A closer look at new Photos, iPod, Folders features in iPhone OS 4
Packed with more than 100 new features, Apple's forthcoming iPhone OS 4 update brings changes both major and subtle to the existing integrated applications. Included are a look at changes to the Photos and iPod applications, as well as the new Folders feature.
With the iPhone update set to be released this summer, developers have had early access to version 4 since Apple announced it last week. While the biggest upgrade to the mobile operating system is multitasking capabilities, it's just one of a number of improvements to the iPhone OS. AppleInsider offers a closer look at some of the new features, tweaks and changes in the upcoming update.
Photos
A new "Rotate Photo" feature will rotate an image 90 degrees counter clockwise when selected. People familiar with the pre-release iPhone OS 4 build said it does not offer an option of a direction to rotate.
The new select photos feature allows users to share, copy or delete a number of pictures at one time. Currently, the Places button in the bottom right of the Photos app vanishes and reappears. Clicking on it reportedly crashes the app -- a glitch that has allegedly been well-documented with users of iPhone OS 4.
The video application does not include a zoom, however the digital photo zoom was said to be "beautiful."
Pages for Events and Faces have also been added to the photo application, but like on the iPad, these features are only accessible when the data is synced from a Mac desktop.
iPod
Apple also slightly tweaked the iPod application, bringing a new design for the album view when playing music files. iPhone OS 4 now features the album art, release date, number of songs and album length at the top of the page when an album has been selected.
Track numbers are also shown to the left of the song title, while track lengths have been added to the right side.
Folders
Finally, one of the "tentpole" features highlighted by Apple at last week's iPhone OS 4 unveiling was "Folders," which involves dragging app icons on top of each other to create a folder to consolidate applications. The feature automatically names a folder according to its contents, something the company has dubbed "intelligent naming."
Up to 170 folders can be added to the iPhone home screen, allowing a total of 2,160 applications, with 12 apps per folder. Included are photos of the folder feature in action:
For more, see AppleInsider's in-depth coverage of iPhone OS 4:
Apple's iPhone Software 4.0 suggests next-gen iPhone will have camera flash
Apple adds seven major features, 100 minor features in iPhone 4.0
Apple's iPhone Software 4.0, multitasking demoed in videos
iChatAgent, Note syncing over MobileMe discovered in iPhone 4.0
Apple adds Web, Wikipedia to Spotlight search in iPhone OS 4
Apple removes Google branding from iPhone OS 4 search
Apple's iPhone 4.0 beta includes linked contacts, iChat sounds
On-demand video of Apple's iPhone Software 4.0 event now available
With the iPhone update set to be released this summer, developers have had early access to version 4 since Apple announced it last week. While the biggest upgrade to the mobile operating system is multitasking capabilities, it's just one of a number of improvements to the iPhone OS. AppleInsider offers a closer look at some of the new features, tweaks and changes in the upcoming update.
Photos
A new "Rotate Photo" feature will rotate an image 90 degrees counter clockwise when selected. People familiar with the pre-release iPhone OS 4 build said it does not offer an option of a direction to rotate.
The new select photos feature allows users to share, copy or delete a number of pictures at one time. Currently, the Places button in the bottom right of the Photos app vanishes and reappears. Clicking on it reportedly crashes the app -- a glitch that has allegedly been well-documented with users of iPhone OS 4.
The video application does not include a zoom, however the digital photo zoom was said to be "beautiful."
Pages for Events and Faces have also been added to the photo application, but like on the iPad, these features are only accessible when the data is synced from a Mac desktop.
iPod
Apple also slightly tweaked the iPod application, bringing a new design for the album view when playing music files. iPhone OS 4 now features the album art, release date, number of songs and album length at the top of the page when an album has been selected.
Track numbers are also shown to the left of the song title, while track lengths have been added to the right side.
Folders
Finally, one of the "tentpole" features highlighted by Apple at last week's iPhone OS 4 unveiling was "Folders," which involves dragging app icons on top of each other to create a folder to consolidate applications. The feature automatically names a folder according to its contents, something the company has dubbed "intelligent naming."
