Apple was just granted a quasi-universal instant messaging patent for its iPhone. The patent, filed in August 2007, describes an interface similar to the existing SMS (Short Messaging Service) text messaging interface for the iPhone, but does not list any specific protocols.

This key issue enables the Cupertino company to use whatever protocol it wants for the messaging system on the iPhone, such as AIM, Jabber, Yahoo or others for its interface. An instant messaging client is probably the most requested feature on the iPhone, but Apple has apparently yielded to pressure from carriers to delay the release of an iChat port.

However, as third-party developers will create such applications, Apple will not afford to be left behind. The company has already showcased AOL's IM program during the SDK announcement earlier this year. The problem is that all applications developed through Apple's SDK have to run in the foreground.

The iPhone maker alleges that letting applications run in the background will slow down the device to an uncontrollable level, thus ruining user experience on the successful gadget.

Recently, it was revealed that Apple has filed a virtual shopping patent in 2006. The patent is related to a virtual shopping store, which features, among others, atmospherical conditions such as seasons or sun/moon display depending on the time of day.

Also, according to the French newspaper Les Echos, two Orange officials will discuss with Apple at the company’s headquarters the possibility to adopt a subsidized pricing model for iPhone in France. According to their sources, Orange has sold only 100,000 units since the November launch, while at the end of January T-Mobile sold 70,000 iPhones in Germany. In UK, Telefonica’s O2 managed to sell 200,000 units.