This week Apple launched the iPhone OS 4.0 which is due for release sometime this summer. There are as many as 100 new features, but the most significant have been described as the OS 4’s seven Tent Pole features.  These are:

Multi-Tasking
Steve Jobs acknowledges that they have not been first to the party with multi-tasking but reckons they have nailed it without adversely affecting performance or battery life. The interface to flick between running apps looks sleek & simple and could radically change the way the iPhone is used.  They have done this by analysing the functions of the 185,000+ apps and distilling all necessary application services into a series of optimised API services (including background audio, VOIP, background location and task completion)

Folders
These are a logical means to organise apps and shortcuts in the home screen. Folders can be manually created and apps are dragged and dropped into the folder making a convenient way of rationalising the home screen. As you would expect the UI looks pretty slick.

Enhanced Mail
There is now Unified inbox with multiple exchange account capability; you can organise emails by thread and open attachments from within the mail application.

iBooks
As per the iPad, Apple’s Book shelf,  ebook reader and book store features have been made available for the iPhone. You can sync books, page and bookmarks across devices and they are making Winnie the Pooh available as a free download.

Enterprise
Apple acknowledges that the device is being widely used by business and has striven to deliver a number of new and improved features which make the iPhone better for Enterprise.  There is now better data protection (through email and app encryption capability); Mobile Device Management; wireless app distribution (allowing network administers to automatically distribute enterprise apps wirelessly); Exchange 2010 and SSL VPN support.

Game Center
Introduction of a social gaming network which looks similar in features to networks offered by game specific devices such as the Sony’s Playstation Network  and Xbox Live.  Apple’s Game Center will offer automatic match making; leader boards and game achievements.

Mobile Advertising
iAd has been introduced to help developers make advertising revenue and keep app pricing down (or free). Advertising on a desktop is all around searches whereas the iPhone is not used as a traditional searching device – the concept is all about using apps.  It looks like Apple is going toe to toe with Google in this regard but in their usual diverse manner. This means that developers can use interactive advertising (and therefore ecommerce) without taking the user away from the source app due to the new multi-tasking capability.

Other features include home screen wallpaper, flash support for the camera – but still no Adobe Flash.   All in all this is probably the most significant OS update that Apple have released for the iPhone and certainly one which could radically change the way apps are developed and used in the future.

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