Apple iPad: Camera, Photo Booth, FaceTime video chat pop up in iOS 4.3 Beta 2

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Apple’s iOS 4.3 Beta 2 software kit, released to developers this week, includes app icons for a camera, a Photo Booth app and FaceTime video chat, according to a report from MacRumors.

A camera has been among the most rumored of features to make its way to Apple’s next iPad, which many are calling the iPad 2, and the appearance of such icons could be a sign at least one camera might be included.

FaceTime, Apple’s video chat standard, allows users of iPhone 4s, newer iPod Touch models, and Mac computers to have video conferences using front-facing cameras on those devices.

If FaceTime does make it to the next iPad, it would make sense that a camera on the front of the tablet would be a feature.

A front-facing camera would also used to take advantage of an iOS version of Apple’s Photo Booth app, which is currently only available on Mac OS X. Photo Booth allows users to snap pictures of themselves, add filters and effects and even take photos in sequence -- much like the old instant photo booths that inspired the app.

Four- and five-finger multi-touch gestures that were included in the earlier iOS 4.3 Beta 1 developer kit were removed in the Beta 2 release, according to InformationWeek. The multi-touch features sparked rumors that home buttons might be removed in the next iPad and iPhone. The home buttons are the only buttons on the face of either device.

Apple’s first-generation, and current, iPad released in April of last year. With the iPhone, Apple has kept an almost annual release schedule over the last four years and is widely expected to do the same with the iPad 2 and iPhone 5 this year.

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-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles
twitter.com/nateog