Apple Patent For An iPhone IM Application

The US Patent Office has approved an Apple patent that seems to look like an instant messenger application for the iPhone, with some improvements over its SMS feature, such as a word predictor which suggests more words.

This seems like a step in the right direction, as a lot of people were trying hard to find an IM application for the iPhone when it was released. Though we all have to bear in mind that its just a patent, and many patents don’t lead to applications. And even now, with Apple opening up the iPhone to third parties, it shouldn’t take too long before other companies produce an IM client for the iPhone. However, more choice is always better than less choice, so lets see what comes from this.