iOS developer John Heaton has discovered a string of iOS code that suggests Apple is working on bringing its popular iChat client to iOS devices. We first heard this rumor back in September, but now there appears to be some proof to back it up. iChat, not to be confused with iMessage, allows Mac users to chat with one another across various messaging platforms including AIM, Google Talk and more. Currently, iOS users can only access iMessage through the text message app and can only place FaceTime calls using the address book or Phone application. A refreshed iMessage platform for iOS could merge all of these into one easy to use buddy list. While it is still unclear how exactly Apple plans to execute the move across all of its platforms, it certainly bolsters our theory that iMessage really is the start of something much bigger.

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There is hard evidence that Apple is looking to add iMessage support to iChat, according to a new report from MacRumors. This would further increase the size of the iMessage user base, expanding to the desktop in addition to being available on almost all iPhones, iPads and iPod touch devices. According to the report, a developer found code references to the following in the OS X Lion version of iChat:

@interface IMMessage : NSObject
{
IMHandle *_sender;
IMHandle *_subject;
NSAttributedString *_text;
NSString *_plainBody;
NSDate *_time;
NSDate *_timeDelivered;
NSDate *_timeRead;

With iMessage available on all Mac computers, your conversations will literally follow you and be available wherever you go, and I personally can’t wait. Read on for more.

Instead of having to use my phone when I’m sitting at a computer working, I’ll be able reply and start new messages without leaving whatever I’m working on or doing. With delivery and read notifications — and, presumably, support for multimedia file transfers — this will be a much more intimate experience than traditional IM, and it will also simplify instant messaging on all Apple devices.

Contrast this with Research In Motion, whose BBM service Apple is copying. RIM still doesn’t offer a desktop BlackBerry Messenger feature after years of users begging for one, and you can see how different each company’s strategy and product plans really are.

Apple’s iMessage instant messaging feature was announced only in June and has been available in beta form since then to developers, but starting as soon as the end of this month or the beginning of next, iMessage could be available on all Apple devices. And what was arguably the No. 1 reason consumers bought and used BlackBerry smartphones will quickly become yet another reason people buy Apple devices instead.

Ever since Apple released Mac OS X Lion 10.7 to developers to test, new features have started to become uncovered. 9to5Mac has been doing a great job compiling a list of some new (and pretty lust-worthy) features that are available in the next version of Apple’s operating system for the PC, and here’s a brief recap of what you can expect to see come summer:

• TRIM support for super-fast SSD writing
• Recovery partition to your startup hard drive removing the need for the OS X installer disc in case something goes wrong
• Possible Dropbox-like functionality for MobileMe storage
• Find my Mac functionality in Apple’s MobileMe service
• Removed support for PowerPC applications
• Removed Front Row (possible it’s only in the seeded development OS, however)
• Podcast Producer, a true podcast production tool letting you create various shows, episodes, and effortless edit, upload, and share your podcasts
• Yahoo IM! support in iChat including video and audio conferencing, iOS-style symbol keys (hold down a key on your keyboard and an onscreen symbol list appears like in iOS), and live URL previews when you hover over a URL link

There are many more findings in Mac OS X 10.7, but these are some of the exciting smaller ones that haven’t yet been announced.

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Evidence continues to mount that the next iPhone will feature support for video chats, as multiple references to the feature have been unearthed in the latest iPhone OS 4.0 beta. Inside what appears to be an iChat app for the iPhone, mentions of one-on-one and group video chats were found. It also appears that Apple already has at least three servers set up for the service, although all of them are only accessible through Apple’s intranet. Found elsewhere in the build were references to chat rooms and moderation which 9to5Mac speculates will be put to use in the new Game Center. To be clear, just because something is included in the pre-release software is no guarantee it will ever see the light of day. But, considering the fact that many well informed people have been talking of such a feature for a long time, we’d be willing to wager we’ll see something along the lines of an iChat app with video abilities come June. Where there’s smoke there’s fire, right?

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All right boys and girls… It’s time for the big show. For months now, it has been glaringly obvious that Apple would introduce its third-generation handset at WWDC today and sure enough — it’s here. Apple addicts around the world are rejoicing and Apple haters around the world are refining their arguments as to why the iPhone is a non-factor. Love it or hate it, hit the jump to find out how the new iPhone 3G S shapes up.

