Thursday, April 8, 2010

iPhone OS 4 Preview

Apple today introduced iPhone OS 4, a new version of its mobile multi-touch operating system for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad family. Available in a developer preview version today, iPhone OS 4 is due to ship in "Summer 2010" with multitasking for third-party apps, 100 new user features and 1,500 new developer programming interfaces (API). A version for the iPad isn't due until Fall.

100+ New User Features

With iPhone OS 4, iPhone owners will enjoy over 100 new features that make it easier to interact with apps, manage email, read books, and more. New features include the following:

Multitasking

Developers will have access to seven multitasking services, which will allow tasks to be performed in the background while preserving performance and battery life. So you’ll be able to make a Voice over IP call while playing a game or checking email, find a restaurant on Urbanspoon while listening to Pandora, and more.


Folders

Organize apps into folders with drag-and-drop simplicity. Get faster access to your favorites and browse and manage up to 2160 apps at once — many more than the current limit of 180 apps.


Even Better Mail

See messages from all your email accounts displayed together in a unified inbox, switch between inboxes more quickly, organize messages by threads, and even open attachments in third-party apps.


iBooks

The best way to browse, buy, and read books on a mobile device. Easily flip through the pages of a book you've downloaded from the iBookstore while listening to your music collection. Browse tens of thousands of books — many of them free — by title, author, or genre. You can even check out reviews and read sample pages before you buy.




iPhone OS 4 Compatibility

iPhone OS 4 will work with iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and the second- and third-generation iPod touch this summer, and with iPad in the fall. Not all features are compatible with all devices. For example, multitasking is available only with iPhone 3GS and the third-generation iPod touch (32GB and 64GB models from late 2009).


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