Apple unwraps iPhone 4.0 OS

Showing that vacations are for wimps, Apple Inc. this morning continued to unveil new offerings designed to keep its rabid fan base in a constant froth.
The newest announcement out of Cupertino was a preview of Apple’s iPhone 4.0 operating system that the company is expected to include in an updated version of its hallmark device later this year. The new OS included what Apple called “seven tent poles” that are enhancements over the current OS.
Two of the most significant updates included the injection of multitasking capabilities into the OS and Apple’s new iAd platform that will allow application developers to insert Apple-hosted advertisements into applications.
The multitasking functionality has been a sore point with the iPhone community, with many noting that other “lesser” operating systems allow users to have multiple applications opened at the same time. Apple has finally reacted by providing such capabilities into the new OS.
In showing off the capability, Apple used Skype Ltd.’s Voice over Internet Protocol application as an example with the application running the background and once a call came in, a pop up on the screen informed the users of the incoming call. The use of Skype was a nice dig at Verizon Wireless, which earlier this year announced an exclusive agreement with Skype to integrate the service onto devices being offered by the carrier, including those running Google Inc.’s Android OS and Research In Motion Ltd’s Blackberry OS. Apple’s iPhone is available exclusively in the U.S. via Verizon Wireless’ rival AT&T Mobility, which announced last year that it would allow third-party VoIP applications to run over its 3G network.
The iAd announcement could have a greater impact on the industry as a whole as the mobile advertising market has so far struggled to develop an effective platform in which to provide compelling content to users. With iAd, Apple said it will provide a hosting service that will allow application developers to insert advertisements in their games that can take advantage of many of the device’s embedded capabilities to make those advertisements more compelling to use. This could be especially useful to those developers that have had a hard time justifying a business model for free applications that have so far accounted for a vast majority of the applications downloaded through Apple’s iTunes store front.
As for its hosting service, Apple said it would require 40% of the ad dollars, with the developer maintain the other 60%. This is slightly off from the current 70/30 model used by Apple for applications sold through its iTunes store front.
Beyond the two big tent poles, Apple also said that the new OS would have support a new folder platform that allowed users to round up their vast application catalogs into specific topic-based folders that will expand the number of applications that can be housed on a device from the current 180 applications to 2,160.
Apple also announced updates to its e-mail client that would allow users to consolidate multiple e-mail accounts into an unified inbox; an iBooks application that allows users to share their purchases across multiple Apple products, including the recently launched iPad; enhanced security options for enterprise users; and a social networking component to its gaming applications.
While Apple did not provide any information on plans for an updated iPhone, the company did say that the new OS would be available to current 3GS and iPod Touch 3G users this summer. Those customers still toting around the iPhone 3G or iPod Touch 2G model will also have access to the OS, but will not be able to take advantage of all the capabilities, including multitasking. The updated OS will also be made available for the iPad this fall.