http://www.naturalnews.com/037220_iPhone_recordings_patent.html
this doesn't make any sense from a logistics standpoint. Why would any company put features in their product that they know customers don't want? It can only hurt sales.
Hey, at one point Steve Jobs didn't want to have porn allowed on his products. So much for that rebellious, freedom-loving look that Apple always toys with in their commercials.
The kickback they get for putting it in must be worth more than the small number of sales "lost" to adding it. I don't actually know that they got something for putting in the feature, but it stands to reason there's an angle. Maybe a grant or research funding. Or possibly, they develop the technology, then license it to a government they know will use it. Perhaps charge them a fee to activate it when asked by said government. A possible scneario is the government mandates all phones contain the feature, then every phone maker has to pay for it's use.