14 DAY TRIAL // An AT&T insider has confirmed to an iPhone-focused website that Apple is shipping OS 3.1 software update for iPhone and iPod touch in September. The event will also be marked by the enabling of MMS support from the American carrier.
According to people familiar with AT&T’s plans, the mobile services operator will start supporting the multimedia messaging service beginning next month, a report over at funkyspacemonkey.com reveals. Reportedly, an insider emailed the website two weeks ago with news that the carrier was to start support for iPhone MMS in September. Moreover, the report also mentions the “iPhone OS 3.1” software update, whose release is pinned down for the same September time frame.
Currently, the iPhone lacks a number of features – has them locked it’s what it is, really – including Bluetooth file transfer, Internet tethering, and others. While Apple hasn’t even hinted at the release of iPhone OS 3.1, it is fair to assume that we’re not dealing with a simple rumor. Major revisions to the iPhone OS are released on a regular basis, on short intervals of time. Additionally, Apple is said to be preparing for a keynote event next month, around September 8 more precisely. This is when Apple usually hosts its iPod event, while an iPhone announcement would not be ruining any trends, Softpedia believes.
Most industry watchers, analysts and people commenting on Apple’s actions agree that the company is most likely developing some kind of a tablet device. Some believe it will be showcased at next-month’s event (which also remains to be confirmed), others claim it will not be unveiled until much later, with the release occurring sometime in 2010. The device would run a stripped-down version of the Mac OS, yet the piece of software would be much more advanced than the current iPhone OS. All these remain to be confirmed.