As expected, Apple today introduced the latest version of its iPhone mobile operating system. Version 4.0 will come with a number of major new features as well as hundreds of smaller ones. Among the major enhancements are Folders to better organize and access apps, an improved Mail application with unified inbox, fast inbox switching and threaded messages, enhanced Enterprise support, and iBooks which is already available on the iPad. But probably the biggest addition will be the addition of multitasking for third party applications.
Multitasking will work by offering seven new services to support third party applications. Among these will be background audio and VoIP, background location which will use cellular towers rather than GPS to save battery life, an improved push notification service, background task completion (where tasks can be completed without user input), and Fast App Switching which will allow an application to be frozen until the user returns to it.
Those who still own the original iPhone will be disappointed to learn iPhone OS 4.0 will not be compatible with the first iPhone. It will only work with the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and the second- and third-generation iPod touch. Even then, only the existing 2009 iPhone 3GS and 3G iPod touch models with 32 and 64GB of storage will be able to take advantage of multitasking. It will not be available on older devices due to their insufficient RAM and processing power.
Apple also unveiled its new iAd advertising platform. It will provide adverting on third party applications with developers receiving 60 percent of the ad revenue.
Apple will ship iPhone OS 4 for iPhone and iPod touch this summer while the iPad version will follow later in the fall. In the meantime, a developer beta is now available.
Steve Jobs also indicated that Apple had now sold 450,000 iPads since its launch Saturday. It had earlier indicated that it had sold 300,000 iPads on the first day, including pre-orders and retail store shipments.