This is a tracker feature bug to request support for iPhone/iPod Touch generation devices.

Using libiphone (http://matt.colyer.name/projects/iphone-linux/index.php?title=Main_Page) which is nearing a 1.0 release now, it is possible to fully access the device (filesystem/metainfo/syslog/mobile sync/..., all this without the need for a jailbreak thus works on "out of factory" devices and even the new 3.0 firmware) and retrieve loads of meta information from them.

The stack around podsleuth, ipod-sharp and banshee should be adjusted to take advantage of this and allow to use those tools with those devices.

podsleuth uses a specific SCSI command to retrieve a plist with data for older models, libiphone allows to communicate with the newer devices which also return plists but with loads of meta information (from basic model/serial number/device name/uuid stuff up to installed iTunes applications/purchases or even the current battery capacity/disk usage statistics and much more...) thus it would need to be adjusted in order to simply also read that meta information.

After that the device would be known and could be shown in Banshee.
The encryption of the iTunes database though is a different story and uses Apple's Fairplay (the one to encrypt/sign music purchases) however can be circumvented or detected by querying the database format version. A device with an older format version (manually changed on the device) and the latest Apple firmware is able to sync music just fine.

Communicating with the libgpod guys would certainly come handy at least to define a standard where to store the model meta information.

It would probably also be a big promotion for both Banshee/GNOME if support is added.