[anotherperson]

Here’s the thing: developing for the iPhone means that you are developing for any browser that supports web standards. Why bend over backwards for browsers on phones with archaic web browsing capabilities. If anything, it will force vendors to get with the HTML5 and CSS3 programs.

[mhw]

And of course, once the vendors get with the HTML5 and CSS3 programs they'll release new firmware packages including the new version of the browsers for all the old devices that have archaic browsers, and then your users will all go and download the new firmware and install it on their phone, and, bingo, you don't need to worry about supporting the archaic browsers.

You're obviously new in town, so I'll point out the two flaws in your reasoning:

1) The vendors won't ship updated firmware for all the old devices they've already shipped to market. There are just too many different combinations of devices and firmware versions (each network typically gets a custom firmware build to include their links and logos), so the cost would be huge.

2) Even if they did ship updated firmware, most users won't bother installing it.

The mobile market just isn't like the desktop market - what you're effectively saying is that people can't use your web application until they upgrade to a new phone.