It looks as though the iPhone will finally get the flash it's been missing since its release nearly 3 years ago, new information has been found hiding deep inside the newly announced iPhone OS 4.0 beta software, which we reported on just yesterday. The information found appears as though it will be used specifically for a built-in flash component.
Three functions have been found in the software: AVCaptureDevice.flashMode, AVCaptureDevice.hasFlash and AVCaptureDevice.hasTorch. These names sugest the functions will check for a camera on the device, activate the flash component and also activate the flash in a touch/flashlight mode.
Yesterday Apple unveiled a lot of new features for the iPhone and recently launched iPad, features that customers and developers have been begging for ever since the first iPhone came out in 2007, such as multi-tasking and folders for Apps.
Hopefully Apple are going to continue giving people what they want and finally provide the flash we're all crossing our fingers for. When you consider the current crop of flash equipped smart phones that have flooded the market recently, it seems highly unlikely that Apple would leave what is now such a now standard feature out of it's next release.
If you can't wait any longer for an iPhone with a flash then check out our recent smart phone round-up detailing all the handsets that have recently hit the UK market, some networks are even giving away free LCD TVs with new contracts so it's well worth a look!