Apple's iPhone Software 4.0 multitasking feature demoed in video

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Apple on Thursday said that this summer's iPhone Software 4.0 release will include long-awaited support for multitasking, which can be seen in action via the following video. [Updated with walk-through video].



In order to deliver multitasking without incurring a performance hit in battery life, the iPhone maker said it has created seven different multitasking services for developers, each tuned to solve different multitasking scenarios.



Among them are Background Audio, Voice over IP, Background location, Push notifications, Local notifications, Task completion, and Fast app switching.



When combined with Apple's Dashboard-like user-facing interface for fast app switching, the end result is what can be seen from the below video of an iPhone 3GS running the first external beta of iPhone Software 4.0:







A more extensive walk-through of the iPhone Software 4.0:



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 31
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    I think many people are already using double home for things like camera or iTunes control. I use the later and I like having the immediate access to cut the audio as quickly as possible when necessary.
  • Reply 2 of 31
    jupiteronejupiterone Posts: 1,564member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    I think many people are already using double home for things like camera or iTunes control. I use the later and I like having the immediate access to cut the audio as quickly as possible when necessary.



    Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. Would this be just another option to the current setting or would it replace the Settings > General > Home setting altogether.
  • Reply 3 of 31
    msnlymsnly Posts: 378member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    I think many people are already using double home for things like camera or iTunes control. I use the later and I like having the immediate access to cut the audio as quickly as possible when necessary.



    Yeah, I hope they provide another way to control iTunes without opening the App.
  • Reply 4 of 31
    macinthe408macinthe408 Posts: 1,050member
    Phewww, I was afraid it was going to be a deck-of-cards-like interface employed on Palm's WebOS.



    Looks pretty snazzy!
  • Reply 5 of 31
    chronsterchronster Posts: 1,894member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JupiterOne View Post


    Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. Would this be just another option to the current setting or would it replace the Settings > General > Home setting altogether.



    Is long key press reserved?
  • Reply 6 of 31
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by chronster View Post


    Is long key press reserved?





    Yes Voice control
  • Reply 7 of 31
    chronsterchronster Posts: 1,894member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Yes Voice control



    hrmmmmm.



    yeap, guess it's gonna take the place of everyone's shortcut key. Unless triple click comes in to play



    But then again, how often does the average user make use of the voice control function? I got rid of my voice control shortcut key on my TP2 in favor of a task manager (for easy switching and closing of apps )
  • Reply 8 of 31
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by chronster View Post


    hrmmmmm.



    yeap, guess it's gonna take the place of everyone's shortcut key. Unless triple click comes in to play



    As someone said it will be like Morse Code.



    .-. . .- .-.. .-.. -.-- + -.. ..- -- -...
  • Reply 9 of 31
    mazda 3smazda 3s Posts: 1,613member
    How did this person get access to 4.0 so quickly? Or is the latest beta firmware included with the SDK?
  • Reply 10 of 31
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MsNly View Post


    Yeah, I hope they provide another way to control iTunes without opening the App.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JupiterOne View Post


    Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. Would this be just another option to the current setting or would it replace the Settings > General > Home setting altogether.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    I think many people are already using double home for things like camera or iTunes control. I use the later and I like having the immediate access to cut the audio as quickly as possible when necessary.



    Erm... iPhone OS 4.0 = multitasking????



    This should solve the need for shortcut access to iPod functions - at least that's how I think Apple is viewing this multitasking functionality and why they've (possibly) overridden the 'double tap' option???? \
  • Reply 11 of 31
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by gearhunter View Post


    Erm... iPhone OS 4.0 = multitasking????



    This should solve the need for shortcut access to iPod functions - at least that's how I think Apple is viewing this multitasking functionality and why they've (possibly) overridden the 'double tap' option???? \



    Exactly what I was thinking.



    It will be a shame to lose the ability to quickly change to a new song with only a double click and a tap but I would personally choose multitasking over it any day.
  • Reply 12 of 31
    foobarfoobar Posts: 107member
    Multitasking or not, it'll now take at least two taps, and several taps in the worst case (when the iPod app's current state is inside some menu).



    They might add iPod controls above the multitask icons in another beta.
  • Reply 13 of 31
    jpcgjpcg Posts: 114member
    I still don't understand how this works. So lets say I want to open Skype and Mail what do I do? Run Skype and afterwards? Hit homebutton and afterwards open up Mail? Now lets say I have Skype, Mail and Safari up and running and now I just want to quit Safari because I don't need it anymore. I know I can navigate between them with double tab on Home but how do I specifically quit Safari? Maybe slide it of the Dock or something (would be Mac like sort of)?



    Does Skype show up in the Dock when it only uses the VOIP Voice Protocol? (I know that probably nobody can answer that yet)
  • Reply 14 of 31
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by foobar View Post


    Multitasking or not, it'll now take at least two taps, and several taps in the worst case (when the iPod app's current state is inside some menu).



    They might add iPod controls above the multitask icons in another beta.



    Yeah that would work well actually seeing as the video shows that about 4/5 of the screen is wasted.
  • Reply 15 of 31
    kotatsukotatsu Posts: 1,010member
    I was really hoping for proper multi-tasking, not just glorified app switching. Why can't I run a twitter or IM feed in the background Apple, you know, like you can do with Android?



    And why no widgets?
  • Reply 16 of 31
    patsfan83patsfan83 Posts: 156member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jonnyinscotland View Post


    Exactly what I was thinking.



    It will be a shame to lose the ability to quickly change to a new song with only a double click and a tap but I would personally choose multitasking over it any day.



    I thought I read that Pandora will allow you to change songs using the "ipod control pop up." Maybe I was mistaken, or they've found another way to do it.
  • Reply 17 of 31
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PatsFan83 View Post


    I thought I read that Pandora will allow you to change songs using the "ipod control pop up." Maybe I was mistaken, or they've found another way to do it.



    I think it means from the lock screen.
  • Reply 18 of 31
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jpcg View Post


    I still don't understand how this works. So lets say I want to open Skype and Mail what do I do? Run Skype and afterwards? Hit homebutton and afterwards open up Mail? Now lets say I have Skype, Mail and Safari up and running and now I just want to quit Safari because I don't need it anymore. I know I can navigate between them with double tab on Home but how do I specifically quit Safari? Maybe slide it of the Dock or something (would be Mac like sort of)?



    Scott Forstall said in the iPone OS 4.0 keynote Q&A that there's no need for users to close Apps as the OS will take care of it. Something akin to OS X: Apps that are open but aren't being used lie dormant but remain alert at the same time.
  • Reply 19 of 31
    oxygenhoseoxygenhose Posts: 236member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kotatsu View Post


    I was really hoping for proper multi-tasking, not just glorified app switching. Why can't I run a twitter or IM feed in the background Apple, you know, like you can do with Android?



    And why no widgets?



    Proper multi-tasking...

    Why don't you wait until v4.0 before you start complaining about how it doesn't work for you.

    Or you can always marry Android if you love it so much.



    Because iPhone apps are all widgets+
  • Reply 20 of 31
    oxygenhoseoxygenhose Posts: 236member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by foobar View Post


    Multitasking or not, it'll now take at least two taps, and several taps in the worst case (when the iPod app's current state is inside some menu).



    They might add iPod controls above the multitask icons in another beta.



    Deep breath, people.



    Didn't I read that the wake screen in 4.0 will have iPod controls on it?



    I know it's hard to resist judging the full functionality of features you learn about 3rd hand from a developer preview conference you weren't at.



    "Control, control, you must learn control" - Yoda
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