iPhone 4.0 may get multitasking

This summer, Apple will reportedly put to bed a major complaint with the iPhone and add multitasking to the phone's operating system.

AppleInsider reports that multitasking will come with the iPhone OS 4.0, according to "people with a proven track record in predicting Apple's technological advances." This suggests that even existing iPhone owners will be able to multitask, though the article doesn't specifically say whether all iPhone generations are included. Also, the anonymous sources wouldn't say how Apple will address battery life, resource conservation and security.

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AppleInsider acknowledges that multitasking rumors have come up multiple times in the past, including last year before the introduction of iPhone OS 3.0 and in January, when Apple introduced the iPad. However, those rumors came from other sites, and AppleInsider tends to be pretty reliable (the site accurately foretold the size and design of the iPad).

With serious competition coming from multitask-capable Android phones, and to a lesser extent the Palm Pre, the time is right for Apple to come up with a solution. Some built-in iPhone apps can run in the background, including phone calls, the virtual iPod, Nike+ and the voice recorder, but certain third-party apps that seem like no-brainers for multitasking cannot. Those include Internet radio stations, instant messenger programs, VoIP applications and location-based services.

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The problem is in part that running several applications at a time would reduce the iPhone's battery life and slow down the system, hampering the smooth user experience Apple has created. Then there's the question of how multitasking would be handled in the user interface, though some iPhone fans have already proposed solutions. AppleInsider also says there's a security concern, as background apps could silently steal information or run malware (though I don't see how this couldn't be filtered out of the review process, as malware is now).

Users can get multitasking now by jailbreaking their phones, which Apple hates. But I do believe the best way to compete with jailbreaking is to add features that people want. Apple has proven this by adding the app store and video recording. Hopefully multitasking is next.

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