uSwitch Mobile Awards 2014

21st November 2014

Last night's annual uSwitch.com Mobile Awards, held in London's Gherkin, revealed the UK's most popular mobile manufacturers, networks and retailers, as voted for by consumers and a judging panel of tech journalists.

People's Choice:
- Three wins three out of the 10 awards voted for by consumers, including best pay monthly network and best value for money.
- O2 picks up three awards and is crowned best PAYG network, best for network coverage and best for roaming
- Giffgaff is officially the best value for SIM-only tariffs.
- EE is still the fastest network, and also comes out on top for SIM-only tariffs.
- After coming second behind Three last year, Tesco now claims best network for customer support.

Judges' Choice:
- Three's popularity with customers is mirrored by the judges who vote it best high street retailer, best network for perks and freebies and best for mobile innovation
- Best manufacturer goes to Apple, but HTC's One M8 is named handset of the year
- Best mobile innovation gong is awarded to Motorola for the Moto G
- Mobiles.co.uk takes home the best online retailer award.

The fourth annual uSwitch.com Mobile Awards saw Three building on last year's success. The network collected six out of 17 awards - three of these voted for by consumers, and three decided by a judging panel of industry experts.

The network took home the coveted best pay monthly network award - beating runners up EE and O2 - with three quarters (75%) of its customers satisfied with its service. It also picked up two more consumer gongs for best value for money, for both the pay as you go (PAYG) and pay monthly categories.

Three has been equally popular amongst industry experts, with uSwitch's judging panel voting it best high street retailer, and the best for perks and freebies: "It's all good and well offering treats and incentives, but Three's Feel At Home service is genuinely useful", stated Victoria Woollaston, Deputy Science and Technology Editor for MailOnline. It also collected a trophy for best network for mobile innovation, owing to its 'Feel At Home' roaming plan, which allows mobile customers to use their UK plans in 16 countries at no extra cost.

O2 walked away with three customer satisfaction gongs, beating both Vodafone and EE to win the best network coverage award. O2 also beat Three and Vodafone to be named best for roaming and it was given the coveted accolade of best network for PAYG, relegating Vodafone and Three to the runners up positions.

Based on RootMetrics' speed test data, EE was awarded a trophy for the fastest network, outdoing both Three and O2. EE was also voted the best network for SIM-only deals by consumers, with 88% of its users happy with the service provided.

Championing best value for money on PAYG deals was giffgaff - its generous 'goodybag' tariffs can be changed monthly – which include Payback points for referring friends or helping other users in its online forums. Giffgaff also came a close runner up in two more categories - best for customer support, which was taken by Tesco Mobile, and best value for money for PAYG.

The distinguished panel of judges included Dan Simmons (BBC), Vicky Woollaston (MailOnline), Gareth Beavis (TechRadar), Michael Rundle (Huffington Post), Carly Page (Inquirer), Sophie Curtis (Daily Telegraph), Gordon Kelly (Forbes), Olivia Solon (The Mirror), Chris Hall (Pocket Lint), and Verity Burns (What HIFI). Their manufacturer of 2014 was Apple, of which they said: "Tim Cook proclaimed the iPhone 6 to be the most beautiful phone ever made - a bold claim, but we're inclined to think he's right."

In spite of this praise, the judges handed the phone of the year award to the HTC One M8. The frenzy surrounding the iPhone 6 launch couldn't detract from the "impeccable" smartphone HTC had produced. On this, the judges said: "HTC's commitment to design endures. The One M8 builds on the superb DNA of previous devices and, made of 90% metal, the aluminum design is impeccable."

Recognition from the panel for manufacturing innovation went to Motorola for its new low cost device, the Moto G, for “kicking off its smart-phone revival by offering a mid-range handset with a low-range price tag”.

The judges voted Three and Mobiles.co.uk best high street and online retailers respectively. For these categories, the judges looked at every aspect of the service provided by the stores, including value for money, the variety of handsets on offer and the standard of customer service. After claiming this award in 2013, they said that Mobiles.co.uk “is still the cheapest retailer, providing unmatched service”, while Three stood out as having “friendly staff with a good understanding of the market” and “great deals, unparalleled by other retailers.”

Rob Kerr, mobiles expert at uSwitch.com, says: “It's been another good year for Three, as continued innovation and low prices helped it maintain popularity among both customers and experts. Three has been recognised for its performance across the board - value for money, network provisions and innovation, as well as a standout performance on the high street.

“Three's Feel at Home roaming offering deserves a special mention. It has allowed customers at home to enjoy unlimited data without the hefty price tag, helping end the post-holiday bill shock. It's a service currently unmatched by other network providers.

“It has also been a great year for O2 in the awards, where it has proven equally popular amongst consumers who felt it offered unrivalled network coverage and the best for roaming, with PAYG customers also voting it the best network for them.

“After scooping fastest network of 2013, EE once again claimed the award for 2014. The pressure is on for Vodafone, O2 and Three's services to become faster and more widely available, and to offer a challenge for the network giant.

“In spite of a fair few media controversies – from bend-gate to iOS failures – Apple has still been crowned, by the experts, as manufacturer of the year. The frenzy surrounding the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus has not yet abated, and there's no denying that Apple has pushed the boundaries of phone technology yet again.

“But the HTC One M8 is the number one mobile choice for the critics. Whilst the judges recognised Apple's achievements as manufacturer, the HTC One M8 is, quite simply, an even better mobile thanks to its forward thinking design, quality of build materials and overall usability.”