Apple has previously labelled June 21 as the day in which it will release its next major OS upgrade for iPhones and iPod touches. iOS 4 (nee iPhone OS 4) as it is known was first shown off by Apple in early April, ever since then a steady trickle of betas has helped developers take advantage of the new features.
Apple has not announced a time for iOS 4 release but around 10am Pacific Time (6pm London) would be in line with previous releases.
The following devices are compatible with iOS 4:
- iPhone 3G
- iPhone 3GS
- iPhone 4
- Second and third generation iPod touch (late 2009 models with 32GB or 64GB).
iOS 4 is a free update for all compatible devices.
A look at iOS 4
iOS 4 carries over 100 new features and seven major features.
During the keynote presentation Apple demonstrated these seven major features:
- Multitasking
- App Folders
- Enhanced Mail app
- iBooks for iPhone and iPod touch
- Enhanced enterprise features
- Game Center
- iAd
Apple also alluded to the following features:
- File & delete Mail search results
- Search SMS/MMS messages
- Web search suggestions
- Choose image size in Mail messages
- Bluetooth keyboards
- CalDav invitations
- Larger fonts for Mail, SMS & alerts
- Cell data only setting
- Spell check
- Persistent Wi-Fi
- Gift Apps
- Birthday calendar
- Recent Web searches
- Create Playlists
- Sync IMAP notes
- Top Hit in search
- 5x digital zoom
- Nested Playlists
- CardDav
- Tap to focus video
- Upload workouts to Nike+
- Places in Photos
- iPod Out
- Home screen wallpaper
- Search SMS/MMS messages
- Wake on wireless
Below a series of screenshots obtained from across the numerous betas, some features may have changed before the final build but they offer a good idea of new features.
Left: Swiping left on the App tray now reveals the orientation lock button and iPod controls. Middle: iPod controls and orientation lock. Right: Even when iPhone is in landscape orientation the App dock appears on the right of the display.
