First look: Apple's iOS 4.2 for iPad and iPhone

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
Apple on Wednesday dished out the first external betas of iOS 4.2, which will debut AirPlay and AirPrint for iOS devices while also delivering a slew of long-awaited features for the iPad, including multi-tasking, folders and threaded mail. However, AppleInsider has also discovered a handful of more subtle refinements, all of which are detailed in this illustrated first look.



The biggest new feature for iPhone and iPod touch users is AirPrint, which allows wireless printing via a shared printer, or directly through some HP branded printers. The functionality is accomplished through a new Print Center application that is only available on iOS devices that can multitask, which means the iPhone 3G will not be able to print.



For more on the printing abilities of iOS 4.2, see the in-depth AppleInsider feature Inside AirPrint wireless printing with Apple's iOS 4.2.



iOS 4.2 for the iPhone



In addition, iOS 4.2 for the iPhone will debut a new icon for Apple's Voice Memos application, a new version of modem firmware, and some new font additions for the Notes application, detailed later in this article in relation to the iPad. It will also add support for importing .ics files directly as a way to add events to the native Calendar application.







Multi-tasking



Of course, iOS 4.2 also brings to the iPad many features that iPhone and iPod touch users already enjoy, including multitasking and folders. Just like on current devices that run iOS 4, users can run tasks from compatible applications in the background, and manage those applications by double-tapping the home button.







20-app Folders



By dragging icons atop one another on the iPad homescreen, iOS 4.2 also automatically creates a folder. This will allow iPad users to have less clutter on their homescreen, and to easily sort their downloads from the App Store. Unlike the iPhone, however, the iPad's larger screen real estate allows for a total of 20 applications per folder rather than 12.











New Spotlight Preferences



Apple has added a new Spotlight Search preference pane under the General Settings panel with options to include or disallow search results based on the following categories: Contacts, Applications, Music, Podcasts, Videos, Audiobooks, Notes, Mail and Events. Users can also reorder those categories to force search results to display in the order of their liking.







New Restrictions



In addition to allowing or disallowing Multiplayer Games through Game Center, iOS 4.2 for iPad will enable users to allow or disallow changes to Location settings and Mail Account settings.







A new setting in iOS 4.2 for iPad 3G allows users to disable 3G and revert to EDGE, trading speed for battery life.



Check Spelling



Like iOS 4.1 for the iPhone, iOS 4.2 for iPad will deliver the option to turn Spell Checking on or off.







Accessibility: Larger Fonts



Meanwhile, the handicapped and elderly may rejoice at the addition of a "Large Text" option in the accessibility preference pane which offers the option to set font sizes for Contacts, Mail, Messages, and Notes in one of the following sizes: 20pt, 24pt, 32pt, 40pt, 48pt, 56pt.







New Notes Preferences



Like iOS 4.2 for the iPhone, Apple has added a Notes preference pane that lets users choose between Chalkboard, Helvetica, and Marker Felt for their notes fonts. It also lets users set a default email account to which new notes can be tied.











Wireless Printing



Of course one of the most highly anticipated features of iOS 4.2 is support for AirPrint, Apple's wireless printing technology. Apple is updating all of its applicable default apps to support AirPrint, as can be seen in these Safari and Photo album screen captures.











Game Center



iPad users will also gain access to Game Center, Apple's social networking application for games on iOS devices. Game Center allows users to invite friends to play a game, compare scores and achievements with others, and more.







New Orientation Lock and Brightness Controls



With iOS 4.2 for iPad, Apple will convert the physical orientation lock button on the right hand side of the iPad into a volume mute toggle. Orientation locking will be facilitated through the iPod widget like on the iPhone. iOS 4.2 will also add a display brightness interface slider on the left hand side of the iPod widget (to fill space?).











AirPlay



AirPlay, formerly AirTunes, is also on its way to the iPad and iPhone via iOS 4.2. In addition to music, the technology will then allow users to stream video and photos over Wi-Fi, as can be seen in this screen capture of the new Photos application for the iPad.







