Like most Apple fans, I was patiently glued to Engadget as the minutes counted down to Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference event. It’s the same every time Apple holds a press conference – excitement for the latest form factor and functionality hits fever pitch, normally Jobs walks back and forth saying “… and boom” and a few hours later you’re loging in to your bank account to see if you can pick up the shiny new toy you’ve just oogled straight away.

Of course, Steve Jobs didn’t present at the ’09 WWDC event, but Apple still managed to put on a good show. With talk of Snow Leopard and new iPhone 3.0 APIs the developers in the room were happy enough, but the real drawcard was the rumoured new iPhone. The next itteration to knock new smartphone darling Palm Pre on its arse. As it turns out, the iPhone 3GS.

Yep, it looks exactly like the iPhone 3G. Milimeter for miliemeter. I love my 16GB iPhone 3G, but in light of the Pre’s off-screen gesture area, I was hoping for something simmilarly innovative (or at least a proper flash on the reverse and a front facing camera). From a technical perspective, the 3GS gets a processor bump (from 412MHz to 600MHz, which Apple says delivers 2X performance speed), a 3MP camera (up from 2MP on the 3G) and in the premium configuration, twice the flash storage at an admittedly impressive 32GB.  Battery life is said to be improved, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Inside is also a compass – a seemingly odd addition, but Google Maps and alternate reality game developers will apprechiate the functionality.

In terms of software, the iPhone 3GS gains some great (long overdue) features. The 3MP camera can now capture video, and the 3GS version of OS 3.0 includes a video editor built into the recording application with direct-to-YouTube and MobileMe upload facility (the internet just became much more dangerous…) The camera software  is also  improved with a new auto focus feature. Most significantly, voice dialing and general phone control is available by holding down the home button. My 2002 Nokia supported voice dialing so Apple deserves no congratulations for so overduely delivering the feature, but for those of us who chose to sacrifice basic mobile functions like MMS and video recording when we jumped to the iPhone, it’s a welcome return. Voice control of the iPod function is a nice bonus.

The thing is, for the first time in a long while, I’m not that excited about Apple’s new product. That’s due in part to the fact that the phone looks identicle to my current 3G, but actually, it’s got more to do with Apple’s refusal to include the 3GS features in OS 3.0 for the existing iPhone and iPhone 3G. There’s no reason that a reduced quality video recorder couldn’t be included on the iPhone and iPhone 3G (those who’ve jailbroken their phones have enjoyed this feature for years) and voice control can be supported by iPod shuffle hardware… Surely the first two iPhones can handle this too.

If I do decide to trade up from my 16GB 3G it’ll be for the bumped processor speed – with so many contacts and SMS conversations things can really slow down sometimes – but I don’t think I’ll be standing in line for a midnight opening this time around.

You can find Apple’s official video demonstration of the iPhone 3GS here.