Mobile Innovators of 2011

With a new year now upon us, it's the perfect time to reflect upon the best of 2011. The mobile phone industry saw a wealth of innovation during the last 12 months with leading handset manufacturers intensifying their quests for increased market share. Rather than assemble a straight forward 'best handset' list we wanted instead to acknowledge those handsets which brought something new and exciting to the table - so here's our list of the most pioneering handsets of 2011 and what we believe makes them so special:

HTC Sensation XE

The HTC Sensation was an exceptional handset in it's own right - with a speedy dual-core processor, a fresh version of HTC Sense and a supersized screen on a surprisingly skinny frame. Not content with this, HTC decided to roll out a turbocharged version towards the tail-end of the year. The HTC Sensation XE had a slightly faster processor to match up to that found in the iPhone 4S and a unique audio interface developed in conjunction with Dr Dre and his Beats Audio brand. This partnership not only made the Sensation XE the only choice for audiophiles - with unparalleled audio capabilities and Beats Audio earphones but also brought with it Beats Audio branding on the phone and the operating system adding to the fashion appeal.

HTC Sensation XE

Apple iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S may have been a letdown for those hoping to see a complete re-invention of the iPhone given its similarity to its predecessor - but it did bring with it a unique feature. Referred to as 'Siri' the iPhone 4S introduced the arrival an exceptionally developed voice controlled 'assistant'. Siri is able to recognise and respond to a vast array of voice commands allowing the phone user to dispense with the touchscreen altogether if they so wish. This innovative operation interface is leaps and bounds ahead of any rival handset manufacturer's voice control systems making a worthy addition to our innovators list.

Apple iPhone 4S

Motorola Atrix

This slightly lower profile smartphone from stalwarts Motorola may not have received the public interest levels of the HTC or Apple offerings - but certainly holds it's own in the innovation stakes. Although the handset itself doesn't necessarily set itself apart from other recent Android mobile phones for standard performance (except in terms of processor power where it does excel) - the ace up its sleeve is the way it interacts with its unique arsenal of accessories. The most notable of these accessories is the laptop dock - which transforms the Atrix into a fully functional netbook. Allied with the phone's inbuilt fingerprint reader this full utilisation of the phone's capabilities through external devices will surely inspire further innovation on this front by Motorola and others.

Motorola Atrix