It’s official: Multitasking and iAds announced
Yes, we will finally be able to use multiple apps at one time, i.e. listen to music in Pandora and surf the Web, but Apple’s set a rather high bar in terms of what devices will be able to take advantage of this long-awaited feature.
Apple has formally announced iPhone OS 4.0, which will ship this Summer, as well as a range of other mobile initiatives covering gaming and advertising.
“iPhone OS 4 is the fourth major release of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system,” said Steve Jobs. “We’re delivering over 100 new features, including multitasking, folders, a unified inbox, deeper Enterprise support, and an iPhone version of our iBooks reader and online iBookstore.”
Apple today previewed iPhone OS 4, including an updated Software Development Kit (SDK) with over 1,500 new Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and over 100 new features. New features include Multitasking for third party apps; Folders to better organize and access apps; improved Mail with a unified inbox, fast inbox switching and threaded messages; enhanced Enterprise support with even better data protection, mobile device management, wireless app distribution and more; iAd mobile advertising platform; and iBooks.
Everything will be invented here
Yet another new feature is Game Center, a set of APIs that allows developers to create apps with the ability to invite friends to play a game, start a multiplayer game through matchmaking and track achievements and compare high scores on a leader board. Apps created with GameKit APIs will work with Game Center, Apple’s new social gaming network available to iPhone and iPod touch users later this year.
The new SDK and a beta of iPhone OS are available immediately with finished product expect to ship for the iPhone and iPod touch this Summer. A version of iPhone OS 4 will be coming to iPad this Fall.
The one big catch is that multitasking will only work on third-generation or newer iPhones and iPod touches, as well as the iPad, which is something we all should have seen coming…
What’s your take?
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