Forbes has initiated this interesting debate on whether Apple's iPhone will kick Nintendo's DS off the market before its time. The official website notes that, with the upcoming App Store out and the new software available for download at the touch of a button, Nintendo's handset doesn't have much of a chance at improving its winning streak.

Not that Nintendo hasn't had time to reach its self-imposed landmarks with the DS, as far as sales go, but it surely wouldn't like seeing it all fade away in the hearts of handheld fans, just because Steve Jobs had vision.

The Forbes piece mentions Apple's AppStore as one of the main threats for the Nintendo DS. Apple's upcoming service, in case you haven't read the news in the last couple of months, is said to allow developers to throw in free games (yeah, free), that the iPhone / iPod touch user will be able to download wirelessly and enjoy playing instantly. Currently, nothing out there can beat that. Not Sony's PSP, and certainly not Nintendo's lower specced dual screen handheld.

Then, there are the iPhone's two cleverly combined touchscreen and motion sensing functions. These only add to the list of advantages the iPhone has over the Nintendo DS: "The iPhone and the iPod Touch combine the touch-sensitive screen of a Nintendo DS with the motion sensitivity of the Nintendo Wii. Now add the ability to pour fresh games into the system at the touch of a button. Will this create a problem for Nintendo in handheld gaming?" the publication asks.

Speaking against Apple, Forbes also notes that the company "has struggled to master gaming on the Mac, with a far wider array of titles available for machines running Microsoft Windows." However, Apple has also not struggled to master gaming on the iPhone. The company simply threw it on the handheld market like it would have thrown a juicy piece of steak in a cage full of lions (or leopards). Developers instantly saw the opportunity to use their wits and develop dozens of exciting apps that could use the accelerometer and touchscreen functions. And that was it.

So, the main idea (just making sure you haven't missed the point of this debate) is that Apple has managed to cram some winning technical feats inside one portable device, while Nintendo has them "spanned" over two devices, one of which needs a TV and a power outlet around to work. With the new 3G model out soon, I'd say we have enough clues here to declare the iPhone a winner, don't you think?