The use of cell phones in movie theaters is a sore subject for many cinephiles, although it's a practice becoming more and more common (and defended). It might not be a problem for much longer, though, The Guardian reports: Apple leaker Sonny Dickson claims that the company is going to add the option to switch iPhones into "theater mode" — akin to "airplane mode" — in an operating system update later this month.
Another community of analysts specializing in Apple rumors, AppleInsider, doesn't quite agree on the assuredness of a "theater mode" rollout, but said the new update could "disable system sounds and haptic feedback, block incoming calls and messages, and reduce initial screen brightness during a movie." AppleInsider also floated the idea that Apple might use its technology to "[customize] phone settings automatically based on a phone's GPS position."
We'll know soon enough: AppleInsider and Dickson agree that the new iOS is likely to start rolling out around Jan. 10.