iPhone to Finally Gain Multitasking This Summer

8:40 PM - April 8, 2010 - By Marcus Yam - Source : Tom's Guide US

Sorry users of older iPhones and iPod Touches -- multitasking will not be for you. Steve Jobs says that they don't have the power.

Apple's iPhone, as slick as it may be, has always lagged behind the competition when it came to basic OS features such as copy & paste and multitasking. With copy & paste taken care of in iPhone OS 3.0, Apple announced today plans to tackle the latter feature with iPhone OS 4.0. Yes, multitasking will finally be here in the new software update due to hit this summer.

First, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that Apple claims that its multitasking doesn't tax battery life in a significant way, but the bad news is that only the iPhone 3GS, third-gen iPod Touch and iPad (and newer) will support it. Those still using the iPhone 3G will still get some of the new features, such as the ability to sort apps into folders. Sadly, Apple doesn't list the original iPhone as being compatible with the new software.

iPhone OS 4.0 will be release for phones and iPods this summer, while iPad users will curiously have to wait until fall.

"iPhone OS 4 is the fourth major release of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. "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."

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
Apple’s new iAd mobile advertising platform
iBooks reader and online bookstore recently debuted on the iPad

More details from Apple's preview site or the press release:

_{iPhone OS 4’s new multitasking offers users a new way to quickly move between apps, and provides developers seven new multitasking services to easily add multitasking features to their apps. These services include background audio, so apps like Pandora can play music in the background, and VoIP, so VoIP apps can receive a VoIP call even when the iPhone is asleep or the user is running other apps. iPhone OS 4 provides multitasking to third party apps while preserving battery life and foreground app performance, which has until now proved elusive on mobile devices.}
_{Folders help users better organize and quickly access their apps. Simply drag one app icon onto another, and a new folder is automatically created. The folder is automatically given a name based on the App Store category of that app, such as “Games,” which the user can easily rename. Using folders, users can now organize and access over 2,000 apps on their iPhone. Users can also create and manage iPhone folders on their Mac or PC using iTunes 9.2.}
_{iPhone OS 4 delivers the best mail experience on a mobile phone with its new Unified Inbox, allowing users to see messages from all their email accounts displayed together in a single inbox. With just a few taps, users can quickly switch between inboxes to see messages from any single account. In addition, users can now thread their messages by conversation, making it easier to stay on top of email discussions, as well as open email attachments with compatible apps from the App Store.}
_{iAd, Apple’s new mobile advertising platform, combines the emotion of TV ads with the interactivity of web ads. Today, when users click on mobile ads they are almost always taken out of their app to a web browser, which loads the advertiser’s webpage. Users must then navigate back to their app, and it is often difficult or impossible to return to exactly where they left. iAd solves this problem by displaying full-screen video and interactive ad content without ever leaving the app, and letting users return to their app anytime they choose. iPhone OS 4 lets developers easily embed iAd opportunities within their apps, and the ads are dynamically and wirelessly delivered to the device. Apple will sell and serve the ads, and developers will receive an industry-standard 60 percent of iAd revenue.}
_{The iPhone OS 4 beta release includes a developer preview of GameCenter, which contains 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 GameCenter, Apple’s new social gaming network available to iPhone and iPod touch users later this year.}
_{New enterprise features in iPhone OS 4 include improvements in security, scalability and compatibility. The new Mobile Device Management service can be integrated with third party servers to wirelessly configure, query and even wipe or lock managed iPhones, and iPhone OS 4 enables enterprises to securely host and wirelessly distribute their own in-house developed apps to employees. The new Data Protection feature uses a user’s passcode as an encryption key to protect mail messages and attachments stored on the iPhone. iPhone OS 4 now provides the option to set a longer, more complex passcode, making iPhone and its data even more secure. iPhone OS 4 allows IT managers to set up multiple Exchange ActiveSync accounts, is compatible with Exchange Server 2010 and includes support for forthcoming SSL VPN applications from Juniper Networks and Cisco.}
_{Today, more than four billion apps have been downloaded from the revolutionary App Store and more than 185,000 apps are available to consumers in 90 countries. Over 85 million iPhone and iPod touch users around the world can choose from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.}
_{Availability
The iPhone OS 4 beta software and SDK are available immediately for iPhone Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. iPhone OS 4 will be available as a software update to iPhone and iPod touch users this summer. A version of iPhone OS 4 will be coming to iPad this Fall.}

