“In the hotly competitive smart phone arena, bragging rights mean a lot, and when one handset can claim a big stamp of approval over the competition, it gets a lot of attention. And such will be the case in Cupertino where Apple’s iPhone team can print out the latest Consumer Reports findings and tape them up in the locker room,” Jim Goldman repots for CNBC.

“Consumer Reports says today that the new iPhone 3GS tops the new smart phone ratings study… Looking at the top 10 list, Apple holds the top two positions, with iPhone 3GS scoring a 73, and the Apple iPhone 3G tying Samsung’s Omnia in second place with a 70.” ” The Pre ranked No. 8,” Douglas A. McIntyre reports for 24/7 Wall St.

MacDailyNews Take: “Tying Samsung’s Omnia?” Consumer Reports’ general idiocy and ineptitude has never been more clearly spotlighted. It’s all meaningless, unless you’re a soccer mom; then iPhone 3GS it is! Sorry*, also-rans, but that’s the way it is — and also why the iPhone models placing 1st and 2nd in Consumer Reports is newsworthy at all. It’ll mean more sales to those who mistakenly think that Consumer Reports knows and can measure anything meaningful about software-centric devices. (*We’re not really sorry.)

Goldman continues, “The Blackberry Storm 9530 and the Bold tied with the T-Mobile G1 from Google and Samsung’s Epix in third place with a 69, and the Palm Pre scored a 67 for fourth place, tying with Blackberry’s Curve.”

“It’s another nice piece of recognition for Apple, and a reminder that competition and innovation are alive and well in the smart phone sector. (No matter that iPhone is outselling Pre by what, a ten to 1 margin, more or less.) This isn’t about size, but quality of experience, and at least today, Consumer Reports gives the nod to Apple,” Goldman reports.

Full article here.

[UPDATED: July 3, 10:38am EDT: Added Pre info via 24/7 Wall St. This article originally appeared on July 1 at 2:44pm EDT.]