Universal, Threaded Mail App



For Mail on the iPad, iOS 4.2 will offer a universal mailbox and the option (via the Mail preference pane) to organize mails by thread. Like on the iPhone and iPod touch, messages in an inbox will automatically be combined into a threaded view where applicable, saving space and making the Mail application more efficient.







iAd



Apple's iAd interactive advertisements will also begin appearing in iPad applications after the release of iOS 4.2. iAds offer an "app within an app," allowing advertisers to deliver content to users without forcing them to open a browser and leave their current application. With the iOS 4.2 beta, developers can now begin working to integrate iAds into their iPad software in time for its November release.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 83
    Don't see any AirPlay in the Photos app on ipad!



    .
  • Reply 2 of 83
    kasperkasper Posts: 941member, administrator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    Don't see any AirPlay in the Photos app on ipad!



    .



    I'm told its buggy and doesnt show up all the time.
  • Reply 3 of 83
    I dig it all except the new orientation lock.



    I like the physical switch for oritentation because it's quick and easy to get to and I lock the orientation a lot more often than I mute. Plus, I feel like they're changing it just because they need to fill more space in the tray (other than just the brightness controls).
  • Reply 4 of 83
    iOS 4.0 and 4.1 allow 12 apps in the folders. It only shows 9 small icons, but can hold 12 per folder.
  • Reply 5 of 83
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kasper View Post


    I'm told its buggy and doesnt show up all the time.



    Yeah, it showed up second time....



    Waiting for my iP4 to finish upgrade to try AirPlay between it and iPad.



    .
  • Reply 6 of 83
    From all the video previews it looks like the iPad runs pretty smooth on 4.2. The new iPod touch have the same RAM and A4 so I would hope it would
  • Reply 7 of 83
    kasperkasper Posts: 941member, administrator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GregoriusM View Post


    iOS 4.0 and 4.1 allow 12 apps in the folders. It only shows 9 small icons, but can hold 12 per folder.



    Yeah, we fixed that.
  • Reply 8 of 83
    The 4.2 preview page said there were new keyboards. Is software Dvorak one of them?
  • Reply 9 of 83
    Great article guys.



    Let me just ask for everyone's understanding whilst I use caps for a few words:



    THE NEW SOFTWARE ORIENTATION LOCK IS A COLOSSALLY STUPID MOVE BY APPLE.



    Thanks for letting me take it off my chest.



    Hey apple software engineers please get it:



    The mute button is there on a phone for a very good reason, quick mute for calls, there isn't any reason to be there on an ipad, you are almost never going to quickly need to mute the device.



    Even if you do need that on such a rare occasion, there's a way to do it, just one second on the lower volume button.



    The screen lock physical button it's a essential, there are users such as myself that use it very, very often, I literally use it sometimes a few times within an hour. People need a button, to see if it's lock or not, to feel the button and do it with one click instead of double clicking the main ipad button then choosing lock screen then going back to their application.



    It's an inexplicably stupid decision to change this. You can already mute by holding the volume for less than a sec or a for second or so. Why do you need to use another (very, very useful button or even an indispensable one for screen lock) button to do the very same thing. So essentially you 'll have two buttons sharing functionality in a device that only has three buttons? How dumb is that? Two of the three control buttons controlling sound on a device that isn't primarily an ipod but a browser/reader/photos/apps/video device. Why? Oh Why? A dedicated mute on a device that isn't a phone to ring and bother you when you don't want it to?



    And a word to the Stevster: You said it first Steve, you aren't perfect, you are close in terms of tech, but you are not perfect. Recent case in point the inexplicable washing out of all colour in itunes sidebar that makes it virtually impossible to navigate it for anyone without the eyes of an 18 year old. Going counter every neuroscience study on human perception (hint:colour and pictures far quicker to distinguish quickly than grey and words) and counter to even apple's own human interface guidelines. Hear again with this choice you are making a bad move. Change it.





    Please everyone send apple feedback on this, they will have to listen.
  • Reply 10 of 83
    .



    From the look of AirPlay, I assumed that I could play between the iP4 and iPad...



    I guess not, yet.





    Likely, you need some sort of catcher/player app.



    .
  • Reply 11 of 83
    I couldnt agree with you more! Changing the orientation lock to a software based switch is very very dumb! Does it change it to only portrait lock?! If it does then I will completly be blasting it all over the web. Anyone tried it to let me know?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by myapplelove View Post


    Great article guys.