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mrmoo500 04/09/2010 1:19 AM

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uh oh, iAd? Who will really get an update so they can watch some more advertisments?

tayb 04/09/2010 1:23 AM

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kyeana 04/09/2010 1:24 AM

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I'm no apple fan, in fact I'm die hard android, but i see this as good news. More competition yields better products, new implementations, lower prices, etc.

chise1 04/09/2010 1:29 AM

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So just to reiterate, the iPhone OS still doesn't have *true* multitasking (see here: ), you can't use CS5's new brilliant interface to make apps () and you've got more advertising in the apps that you most likely paid extra $$ for past the hundreds of dollars a year you pay the phone company? And this is good news how?

chise1 04/09/2010 1:30 AM

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Sorry about the links...

Multitasking: http://www.appleinsider.com/articl [...] tures.html

Adobe Compiler: http://daringfireball.net/2010/04/ [...] h_compiler

dan117 04/09/2010 1:34 AM

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"iPhone to Finally Gain Multitasking This Summer"
It will be new and revolutionary because Apple is the first to implement it!

tecmo34 04/09/2010 1:54 AM

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I guess this allows me to organize my Tom's Hardware Home Screen icons better into one folder, which makes surfing the internet easier while driving and changing the radio station ... [:mousemonkey:5]

Honis 04/09/2010 2:17 AM

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Quote :iPhone to Finally Gain "Multitasking" This Summer

The title was missing some quote marks...

Multitasking is running several programs at once. They are pausing most of the program with an option to let them use a limited set of instructions when they are in the background.

If you want to know what real multitasking is check out WebOS or any desktop OS since DOS.

dannyaa 04/09/2010 2:50 AM

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-2

Honis :
If you want to know what real multitasking is check out WebOS or any desktop OS since DOS.

Hey genius... the iPhone isn't a desktop OS and doesn't have a massive laptop battery and processor. Question: is it easier to just implement multitasking, or to spend at least over a year developing and brainstorming APIs and an effective solution that (1) eliminates performance and battery issues while (2) providing the vast majority of benefits that multitasking offers? Apple obviously went through the effort for a reason. The goal of the mobile phone is not to be a desktop replacement.

ukgooey 04/09/2010 3:04 AM

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Holy shit, is it 2005 already?

Abrahm 04/09/2010 3:17 AM

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dannyaa :
Hey genius... the iPhone isn't a desktop OS and doesn't have a massive laptop battery and processor. Question: is it easier to just implement multitasking, or to spend at least over a year developing and brainstorming APIs and an effective solution that (1) eliminates performance and battery issues while (2) providing the vast majority of benefits that multitasking offers? Apple obviously went through the effort for a reason. The goal of the mobile phone is not to be a desktop replacement.

1) You don't know how the battery will be with this multi-tasking, and seeing how the iPhone battery life sucked to begin with, it probably doesn't matter. It doesn't really look like Apple went through a whole lot of extra effort to do this. It's typical Apple to make false accusations at the competition to try and legitimize their lack of features.

"iPhone OS 4 provides multitasking to third party apps while preserving battery life and foreground app performance, which has until now proved elusive on mobile devices. "

As Jobs says, BS. My Droid has been multi-tasking and taking names with excellent battery life.

nukem950 04/09/2010 3:18 AM

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Sounds like my ipod touch g1 is not supported. How much will apple take off the purchase of a new one so I can get current generation ipod touch?

dopey117 04/09/2010 3:37 AM

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I hardly see this as innovative. My droid runs tons of apps at the same time all day and has great battery life (better than 3GS by a long shot). Effective multitasking has been out for quite some time now (insert blackberry here) and so has copy and paste and changing wallpapers. I think its hilarious that apple tries to sell this stuff off as new tech, the sad part is the vast majority of the people out there believe them

ps12 04/09/2010 3:57 AM

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I wonder if the iPad update waiting till September will have anything to do with the rumored Verizon alliance??

soldier37 04/09/2010 3:58 AM

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nekatreven 04/09/2010 4:22 AM

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soldier37 :
I think you dopey117 and the droid are sad, plus verizon is a network for chicks and homos! The Droid really? LOL. I'll put my bigger brighter screen 32Gb 3GS against your garbage droid any day. How much storage does it have again, oh nevermind. I laugh at you apple haters so much, always feeling the need to bash something you know nothing about other than what other apple haters say. So what its not true multitasking, thats why I have a self built quad core desktop that I'm sure drives circles around whatever girly computer you have at home. So take your apple bashing elsewhere and type something productive moron.

