iPhone OS 4 hands-on (updated with video!)
By Nilay Patel 
posted April 8th 2010 6:02PM
posted April 8th 2010 6:02PM
Update: Wonder of wonders, we actually got the bugger working! We're doing video right now, let us know what you want to see -- and check out some on-device shots below.
Update 2: Video time! We also added some impressions, it's all after the break.
Okay, so we've been playing with iPhone OS 4 for a while now and here's what we've learned:
- It's pretty stable, especially compared to other developer editions of the iPhone OS we've messed around with. We haven't had any crashes so far, and things seem mostly to be working. Find My iPhone doesn't work, and iTunes 9.1 doesn't know about folders and will delete any you've set up, but nothing major is broken, at least as far as we can tell.
- The multitasking system works as described, but without any apps that support it it's hard to test -- we'll see if we can cajole a copy of Pandora or TomTom to play with. Steve might say task managers are a sign of failure, but you can certainly delete icons from the switcher -- just long press on them and a minus arrow pops up.
- Bluetooth keyboards are going to be the next great iPhone accessory gold rush. Been jonesing for a million-dollar idea? Here you go: slider keyboard case with built-in extended battery. We prefer our royalties in cash, please.
- We couldn't get threaded messages to work in Mail, but we're sure we're doing something wrong -- we've never really gotten along with iPhone Mail.
- The zoom control on the camera is pretty slick, and there's okayish macro. Tap-to-focus in the video mode is also a nice addition.
- Spell check works just like the iPad, as do cut/copy/paste hardware keyboard shortcuts. Still no way to bring up the soft keyboard from the device when it's paired, though, which is annoying if you walk away -- you have to remember to turn off Bluetooth, which will undoubtedly confuse someone.
- Faces and Events in Photos are just like the iPad -- they're just fancy folders. The actual face-detection happens on your machine, and things are just sorted on the phone.
- Setting up a Gmail account also prompts you to sync calendars and notes -- hallelujah!
- Game Center is a barren wasteland right now, since no apps support it -- we managed to log in and discover that we have no friends and no one has requested to be our friend. Suitably humbled, we logged out.
- We didn't have any major problems running our OS 3.0 apps, and we didn't see any new ads or anything.
- And that it, really -- without third party app support a lot of these features won't come into play just yet. Without them, it's just a nice iteration of the iPhone OS -- what else do you want to know?
I hope this make MS work even harder on there OS. I'm still holding back for it. I though it was funny they annouced a gamer community. That was in a direct response to MS for sure. Damn, MS should have patented it lol.
Why all the whiners? This is the heaviest update in OS from apple since the phones inception. Just sayin
@Tigres
That says far more about what Apple has done with their previous updates than it does about the "innovations" in this update.
@bjsguess
This update was the best one, the others sucked. But i am very pleased with this, the only ting i could've wanted was NO iAd and Custom Themes. Multitasking and Folders are GREAT. Although I want a task manager.
@Tigres Because too many trolls have nothing better to do but complain about things they know little or nothing about...
Flame Proof Comment:
[To all fellow engadget users who mentioned the "Task Manager" in their comments]
As only few mentioned, there is no need for a task manager simply because each time you switch apps, the current app will be closed-killed-terminated the same way now happens.
Why most fellow commenters are confused, thus the endless discussion, is because the proposed method of "multitasking" appears not to have achieved much things in other platforms, like Android for instance where a task manager occasionally feels handy(for me too).
However, you forget the most significant thing in Apple's case.. The corporate fascism in Palo Alto does not approve apps which in any way will risk its regime. This, also(among others), includes bad developed apps which in sequence is in favor of satisfied customers.
Exposing only 7 services tightly controlled are not enough to cover devs needs for versatility, but ensures(as much as possible) unproblematic behavior.
In Android's case however, not only tight restrictions not apply, but services made by devs are allowed, so hangs, hogs and hiccups are inevitable.
So, what we have here are two opposite fields which are black and white, no gray.
To summarize..
The Apple "multitasking" will work OK because relies on best practice and tight control, BUT... too little too late.
You will not need a Task Manager as long as Steve Jobs is the king of the hill.
PS (to whoever agrees with the aforementioned): the number/amount of "background" applications(in reality closed-killed-terminated) which will appear when you double press the home button, is from trivial to whatever Apple decides for the best of the majority of their customers.
@u01iz .. You have no idea what you are talking about.
a) When you switch apps the app is not killed. It still runs in the background like in the video.
b) You can kill apps in the task manager. Same process as deleting an app from the home screen.
Is the "Carrier" in the screenshot a result of the international nature of the phone (Rogers, etc.), or a hint toward additional U.S. carriers in the future?!?
@eiberri It's the former; I'm pretty sure that previous versions of the simulator did that as well.
OS 4 looks amazing, so much better than 3.
@Billyiscool
OS3=OS2+Some minor features
OS2=OS1+AppStore and some more minor features
OS1=Basic iPod with internet
Yeah, thats how we roll in Cupertino!
@Billyiscool
Yeah, we now have the ability to change wallpaper. It must be magic, I am glad Apple invented it so I can have a picture of myself.
Do you know what features are NOT coming to the iPod Touch 2G and the iPhone 3G
@AdamSapnik
"an incentive to upgrade" !!!!! Hope your pockets are deep ;)
Hey, is the iPhone dev thing available to public for a bit of $$$??? They answered all my jailbreak wants! (but damn the iAd shit). I heard its 100$, and do i get to install all my other apps i had before?
