Hugh Jackman may be hosting the Oscar announcements this Sunday, but TiPb will be announcing YOUR choice for the very best in all things iPhone. That's right, the voting is almost done, the time is almost up. If you haven't already, don't walk -- RUN -- to our forums and make your voice heard for the TiPb Reader's Choice Awards!

• Favorite iPhone 2.x Feature of 2008
• Favorite iPhone FIGHT of 2008
• Biggest iPhone FAIL of 2008
• Favorite iPhone Game of 2008
• Favorite iPhone Social Networking App of 2008
• Favorite iPhone Productivity App of 2008
• Favorite iPhone WebApp of 2008
• Favorite iPhone Jailbreak App of 2008
• Favorite iPhone Bluetooth Headset of 2008
• Favorite iPhone Case of 2008

What are you still reading this for?! Go, VOTE!

Happy New Year and welcome to the iPhone blog's 2008 "TiPby Awards"! This year we're breaking them into two parts: Editors' Awards (below), and Reader's Choice (which is already underway in our forums and will wrap up later in the month). If you haven't voted yet, get on over to the forums and vote now. If you haven't guessed our Editors' Awards... Read on after the break!

Smartphone of the Year

Apple only has one current-generation handset, so unlike our sister-sites CrackBerry.com, Treo Central, and especially WMExperts, we're not technically doing this category. If we were, however, and even if this wasn't the iPhone blog, and even with new entrants like the Android G1, the Treo Pro, the BlackBerry's Bold and Storm, and more HTC Touches than you can shake brand dilution at (including the admittedly awesome HD), the iPhone 3G continues to be the disruptive influence in the industry. What Apple did with User Interface with the original iPhone in 2007 and iPhone OS 1.x, they actually managed to eclipse in 2008 with the SDK and iPhone OS 2.x. They sold 10 million units faster than even their own predictions, outsold everyone in the smartphone and feature phone spaces last quarter, and finally -- and most importantly -- brought mobile computing to the consumer masses.

Innovation of the Year

We were tempted to say capacitive touch screens, but the iPhone had that way back in 2007. No, this year was all about Apple provisioning over 10,000 pieces of software, developers making millions in sales, and most importantly -- users downloading hundreds of thousands of apps quickly, easily, and directly on their iPhones. Steve Jobs said Apple, in their 30+ year history, hadn't ever seen anything like the attachment rate of the App Store. No one else has either, including Google, Microsoft, Palm, and RIM who have all since struggled to catch up. That right there is the very essence of innovation.

Game of the Year

There are so many games, and increasingly so many great games, that it makes this category especially hard to decide. Super Monkey Ball's demo, for example, helped make the original iPhone SDK event spectacular, showcased 3D OpenGL graphics and just what the SDK could do (in two weeks!), and made a mint for a major gaming house like Sega, establishing the $9.99 price point (which both EA's Spore and THQ's Star Wars: The Force Unleashed built on in spades). Ultimately, however, we're going with Rolando, one of the newest games, and one that has benefited enormously from both the continued maturity of the platform and experience of the developers, Ngmoco:) It's become an overnight smash hit and with good reason: it's not a port but a real iPhone game, made by iPhone developers, to leverage the specific strengths of the iPhone. And most importantly, it's fun.

Productivity App of the Year

Some joke that the iPhone is a "toy" or not ready for business. Unfortunately for those of us having to make a pick in this category, the opposite is true. Due to it having a real, desktop OS heritage and tons of screen real-estate, it's not only possible to do some really productive things. We flirted with a few heavyweights like 1Password, task list champion Things, and "native" Excel 2003 editing and iDisk accessing MobileFiles Pro, but we wanted something that provided cross-platform power, and that brought us back to VNC powerhouse Jaadu. Remote access to your Windows PC, Linux box, or Mac in the palm of your hand? That's productivity. (The fact that it's saved us many a long, sometimes frozen drive into the office only slightly affected our decision on this one...)

Social Networking or IM App of the Year

Facebook stayed near the top of the free app chart, off and on, since launch, but even in its much improved 2.0 version still couldn't quite compete with their WebApp. Twitter loomed large as well, with a myriad of contenders starting with the pre-App Store Twitterrific. Pinger even made an impressive go at aggregating presence. But for us, the 800lbs gorilla is BeeJive IM, which just fills the missing iChat space as well as any non-multitasking app possibly could (especially with Apple's Push-Notification Service still in limbo... ahem)

Innovative App of the Year

Again there's an embarrassment of riches here. Ocarina turned CrackBerry Kevin from frenemy to fan, getting him to literally play Marimba on his iPhone's speaker and then quickly try to see what Dieter was playing on the other side of the world (ish). WeightBot showed that interface could still be innovative, and Sea Dragon brought Microsoft Labs and their deep zoom technology to the iPhone table. Yet, and even with the dark-ish cloud that covers the use of private API's, we're giving this one to the impressive Voice Search in Google's Mobile App. Why? You lift the iPhone to your ear and start talking. It brings us one step closer to Star Trek.

Bluetooth Headset of the Year

Even though it came out early in the year, the Jawbone 2 managed to hold on to its position both on top of the charts, and in our hearts throughout 2008. Chad summed it up: "Not the smallest out there, but not the biggest either, it sure looks good though. But it also does what few other headsets can do; eliminate background noise. I think your next headset purchase might have just been made." Indeed, Aliph has managed to pack the technology of the original Jawbone into a smaller size that manages to pretty much match the performance of the original. Plus, the earhook is leather-wrapped, long-time listeners to the podcast know we can't resist the combination of leather and microphones.

Case of the Year

Protection of a hard case + thinness of a skin = a big win for the Seidio Innocase II. "Soft-touch" helps keep the otherwise iconic glossy plastic and sleek metal and glass slab scratch-free and firmly in hand. We are big fans of the iPhone form factor, obviously, so we wanted to pick a case that didn't mess with that. Skins are nice, don't get us wrong, but sometimes you just want the protection of a hard-case. Add in the fact that this hard case allows you to pull off the bottom for easy docking and you have this year's winner.

Accessory of the Year

Chad reviewed and recommended it. Dieter recommended it. Jeremy recommended it. And the iPhone, lacking a user-replaceable battery, practically demands it. What more can we say? Nothing that Chad hasn't said already about the Griffin PowerDuo: "can’t be recommended enough. I am very pleased with the quality and versatility of this accessory, and I can proudly say I use it every day."

EPIC FAIL of the Year

MobileMe was a fiasco, but one that Apple ultimately fixed. The lack of cut/copy and paste, video recording, MMS, unified inbox, pervasive landscape keyboard, and many other individual omissions, while still vexing to many, remain vexing from 2007, which makes them all the more shameful, yet all the less timely for our purposes. Likewise, the continued presence of iClones, which nearly 2 years post-iPhone introduction, remains merely a depressing reminder that 2008 passed by entirely without significant innovation from the so-called competition. Even the bewilderingly announced-at-WWDC-and-promised-for-autumn Push Notification Service which has still failed to even re-materialize in beta form is somewhat excused by the aforementioned MobileMe launch fiasco: the only thing that would upset us more than no PNS is one that Apple rushes out only to have it crash and burn the first time people try to use it. We'll even take a pass on App Store's lack of demos, discoverability, and developer shenanigans and fart-fueled races to the bottom. Our EPIC FAIL of the Year is Steve Jobs abandoning the Macworld Keynote. Even if it's Apple's last appearance, even if there's nothing Steve-note worthy to announce, when you go out, you don't just go out with a bang -- if you're Apple, you go out with a Steve Jobs "Boom!"

Story of the Year

Stories is more appropriate. Nothing sparked more interest, not the iPhone 3G release or iPhone Nano speculation, not the stock manipulation rumors about the health of Apple's CEO, not the holy geek trifecta of Transformers star Megan Fox in a Star Wars shirt brandishing an iPhone or even AT&T's end-of-year Midwest service outage. Jeremy was all over this for TiPb, both on the blog and in the forum: the stories of the year were and are the endless cat and mouse game between Apple and the iPhone Dev Team, jailbreaking each and every new firmware release, and the New Year's advent of the long, long anticipated iPhone 3G unlock. Could the continued popularity and power of the Jailbreak and Unlock encourage Apple to relax their SDK restrictions and carrier tie-ins for 2009? Doubtful. Which means we may already have a hint what the story of the next year will be: Jailbreaking and Unlocking the TiPb predicted iPhone HD...

Bring on 2009!

Well, that's it -- TiPb Editors' Awards for 2008 gone and done! What will we see in 2009? Who knows, but we're excited to find out!

Did you agree with any of our picks? Disagree? What would YOU have given the nod to? Feel strongly about it? Get over to the TiPb iPhone forums and let your voices be heard for our Readers' Choice awards!

Happy New Year

--The iPhone blog team

What to get for that annoying iPhone owner who knows has everything? For that new iPhone user who's just getting started? For that last minute drop in you never expected but suddenly have to render iSpeechless?

TiPb's got you covered! Here's our 2008 Gift Guide, jammed packed with iPhone goodness just in time for the holidays, after the jump!

Rene Recommends

Gift Certificates! Be they for the iPhone 3G itself, for anything at the Apple Store, or for iTunes and its App Store. Take the first two with you to the Apple Store for specialist, even Genius help, or shop in the comfort of your own iTunes with the last one, Apple's made it easy to give the least assumptive gift of the season.

