iOS 4 is Out!
There was a lot of buzz this morning about when exactly iPhone users could get the iOS 4 update via iTunes since Apple gave no time for the release today. It seems like it was made available at 10 AM PST. And yeah, I know that because I was checking with some frequency. I have a 3GS version of the iPhone, which is the last hardware version they made, before the iPhone 4 which is just being delivered this week to the early adopters.
3GS owners get most of the benefit of the new system update, with the exception of the Face Time videoconferencing feature which uses the new phone’s secondary camera. The new iMovie app will also only be available for the new hardware apparently due to intensive processor requirements. 3G users get everything else except multi-tasking, and strangely, no wallpaper configuration either. And 1st generation iPhone users are totally out of luck here.
In any case, I’ll say that my favorite thing about the new OS so far is the All Inboxes feature, which combines my work and personal email in one place. So I no longer have to poke poke poke between them. It also collates your email by thread, which is something I’m used to as a gmail user and appreciate. Folders for organizing my apps is also nice, and I like the ability to now easily set the background for my home and lock screens.
The multi-tasking functionality seems pretty cool too. I’ve played around with the interface for browsing and switching among concurrent apps. It’s a pretty slick UI, no surprise. I’m looking forward to the ability to listen to audio outside of the native iPod app while browsing email, the web, etc.
Here’s a couple good rundowns with more information about what iOS 4 is all about:
- A higher-level list of 6 highlights. #1 is very important – update your apps in the app store to get the full benefit of multi-tasking!
- An in-depth walkthrough of almost everything that’s new in this version. Very readable though.
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Categories: Fun, Gadget, Technology |
