Apple Incorporating Facebook into iPhone OS 4?

Rumors are surfacing again that Apple (AAPL) are working with Facebook to integrate some of the social network’s functionality directly into iPhone OS 4. Business Insider are reporting that this will be announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote on June 7, 2010.

The least we will see, apparently, is the ability to pull Facebook contacts into your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch directly from Facebook. But as Business Insider themselves say, this is a no-brainer. It’s little different than Apple offering automatic setups for Yahoo and GMail email accounts, for example.

It’s interesting to note that this last week or so Facebook have been busy altering some aspects of the way their security and privacy works. Quite often to the chagrin of their users, as things have not always gone smoothly (if Tweets I am seeing are anything to go by). I have to wonder if this is partly because of pressure that Apple may have put on Facebook before they commit, and the short time frame to the WWDC.

Other sources say that it’s possible that we may see some Facebook integration into the iPhone SDK, so that app developers can integrate social networking features more easily directly into their products.

Another rumor is some kind of Facebook messaging integration, or even a feature that ties phone caller info and Facebook profiles together.

It is worth noting, as Business Insider also point out, that Apple’s iPhoto app already offers Facebook features. And that some 34.2 million people were using the Facebook iPhone app as of last month. So it shouldn’t be surprising if the two companies decide to work together to some greater or lesser degree.

I am no fan of Facebook personally. But from a business perspective it seems Apple perhaps would be silly to ignore a service which is obviously so popular with the masses.

Will you welcome tighter Facebook integration on your iPhone? Let us know in the comments.

[businessinsider]

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