iPhone OS 4 renamed iOS 4, launching June 21 with 1500 new features

We knew it had to happen eventually -- iPhone OS has been renamed to iOS with the bump to version 4. Some 1500 new features are coming along with the name change, including biggies like multitasking, a unified inbox, app folders, and data detectors. Although Apple is encouraging devs to tweak their apps for the iPhone 4's new Retina Display, iOS4 will also automatically redraw text and controls for existing apps to make them play nice with the new higher pixel density. Bing search integration has also been added to iOS 4 in addition to Google and Yahoo -- Google is still the default, though. The golden master is available to devs today, and Steve says the 100 millionth iOS device -- that's iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad -- will be sold sometime this month. That's a lot of devices! We found out about most of the features of iOS 4 at the SDK event, so check here for the full rundown.

Apple says iOS 4 will arrive for the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and the iPod touch on June 21 -- and it'll be free to iPod touch owners for the first time, which is nice. Not all features will be supported across all devices: the first-gen touch is left out entirely, and the 3G won't do multitasking, as we heard at the SDK event. We'll see if there are any other limitations and let you know.

Amusingly, an iOS trademark is currently owned by Cisco -- just like the original iPhone trademark -- so we'll see if Apple's lawyers actually called ahead this time around or if they'll have to fake-tussle and make nice again.

iPhone OS 4 renamed iOS 4, gets 1500 new features

Check out more from WWDC 2010 in our liveblog!

[mike260 Posted Jun 7th 2010 3:10PM]

@Jamus If OSX is "oh ess ten" then this should be "one oh ess", no?

[Slvrgun Posted Jun 7th 2010 3:11PM]

@Jamus No one says "OS" its always "O-S" unless you're talking about "DOS". Nobody at palm ever called their software "WEBBOS".

[yoyodyn Posted Jun 7th 2010 3:13PM]

shouldn't multitasking be in quotes?

[sophocha Posted Jun 7th 2010 3:14PM]

1500 new features my ass!

[sliderem Posted Jun 7th 2010 3:16PM]

@sophocha and the most important is that you can change your background image!!!!

[b0rndead Posted Jun 7th 2010 3:15PM]

they found a way to make it available for free for ipod users .... ????

i couldve told u that before: make it a free download. done.

[shift123 Posted Jun 7th 2010 3:19PM]

Gold Master Candidate at Play on Windows Versions XD

[Vanquisher Posted Jun 7th 2010 3:26PM]

1500 new features? Yeah. Right. Steve Jobs always talks about the several hundred new features for OS X, which nobody ever knows, uses, or cares about.

[vanwazltoff Posted Jun 7th 2010 3:28PM]

honestly, i most likely wont be getting an iphone 4, ill wait for the next ipod touch, i really have no use for a phone, i dont want to get ahold of anyone

[bob1000 Posted Jun 7th 2010 3:29PM]

So basically, this is Apple's chance to push old users aside. And they executed well. Thanks for undermining that fact Apple!

[Passboss21 Posted Jun 7th 2010 3:30PM]

hmm, and still no talk of flash or any alternative to flash, I will stick with my Android

[FacepunchMcCoolpants Posted Jun 7th 2010 3:34PM]

@mantrik00 Can it run Crysis?

[Tombio Posted Jun 7th 2010 4:11PM]

@FacepunchMcCoolpants

Dunno but you could run into crisis if you give it a go...

[wookieecrisp Posted Jun 7th 2010 3:50PM]

When there's a vowel after the "i", the name begins to sound pretty weird.

[Jase4772 Posted Jun 7th 2010 4:06PM]

All I want is custom SMS and email alerts, is that so hard to get?

[Tombio Posted Jun 7th 2010 4:09PM]

Now that they have multitasking and all can I leave for example Google Latitude in the background to update my location so that my wife knows where ever I may roam?

[dchester Posted Jun 7th 2010 4:10PM]

Has anyone actually googled iOS and noticed cisco appears as top result?

[qb2000 Posted Jun 7th 2010 4:13PM]

Cisco trademarked IOS. Would iOS (with lowercase i) be the same as IOS in the trademark office's eyes?

[G0DZ1LLA Posted Jun 7th 2010 4:18PM]

Too bad home screen backgrounds are for iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPod touch 3G only. All this stuff I could have done on a jailbroken device ages ago. But apple still amazes me with their technology!

[Enrico Posted Jun 7th 2010 5:06PM]

Cisco agreed with Apple to license the iOS name. http://blogs.cisco.com/news/comments/cisco_and_apple_agreement_on_ios_trademark/

[abward Posted Jun 7th 2010 5:12PM]

Does anyone know if I can finally get my calendar entries to show up on the lock screen? This is the only reason I am currently jail broken.

[Dionte Posted Jun 7th 2010 5:40PM]

It's gonna be itunes 9.2

Mac system requirements
Mac computer with USB 2.0 port
Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later
iTunes 9.2 or later (free download from www.itunes.com/download)
iTunes Store account
Internet access

[DeVegas Posted Jun 7th 2010 5:50PM]

To bad Apple didn't add the feature were your able to have a conversation for more than 2 minutes without having the call dropped due to AT&T great service

[Cdivet Posted Jun 7th 2010 8:57PM]

Apple didn't mention anything about their gaming center thing at the keynote. Wonder if it's still in the works?

[jareth86 Posted Jun 8th 2010 4:50AM]

How about iOS phone series 4? :D