iPhone OS 4: What Everybody Ought to Know About

Apple has announced the iPhone OS 4, the newest mobile operating system for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. The iPhone OS 4 has over 100 new user features and 1500 new APIs for developers.

What should you know about iPhone OS 4? Here are the features highlights of iPhone OS 4:

Multitasking, sort of

Yes, finally, iPhone OS supports multitasking! The feature allows you to run multiple apps at the same time and easily switch among them.

However, in order to reduce consumption of system resources, the background processes are limited to 7 classes: music, VOIP (read: Skype), GPS, Push notification, Local notification, and Fast app switching.

Don’t expect the multitasking works like you have on your computer.

Folders

Now you can group iPhone apps together into a folder. Example: put all game apps into a game folder. Folder name is auto generated but you can rename it. You can also change the wallpaper of the iPhone folder.

Better Mail app

Mail for iPhone now use unified inbox so that you can have multiple email accounts delivered into one inbox. Thread messages is integrated.Open email attachments in third-party app. Also, iPhone OS 4 now support multiple Exchange accounts.

iBooks

Similar to the iBooks on iPad but a smaller version. Support wireless page and notes syncing.

Game Center

Steve Jobs described it as “social gaming network”. Find your friends and challenge them to game. Compare high scores on leaderboard and so on.

Enterprise

Better encryption and data protection. Support wireless app distribution for internal apps and support for SSL VPN.

iAd

iPhone OS 4 has build in mobile advertising. The in-app ad is interactive, could include video, games, etc. All ads based on HTML5 (no flash).

Other features

iPhone OS 4 allows you to set wallpaper for lock screen and background, just like iPad. Added 5x digital zoom to camera. When taking video, you can tap to focus. Also, support of bluetooth keyboard.

When will iPhone OS 4 be available?

iPhone OS 4 will be available for iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch (3rd Generation) in late June 2010.

iPhone 3G and iPod Touch (2nd generation) not fully supported, such as no multitasking. iPhone-no-3G is not supported at all.

iPad will get iPhone OS 4 in late September 2010.

iPhone OS 4 upgrade pricing hasn’t reveal. iPhone might get free upgrade like previous versions.

My two cents

iPhone OS 4 is a killer-wannabe!

• iPhone will support Multitasking. The advantages of other smartphone OS over iPhone OS is lesser.
• iBooks on iPhones & iPad is threatening Amazon.com’s Kindle.
• The Game Center is a challenge to PlayStation Network and Xbox Live.
• The enterprise features is a threat to Research in Motion (BlackBerry), which is popular among business users.
• iAd, is the Apple’s answer to Google’s mobile advertising.

Wow, and wow!