Already announced as one of the most interesting, expensive and craved gadgets of 2007, Apple’s iPhone has already received an award from Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, although it is not yet on the market.

Jurors of the 2007 National Design Awards discuss the current state of design in America and the selection process for this year's winners and finalists. Moderated by jury chair Reed Kroloff, the panel brings together a diverse group of design leaders, including Stephen Burks, Michael Gabellini, Yeohlee Teng, and James Wines. The panel will also be broadcast live on Cooper-Hewitt's Web site.

However, Cooper-Hewitt (which can be found at cooperhewitt.org) lets people nominate and vote for a design of their choice sooner than the jurors for the NDA. According to wired.com, this year’s prize from the public for the product design category went to Apple’s famous Jonathan Ive, in respect for his contribution with the iPhone.

The choice is quite odd, considering the fact that Apple has never confirmed that Ive did contribute to the design of the iPhone. Ive is indeed one of the top figures of the design industry (having won the Queen of England’s spurs for his contribution with the iMac and iPod), but no one knows for the moment if he is to be “blamed” (partially or entirely) for iPhone’s looks.

Despite the ambiguity, no one can deny or underestimate the hysteria Apple generated in January with the announcement of its entry into the phone market. Many competitors- including giants like Nokia, Motorola or Samsung- have tried to emulate Apple’s model, and LG has already unveiled its iPhone-like, high-end gadget in collaboration with renowned Italian fashion firm Prada.