Set to be released soon is 3.0 of the iPhone OS. Here are the features for this big release:

FULL LIST OF FEATURES:

• Cut, Copy, Paste added
  • Tap and hold for select/select all menu (Copy menu in photos)
  • Double tap for Cut/Copy/Paste menu
    • Two point dragable selection handles displayed to better make a selection
  • Undo by shaking
  • In photos options menu select the copy button to select multiple photos to copy

• Maps
  • Features that iPhone users got in 2.2 have been added for the iPod Touch (such as Google Street View, Public transit and walking directions, Display address of dropped pin, Share location via email, and Cache of recent locations.)
• YouTube
  • Can now log into account
    • View subscriptions, Favorites, MyVideos, History, and Playlists
    • Comment on videos, Rate videos

• Phone
  • Recent Calls now shows more details (call length, etc)
  • Ability to change/set “own number” (my number) in the SIM Card. Will be displayed in the Contacts list and iTunes, as well as possibly used for MMS identification

• Camera and Photos
  • Camera now has a thumbnail of the previous photo captured. The thumbnail also acts as a shortcut to “Camera Roll” allowing for view/delete of photos without exiting the camera app
  • Photos options menu changed (New UI, added copy button)
    • Can now delete multiple photos
    • (Speculation) Multiple sources have found code in 3.0 update which indicates iPhone may have video capabilities. In the current version the video recording option is turned off and it doesn’t work when it’s enabled. It isn’t clear if the option will be enabled in the final version for the iPhone 3G or if it only will be available for a new generation of the iPhone.

• App Store
  • Installs new apps from the second home page on. You can still move the apps to the first home page manually
  • Screenshot browsing method has changed

• SMS application renamed to Messages
  • Sending progress bar has been moved to the title bar and does not cover up the screen
  • Sending queue (compose a new message(s) while sending others)
  • Select single or multiple messages to forward or delete
  • MMS functionality (for iPhone 3G) including sending vCards, pictures, audio files and Google Maps locations.
    • Photos can be taken/sent directly in the Messages App
    • All MMS messages can be played/viewed in the Messages App

• Mail, Contacts, Calendars, MobileMe
  • MobileMe now has a “Find My iPhone” option (use is unknown)
  • CalDAV Calendar support
  • LDAP Contacts support
  • iCalendar Subscription support
  • “Load Remote Image” option for mail, to prevent spam
  • Mail several photos in the same message
  • Mail can now be composed in other apps without leaving the current app

• Safari
  • Better support for Internet standards and now scores a 97/100 in the Acid3 test.
  • Renders JavaScript from 3 to 16 times faster depending on circumstances.
  • New features in Settings such as AutoFill, and Anti phishing
  • Pressing and holding a link gives three options: Open, Open in New Page and Copy.
  • View subscriptions
  • Closing all open windows will now open a blank page (Won’t save page info on exit, increase available memory)

• Bluetooth/A2DP
  • Bluetooth unlock for iPod Touch 2G
  • Full stereo audio across entire platform
  • A2DP Play/Pause for iPod APP (no Next/Back yet)
  • Device side audio control still enabled but does not effect audio stream
    • (Speculation) Apple headphones being designed similar to previous headset, with on device battery info and control

• iPod
  • Shake to shuffle songs in iPod App
  • Search through iPod
  • Scrubbing through tracks can now be done at a variable rate
  • (When Bluetooth is enabled and a paired audio device is present) Audio output menu added to “Now Playing” screen and Home button iPod controls.
  • Podcasts
    • More details shown: time remaining, etc
    • Can be played at ½x, 1x, 2x speed
    • 30 second rewind button
    • Can be emailed

• Improved language support.
  • Added new language support such as Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Indonesian, Malay, Portuguese, Thai and more
  • Foreign language keyboards extended to cover additional characters

• New Developer APIs
  • Push notifications for 3rd party applications
  • Bluetooth services (iPod Touch 1G excluded) including A2DP (not for first generation iPhone), LDAP, P2P, and Bonjour
  • New APIs in the Maps application allow developers to build it in to software
  • Developers can now use CoreLocation to make Turn by Turn applications
  • API support for serial I/O through the Dock Connector
  • 3rd party apps now have access to iPod music library
  • Support for outbound audio and video streaming
  • In-app additional payment API for paid applications
    • Sign in with iTunes account
    • Buy service subscriptions or app add-ons

• Spotlight added
  • Reportedly saves its last search results and offers options for excluding applications from searches, though it’s unclear if these two findings are new to beta 3.
  • Partial search for mail, iPod, contacts, events, and apps

• iTunes/Sync
  • iTunes account creation on device
    • Can now sign out of iTunes account and use a different iTunes account
    • iTunes account info can be accessed and edited
  • iTunes 8.2 now includes a USB driver for iPhone tethering
  • Notes syncing
  • Voice memos syncing (audio files added to a “Voice Memos” playlist)
  • Backups can now be encrypted and password protected

• Tethering over USB and Bluetooth available, on selected carriers
  • USB tethering auto activated when connected to USB on iTunes 8.2+ (if tethering is enabled in iPhone settings)
  • Full access to iPhone possible while tethered
  • (In Windows) iPhone shows up as a standard ethernet connection

• Other
  • Device automatically connects and authenticate to Wi-Fi hotspots which require username and password (e.g. Starbucks, McDonalds)
  • Locate Me for the iPod Touch more accurate.
  • Restrictions have been updated and now block “Current Location” and allows setting what content is appropriate for iPod music/videos/TV shows and apps.
  • 11 home screen pages instead of 9. Now can store 180 apps. (Including native applications. i.e. Phone, iPod, Safari)
  • Speed optimizations during keyboard input and use of the included App Store application.
  • New Voice Memo Application
  • Stopwatch now shows both the total running time and the current lap time in the upper part of the clock app
  • Landscape on Messages (SMS), Mail, Stocks, Contacts and Notes
  • Force quit an application by holding the home button for 10 seconds no longer works.

• iPhone SDK 3.0
  • Arriving in tandem with iPhone Software 3.0 beta 3 was a similarly labeled beta of iPhone SDK 3.0 carrying build number 9M2728. Among the changes included with the new build is an updated beta of the Xcode IDE that showcases a new Overview toolbar and a “completely revamped” assistant interface for creating new projects, targets and files.
  • Meanwhile, updates to Interface Builder introduce new drag-and-drop capabilities for repairing objects and reordering files in document outline view, as well as a new string table interface that simplifies the process of making textual changes across multiple documents.
  • Apple did warn developers that an issue with beta 3 of iPhone Software 3.0 will prevent them from running iPhone apps that have been compiled for earlier version of the iPhone software, but said it hopes to resolve the issue with the release of the next beta.