There’s a “budget” smartphone category that has so far revolved around devices like the Palm Centro, BlackBerry Pearl, and a host of Windows Mobile devices like the Samsung Jack — basically scads of devices aimed below the fat wallets of enterprise.

Typically these devices are small to the point of being cramped, with tiny keyboards or work-arounds like T9 or SureType, and are low-margin for manufacturers — sold more to grab new users, bolster market share, and create brand awareness than to serve as mobile computers for the internet age.

Well, Apple has just shot a cannonball through the heart of that smartphone category — the iPhone 3G at $99.

At least that was our editor-in-chief, Dieter Bohn’s reaction when we spoke following the big WWDC 2009 Keynote. And I think he’s right. Here’s why:

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In a write up nonchalantly titled “Lies, damn lies, statistics, and Apple…“, our good friend Phil Nickinson over at sister-site WMExperts rightly points out that Apple gave Windows Mobile a full on shunning during the WWDC 2009 keynote:

Windows Mobile isn’t even mentioned. Sure, Microsoft hasn’t yet launched its dedicated app store, Windows Marketplace for Mobile. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t stores from which to buy apps – ahem, here’s one – and it’s an insult to all of the developers of the 20,000 Windows Mobile applications available.

Windows 7 did get a mention (and a ribbing, as usual, from OS X head Bertrand Serlet), but in the smartphone space…?

Nothing.

That might seem callous from Apple’s part — but here’s the worse problem for Microsoft: Windows Mobile was missing from a lot of post-WWDC analyst and media commentary as well.

Apple still owns significant smartphone mind-share and the Palm Pre has captured the attention of the blogsphere and, since RIM is holding fast, that’s coming at the expense of Microsoft (and maybe Android, which was last year’s next big thing).

Realistically, with so many platforms now, when someone writes “Apple iPhone and…” “BlackBerry and…” and now “Palm Pre and…” there’s only room for so many others in the sentence, and those places are becoming increasingly competitive.

With Windows Mobile 7 pushed out until 2010, and 6.5 not in consumer hands yet either, and with iPhone 3G S about to hit, things might not be changing any time soon either…

[TiPb vs. TiPb time! In the blue corner we have Jeremy who tells us why he IS SO upgrading to the iPhone 3G S. In the red corner, Chad who tells us why he IS NOT upgrading to the iPhone 3G S. Two writers, one issue. Check them both out and tell us who's side you're on!]

There have been a lot of people out there who are very disappointed with the third generation iPhone — iPhone 3G S. They’re saying that it is pretty much the same phone as the current iPhone 3G, or that the upgrades are not enough to warrant purchasing the new iPhone 3G S. I’m here to say, they’re right - the upgrades are not significant enough!

More after the break!

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This morning we wondered aloud about whether the iPhone 3G S would be splitting Apple’s mobile OS X platform. Looks like we weren’t the only ones wondering.

Engadget’s Chris Ziegler takes a look at the new hardware’s PowerVR SGX graphics-core’s support for OpenGL ES 2.0, and that led him to this language in Apple’s iPhone SDK documentation:

“When designing your OpenGL ES application, the first question you must answer is whether your application will support OpenGL ES 1.1, OpenGL ES 2.0, or both… Your application should target OpenGL ES 1.1 if you want to support all iPhones and iPod touches.”

Sure, with 40,000,000 iPhones and iPods touch on the market, many developers will want to stick with OpenGL ES 1.1 support, but like with any generational transition — even slow ones — eventually more and more might just want to push the new hardware and see what it can do…

No such thing as a free lunch. You don’t get something for nothing. Yesterday we linked to Gizmodo’s response to iPhone 3G owners “whining” about not getting a second bite at the cheap subsidy pricing for the iPhone 3G S.

Bottom line, you got your discount last year in exchange for a 2 year contract. That contract isn’t done in full yet, so you don’t get a discount in full yet.

But that got me thinking. I asked this on Twitter and am getting mixed reaction, so I’ll ask it here:

What if AT&T offered you full, subsidized pricing anyway ($199/$299) in exchange for another 2 year contract? No, not 2 more years starting now — that still costs them a year — but an additional 2 years after the current contract expires, for 3 years total from iPhone 3G S release.

Here’s the math: 2 year current contract - 1 year completed = 1 year + 2 years new contract = 3 years total.

Sound crazy? Rogers in Canada has all iPhone 3G owners on 3 year contracts already. 3 years are normal in some parts of the world.

