Apple's new iPhone OS 4 adds multitasking, iBooks, and improved e-mail functionality

Apple unveiled their iPhone OS 4 mobile operating system yesterday in Cupertino, and it offers a host of new features, including the long-awaited third-party app multitasking.

E-book fans will be pleased to know that a version of iBooks compatible with the iPhone and iPod Touch will be part of iPhone OS 4.  The current version is only available for iPad owners.

Finally, multitasking on an iPhone

Third-party app multitasking is the key feature of the new operating system and Apple admitted in the keynote address that they were a bit late to this party.  Google's Android mobile OS, which offers multitasking, is growing in popularity and Apple needed to match that functionality.

While the iPhone OS 4 does offer an app switching feature, most of the multitasking happens through the use of background tasks,  like audio, VoIP, and location services.  Users can now play a game while listening to Pandora, for example.

Older iPhone and iPod Touch users are out of luck, since multitasking is only available with the iPhone 3GS and the third-generation iPod Touch models, as well as the iPad.

Improved app management and Mail functionality

iPhone OS 4 provides better app management through the use of folders, allowing over 2000 apps on a device as supposed to 180.  Simply dragging one app onto another creates a folder.

The new Mail app now features multiple e-mail accounts for one inbox, as well as allowing attachments to be opened by third-party apps.  Combining the improved Mail app with additional OS 4 security enhancements makes the iPhone more enterprise-friendly.

A new HTML5-based ad system

iPhone OS 4 also includes iAd, which is a HTML5-based mobile advertising platform - another strike at the heart of both Flash and Google.  It provides an interactive experience, including mini-games, and also a nice revenue source for developers.

There are numerous other features in OS 4, including hardware acceleration APIs, a social gaming network, support for Bluetooth keyboards, and so on.  All told, this is a very robust operating system upgrade.

Expect iPhone OS 4 later this summer

iPhone OS 4 is scheduled to ship for the iPhone and iPod Touch later this summer, with the iPad version becoming available in the fall.

If the rumors of a marriage between Apple and Verizon are true, it will be a very busy summer and fall at Columbus's Apple Store at Easton. iPhone OS 4 appears to position Apple well for the competition with both Google and Microsoft's new Windows Phone 7.

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