    Let me just ask for everyone's understanding whilst I use caps for a few words:



    THE NEW SOFTWARE ORIENTATION LOCK IS A COLOSSALLY STUPID MOVE BY APPLE.



    Thanks for letting me take it off my chest.



    Hey apple software engineers please get it:



    The mute button is there on a phone for a very good reason, quick mute for calls, there isn't any reason to be there on an ipad, you are almost never going to quickly need to mute the device.



    Even if you do need that on such a rare occasion, there's a way to do it, just one second on the lower volume button.



    The screen lock physical button it's a essential, there are users such as myself that use it very, very often, I literally use it sometimes a few times within an hour. People need a button, to see if it's lock or not, to feel the button and do it with one click instead of double clicking the main ipad button then choosing lock screen then going back to their application.



    It's an inexplicably stupid decision to change this. You can already mute by holding the volume for less than a sec or a for second or so. Why do you need to use another (very, very useful button or even an indispensable one for screen lock) button to do the very same thing. So essentially you 'll have two buttons sharing functionality in a device that only has three buttons? How dumb is that? Two of the three control buttons controlling sound on a device that isn't primarily an ipod but a browser/reader/photos/apps/video device. Why? Oh Why? A dedicated mute on a device that isn't a phone to ring and bother you when you don't want it to?



    And a word to the Stevster: You said it first Steve, you aren't perfect, you are close in terms of tech, but you are not perfect. Recent case in point the inexplicable washing out of all colour in itunes sidebar that makes it virtually impossible to navigate it for anyone without the eyes of an 18 year old. Going counter every neuroscience study on human perception (hint:colour and pictures far quicker to distinguish quickly than grey and words) and counter to even apple's own human interface guidelines. Hear again with this choice you are making a bad move. Change it.





    Please everyone send apple feedback on this, they will have to listen.



  • Reply 12 of 83
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by myapplelove View Post


    Great article guys.



    Let me just ask for everyone's understanding whilst I use caps for a few words:



    THE NEW SOFTWARE ORIENTATION LOCK IS A COLOSSALLY STUPID MOVE BY APPLE.



    Thanks for letting me take it off my chest.



    Hey apple software engineers please get it:



    The mute button is there on a phone for a very good reason, quick mute for calls, there isn't any reason to be there on an ipad, you are almost never going to quickly need to mute the device.



    Even if you do need that on such a rare occasion, there's a way to do it, just one second on the lower volume button.



    The screen lock physical button it's a essential, there are users such as myself that use it very, very often, I literally use it sometimes a few times within an hour. People need a button, to see if it's lock or not, to feel the button and do it with one click instead of double clicking the main ipad button then choosing lock screen then going back to their application.



    It's an inexplicably stupid decision to change this. You can already mute by holding the volume for less than a sec or a for second or so. Why do you need to use another (very, very useful button or even an indispensable one for screen lock) button to do the very same thing. So essentially you 'll have two buttons sharing functionality in a device that only has three buttons? How dumb is that? Two of the three control buttons controlling sound on a device that isn't primarily an ipod but a browser/reader/photos/apps/video device. Why? Oh Why? A dedicated mute on a device that isn't a phone to ring and bother you when you don't want it to?



    And a word to the Stevster: You said it first Steve, you aren't perfect, you are close in terms of tech, but you are not perfect. Recent case in point the inexplicable washing out of all colour in itunes sidebar that makes it virtually impossible to navigate it for anyone without the eyes of an 18 year old. Going counter every neuroscience study on human perception (hint:colour and pictures far quicker to distinguish quickly than grey and words) and counter to even apple's own human interface guidelines. Hear again with this choice you are making a bad move. Change it.





    Please everyone send apple feedback on this, they will have to listen.





    I disagree completely!



    I suspect that the iPad will soon have FaceTime and could use a mute button (as, supposedly, it was originally called).



    I prefer the software lock! You can still mute the sound with the volume rocker, if you prefer that method.



    .
  • Reply 13 of 83
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hyperpunx View Post


    I couldnt agree with you more! Changing the orientation lock to a software based switch is very very dumb! Does it change it to only portrait lock?! If it does then I will completly be blasting it all over the web. Anyone tried it to let me know?