-1 for being a trolling douche-nozzle.

1. Resorting to personal (and not even brow-raising) insults.
2. Explaining why your phone's battery blows; as if a screen that is only so big and bright because the iphone has no keyboard is a 'feature'. Also...it's called an SD slot buddy.
3. Pointing out that you use your self-built (and therefore obviously not from Apple) PC to handle the stuff your iphone can't currently handle.

awesome...but what damage have you done to Steve Jobs feelings with your comments if dopey117's computer that you're insulting is a Mac. I wouldn't worry though...he/she seems smarter than that.

dopey117 04/09/2010 4:34 AM

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nekatreven :
-1 for being a trolling douche-nozzle.1. Resorting to personal (and not even brow-raising) insults.2. Explaining why your phone's battery blows; as if a screen that is only so big and bright because the iphone has no keyboard is a 'feature'. Also...it's called an SD slot buddy.3. Pointing out that you use your self-built (and therefore obviously not from Apple) PC to handle the stuff your iphone can't currently handle.awesome...but what damage have you done to Steve Jobs feelings with your comments if dopey117's computer that you're insulting is a Mac. I wouldn't worry though...he/she seems smarter than that.

Hey no fair i wanted to shoot him down!

Lol yeah and in case you didnt know the iphone has a 3.5 inch screen and the droid has a 3.7 inch screen so im not sure how you call that bigger and the iphone 3GS is 480 x 320 my droid is 854 x 480 resolution. You obviously dont know what your talking about. Also i have a 16gb REMOVABLE micro sd card and i could get a new 32gb for about $30 where as you had to pay like an extra $100 to get you 32gb

dopey117 04/09/2010 4:39 AM

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^^ also forgot to mention how verizon has *reliable* 3G coverage across its entire network whereas At&t 3G is fairly small and spotty at that

captaincharisma 04/09/2010 4:41 AM

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i wonder if they are going to charge for it when they release it like the previous rumors stated.

Anonymous 04/09/2010 4:50 AM

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dont worry, soldier37 hails from alabama, probably just got electricity and running water yeserday...

dopey117 04/09/2010 4:54 AM

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Ssshhh dont give him any ideas!

SlickyFats 04/09/2010 5:03 AM

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Wow that is a typical Apple Fanboy. "My phone is cooler because it just is" Well sorry but NO. WinMo, BB, Symbian and more recently Android and WebOS have had multi-tasking capabilities for a long time now. Apple just does a very good job of making out of date software look very appealing. Big buttons and bright colors attract all little kids to toys why not use the same when having people buy you "phone". I owned and iPhone and the lack of user control it simply ridiculous (non-jailbroken of course). It sad that because people feel like the iPhone is easier to use and that automatically means its a better phone. The iPhone is just now catching up with phones that you can get for free. Steve Jobs is a marketing wiz and sheep continue to flock to him.

dopey117 04/09/2010 5:12 AM

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soldier37 :
...So what its not true multitasking, thats why I have a self built quad core desktop that I'm sure drives circles around whatever girly computer you have at home. So take your apple bashing elsewhere and type something productive moron.

On a side note id like to add my i5-750 is anything but 'girly' and that i never leave home without my apple bashing. I pretty much take it everywhere

eddieroolz 04/09/2010 5:24 AM

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One of the feature is the ability to navigate between menus.

Seriously, this is like when they announced Leopard with "300+" new features. Most of the 300 features were simply trivial things like "change font here", and this is no exception.

dopey117 04/09/2010 5:25 AM

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eddieroolz :
One of the feature is the ability to navigate between menus.Seriously, this is like when they announced Leopard with "300+" new features. Most of the 300 features were simply trivial things like "change font here", and this is no exception.