Dieter Recommends

• BodyGuardz Protective Skin is a scratch-proof transparent film for your iPhone 3G. Designed to custom fit each particular device, these protectors are made from the same material that is used to protect the front of automobiles from stones and other abrasive elements. Tough and durable, you can be assured that your device is protected by BodyGuardz.
• Motorola H15 Bluetooth Headset lets you enjoy pure sound quality on both ends of the conversation with CrystalTalk. The flip design is easy to use - open to talk and close to save battery.
• Griffin PowerDuo combines the redesigned PowerBlock AC charger and PowerJolt auto charger in one convenient bundle.

Brian Recommends

• Seidio Innocase II, which features their unique soft touch "rubberized" surface and is less than 1mm thick but provides a strong layer of protection and excellent grip for youriPhone 3G .
• The New Jawbone is the next step in the integration of best in class noise elimination technology with personal design that is both humanistic and minimal.
• Inno.dock junior desktop cradle from Seidio, which is powered through your computers USB port with the use of the included cable and the charging connector lets you adjust the docking position of your phone.

Casey Recommends

• Case-Mate Vroom, which Kicks it into high gear with a new tire-tread pattern iPhone 3G case. Made from 100% rubber, this sporty form-fit iPhone 3G case will protect your phone in style.
• Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth Headset is your essential conversation piece, blending an elegantly simple design with crisp sound quality and lightweight comfort.
• Marware Sportsuit Convertible is the most versatile sport armband case for the iPhone 3G. The Convertible is really three cases in one: it transforms into an easily adjustable armband case, a clip-on case for a belt or shoulder strap, or a slim-profile sleeve for an extra layer of protection in a pocket, gym bag, backpack or purse.

Chad Recommends

• Apple iPhone Bluetooth Headset let's you answer iPhone calls wirelessly with a compact and lightweight Bluetooth Headset. You also get an iPhone Bluetooth Travel Cable for convenient syncing and charging.
• Griffin PowerDuo can’t be recommended enough. I am very pleased with the quality and versatility of this accessory, and I can proudly say I use it every day.
• Case-Mate Naked Case with full touch-through access to your screen via an electrostatic membrane that will also protect your iPhone 3G screen from scratches, fingerprints and other mishaps.

Jeremy Recommends

• Case-Mate The Hipster a durable leather pouch that keeps your 3G iPhone safely and stylishly by your side at all times. With it's fixed belt clip and a magnetic snap, your iPhone 3G will be protected against the elements wherever you go.
• Griffin PowerDuo includes a charge/sync cable for iPhone 3G, iPhone, iPod touch, or iPod Touch 2G with full-sized dock connector.
• The New Jawbone is a miracle of miniaturization and 50% smaller than the original Jawbone.

Your Recommendations?

What did we miss? Any killer apps? Must-have accessories? What does your secret gift'er need to wrap up for you this year? What are you telling Papa Jobs you really want left under your iPhone? We only started this list; didn't even check it twice! Drop some ideas in the comments, would ya? Make sure we get this right!

Apple is reporting their Q4, 2008 financial results, and while things look good for the Mac, they look great for the iPhone, with 6,892,000 units sold during the 3 month period, up from 1,119,000 in the same quarter last year. And YES! Apple has already made their 10 million iPhone in 2008 goal, with the holiday season still to come. This makes Apple, dollar-for-dollar, the third largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world (after Nokia and Samsung), and Apple has only been in the space since June 2007!

Says Apple CEO, Steve Jobs:

“Apple just reported one of the best quarters in its history, with a spectacular performance by the iPhone—we sold more phones than RIM.”

Boom!

Mac's hit 2.6 million, iPod's at 11 million (not breakout for iPod Touch, as usual).

Conference call is currently underway (and Steve's on the call!).

Here are some highlights:

When asked why Apple only had 1 iPhone SKU, Steve replied (paraphrased), Babe Ruth only had 1 home run... he just kept hitting it.

On the same topic, Steve said that while other companies made dozens of different voice units, he believes software was becoming the differentiating factor, and that presenting developers with multiple device versions wasn't compelling. He also said Apple's competition didn't come from software backgrounds like Apple did.

When asked if RIM having around 50% upgrades vs. new users, if the iPhone had a greater number of new users, did that make Apple's true success against RIM higher, Steve maintained he was happy just to beat RIM on the direct numbers.

No direct US vs. International split for iPhone sales were given.

Just a reminder that Apple will hold their 2008 Q4 Conference Call tomorrow at 2pm PDT/ 5pm EDT, which should include the first full quarter of iPhone sales, and thus those iPhone sales numbers every analyst and their magic 8-ball have been slathering for.

As always, TiPb will be here with coverage of all the highlights (and lowlights, if needed), but we have to remind everyone that, unlike a SteveNote presentation, conference calls are less with the "BOOM!" and more with the drone-like repetition of corporate governance (@$$ coverage), ad naseum infinitum. Tim Cook will likely handle hosting duties, as he did last time.

See you then!