iPhone OS 4.0 Firmware For iPhone, iPod Touch, And iPad Announced

After much expectations and speculations, iPhone 4.0 firmware has finally been unveiled by Apple in a live event. A  Beta Developer’s Preview version of iPhone 4.0 firmware is now available for download.  Previously only possible for jailbroken iPhones using the ProSwitcher app, Multitasking is now available for everyone on iPhone 4.0.

Some other features that got included are Voice Over IP (VoIP), support for Bluetooth keyboards (again a feature which was earlier possible on jailbroken devices using the BTStack Keyboard app), Local Notifications (these are Push Notifications without Apple’s servers), custom Homescreen wallpapers, background locations, drag and drop for folders, and so on.

Apart from the above, there is a new framework for hardware acceleration, around 100 new UI enhancements such as playlist creation, geotagging, spell checking, digital zoom, etc. With iPhone OS 4.0, Apple has for the first time unveiled a new mobile advertising platform know as the iAd.

iPhone OS 4.0 is compatible with iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch 3G. While iPhone 3G and iPod Touch 2G can run the firmware, they will not be able to support some features such as Multitasking.