Feature-rich as the iPhone may be, there are two departments in which it is deficient: video conferencing and video recording (both features supported by other, not so famous smartphones). Apple would do very well to include these features in the device as soon as possible – and according to the iPhone patent, this is exactly what will happen.

“In some embodiments, an optical sensor is located on the back of the device, opposite the touch screen display on the front of the device, so that the touch screen display may be used as a viewfinder for either still and/or video image acquisition. In some embodiments, an optical sensor is located on the front of the device so that the user's image may be obtained for videoconferencing while the user views the other video conference participants on the touch screen display. In some embodiments, the position of the optical sensor can be changed by the user (e.g., by rotating the lens and the sensor in the device housing) so that a single optical sensor may be used along with the touch screen display for both video conferencing and still and/or video image acquisition,” says an excerpt from the iPhone patent.

According to Information Week’s Alexander Wolfe, Apple will not be content with letting the iPhone perform such a simple task as video recording – after all, this is a task even the simplest still cameras and the most basic of camera equipped phones can perform. Apple would much rather turn the device into a “handheld video conferencing device”, but before it can do that the 3G network needs a capability boost. Also, Apple may be waiting for the iPhone to see a decrease in demand before it starts rolling out such a feature.

Apple, in true Apple fashion, is keeping quiet about all this and has yet to release an official statement.