in advanced 5G tech, cool wireless charging and a stunning 6-inch display to enjoy all your content on. Oh, and not forgetting your very own Google Assistant too!
OnePlus 9 Pro
The OnePlus 9 Pro has more than one plus let us tell you. This phone delivers everything you could ever need from a mobile, so there’s no wonder it’s managed to claw its way onto the nomination list for Phone of the Year.
Everything about the OnePlus 9 Pro is fast. The speedy 5G tech makes it easier to enjoy your favourite entertainment while the 6.7-inch display adds to the immersive experience.
The 120Hz refresh rate is where it’s at though people – that baby deserves its own award! Get ready for seamless swiping with fewer buffering and lag.
Add a pro-grade quad camera to the mix, a huge 4500mAh battery with speedy 65T Warp Charge and a stunning design and you’re laughing. But this be enough to crown it winner? Who knows…
OPPO Find X3 Pro
The OPPO Find X3 Pro is another nominee on the list, and it makes for stellar competition. Those of you who love your entertainment will certainly want to see this phone take home the trophy.
The 6.7-inch QHD AMOLED display is perfect for those movie marathons on cosy days. The O1 Vision Engine makes it certain that almost everything you watch is transformed into an HDR gem while the 120Hz refresh rate makes it smoother than smooth.
Gamers can wave goodbye to buffer and lag and say hello to the ultimate gaming experience. The quality quad camera, speedy 5G tech and the 4500mAh battery all make this a worthy nominee.
Xiaomi Mi 11
Oh Mi gosh is all we have to say about this next nominee! The Xiaomi Mi 11 is practically perfect in every way.
It boasts an epic triple camera with an incredible 108MP wide lens, a 13MP ultrawide lens and a 5MP lens to get up close to all the tiny details. Selfie lovers can spruce up their socials too, courtesy of the 20MP front camera – award winning selfies on an award-winning phone has a nice ring to it we think.
It’s not only its camera where the Xiaomi Mi 11 excels, thanks to the 4600mAh battery and Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, you’ve got powerful performance on a phone that stays with you all day long.
Throw in a huge 6.81-inch display and speedy 5G tech and you’ve got the very best features of Xiaomi all on one phone.
Who will take the crown?
The competition for Phone of the Year is insane this year. We literally can’t call it and we’d love to give you some idea as to who will take the crown but there’s no way of knowing!
Every nominee has incredible features that make it a worthy winner. From speedy 5G to pro-grade cameras, there’s not one phone that hasn’t earnt its place on this list.
Looks like you’ll have to tune in with us on the 29thof September folks. If you can’t make it, we’ll be sure to update you as soon as the winner is announced.
