Apple iPhone Video Recording & Video Conferencing Applications [Apple Patent Hints at Future iPhone Capabilities]

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Whilst the Apple iPhone is undoubtedly still one of the best and most desirable smartphones currently available (notwithstanding offerings from the likes of HTC – for whom we have a particular respect) there are a number of issues that all too evidently serve to hold the iPhone back in terms of true, unmitigated greatness as far as many are concerned (quite apart from its MMS and copy/paste weaknesses) and the iPhone’s lack of video recording and video conferencing (unless, of course, you run a jailbroken iPhone – in which case you have the likes of Cycorder) is certainly right up there amongst them.

However, thanks to Information Week taking an in-depth look at Apple’s iPhone patent, it would appear that Apple may already have these weaknesses in hand with view to (eventually) addressing them as IW have unearthed some interesting text hidden deep within Apple’s patent that serves as more than a hint that capabilities such as video recording and video conferencing may indeed materialise for the iPhone in the fullness of time.

Of particular note, these two particular paragraphs make especially interesting reading:

‘The device supports a variety of applications, such as one or more of the following: a telephone application, a video conferencing application, an e-mail application, an instant messaging application, a blogging application, a photo management application, a digital camera application, a digital video camera application, a Web browsing application, a digital music player application, and/or a digital video player application.’

‘In some embodiments, the functions may include telephoning, video conferencing, e-mailing, instant messaging, blogging, digital photographing, digital videoing, Web browsing, digital music playing, and/or digital video playing. Instructions for performing these functions may be included in a computer-readable storage medium or other computer program product configured for execution by one or more processors.’

(Emphasis in both paragraphs our own).

Of course, it’s not wholly unlike Apple not to cover just about every base they possibly can in patent applications (indeed, to do so makes complete business sense apart from merely being common sense) but both the above paragraphs could certainly serve as hints regarding what may be to come – especially in light of broad criticism concerning the lack of such features on the iPhone.

And, whilst whatever conclusion we take from the above texts is, by default, pure speculation on our part, it’s nice to know that at (the very) least Apple has such avenues covered; and, indeed, have had them covered from the outset. Of course, this also begs the question as to why such features aren’t in evidence already, but its not as if Apple always seem to make the ‘expected’ calls or those that would otherwise strike us mere mortals as being basic common/business sense (we refer, by way of example, to the following: Apple Mac Netbook Rumours Seemingly Unfounded).

[Additional Hat Tip: BoyGeniusReport]