What we all knew/was rumored:

• Size — The new iPhone 3G S comes with either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, a 100% bump from the 8GB and 16GB iPhone 3G offerings.
• Guts — Many will tell you that the most significant improvements are found within the new iPhone’s guts. We knew A2DP support was coming, a nice addition of course, but Apple also confirmed today that the new iPhone sports a faster processor and a 7.2Mbps HSDPA-compatible radio. Huzzah.
• Camera — The old 2 megapixel sensor has been bumped up to 3.2 megapixels and there’s still no flash. Apple also added auto-focus and geotagging support.
• Video — This little guy is all about video — 30fps video recording, video editing, video sharing… Yay.
• Compass — Know where north is. Yay.
• Battery life — The new kit features 5 hours of 3G talk time and up to 24 hours of music playback — according to Apple at least.
• OS — Tethering is now covered, though we still don’t know how AT&T will handle it, and the Find My iPhone feature we scooped is a done deal (available to MobileMe subscribers only). Oh and turn-by-turn nav is game on… TomTom was on hand at the keynote to demonstrate its iPhone app/accessory combo. 3.0 will be available beginning June 17th — free for iPhone owners, $9.95 for iPod Touch owners.
• Price — As expected, the new iPhone 3G S will ring up at $199 for the 16GB version and $299 for the 32GB version. The current 8GB iPhone 3G will hang around and drop to $99 starting today.

What we didn’t know:

• The 3G S looks exactly like the 3G — no matte rubbery finish, no matching bezel.
• Voice Control is now built in, hi 2002, so you can dial by voice, control iPod playback by voice and so on. We have to admit though, saying “play more songs like this” to initiate the Genius feature is cool.
• Integrated hardware encryption.
• The iPhone 3G S goes on sale June 19th in the US.

In the end, the jump from second to third generation is very reminiscent of the jump from first to second generation; this is more of an upgrade announcement (as we expected) as opposed to a new product launch. The man of the hour is still OS 3.0 if you ask us, and most of its features are backwards compatible. Those of you in love with your current iPhone but looking for a little more oomph will certainly be pleased while those of you holding out for things like a physical keypad, modern camera with flash, etc will have to continue to look elsewhere for another year. Sound off in the comments section and let us know if there will be a new iPhone 3G S in your future.

Okay, so one of our Fido ninjas hit us up with some exclusive snaps of what is reportedly the entire roadmap for the rest of 2009. We’re very far away from being able to confirm this information — it actually made us pop about 50 antacid tablets — but we’re going to do our jobs as best we can and report the goods. So here we go…

The most notable slide has to do with a 4GB iPhone 3G. While there is a huge disclaimer that the image isn’t the device itself, the slide depicts a 4GB iPhone model that will run for $99 and come with quad-band EDGE, tri-band HSDPA, a 2 megapixel shooter and, believe it or not, iChat video calling (oh hi, front-facing camera). You might recall all of that talk of a $99 iPhone at Walmart that we brought you a while ago — it looks like the timing was a bit off but it may actually happen. Moving on to the other handsets, we have the BlackBerry Curve 8320 for $50, Nokia E71 for $50 and Nokia E55 for $25, Sony Ericsson Z780i for $75 and a bunch of low-end goodness at great prices.

So, what do you think? Is this real, or is it like that total BS Rogers roadmap we saw at Christmas? Hit the jump for the rest of the slides and sound off in the comments.

We just received this EXCLUSIVE product sheet of the new iPhone Magnet, and we couldn’t not share it with you guys! Here are some of the new and absolutely insane features:

• Magnetometer
• 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera
• Home button changes color to notify you of unread messages
• iChat front-facing video camera built-in

That’s all we have for now!

[Ok, this obviously isn't real, people, but what would you actually like to see in the new iPhone? What's going to make you buy one?]

Thanks, Jesse!

Update: The above concept was created by a gentleman named Adam Hutchison. Here’s a link to his site with other iPhone concepts.

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MacRumors got sent a bunch of images of images. How do you like that one? They appear to depict the new 3G iPhone, and what’s the 3G iPhone got in store for us supposedly? IChat over 3G and Wi-Fi, a 32GB model, front-facing camera, MMS, video recording, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Supposedly. BGR buddy Ryan from Engadget and myself aren’t too convinced, though. Thoughts?

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