CUPERTINO, USA – Patents uncovered from the USPTO have unveiled a new social networking app being developed by Apple, for its iPhone. iGroups will be a crucial move for the manufacturer to keep up with the demands of always-connected users.

Several mobile phone makers are already advertising their handsets as having built-in Facebook and Twitter connectivity options. There are even mobile phones dedicated to this, such as those from INQ. Although among the 140 000 apps at the iPhone App Store there are several that cater to social networking, an app built by Apple will serve as an additional advertising opportunity.

From the sketches, it is noticeable that the app will have geo-location tools, possibly to make iGroups compatible with FourSquare.

According to Mashable, iGroups already exists at the iPhone App Store, therefore it is likely that the new app from Apple may have to be renamed.

Apple Developing Own Social Networking App for iPhone Users