Apple’s iPhone OS 4 media event has just ended. Here are the core facts:
– Coming Summer 2010
– Over 100 new features
– Multitasking. Apple has given developers seven services to implement this functionality: Background audio streaming (Pandora), VoIP (Skype), background location (GPS apps), push notifications, local notifications, task completion (such as uploading photos to flickr, this can now run in the background), fast app switching (application’s state is saved, resources are freed up, and a user can switch to another app, instantly). Double clicking the home button invokes a “dock” showing the currently-running applications. Users can “fast switch” from these apps. This is going to be a big deal.
– Folders. Drag and drop apps on top of one another to create a folder. Automatically named according to app catagory, but can be edited by the user later. The icon becomes a “multi-icon.” With folders you can now have 2,000 apps on your device.
– Home screen wallpapers (I suspect Apple is allowing this because the next iPhone will have a sharper, “HD” screen. We’ll see.)
– Better Mail. Universal inbox, multiple Microsoft Exchange accounts, threaded views, fast inbox switching.
– iBooks. Same as the iPad. Buy books once, read anywhere, wireless syncing updates bookmarks across all devices.
– Game Center. 50,000 gaming titles in the App Store. Game Center brings social aspects to games. Challenge friends, leaderboards, achievements etc.
– iAd. Ad service by Apple. Apple thought most mobile ads “suck” so they created their own. They were looking for more emotion and interaction than most other ads. Apple will sell and host the ads, while developers rake in 60% of the revenue. This looks really good.
– Again, Public release in the summer. This will work with iPhone 3GS and 3rd-generation iPod touches. iPhone 3G and 2nd-gen iPod touches will be able to run most, but not all of the new features. The “big one” they can’t run is multitaksing. In short, if you don’t own a iPhone 3GS or 3rd-gen iPod touch, you don’t get multitasking.
-iPhone OS 4.0 coming to iPad this fall.
UPDATE: Apple has posted a preview page, outlining the new features of iPhone OS 4.0.
UPDATE 2: Apple has posted a Quicktime stream of Today’s iPhone OS 4.0 Event.
Photos courtesy of engadget.
Continue reading:
- Everything New Apple Just Announced (Septembe
- Apple Watch Pre-Order
- Apple Research Kit launches with 5 Apps
- Apple TV now only $69
TAGS:
