Rumors have been circulating about what Apple will unveil at next week's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), and the latest reports suggest that Facebook will be deeply integrated into iOS 6.
TechCrunch reported last week that the social network will be baked into the latest version of iOS, creating a more seamless way to access Facebook from iOS devices. The deal, which TechCrunch said was "a huge win for Facebook," is all but done, but the blog noted that "Apple being Apple, something could change in the next week and a half."
When asked at last week's D10 conference why Twitter was integrated with iOS but not Facebook, Apple CEO Tim Cook suggested that users "stay tuned" for more news.
Though details have not been released regarding what Facebook on iOS 6 could mean for mobile Apple users, 9to5Mac expected that the biggest Facebook presence will be in the Photos application, with the ability to post photos to Facebook with an accompanying status message, much like the new standalone Facebook Camera app, available on iOS.
A second built-in advantage to Facebook integration could be the integration of the standard Facebook "Like" button on individual iPhone, iPad and iPod app pages, allowing a user to "like" an app and share it on their Facebook Timeline, 9to5Mac said.
After Twitter and Apple joined forces for iOS 5 in Oct. 2011, Twitter experienced a 25 percent worldwide uptick in service signups, Reuters reported.
In other iOS 6 news, last week there were reports that Apple was putting the final touches on its redesigned iOS Maps application, which could include 3D capabilities. Google, however, might beat Cupertino to the punch with its June 6 maps event.
PCMag will be at WWDC next week, so stay tuned for all the details.
For more, see the 6 Features We'd Like To See In Apple iOS 6 slideshow below.