Developer Found Code Strings Suggesting iChat In iOS

TUAW reports that a developer John Heaton have found some hooks (showed above) in the iOS code suggesting that additional instant messaging or iChat-like services could be supported in iOS devices. Such integration would allow people who own iPad, iPod touch, iPhone or Mac to exchange messages with each other.

From the above picture you can see that code strings refer to various IM services such as FaceTime, AIM, Jabber and iMessage. Even so the iChat is not mentioned this finding is intriguing nonetheless.

Currently iOS has support for FaceTime video calling via the phone app and iMessage through the iMessage app. Even though the App Store offers many third-party IM apps for Jabber and AIM connectivity, Apple doesn’t yet formally support these services in iOS. Also Apple recently has filed trademark applications, which suggests the company plans to integrate iMessage, iChat and FaceTime into a single messaging solution for both the iOS devices and the Mac.

Note that instead of adding the iChat in iOS, the company could simply include support for additional messaging services in the built-in Messages program in iOS 5. In this case, Apple may want to rename iChat on Mac OS X Messages and release FaceTime and iChat on Windows to provide true cross-platform instant messaging solution.