Google takes home 'Smartphone of the Year' award at MWC for the second straight year

Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL in tree

(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)

What you need to know

Google secured two of GLOMO's most desirable awards at MWC Barcelona in the Device category.
Google's Pixel 9 Pro won the "Smartphone of the Year" award, marking the brand's second win in a row for that category.
Gemini won the "Breakthrough Device Innovation" award for being an impactful piece of mobile software last year.

Google took home two of Global Mobile's (GLOMO) most prestigious awards at Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona, the company announced today, March 5. Google's Pixel 9 Pro won the major "Smartphone of the Year" award, which is the brand's second win in a row for that category. Additionally, Google's work in AI was honored as Gemini won the "Breakthrough Device Innovation" award.

Last year's winner for Smartphone of the Year was the Google Pixel 8 series, and that victory was crucial for both the brand and Android phones as a whole. It was the first time an Android handset had secured the pivotal award since 2021. Now, Google has managed to achieve the feat in two straight years, claiming the "Best Smartphone" title last year with the Pixel 8 and now the renamed Smartphone of the Year award with the Pixel 9 Pro.

While the Google Pixel 9 Pro wins the 2025 award, it's important to remember the criteria for eligible devices. "The Best Smartphone award combines outstanding performance, innovation and leadership as determined through assessment of smartphones on the market during the period January 2024 to December 2024, by world leading independent analysts, journalists and influencers," according to GLOMO (emphasis theirs).

Like usual, that means the Pixel 9 Pro competed with the likes of the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, but did not face the latest Samsung Galaxy S25 series.

Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL angled view — (Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)

Gemini's award for Breakthrough Device Innovation represents the second time the honor has been given to a software feature. The last time that happened was in 2023, when Apple won it for Emergency SOS via satellite. The award is described as being "for core hardware and software innovation within smartphone devices themselves."

Google won half of the total awards available in the "Device" category of GLOMO's honors at MWC 2025, in a significant milestone for the company.

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Brady is a tech journalist for Android Central, with a focus on news, phones, tablets, audio, wearables, and software. He has spent the last three years reporting and commenting on all things related to consumer technology for various publications. Brady graduated from St. John's University with a bachelor's degree in journalism. His work has been published in XDA, Android Police, Tech Advisor, iMore, Screen Rant, and Android Headlines. When he isn't experimenting with the latest tech, you can find Brady running or watching Big East basketball.