Dont forget spellcheck and those new fangled things called "folders"

megamanx00 04/09/2010 5:26 AM

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The limitation makes sense since the newer iphones are faster than the older ones.

guzz46 04/09/2010 5:48 AM

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typical apple, the iphone has been out for how long now? and it's finally getting up to date with features it should have had since day one

And this whole multitasking debate about poor battery life? here's an idea, how about adding true multitasking and let the user decide if they will use it or not instead of deciding for them

you don't see car manufacturers limiting the RPM's of their cars to half of what it's capable of for fear of it using lots of petrol, they let the driver decide, if the driver want's to save petrol he won't put his foot down, if he doesn't care he will

gmarsack 04/09/2010 5:51 AM

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Listening to Apple's press releases and announcements make me glad I'm a Android developer and happy Moto Droid owner. It's just ridicules what Apple customers have to wait for and get excited about.

On a side note, dopey117 comments are dead on about the feature list comparison. I think it interesting to point out that if my phones battery dies, I can just get a new battery, not a new phone. I'm sure Apple will eventually "invent" an interchangeable battery and memory slot too... and the will peasants rejoice, for a fee.

tipoo 04/09/2010 6:03 AM

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Welcome to the 21'st century, Apple.

dannyaa 04/09/2010 6:25 AM

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-3

Apple's multi-tasking incorporation is VERY smart. I maintain that the multi-tasking needs on a mobile device are ABSOLUTELY different than on a desktop.

It is plain stupid to replicate desktop multi-tasking on lower powered, pocket size, battery powered devices.

There are VERY few limitations to this multi-tasking implementation. What are you hoping to do that a "true" multi tasker would allow? Switch away from a game that is running and come back to find your character dead? I always pause when I switch, and this multi-tasker does that automatically. All services that you would actually WANT running do so, and efficiently!

Do you even KNOW what it does or how it works? Have you read and looked through the SDK? Don't post back until you have. Apple's implementation allows audio streaming, local notifications (for IM), pauses apps where left off, fast app switching, VOIP functions, location functions, etc. It's very clever and efficient.

There are virtually no drawbacks, it doesn't tax the limited mobile processor, and puts no additional strain on the battery.

It is much more time consuming to construct an entire framework of APIs to support this than it is to just "turn on multitasking." If you really think Apple paid their software engineers millions of dollars to come up with this 'excuse' to appease the niche market of geeks on Tom's Hardware and Engadget that actually care, cool. But maybe, just maybe, there is something to it that they invested in for good reason.

Apple has never been big on features list, they have been big on nailing the features they do have and creating an impeccable end user experience. If you think their entire customer base are a bunch of lemmings, (1) you really don't know their demographics and have vastly underestimated their market appeal, and (2) you ought to check your pride, because it sounds a little arrogant to imply everyone who buys their product is too stupid to figure out 'real' computers.

It's becoming to the point where the "cult" is not in Apple product owners, the "cult" is the elitist techno-geeks who are blind Apple haters. It's immature and obnoxious.

As for multi-tasking/battery on the Droid. Really, it's just perfect huh? That's not what I've read and heard from owners. For 1-3 light apps, sure, it's great. Problem is, the iPhone has 185,000 apps that 85 million people use, and many of these are processor intensive apps that make use of the full processing power (and battery) of the device. Games, utilities, web, etc. You open up a huge can of worms when you say "go at it" and people start opening a handful of these at once. The way multi-tasking is incorporated, you could have TWELVE high performance apps running WITHOUT draining hardly ANY additional battery or losing hardly any performance. Beyond that, the user NEVER has to think about it or keep tabs on what to open close. It's brilliant, really, and there are virtually no drawbacks for the way they have implemented this. It is very, very smart.

Sorry, but this is one case where DROID "does not." No way you are going to launch that many apps, or even just a couple system-taxing apps, on the DROID and not see a major performance hit and toll on the battery.

Look, I am not an Apple fanboy. I don't even OWN a Mac! But I'm sick of blind Apple hate. For the record I have 4 home built PCs. But as programmer/developer, I am very impressed with the framework and Apple's solution to make multi-tasking better than on any other mobile device.

IMO - haters are just upset because they lost their main firing point against the iPhone. "Well crap, it does MMS, Copy/Paste, Multi-tasking"... hmmm... not much left to complain about anymore, other than that Apple logo.

guzz46 04/09/2010 7:15 AM

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I can think of a couple just off the top of my head

No user replaceable battery (so i can't take a spare battery with me if I'll be away from a power point for a few days)

Old spec 2mp camera with no flash, come on it's 2010 (my old nokia 6275i had a 2mp camera with a flash)

There's probably still a lot more if i could be bothered doing some more research