@fowenati
Yes.
Apple took a look at the Cydia store...
NO HOME SCREEN WALLPAPERS FOR IPHONE 3G AND BELOW!
Very disappointed...
@IchigoKyger
One more reason to Jailbreak
@fowenati I was T_T
@Ipadkiller
New iPhone this summer: iPhone 3GS iAd
@n0ne
this isn't Craigslist
os 4 could cure cancer and people still gonna complain about it not curing A.I.D.S and other diseases. face it iPhone rules the mobile world right now and with the platform expanding with iPad and iPod touch and soon having 100 million + people using the OS its gonna be the market leader regardless of what other smart phones are doing. Its not always about raw features. Its about implementation and Apple implements with the best of them.
@eastpointvet OS 4 can cure iAds though.
@eastpointvet it rules nothing, it is a version of kitsch in a gui format, get over it...it's like they wanna be nokia for hipsters...keep looking at the shinny icons, like it's 2005. lmao.
The best thing apple did today was the gigantic bitchslap that hit adobe sent over the new dev details changes. As for the phone, it is still a feature phone that plays music, nothing more. This game central reeks of despair. But of course reality is not for you.
I've got it on my 3GS with 4.0 here and there's definitely a speed improvement, along with all the other features. Using the folders, I've managed to get my pagecount down from 5 to a comfortable 1. Despite what they said in the Q&A there is a way to quite open apps - hold down on them in the task switcher and tap the minus sign.
@tekn04 *quit
@hated one
the phone that did all this when it was released months ago
@hated one
It's this kind of gadget thinggy that does all the things this "breaking" article says the iPhone will do some time in the future... but it's been doing it for a while now.
I thought the terms of the SDK didn't permit posting of screenshots?
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9zDv8BivYw
Very underwhelming in all honesty. Folders and Multitasking? This is the "future" of iPhone OS? They didn't add a way to navigate 11 pages of apps (aka pinch out on HTC Sense), or widgets.... And whatever happened to having fav contact icons on the homescreen?
Underwhelming. But multitasking does seem smooth and easy.
@TareG Looks pretty close to the card structure on my Pre. Perphaps they may find a way to do it to hog less battery but I guess after seeing this I don't see something ground breaking that's gonna detour me from getting the Evo or sticking with Palm if they release new hardware that's compares to the Evo. I guess Apples fans can be happy though and good for them.
@clay113
Honestly, the fact that there are 4 icons per screen make it seem easier than the way the Pre does it. Seems like a lot less swiping if you ask me.
@TareG
Of course you think it's underwhelming. You don't like Apple, and every post you make here is about how much you hate Apple. Your opinion really isn't worth much here.
@ebgolfin I use the Pre and the UI navigation switching from one app to the next is easy as hell. Not dogging what Apple has done here but if someone has an issue with swiping through open apps on the Pre they are just plain lazy.
@clay113 not being a battery hog is a rather big deal for many of us given that it is our phone and battery life is short enough as it is. You've got all these people here saying it isn't true multiprocessing and others (actually often the same people) saying it's been done before, and neither is correct... for a phone. The other phones that have multiprocessing do it just like a desktop or laptop with a large battery and the results aren't ideal to say the least, given that it's a phone and the battery isn't huge. Apple is taking the approach of providing many of the benefits of multiprocessing while not being a battery hog. Sure there is the downside that it doesn't provide absolutely everything that a pure multiprocessing approach would give, but it doesn't have the downsides either, and those downsides are significant. I don't understand why people are having such a hard time understanding the concept.
how do i get my own os 4 hands on?
not to hate or anything, but DANG microsoft's screwed
Google should have patented homescreen folders.
this is stupid, there is nothing new about this bloody OS4, it just makes iphone OS 2 years behind Android or even Windows Mobile!
@cez i'm sorry, but how is going through a long ass task manager list (as a separate app) and a market filled with GARBAGE apps cutting edge? handscent sms is one of the most popular apps in the market...guess what it does....makes android sms like iphone sms......the root community can't come up with anything impressive...and the regular dev community seems amateurish compared the the iphone devs.....sure its open, but i for one will def. be going back to my 3gs and throwing my N1 in a drawer or on ebay.
@n0ne And you keep reading and commenting. Oh the irony
I'm really excited about iAd.
@hated one
oh yeah Gadget of the year 2009
@n0ne .. You commenting = More clicks/ads = More money for Engadget = More Apple articles.
You do realise how stupid you're being right ?
Apple need to pay me instead to put a bloody Ad on my phone, no way in hell i have have that in my pocket
Ha Ha Apple is playing catch-up now. I've had all these features on my Nexus since 1/6/10
@bustafone
You don't have anything like the multitasking system in OS 4.0 on your Nexus. Not even close. That's why your battery life is shit.
@Jack
The multitasking on the iphone is limited to the specific API's that are either in use or not in use. Android is similar but it is dependent on the developer to choose whether the program will run in the background as a service or as a process.
Running as a process is more battery intensive.
Running as a service is what iphone OS 4.0 is aiming for.
Either way...maemo and symbian are better LOL..
@Jack You're right, it is nothing like iPhone OS 4, that's why mine is REAL multitasking not some gimmick.
You haven't even tried it, yet you know it better than the Nexus' implementation?
iSheep, get off my Jack!