Up to 170 folders can be added to the iPhone home screen, allowing a total of 2,160 applications, with 12 apps per folder. Included are photos of the folder feature in action:
For more, see AppleInsider's in-depth coverage of iPhone OS 4:
Apple's iPhone Software 4.0 suggests next-gen iPhone will have camera flash
Apple adds seven major features, 100 minor features in iPhone 4.0
Apple's iPhone Software 4.0, multitasking demoed in videos
iChatAgent, Note syncing over MobileMe discovered in iPhone 4.0
Apple adds Web, Wikipedia to Spotlight search in iPhone OS 4
Apple removes Google branding from iPhone OS 4 search
Apple's iPhone 4.0 beta includes linked contacts, iChat sounds
On-demand video of Apple's iPhone Software 4.0 event now available
Comments
I would think that 16 apps per folder would be better, as opening the folder would use the entire page. And when they say 170 folders on the "home screen" do they mean folders within folders on the first page? That seems to be what it sounds like, but that's an odd number. If we can get 16 folders on the top level, then we can get 10 folders within each as a minimum, with 10 having 11. Sounds odd.
Where am I going wrong here?
I wonder how they got 170 folders and 12 apps per folder. Is that some limitation of the OS?
I would think that 16 apps per folder would be better, as opening the folder would use the entire page. And when they say 170 folders on the "home screen" do they mean folders within folders on the first page? That seems to be what it sounds like, but that's an odd number. If we can get 16 folders on the top level, then we can get 10 folders within each as a minimum, with 10 having 11. Sounds odd.
Where am I going wrong here?
Watch some of the demo videos....when a folder is selected, the contents opens above or below it. So the folder icon is always visible as well as well as the row the folder is on... The doc isn't covered so that leaves 3 rows of 4 icons available for the window to cover...I suppose they could have designed a scrolling window of icons but maybe they thought that would be too complicated.
Sounds like some great stuff. Folders---finally! I can't stand trying to organize my apps by page, only to have some slip out upon update, etc.
For my money, folders is the big deal. Of course, I'll have to buy an iPad to use that feature.
SO psyched for the updates!! Woo hooo!!!
Watch some of the demo videos....when a folder is selected, the contents opens above or below it. So the folder icon is always visible as well as well as the row the folder is on... The doc isn't covered so that leaves 3 rows of 4 icons available for the window to cover...I suppose they could have designed a scrolling window of icons but maybe they thought that would be too complicated.
I haven't seen the videos. But that sounds wasteful to me. I don't see why they had to have the folder visible. A press on the home key would close the folder and bring us back to the home screen. A press on the home button when in a program would bring us back to the open folder, and two presses could bring us back to the page of folders. That way we could have 16 programs on the screen and in the folder, unless there is some reason why 12 is a limit other than the GUI reason you showed.
So how did they get the 170 limit?
I wonder how they got 170 folders and 12 apps per folder. Is that some limitation of the OS?
I would think that 16 apps per folder would be better, as opening the folder would use the entire page. And when they say 170 folders on the "home screen" do they mean folders within folders on the first page? That seems to be what it sounds like, but that's an odd number. If we can get 16 folders on the top level, then we can get 10 folders within each as a minimum, with 10 having 11. Sounds odd.
Where am I going wrong here?
the home screen is the app launch screen (black background - where until 4.0 you couldn't change the wallpaper on). The home screen includes all of the pages of apps. You can have 170 folders spread across ALL of the pages on the home screen. As far as I've seen, you cannot have folders within folders - but if you can, I'm sure you can't have it 3 layers deep. The home screen isn't just the first page of apps, that would be considered the home page of the home screen (the default landing page when clicking the home button from any other page on the home screen).
For my money, folders is the big deal. Of course, I'll have to buy an iPad to use that feature.
I wish the 4.0 update was coming to the iPad sooner. This fall seems like a long way off.
the home screen is the app launch screen (black background - where until 4.0 you couldn't change the wallpaper on). The home screen includes all of the pages of apps. You can have 170 folders spread across ALL of the pages on the home screen. As far as I've seen, you cannot have folders within folders - but if you can, I'm sure you can't have it 3 layers deep. The home screen isn't just the first page of apps, that would be considered the home page of the home screen (the default landing page when clicking the home button from any other page on the home screen).
