New iPhone operating system to be launched on Friday, developers hope for multi-tasking

Tech giant Apple has delivered a surprise announcement in conjunction with the release of its iPad tablet device, saying that a press conference will be held later this week to unveil the long-awaited iPhone OS 4.0.

Developers are anticipating an announcement for long-awaited features such as multi-tasking, while some are expecting a shipping date to be announced for the international release of the iPad, which also runs on the iPhone OS.

An invitation has been sent out to developers and members of the press to “see the future of the iPhone OS” on April 8. In Australian time, the announcement will occur at 3am on Friday, April 9.

Some have pointed out the strange timing of the announcement. It comes just two days after the iPad was released in the US, and three days before the actual event, whereas Apple usually gives out press invitations weeks in advance.

This is probably due to the iPad’s impact on Apple’s release schedule. Usually iPhone updates are released in July, with September the month for iPod and iTunes releases.

However, announcements regarding the iPhone OS usually come about this time of year. Last year, a press event unveiling the OS 3.0 last year was held in March, with an announcement one year before that showing off the iPhone SDK for developers.

The upcoming event is expected to show a run-through of the software’s features, with a longer, more detailed demonstration expected at the World Wide Developer’s Conference in June. It is also expected new iPhone models will be announced at the time, with the release date of OS 4.0 to come shortly afterwards.

Tech blogs have already started predicting what the new update will bring to both the iPhone and the iPad, with a number of long-awaited features included in the list:

• Multi-tasking. Apple allows native apps to work simultaneously, so users can listen to their iPod and browse the internet, but no such availability has been made for third-party apps. This feature seen in a number of other smartphones is now expected to be included in iPhone OS 4.0.
• User interface updates. The look of the iPhone has been around for awhile, and many analysts are expecting an update.
• Universal mailbox. Steve Jobs said in a leaked email that a future iPhone OS update would see the inclusion of a universal mailbox for all of a user’s accounts – this could be seen in Friday’s announcement.
• Application organisation. Some analysts have said the current method of organising apps is clumsy, with some users having to organise dozens of programs. Allowing folders and more streamlined methods of organisation could be coming in a new update.

Other hopeful inclusions, such as syncing with the iPad, streaming support on iTunes, faster push notifications and a new home screen have also been noted, but no details from the company will be given until it makes its announcement on Friday.