“Source: Apple’s next-gen iPhone has video camera”

Just like I think the omission of Bluetooth keyboards in the OS 3.0 keynote is an indication that something key-shaped is in the near future for the iPhone, you can’t dismiss the idea that, if the 3.0 beta mentions movies somewhere and it wasn’t talked about on Tuesday, there has to be something brewing.

It’s hard to imagine how Apple could justify that video capture wouldn’t be enabled on existing iPhones — what I’m seeing in the Camera application’s virtual viewfinder is video, after all, right? Unfortunately, there is one possibility: if the new iPhone has a much faster CPU, then Apple can say that it is required to compress mp4 videos with adequate picture quality, and that they didn’t want to allow for anything less. It would still be bullshit, as I would much rather be able to capture 15-frame-per-second poorly-compressed low-resolution videos (like the lowest-end mobile phone is able to) than have to upgrade my iPhone (no matter how much I’m actually going to want to, anyway), but it’s something you can just see Apple saying.

I used to think that they should want to delay as much as possible segmenting the hardware platform with the introduction of a more powerful chipset, but I’m changing my mind right now: if there’s a way Apple’s own applications can leverage the new processing power, then it does make sense. And transforming the iPhone into a Flip Mino would certainly be a good reason to go there.

By the way, I’ve realized today that there was another possible explanation to the lack of announced support for Bluetooth keyboards: if Apple intended to launch its own wireless keyboard in June, they’d just as well not talk about software support in order to keep the advantage of surprise over third-party manufacturers.

But I’m still thinking (and/or hoping) that they’re about to launch a model with a slide-out keyboard, either Pre- or G1-style. By finally, reluctantly implementing copy-and-paste, they’ve shown that they’re motivated to do what it takes to conquer the world. They started with a single model to minimize costs and simplify the marketing process, but now that the iPhone’s been launched and very well received it’s just the right time to introduce a variant with a keyboard.