Apple adds seven major features, 100 minor features in iPhone 4.0

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
iPhone OS 4 will introduce seven major "tentpole" feature and a long list of minor enhancements this summer, Steve Jobs has announced at Apple's release preview event. The top seven features are multitasking, app Folders, Mail improvements, Enterprise features, a Games Center, and Apple's new iAd network.



1) Multitasking



The first major feature is multitasking, profiled separately in greater detail.



2) Folders



The second major feature, Folders, involves dragging apps on top of each other to create a folder with those apps inside it. It names the folder according to its contents, a feature Apple is calling "intelligent naming." iPhone 4.0 supports up to 180 folders for a total of 2160 apps -- 12 apps per folder. The hierarchical organizing of apps into folders will make it easier to work with more apps at once.



3) Improved Mail



A third feature, Unified Inbox, lets users view all of their mail accounts in one inbox just like Mail.app in Mac OS X. The new version of iPhone Mail also offers fast inbox switching, an option to organize messages by thread, and the ability to open attachments with an app from the App Store. iPad debuted this ability, with Apple's iWork apps already able to open Office or iWork attachments within Mail.



4) iBooks for iPhone and iPod touch



A fourth feature brings iPad's iBooks to all iPhone OS devices. The iBook application will work on both iPhone and iPod touch, and all books and page placements will be synced wirelessly across a user's devices. As with the iPad, Apple will be bundling in a free "Winnie the Pooh" book.



5) New Enterprise Features



A fifth major feature relates to enhanced support for Enterprise needs:

Data Protection: Security enhancements in iPhone OS 4 protect email messages and attachments stored on iPhone 3GS by using the device passcode as an encryption key. New data protection APIs can be used for custom and commercial apps so that business-critical information is protected even if a device is compromised.

Mobile Device ManagementDeploying and managing large iPhone fleets will be even easier with iPhone OS 4. New Mobile Device Management APIs can be integrated with third-party solutions to wirelessly configure and update settings, monitor compliance with corporate policies, and even wipe or lock managedÂ*iPhone devices.

Wireless App Distribution iPhone OS 4 enables enterprises to securely host and wirelessly distribute in-house apps to employees over Wi-Fi and 3G. Apps can be updated without requiring users to connect to their computers.

Improved Mail & Exchange Support iPhone OS 4 allows users to set up multiple Exchange ActiveSync accounts and now works with Exchange Server 2010. With the new unified inbox feature, users can see messages from all their email accounts conveniently displayed in a single inbox, or they can quickly switch between inboxes to see messages from any single account. If users receive an attachment that they want to save or edit, Mail now lets you open attachments with compatible apps from the App Store.

SSL VPN Support

SSL VPN support in iPhone OS 4 gives users anotherÂ*way to securely access enterprise resources. These new protocols can even be leveraged to connect seamlessly to a corporate network via VPN on Demand. Forthcoming apps from Juniper and Cisco will support SSL VPN on iPhone.



6) Game Center



A sixth major new feature is called Games Center. With over 50,000 gaming titles on the App Store, Apple said it will be forming a social gaming network with features to invite friends, set up matchmaking for multiplayer games, support for leaderboards, and for tracking in game achievements.



7) iAd



The seventh major feature is iAd, profiled separately in greater detail.



Dozens of other features



Other minor features highlighted in a slide of iPhone 4.0 enhancements include:



File & delete Mail search results

Search SMS/MMS messages

Web search suggestions

Choose image size in Mail messages

Bluetooth keyboards

CalDav invitations

Larger fonts for Mail, SMS & alerts

Cell data only setting

Spell check

Persistent Wi-Fi

Gift Apps

Birthday calendar

Recent Web searches

Create Playlists

Top Hit in search

5x digital zoom

Nested Playlists

CardDav

Tap to focus video

Upload workouts to Nike+

Places in Photos

iPod Out

Home screen wallpaper

Search SMS/MMS messages

Wake on wireless



Availability



A developer preview of iPhone 4 is available now, the release will ship sometime this summer. All of the features will be available to last year's iPhone 3GS and the 3G iPod touch.



The 2008 iPhone 3G and 2G iPod touch will get "many things," but will not support multitasking, as their hardware is significantly slower and has less installed RAM.



iPhone OS 4.0 will ship for iPad this fall.
«13456711

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 219
    rbonnerrbonner Posts: 635member
    Was there anything about printing? I think this has to be there.
  • Reply 2 of 219
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rbonner View Post


    Was there anything about printing? I think this has to be there.



