Last Thursday, Steve Jobs gave a developer preview of iPhone OS 4.0. The updated mobile operating system has over 100 new features, but only 7 were given the limelight in Jobs’ presentation. That leaves the possibility of iChat being one of those 100 features quite high, and with the recent findings made within the iPhone OS 4.0 SDK, rumors are certainly pointing to the Apple instant messaging application coming to the iPhone platform in the near future.

According to Reuters (so you know, it might still be a rumor or something), Skype will be released for the iPhone tomorrow. As to be expected, you won’t be able to use VOIP over 3G or EDGE, though you will be able to text chat over cell networks. Voice chat will be available over WiFi and may prove to be a great way to save minutes and money on your cell plan.

It’s one of the only things that wasn’t on the long list of new and improved features of iPhone OS 3.0 during Apple’s special preview event: video. But it’s an obvious step forward that consumers are asking for. Other phones can do it, so it’s time for Apple to play catch-up and do mobile video correctly. At least one very reliable source claims Apple recognizes this fact, and will address it in the next iPhone.Continue reading…

Information Week writer Alexander Wolfe has taken the time to scour through some iPhone patents recently in preparation for the Palm Pre and iPhone patent battle that may very well happen soon. However, while searching for potential infringements, he stumbled upon some interesting wording in patent number 7,479,949 that may very well show how serious Apple is about adding recording functionality to the iPhone. More impressive than the usual 30 second or so video clip that most phones allow on the market today, Wolfe believes that Apple will really blow this one away.