Could iChat Be Coming To iDevices?
by Matthew Sims
November 17, 2011
John Heaton, an iOS developer, recently found some code that could indicate an all in one iChat-like client could be in the works for future versions of Apple's mobile OS. We've heard these rumors before, and iMessage is essentially iChat for the mobile platform, but never say never.
As you can see in the photo above, the code shown clearly states some sort of AIM, Jabber, and FaceTime support. Apple could very well just be integrating the IM services into iMessage, but you'll notice that video chat and AIM are each a large part of iChat.
In a recent addition to the story, 9to5Mac talked to a few iOS developers, and is reporting that the "code copied from desktop OS X and may not be indicative of new features." They go on to say: "This framework covers text chat and video conferencing. FaceTime, iChat, and iMessage apps are all based on this framework, furthermore some code references will spill over between apps."
It looks as if the signs are pointing in each direction. I personally would like to see an all in one client for AIM and FaceTime. That would mean a few less icons on my home screen which would be very welcome at this point. Until then, you can use AIM via its new iPhone app which is sporting a much improved user interface.
