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The 2008 holidays are quickly approaching and the holiday shopping season has officially begun as of today, with that it seems like a good time to share my 2008 iPhone Gift Guide.

For the purpose of this list, I pretended as if I had no iPhone accessories and created it as if this was what I was going to be putting on my wish list. Of course, some of these I currently own and use and some of them are really on my list, which hopefully will be under me tree on Christmas morning.

Overall, I am not a huge accessory user, however there are some that I feel are pretty important. Given that, this list may not be as full as yours. Also, feel free to add your wish list in the comments below, I would love to see your ideas.

My essential accessories include a decent set of headphones, case, screen protector, external battery car charger and a Bluetooth headset.

So lets get started…

Headphones: I have two favorites when it comes to headphones. I prefer (and currently use) a set of iPhone FMJ’s from Skullcandy but also really like the Shure SE102MPA headphones.

The iPhone FMJ’s retail for $79.95 and the Shure’s are priced at $119.99. Of course, the Shure’s are currently on sale for $99.99 and that price is valid through January 31, 2009.

Both of these headphones, at least in my opinion offer a very good sound quality. Without getting super technical on the features, they both feature an inline microphone as well as an inline control button that allows you to send or end a call, and play, pause or skip a track. As for colors, the Shure’s come in black while the Skullcandy FMJ’s are available in silver (my choice), chrome or black.

Screen Protector: I will play favorites here, as I know there are alternatives (some that are cheaper) but I prefer the InvisibleShield from Zagg.

I have used an InvisibleShield on numerous devices in the past, including a variety of iPods as well as cell phones. For me this is the only choice. They may not be the cheapest, however they do make a quality product, not to mention it comes with a lifetime warranty. They offer a screen protector for the iPhone 3G that sells for $14.95 or you can opt for the full coverage package for $24.95. They also offer the same for the original iPhone, which also happens to be priced the same.

Case: Getting back to a two choice option. I have always loved iSkin products and the iSkin fuze is no exception. My second choice in this category is the Wave case from Griffin Technology. I will say that I already own one of each here and often flip flop back and forth.

Like I mentioned, I already have each of these, and rotate them often because I really like the protection that each one offers as well as the look and feel. Of the two models, the iSkin fuze offer a little more protection as compared to the Wave, but that is not to say the Wave is lacking in any way.

As for the iSkin fuze, this model offers (just about) complete protection. It is a durable hard shell that has an intergrated “touch-through” screen protector and a nice glossy finish. It also offers protection for everything except the speaker and mic on the bottom and the headphone jack. A nice part here is that it covers (and protects) the dock connector, of course that means a little extra work is required when it comes to syncing, but well worth it in my opinion. The iSkin fuze retails for $44.99 and is available in Onyx (black), Magma (red) and Argent (silver).

As for the Wave, this also offers hard shell protection and ships with a screen protector. A difference between the two is that the Wave does not offer as much protection. On the Wave, the top, bottom, side volume controls are left exposed. Of course, overall it still offers solid protection. The Wave also has more available options for color, it is available in black, blue, pink or white. Additionally it is available in multi-colors which include pink/blue, black/green, pink/white and blue/white. The Wave is selling for $24.99 in single-colors and $34.99 in multi-colors.

External Battery: It seems there has not been any shortage of external battery options for the iPhone 3G. Of course, I do have my favorites here. Once again I have included two items; the mophie juice pack and the recently announced Incase Power Slider.

Personally, I had been really into the mophie juice pack because of the quality, along with good reputation, however the recent introduction of the Power Slider has made me reconsider my initial choice. That said, I do think both of these are excellent products, and they are both also priced at $99.95.

As for what they offer, both are actually pretty similar in terms of extra battery life. The mophie juice pack offers up to an additional 350 hours on standby, 6 hours of 3G talk time, 12 hours of 2G talk time, 6 hours of 3G surfing, 7 hours of Wi-Fi surfing, 28 hours of audio playback and 8 hours of video playback. The Power Slider offers a little less power, but is still very comparable, it has up to an additional 330 hours on standby, 5 hours of 3G talk time, 10 hours of 2G talk time, 5 hours of 3G surfing, 6 hours of Wi-Fi surfing, 26 hours of audio playback and 7 hours of video playback.

Additionally, they also both have LED indicator lights to show you the current status. The obvious difference here is that the mophie juice pack simply slides on the back of the iPhone while the Power Slider offers complete protection.

Car Charger: Going back to playing favorites once again, I have just one choice when it comes to an auto charger — it is the Power Bullet 2×2 from ezGear.

Again, I am sure there are plenty of car charger options when it comes to powering the iPhone (or any USB device for that matter) but I prefer the Power Bullet 2×2 for a few reasons. To begin with, it works with all USB powered devices. Which means it can also charge other gadgets that I carry. It also has two USB ports, which means I can charge more than one at the same time, which for me is a big plus. Additionally it has a standard wall outlet, so I can use it while on vacation as a wall charger. Plus, it sells for a nice $19.99.

Finally, to round this 2008 Gift Guide out, I suggest the Jawbone Bluetooth headset from Aliph.

For me, the Jawbone is the only option when it comes to a Bluetooth headset. I used the original Jawbone and moved to the new Jawbone when it was released. Simply put, it is comfortable to wear and has great sound quality. It is a little on the pricey side, but even at the $129.99 asking price I would say it is still well worth it. Additionally, it is also available in a variety of colors to include black, silver, bronze, pink and blue.

Well, hopefully that will give you a few ideas on items to either give, or ask for when it comes to your iPhone needs this holiday season. And don’t forget, I would love to hear any other suggestions you have in the comments.