_V2.jpg)
iPhone 4.0 features better email, multitasking, iBooks, folders, more
April 8, 2010 by Beatweek
iPhone users who’ve been patiently waiting for the iPhone’s on-screen interface to significantly evolve from its original 2007 incarnation finally got their wish today with the unveiling of the iPhone 4.0 OS. Major features include an iBooks app on the iPhone and iPod touch, allowing them to take advantage of Apple’s new ebooks platform which is at the moment only available to iPad users); the ability to unify all incoming email into a single inbox no matter which address is came from, or to jump between inboxes more easily than before; the option to group apps within folders, cleaning up some users’ current multitude of home screens, and allowing users to have up to 2160 apps installed on their device at once.
And those who’ve crying out for “multitasking” are now going to get it whether they know what the word really means or not, thanks to a new feature which allows you to double-tap the Home button and bring up a manager of active apps similar in concept (but not execution) to the Command-Tab app switcher on Macintosh computers. Also launched was a new advertising platform called iAd which should allow app developers to implement in-app ads in a consistent manner.
The iPhone 4.0 operating system will be released “this summer” for iPhone and iPod touch, according to Apple. And perhaps surprisingly, the iPad version of the 4.0 OS won’t be released until the fall, which will temporarily leave iPad users missing certain fourth-gen features that iPhone and iPod touch users will already have their hands on.
On the other hand, only iPhone and iPod touch users with newer models will be able to take advantage of all of the newly announced features. According to Apple, “multitasking is available only with iPhone 3GS and the third-generation iPod touch (32GB and 64GB models from late 2009).”
As expected, there was no official word today on the next generation iPhone hardware model, which speculation (and history) have suggested will surface “this summer” as well.
[...] with a fake iPad mockup with urine splashing on the iPad’s icons (where are those new app folders when you need [...]
[...] doesn’t guarantee we’ll see iPhone history repeat itself; even with Steve Jobs’ rollout of the upcoming iPhone 4.0 operating system, no mention was made of the new iPhone hardware model [...]