I didn't think it would work with folders within folders, though that would be good, though it doesn't seem to be a problem with having 10 or 11 folders within one folder. I'm just talking about one level down, not 10. So 3 isn't the question there. I'm thinking of the 1st page as the home screen only in the context of having ALL the folders there. If that's not the case...
As we now have 9 screens available, that would mean that we would need to have 18.89 folders on a page to have 170 total, all on the top level. Has Apple now gone to 11 pages so that they can get 16 folders on a page? Then that last page will only have 10 folders on it. Still very odd. How are they doing this? Is it some number other than 16? Do you know?
I wonder how they got 170 folders and 12 apps per folder. Is that some limitation of the OS?
I would think that 16 apps per folder would be better, as opening the folder would use the entire page. And when they say 170 folders on the "home screen" do they mean folders within folders on the first page? That seems to be what it sounds like, but that's an odd number. If we can get 16 folders on the top level, then we can get 10 folders within each as a minimum, with 10 having 11. Sounds odd.
Where am I going wrong here?
I think the 170 is wrong. I think it is 180.
170 folders *12 apps = 2040
180 folders *12 apps = 2160, which is the stated number of total apps.
The 180 also makes sense because there are 11 screens
11 available screens * 16 folders per screen = 176
176 + 4 spots in the 'dock' = 180 folders in total
180 * 12 = 2160, again the number of allowed total apps.
170 just doesn't fit with the math.
As for why the limitation to 12 apps per folder, likely purely for aesthetics.
I think the 170 is wrong. I think it is 180.
170 folders *12 apps = 2040
180 folders *12 apps = 2160, which is the stated number of total apps.
The 180 also makes sense because there are 11 screens
11 available screens * 16 folders per screen = 176
176 + 4 spots in the 'dock' = 180 folders in total
180 * 12 = 2160, again the number of allowed total apps.
170 just doesn't fit with the math.
As for why the limitation to 12 apps per folder, likely purely for aesthetics.
Your post looks convincing.
Anyone what to test this?
I think the 170 is wrong. I think it is 180.
170 folders *12 apps = 2040
180 folders *12 apps = 2160, which is the stated number of total apps.
The 180 also makes sense because there are 11 screens
11 available screens * 16 folders per screen = 176
176 + 4 spots in the 'dock' = 180 folders in total
180 * 12 = 2160, again the number of allowed total apps.
170 just doesn't fit with the math.
As for why the limitation to 12 apps per folder, likely purely for aesthetics.
The math makes sense. And I agree with the limit being purely aesthetics - it also doesn't confuse the user by thinking they are on a different page when really they are in a folder. Having the first line on the screen showig you what folder you're in makes sense since there's no navigation bar like you would generally have when selectng sub-menus in an app.
I think the 170 is wrong. I think it is 180.
170 folders *12 apps = 2040
180 folders *12 apps = 2160, which is the stated number of total apps.
The 180 also makes sense because there are 11 screens
11 available screens * 16 folders per screen = 176
176 + 4 spots in the 'dock' = 180 folders in total
180 * 12 = 2160, again the number of allowed total apps.
170 just doesn't fit with the math.
As for why the limitation to 12 apps per folder, likely purely for aesthetics.
Can the built-in apps be put in folders?
Is OS 4 coming to iPad too?
Fall 2010 (and free from what i've read).
likely a similar but still unique version of 4.0 (like 4.2 or something) since some of the core apps are different (calendar, notes, mail, photos, etc)
Only 12 apps per folder? Why the limitation? I need at least 30 or 40. That's how many apps my 3-year-old has on her screens. Be nice if they could all fit inside the "Ava" folder.
12 is 3 rows of 4 apps each. The iPhone can display 16 apps (4x4) on the screen at a time. Limiting the number of apps per folder to 3 rows allows the OS to display all the contents of the folder plus the row of apps that the folder is actually located in. If you "need" more space, make a row of folders that you can easily switch between. 4 folders in a row would allow for you to quickly access 48 apps.