iPhone OS 4.0

The new iPhone OS 4.0 is coming, and it looks like Steve Jobs has heard some of my requests! :)

So, here are some of the new stuff you can expect to enjoy in your iPhone soon.

There are over 1500 new APIs opening up an entire new range of possibilities for App development.

You can also expect bluetooth keyboard support, tap to focus on video, App access to SMS/Calendar/Photo/Video/Contacts, Wake-up-on-Wifi and many other stuff.

For the Apple presentation however, only 7 of its major innovations were talked about:

Multitasking

Yes, it's finally here. Like copy-paste, they took their time but they say they've done it right.

How do they do it, in order not to hog the CPU use or drain battery life? They provide seven background services that ensure developers "have" to do it right.

1. Background audio - for Pandora type apps
2. VoIP services - for Skype like Apps
3. Background location - for GPS navigation and sorts
4. PUSH notifications
5. Local Notifications
6. Task Completion - allows an App to keep doing what it has to do until it finishes (like uploading something or other lenghty operation)
7. Fast App Switching - gets you right into the App, exactly as you left it.

Unfortunately for older iPhone owners, multitasking will only be available for the 3GS forwards. Previous models lack the hardware to do it right (half the ram, slower CPU.)


Folders for Apps

YES! We'll finally be able to better organize our iPhones by grouping together Apps. Just drag one on top of another and you'll get a folder. From 180 apps you can now have 2160 at hand!

Enhanced Email

As expected: unified inbox, multiple exchange accounts, can open attachments with Apps, etc.

iBooks on iPhone

Not as useful as on the iPad, you can now buy an "iBook" and read it on any device, and it even keeps your bookmarks and pages in sync. :)

Enterprise

Looks like Apple wants the iPhone to become a better enterprise tool... But not much that interests "us".

Social Gaming Network

Think of a Xbox live on the iPhone. Automated matchmaking, leaderboards, the works. Let's see how Nintendo feels about this, as they continually choose to ignore the iPhone as a mobile gaming threat...

iAd - Apple's Revenge

Apple couldn't miss the chance to tackle Google, and they've done it where it hurts: in the ads section.
The new iAd platform offers interactive Ads that don't disrupt the user experience (you don't get thrown out of the App as other ads do), and it "kicks" Adobe's Flash as well, as everything is done in HTML5 (and offering video, full interactivity, the works!)



And that's about it. There are lots more stuff that we'll be finding in the next weeks, but that pretty much covers the most important stuff.

If you want to check the keynote video: it's available here!



[photos via GDGT]