Big apple win: iPhone 3G gets best gadget prize

APPLE’S iPhone 3G has won a public vote to find the year’s best gadget, beating strong competition from three games consoles, a budget laptop and a balloon-shaped iPod speaker system.

The latest version of the mobile that combines a phone with a music and video player, was chosen by readers of Stuff magazine in its annual Gadget of the Year awards.

The magazine described the iPhone 3G as “a faster, cleverer version of an already remarkable phone”. The phone’s first incarnation, launched in Britain last year, won the coolest gadget prize at last year’s ceremony.

Stuff’s editor Fraser Macdonald said the nominated products were judged on their performance, design and value, as well as “that elusive cool factor”.

“Having our readers vote for a number of the awards has been fascinating,” he said. “They are the ones out there on the street buying gadgets and so they are a great barometer.”

The magazine’s own gadget of the year prize, chosen by its staff, went to the Asus Eee Pc, a no-frills laptop that costs less than €!400.

The judges said it had made more of an impact than any other device and marked the start of a “laptop for everyone” era.

The new Sony Reader, dubbed the iPod for books, took the innovation of the year award.

Nokia took the international brand of the year title, while the Apple MacBook Air received the design of the year award.

The Ego Electric Street Scoota was voted by readers as the green gadget of the year, beating solar radios and pocket wind turbines.

The zero-emission scooter has a range of 40 miles and has been marketed to appeal to commuters.

Stuff announced the winners at an awards ceremony at London’s Dorchester Hotel on Tuesday.

Of the 20 awards, 14 were voted by Stuff’s panel of judges with the others decided by consumers and the magazine’s readers.

* Details of all the winners are at: http://awards.stuff.tv