iPhone OS 3.0 Boasts Magnetometer / Digital Compass Support (Rumor)

The folks at BoyGeniusReport, who previously leaked accurate imagery of new iPhone OS findings, have posted a couple of intriguing screenshots purporting to be a debugging menu from the latest beta of iPhone OS 3.0, which seemingly confirm built-in magnetometer (digital compass) support. The find directly hints at a new device model.

“We just got a couple images from one of our Apple ninjas and it appears to show a compass option in one of the debugging menus,” the BGR post reads. “Our source says this is obviously for a built-in magnetometer in the upcoming iPhone hardware revision and with what’s already been reported, we’d have to agree.”

According to MacRumors, one of the images in particular is most intriguing, as it depicts a menu that would control a digital compass (magnetometer), which is rumored to be introduced with a new iPhone model. Although they could have easily been faked, the images look real enough.

The people at MacRumors continue to offer more info on the purpose of a digital compass, seemingly approving of the new find. According to the site, the first piece of magnetometer evidence was reported in April.

In the meanwhile, the site claims to have heard that, “The magnetometer will indeed be present in the next generation iPhone expected this summer,” adding that, “[MacRumors] previously explored what additional functionality would come with a digital compass.” According to the Mac-focused publication, “The possibilities were particularly intriguing,” offering further information on how the digital compass would work.

Basically, the digital compass would allow the user to point the (new) iPhone at a building (for instance), at which point the software would combine GPS, the accelerometer and magnetometer information to tell the user what building he / she is looking at. Another application could read the stars, the site underlines, by simply pointing the device upwards.