Apple today announced it will provide multitasking on the next version of iPhone OS, iPhone OS 4. The announcement came by Steve Jobs in Apple’s event to reveal the new iPhone OS. Multitasking on the iPhone OS is a combination of user interfaces and APIs. There are seven new services to support multitasking:
- Background Audio. Allows an application to continue provide audio while in the background.
- Voice over IP. Allows an application to provide voice audio (phone call over VoIP) in the background.
- Background location. Allows an application to use the location services API in the background.
- Push notifications. Existing service that can send notifications to applications using Apple’s servers.
- Local notifications. Similar like Push notifications but an application can use its own servers.
- Task completion. A service that allows a task to complete in the background (for example upload a number of pictures to a server)
- Fast app switching. A service that allows to “freeze” and application and come back to it later.
To switch between applications a user will double-click the home button and a dock-like interface will allow for selection of a running app. Apple claims that multitasking will not affect battery life or user experience.
Multitasking will be available to iPhone 3GS, 3rd generation iPod and the iPad. iPhone OS 4 is available for developers today with the final release coming Summer 2010.
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