Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus scoops Best in Show at TechRadar MWC 2018 awards

MWC 2018 is drawing to a close, and we've had an exciting level of launches to plough through in our time here. 

TechRadar has spent nearly 30 hours checking out  the very best the show has to offer and finding the most impressive devices to give our hotly-contested awards to.

Judges from the US, Middle East and UK got together to thrash out what they considered to be the best technology around, taking into account the impact each device had, the technological innovation, the buzz it generated around the show and - quite simply - which they liked the most.

"As we approached MWC this year, we weren't sure what to expect. The rumor mill wasn't spilling out as much info on great phones and tablets, and we were worried that there wouldn't be much to talk about," said Joint Global Editor in Chief, Gareth Beavis.

"However, when we arrived we found that just below the surface there was reams of innovation, companies at the lower end fighting upwards and industry stalwarts trying to ward off the challenge with ever-improving handsets.

"So, far from being the damp squib we were expecting, MWC 2018 has had lots of great stories and technology narrative to take away - we're not sure AI is the amazing tool that some are talking about, but being able to interrogate that and see how it's changing our smartphones has been amazing."

Best Wearable

Sony Xperia Ear Duo

The Sony Xperia Ear Duo is a really innovative invention from Sony - we've not seen its like from a major brand before.

The judges liked its combination of alternative fit, stylish design but mostly the fact that it can play music at a pleasant volume while letting you hear the world around you... an impressive feat.

Reader's Choice

Huawei MateBook X Pro

You clearly loved this device - it was head and shoulders above the nearest competitor as your favorite thing from the show. It offers stylish design, incredible power and a pop-up camera... what's not to like?

Highly Commended

Huawei MediaPad M5

The MediaPad M5 brings Android in a desirable design, showing that the Google-powered slate is far from dead.... and this is why you chose this as your runner up.

Best Tablet

Huawei MateBook M5 Pro

Huawei ran into an early lead for our TechRadar MWC awards, and it's well-deserved - we rated the M5 Pro ahead of its little brother thanks the inbuilt stylus support and well-made design.

Highly Commended

Onkyo Granbeat tablet

Simply put, this tablet is bonkers. It's got a 4K screen and massive speakers either side - while we're slightly fearful of hearing the eventual price, we'll never be scared of hearing sound coming out of this thing... it's incredible.

Best Phone

Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

The Galaxy S9 Plus is easily the best phone at the show here - Samsung might not have brought a huge upgrade to its previous models, but they were already so far ahead of the pack in many ways that it didn't need to.

Still, with dual cameras that really push the envelope in performance combined with slick design, the S9 Plus was an easy winner.

Highly Commended

Nokia 8 Sirocco

Who doesn't love a comeback story? Nokia is very much that - winning the hearts of many with its quirky character, rebooted old-school phones and (as is exemplified here) excellent build quality.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco just feels so nice in the hand that our judges felt it had to be commended - what can Nokia do in the next year?

Best in Show

Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

As the best phone, the S9 Plus was always going to be a strong contender in this category, and it proved to be the case, running away with the awards as our judges were nearly unanimous in labelling it the best thing we've seen here.

Highly Commended

Vivo Apex Concept

The Vivo Apex Concept phone is something that everyone should be checking out - sure, it's not a real thing just yet, but when we have fingerprint scanners in our screens everywhere, remember that this is where you saw it first. Our UK phones editor John McCann was especially impressed with it, and the effect it could have on the industry could be huge.

 MWC (Mobile World Congress) is the world's largest exhibition for the mobile industry, stuffed full of the newest phones, tablets, wearables and more. TechRadar is reporting live from Barcelona all week to bring you the very latest from the show floor. Head to our dedicated MWC 2018 hub to see all the new releases, along with TechRadar's world-class analysis and buying advice about your next phone. 

Gareth Beavis
Formerly Global Editor in Chief

Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.