According to an AppleInsider report some folks have dug up information in the iPhone 3.0 beta firmware indicating that Japan's Asahi Kasei will provide the magnetometer hardware for the next generation iPhone due to be announced in June (?) and on sale July 17th (?).
A directory labeled "compass" was found within the iPhone 3.0 firmware file. Within these files there is some information identifying specific details for the magnetometer. "The files identify Asahi Kasei's... [