    From what I 've read elsewhere it's not only portrait lock, that would have been insult to injury.
  • Reply 14 of 83
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by myapplelove View Post


    From what I 've read elsewhere it's not only portrait lock, that would have been insult to injury.



    It works just like the hardware button, except it's a software button.



    .
  • Reply 15 of 83
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    I disagree completely!



    I suspect that the iPad will soon have FaceTime and could use a mute button (as, supposedly, it was originally called).



    I prefer the software lock! You can still mute the sound with the volume rocker, if you prefer that method.



    .



    You can still mute with the volume locker for facetime why would you need a dedicated button to do so?



    One that is so often used to lock the ipad's crazy fast switching orientation to cater for the posture you hold the ipad in and the orientation you prefer?



    What's your rationale of taking away a button almost everyone finds its functionality indispensable and dedicating it to a function that already has a button to implement it? Makes no sense. And what is more a function that's seldom used on the ipad.



    It's not even open to discussion for me really, it's beyond me how wrong a choice this is.
  • Reply 16 of 83
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    It works just like the hardware button, except it's a software button.



    .



    Yeap, that's what I said.



    btw, let me also add that a physical button for orientation lock is also a good way to verify if you 've locked the orientation or not. Very much needed too.



    And what's the point in muting facetime that you mentioned, the ipad doesn't have a vibrating function to let you know you have a facetime call, why would you mute it too?



    But like I said, it's all beside the point, you already can mute it with the volume button easily, no need for a dedicated mute, absolutely none...







    In addition this will be a usability nightmare for older people. I 've given a few older relatives an ipad and explained the orientation lock via the button. How am I going to teach them now that in order for them to stop the device from spinning crazy as they turn it a bit or lay down that they 'll have to double click the main button, touch an icon on the left and then get back to where they were??? This is supposed to be a simple intuitive device. What are these people going to gain? They easily understand that you click and hold volume to mute, we all know that, but double clicking then tapping then returning to change orientation lock functions? This comes right out of something ms would have designed...
  • Reply 17 of 83
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Apple on Wednesday dished out the first external betas of iOS 4.2, ...



    All that and still no English spell-check for a machine that is a "productivity device" sold world-wide. I can use the English *keyboard* but everything I type is marked as incorrect because the only dictionary is American. Great. Writers will flock to this thing.



    FAIL.
  • Reply 18 of 83
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by myapplelove View Post


    Yeap, that's what I said.



    btw, let me also add that a physical button for orientation lock is also a good way to verify if you 've locked the orientation or not. Very much needed too.



    And what's the point in muting facetime that you mentioned, the ipad doesn't have a vibrating function to let you know you have a facetime call, why would you mute it too?



    But like I said, it's all beside the point, you already can mute it with the volume button easily, no need for a dedicated mute, absolutely none...



    Ya' know, Apple originally called it the mute button-- they obviously planned something that they thought required a mute button.



    I can understand why, you, as an individual, prefer a hardware orientation lock...



    But, I am gonna' go with the guys who designed the product on this one!



    We are just beginning to see some of the things that Apple has planned for the iPad.



    I suspect that we'll see things like Internet phone calls, AirTime between iDevices, etc.



    Who knows, what Apple has planned?



    .
  • Reply 19 of 83
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    All that and still no English spell-check for a machine that is a "productivity device" sold world-wide. I can use the English *keyboard* but everything I type is marked as incorrect because the only dictionary is American. Great. Writers will flock to this thing.



    FAIL.



    What is it with you guys... off your meds, or something.



    This is a beta!



    Cut Apple some slack!



    .
  • Reply 20 of 83
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    Ya' know, Apple originally called it the mute button-- they obviously planned something that they thought required a mute button.



    I can understand why, you, as an individual, prefer a hardware orientation lock...



    But, I am gonna' go with the guys who designed the product on this one!



    We are just beginning to see some of the things that Apple has planned for the iPad.



    I suspect that we'll see things like Internet phone calls, AirTime between iDevices, etc.



    Who knows, what Apple has planned?



    .



    I'm just going to wait and see how the software orientation lock works. My gut instinct is that this is not a good chance, since like the previous poster, I used the toggle switch very often.



    Do you know how I access the software lock by any chance?
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