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Steve Jobs didn’t make the rumoured surprise appearance during Apple’s WWDC keynote tonight, but as expected, the company debuted a new iPhone model during the event. The iPhone 3GS is a faster, more powerful version of Apple’s handset, and goes on sale on 19th June.

Among its new features are a three-megapixel camera, significantly better battery life, HSDPA data speeds, a beefed-up processor, video shooting and editing, and a digital compass. It will come in two models: a 16GB one for $199 and a 32GB one for $299. The existing iPhone 3G will be sold alongside it for $99 until stocks run dry.

During the keynote, Apple revealed that more than 40 million iPhones and iPod touches have been sold globally, and that there are now more than 50,000 applications available for them on the App Store.

High on the keynote agenda was the iPhone 3.0 software update, which will be available two days before the iPhone 3GS on 17th June. Alongside this announcement, Apple revealed that iPhone owners will be able to buy and download music videos from the iTunes Store from their devices soon, as well as films and TV shows. Currently, it’s just music.

There’s been no shortage of speculation about Apple boss Steve Jobs’ health in recent months – much of it gloomy. Now the Wall Street Journal has a more positive report, claiming that Jobs will return to work at Apple later this month following his medical leave.

It even suggests he may make an appearance at Apple’s WWDC event, which kicks off later today. It seems Jobs had a pretty bad time recently: “He was one real sick guy,” says the paper’s (anonymous) source. “Fundamentally he was starving to death over a nine-month period. He couldn’t digest protein. [But] he took corrective action.”

Tonight’s keynote speech is expected to see the unveiling of a new iPhone, possibly with video-calling. Our prediction: Jobs will be video-called from the stage. Maybe.