iPhone OS 3.0: Landing Wednesday

Many of the iPhone's long-awaited features will finally become a reality on Wednesday when Apple rolls out iPhone OS 3.0.

Current iPhone owners can download the software from iTunes for free, and iPod Touch users can get it as well, but for a fee of $9.95, just like the last OS update. What time exactly, we don't know yet. Apple will only say iPhone OS 3.0 will come out at some point on Wednesday.

The update includes many functions other phones have had for a while, including multimedia messaging (if supported by your carrier), voice recording, buying and renting movies and TV shows over the air, full system search, tethering (again, if your carrier allows it), and push notifications.

Apple has also bundled in some extras, like landscape virtual keyboard for certain apps, more extensive parental controls, in-app purchasing, and a feature for MobileMe customers called Find My Phone.

There will also be stereo Bluetooth available, as well as the capability to create applications specifically for interfacing with third-party hardware, which could lead to a boon in the accessories market for the iPhone as well as the iPod Touch.

Wednesday's OS 3.0 launch is comes just two days ahead of the new iPhone 3G S, which is scheduled to hit stores Friday morning.

Original article: iPhone OS 3.0 wide release coming Wednesday from CNET News.com