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2011's Best iPod, iPhone, iPad Products + Developers Awarded by iLounge

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Along with the launch of the 2012 iPhone + iPod Buyers' Guide -- the definitive book on Apple's pocket devices, accessories, and apps -- leading independent Apple publication iLounge today announced the winners of its prestigious Best of the Year Awards. Representing the very best of thousands of new releases from the last 12 months, the 2011 Awards were issued to developers solely on the virtues of their products, without any influence from advertisers, Apple, or other interests. Recipients included young companies that only recently started developing for Apple's devices, as well as established players in the growing iPhone, iPod, and iPad industry.

"This year saw few physical changes in Apple's portable devices, but third-party accessories and apps made some remarkable improvements," said Jeremy Horwitz, Editor-in-Chief of iLounge. "Companies began to take advantage of new Apple processors and AirPlay wireless streaming, enabling the latest iPhones and iPods to do things that simply weren't possible a year ago."

Multiple Best of the Year Award winners include:

* Bowers & Wilkins, winner of three 2011 awards: Accessory Maker of the Year, Headphone of the Year (C5 In-Ear Headphones), and Deluxe Speaker of the Year (Zeppelin Air).

* LunaTik, winner of two 2011 awards: the Readers' Choice Award for Accessory Maker of the Year, as well as for iPod nano Case of the Year (LunaTik).

* Gameloft, winner of two 2011 awards: iOS Game Developer of the Year Award, and iPod/iPhone Game of the Year (Shadow Guardian).

* Speck Products, winner of two 2011 awards: iPhone Case of the Year (CandyShell Flip for iPhone 4), and iPad Case of the Year (CandyShell Wrap for iPad 2).

* Apple, winner of multiple 2011 awards: iLounge readers and editors alike selected Apple as the iOS Application Developer of the Year, along with specific awards for iPad App of the Year (GarageBand), and iPod/iPhone App of the Year (Find My Friends). The repeatedly improved $99 Apple TV was selected as Accessory of the Year, while the iPad 2 was selected as the Readers' Choice for Top Apple Product of 2011, and iOS 5 was the Editors' Choice for Top Apple Product of the Year.

Single 2011 Best of the Year Award recipients include Epic Games, Ideal Binary, iHome, Logitech, Nosy Crow, Rovio, Scosche, and SuperTooth. For full details on the winners, runners-up, and hundreds of other accessories and applications, download the 2012 iPhone + iPod Buyers' Guide, available immediately for free.

Best of the Year Awards: http://www.ilounge.com/2012bg

About iLounge: iLounge, Inc. is the exclusive partner of the Consumer Electronics Association for the iLounge Pavilion, a collection of iPad, iPhone, iPod, and Mac products that is now the largest dedicated exhibition area at the International Consumer Electronics Show. As the world's leading provider of iPod, iPhone, iPad, and iTunes information, iLounge is fully independent from Apple and vendors of related hardware, software, and services, with offices in Irvine, California and East Amherst, New York. Founded only days after Apple announced the first iPod in 2001, iLounge has exploded in popularity, today boasting millions of visitors and tens of millions of page views each month. Its editorial content is in no way influenced by advertising, paid placements, or other unsavory practices. Praised for years as "the ultimate in product reviews and tutorials on all things iPod," iLounge and its team have been spotlighted by the Associated Press, CNBC, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and many other leading publications.

SOURCE iLounge