As we approach the U.S. launch of the Sprint HTC Hero Android fanboys have some well deserved celebrating.  Not only will they be enjoying Android 1.6, but they will be using the device Stuff Magazine called the Gadget of the Year for 2009, the HTC Hero. The combination of the spacious 3.2-inch screen, 5-megapixel camera and Android were more than enough to send the Stuff judges over the edge when choosing the recipient of the award.  To put it simply they said, “It’s a phone that’s right on the button”.

Fraser Macdonald, one of the judges at the 2009 Stuff Gadget Awards, said: ‘With the HTC Hero, we’ve finally got a phone that fully exploits the potential of the Android OS to be as clever and as sexy as the iPhone.’

Apple’s iPhone 3GS picked up awards for Phone of the Year and Readers’ Gadget of the Year at the ceremony organised by Stuff magazine last night at London’s Dorchester Hotel.  The award for Audio Gadget of the Year went to the Spotify website, which allows users to access any song they want legally and for free.  The Sony KDL-40WE5 television was crowned Eco Gadget of the Year for its energy-saving features, including a sensor which dims the screen when it senses you have left the room.