Next-Gen iPhone Beta Testing Reveals Easter Eggs

It's been a little while since iPhone 3G users finally got a critically-important feature that developers left out when the iPhone was first released – copy and paste. The upgrade came at around the same time that some of the more popular Apps made it to the store. And with the little Easter Eggs found in Beta versions of the iPhone's next-generation firmware, it seems Apple really knows how to keep revenue flowing over a long period of time.

Developers have been tinkering with the iPhone 3.0 firmware beta version for a few days now, and new discoveries are being posted on the Internet until now. Of course not all of the features are available yet, but hints at several longed-for features can be seen left and right in the interface.

For instance, one of the iPhone's sore points has been the lack of video support. Some of the interface panels now have a toggle between still camera and video recording. There have also been reports of a “publish video” feature in there, although rumors abound that these were “just typos.” I'm still pretty convinced that the iPhone's slowly becoming the perfect smartphone. The guys at Apple were just taking their time after all.

Other nifty features that seem to be on their way to the next-generation iPhone include Bluetooth, landscape texting, a voice recorder (which has been getting particularly good reviews), and a way to encrypt your iPhone.

What's more, there are reports of Apple making a large purchase at Samsung, which I take as yet another indication of Apple's efforts to release a new iPhone soon. A 32 GB model would be awesome.

It's nice to know, too, that Steve Jobs himself is keeping a close eye on things. While Tim Cook does most of the day-to-day work at Apple, Steve still has a lot of control over the company's strategies and products, often doing his reviews at home. It's good to know that Apple's still in good hands.