    If not there is an app for that on the iPad at least, not sure about iPhone ... anyone tried it?
  • Reply 3 of 219
    No new hardware? Discouraging...
  • Reply 4 of 219
    bikaa-m.bikaa-m. Posts: 16member
    will OS 4.0 work with my 1st generation iFon?



    i heard some rumors that 1st gen iPhones may not be included in this upgrade...
  • Reply 5 of 219
    ^^ No.
  • Reply 6 of 219
    The only feature I want from Apple for my iPhone is the ability to lock the screen's orientation in landscape or portrait.



    That's all Apple. That's all folks.
  • Reply 7 of 219
    rob55rob55 Posts: 1,291member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sacrilegend View Post


    No new hardware? Discouraging...



    Did you expect them to announce new hardware? I don't think it necessarily means that a new iPhone isn't coming this summer.
  • Reply 8 of 219
    bergermeisterbergermeister Posts: 6,784member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sacrilegend View Post


    No new hardware? Discouraging...



    The invitation was to a preview of OS 4.0. It was specific.
  • Reply 9 of 219
    rbonnerrbonner Posts: 635member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sacrilegend View Post


    No new hardware? Discouraging...



    This was a developer event, previewing software. I expect hardware to have it's own forum.
  • Reply 10 of 219
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sacrilegend View Post


    No new hardware? Discouraging...



    This article was about the OS. Not hardware.



    Hardware will most likely be mentioned later as it gets closer to June.
  • Reply 11 of 219
    josh.b.josh.b. Posts: 353member
    My take is that in Jun oor July, Iphone os4 will have almost caught up to where Android is today.



    I really expected to see some innovation here, and not just me-too additions of things which have been glaring omissions.



    And iAds? WTF? Will I be able to turn off that "feature"?



    I was waiting. But as of now, I've decided to ditch the iPhone and get a Nexus One.
  • Reply 12 of 219
    macinthe408macinthe408 Posts: 1,050member
    Just heard the sound of Android/Palm being flushed down the toilet...
  • Reply 13 of 219
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rob55 View Post


    Did you expect them to announce new hardware? I don't think it necessarily means that a new iPhone isn't coming this summer.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Bergermeister View Post


    The invitation was to a preview of OS 4.0. It was specific.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rbonner View Post


    This was a developer event, previewing software. I expect hardware to have it's own forum.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post


    This article was about the OS. Not hardware.



    Hardware will most likely be mentioned later as it gets closer to June.



    Thanks for the clarification. I wasn't expecting new hardware to be unveiled, per se, but I was hoping for it. I'm aware that Apple marches to the beat of their own drum and all, but the EVO is looking incredibly tempting.



    Bravo on multi-tasking and folders, though.
  • Reply 14 of 219
    broncsx3broncsx3 Posts: 15member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macinthe408 View Post


    Just heard the sound of Android/Palm being flushed down the toilet...



    Why? I don't see anything here that those phones didn't already do.
  • Reply 15 of 219
    gin_tonicgin_tonic Posts: 163member
    iPhone OS is becoming more similar to Android OS...
  • Reply 16 of 219
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macinthe408 View Post


    Just heard the sound of Android/Palm being flushed down the toilet...



    I seriously laughed out loud!!!!!!!!



    You can't be that dumb can you?
  • Reply 17 of 219
    gin_tonicgin_tonic Posts: 163member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bikaa-m. View Post


    will OS 4.0 work with my 1st generation iFon?



    i heard some rumors that 1st gen iPhones may not be included in this upgrade...



    iPhone 3GS and iPod 3rd generation only will support all these features. Multitasking will not work at iPhone 3G and iPod 2nd generation
  • Reply 18 of 219
    johnnashjohnnash Posts: 129member
    My takeaway was that



    1. You have to have a 3GS to use MultiTasking

    2. They are adding AD support, which might be great for the App vendors, but's really not great for the end users, unless we can disable them.



    Am I wrong about the Multitasking? Please (Oh Please) correct me if I am.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sacrilegend View Post


    Thanks for the clarification. I wasn't expecting new hardware to be unveiled, per se, but I was hoping for it. I'm aware that Apple marches to the beat of their own drum and all, but the EVO is looking incredibly tempting.



    Bravo on multi-tasking and folders, though.



  • Reply 19 of 219
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sacrilegend View Post


    No new hardware? Discouraging...



    New hardware is coming. For that would be a separate presentation. June or July.
  • Reply 20 of 219
    sofabuttsofabutt Posts: 99member
    Wow, advertising is considered not only a feature, but a major feature. Sure am glad they're not gonna charge me for such a wonderful feature.
Sign In or Register to comment.