Since our last post on the upcoming Facebook for iPhone 3.0, the sole developer of the app, Joe Hewitt (pictured right), has been working hard and tweeting regularly regarding the app’s current and future status.

Those who own an iPhone 3GS will be pleased to learn that Joe has now decided that since it was so easy to code, video uploading will be available in version 3.0, with an upload progress bar included. However, at this stage it will not be possible to watch Facebook videos on any iPhone as they are encoded with a bitrate that is too high for the iPhone OS to play.

Full support for Notes will now be included, which means you will be able to write, edit, save and delete notes and drafts.

In response to a question about opening external links within the Facebook app, Joe has revealed that the new version will include a built-in browser, which will (presumably) present a more streamlined experience that doesn’t require app-switching to Safari to display web content.

There will be no landscape mode in version 3.0, but it is planned for the next update.

As for a release date, Joe wrote on July 8th: “It will be at least a week before it is ready to submit, and then perhaps weeks more for Apple to approve.”

If you want it straight from the horse’s mouth, we’ve created a chronological list of Joe Hewitt’s most recent messages on Twitter regarding Facebook for iPhone:

Tweets from Joe Hewitt regarding Facebook for iPhone

A quick note about the new features in the upcoming Facebook for iPhone 3.0 http://bit.ly/K8HXY 12:50 PM Jul 1st

Facebook is crazy – I posted that note and within 30 seconds it had hundreds of likes and dozens of comments. 12:52 PM Jul 1st

It is indeed fun but stressful to be responsible for an app that 25% of the iPhone-owning population uses regularly. 2:08 PM Jul 1st

Only took a few minutes to add 3GS video uploading support to the Facebook app… making it usable will take more time. 11:44 PM Jul 1st

3GS video uploading for the Facebook iPhone app is a go — didn’t plan to include it in the 3.0 update, but it was really easy to code. 1:20 PM Jul 2nd

Nothing like a few bazillion emails, tweets, and blog comments to motivate you to sneak in a few extra features at the last minute. 2:51 PM Jul 2nd

Thank goodness Apple added upload progress events in OS 3.0 because I’m gonna need to show it while uploading these giant videos. 3:16 AM Jul 3rd

Went from 98% done to 92% done because I decided to add full support for notes – write, edit, delete notes and save drafts. Back to 97% now 1:31 PM Jul 3rd

Unfortunately you won’t be able to watch your friends videos (yet) because Facebook videos are encoded in a format the iPhone won’t play. 2:26 PM Jul 3rd

eston: @joehewitt The iPhone can’t play H.264/AAC? Did Facebook change their codec recently?
@eston It’s H.264 but it’s too high of a bit rate. iPhone OS is ridiculously picky about that stuff. 2:38 PM Jul 3rd

jaydotsee: @joehewitt hey Joe…good work with the Facebook app…any idea of when it will be released?
@jaydotsee I’m trying not to pick a release date – it will be released when it is stable and fully usable. 9:52 PM Jul 4th

pajamasceo: When will Facebook finally leverage core location and offer location based services in their iPhone app? @joehewitt
@pajamasceo Someday ;) 4:52 PM Jul 7th

I am still putting the finishing touches on the Facebook iPhone app. 2:17 AM Jul 8th

The “finishing touch” I am working on now is making sure the app never loses what you’ve typed/photographed if you get a phone call or quit. 2:22 AM Jul 8th

It will be at least a week before it is ready to submit, and then perhaps weeks more for Apple to approve. 3:29 AM Jul 8th

RichardZarou: @joehewitt any chance the new facebook app will have a built in browser for viewing external links and pictures?
@RichardZarou Yes, all links will open up in a built-in browser. 3:07 PM Jul 11th

Bumba86: @joehewitt Will Facebook 3.0 support landscape mode?
@Bumba86 No landscape yet, but planned for the next update after 3.0. 3:08 PM Jul 11th

nealflanagan: @joehewitt Will the “new” newsfeed mean that activity such as “X & Y are now friends” or “X commented on Y’s photo” will disappear?
@nealflanagan It will be the same news feed you see on the facebook.com website. 1:38 PM Jul 12