However, the idea clearly doesn’t scale, does it? If AT&T offers an iPhone 3G S+ with iPhone 4.0 next year, the same math and model would mean you’d have to sign for a 4 year contract to get subsidy pricing (original 2 years - 1 year + 2 years - 1 year + 2 years = 4 years total).

Sure, it looks nice and linear — matching OS version numbers even — but not it’s not realistic long-term. Who’s going to offer or sign a 6 year contract for iPhone X running 6.0?

Still, for just this year, would you fully re-up it to get the iPhone 3G S at full discount pricing?

The smoke has begun to clear now that the WWDC 2009 keynote is over and we finally know all of the details regarding the iPhone 3GS. So - surprise - this From the Forums is all about WWDC and the new iPhone 3G S.

I’ll admit, as soon as Apple gave me the ability to pre-order the new iPhone 3G S, I broke down and ordered right away. Exactly how many of you out there has pre-ordered the latest iPhone goodness to come out of Cupertino?

This next thread was started by dramos9696, and he wants to know what are the major differences between the iPhone 3G and the 3G S. A lot of people like to claim there are no major differences but if you know me at all, you know I will fight tooth and nail to prove you wrong. But take a look at that thread and add anything you see fit.

Frozen001 started this thread, AT&T Strikes Again. Now we here at TiPb don’t understand why AT&T is lagging behind with MMS and tethering but as far as upgrades are concerned it’s pretty simple - if you don’t have a upgrade available to you, you pay the normal price. That’s just the way it is. No one is forcing you to make the purchase. What are you thoughts?

Our final thread was created by Scott R and it is about the iPhone 3G S’s camera. Does it seem too good to be true Scott wonders? TiPb thinks if it performs as well as it looked during the keynote, color us impressed.

There you have it folks, some of the hottest topics on TiPb forums! To get in on the action be sure to register first.

See you on the forums!

Apple.com has posted up the winners of the WWDC 2009 Apple Design Awards (APA), and specifically for our interests, the iPhone winners. Like last year, a lot of our favorites got the nod. Here they are, with iTunes links where available:

iPhone Developer Showcase:

• MLB.com At Bat 2009 v1.0.1 / MLB.com
  
• Postage v1.0 / Rogue Sheep
• Topple 2 v1.1 / ngmoco:)
  
• Tweetie v1.3.1 / atebits LLC

Best iPhone Student App

• Wooden Labyrinth 3D v1.2.1 / Elias Pietil

Best iPhone OS 3.0 Beta App

• AccuTerra v1.0.0 Beta / AccuTerra

Congrats to everyone and thanks for the great apps!

Apple has begun their direct email campaign for the iPhone 3G S saying:

Phone 3G S features a remarkable new video camera and hands-free Voice Control. It’s a revolutionary phone, a great widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device in one. And it opens up a whole new world of applications. All that and more makes it the best iPhone yet.

It’s that second to last sentence that drew our attention. New world of applications? What does that mean for the old world? More after the break…

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With AT&T US and Rogers Canada having already weighed in, TUAW now brings word on what the chaps across the pond can expect for the iPhone 3G S, and it’s, well… a lot of numbers, innit?

Check out their full post for all the details on Monthly and Pay & Go Plans, but highlights include:

32GB iPhone 3G S will range between £274.23 (~$444US) and £96.89 (~$158US) for an 18-month contract and £175.19 (~$283) and £0 for a 24-month contract. Contract prices range between £29.38 (~$48US) and £73.41 (~$120US) for 18-month terms and £34.26 (~$55US) and £73.41 (~$120US) for 24-month terms. All plans include unlimited UK data and WiFi.

So, who’s for a bit of a line up on Regent Street June 19 then?

(And yeah, old school LoTR graphic still alive!)

Apple Insider reveals that:

Sources have now reported that Apple has detailed that Imagination’s PowerVR SGX is indeed the graphics processor used in the iPhone 3G S, and that it is “designed for OpenGL ES 2.0.” The new 2.0 specification of OpenGL for Embedded Systems eliminates most of the fixed-function rendering pipeline for a programmable approach to 3D rendering using shader programs.

So while we’re not yet getting that PA Semi + multicore ARM/PowerVT + OpenCL + Papermaker + ATI gurus system on a chip we’ve been fantasizing about this year… we’re still getting a clear focus on speed from Apple. And that’s a Good Thing.

Oh, and yeah, that’s totally the Kingdom Come Flash trouncing his golden age and silver age counterparts in the graphic above. /geek.