This just in: Apple has sent invites to the press for a special event in Cupertino, Calif., on Thursday. The occasion: the unveiling of the next major version of the iPhone OS. Could multitasking for the iPhone — or even the iPad — finally be at hand?
Apple sent out the press invites Monday morning, according to Engadget. The invite itself is cryptic, as usual, with nothing more than the shadow of a large number "4" stretching across a blue background, plus a caption: "Get a sneak peek into the future of the iPhone OS."
That's all we've got to go on. The last major revision of the iPhone 0S — version 3.0 — arrived in June, shortly before the new iPhone 3GS went on sale, and added such long-awaited features as copy and paste, support for picture messages (which AT&T didn't implement in the U.S. until months later), the ability to buy and rent movies and TV shows directly over the iPhone, stereo Bluetooth, and a landscape keyboard for email and text messages.
What's in store for iPhone software 4.0? Apple, as usual, isn't tipping its hand, but one of the most enticing rumors of late (courtesy of AppleInsider) is that the new OS could at long last bring true multitasking support to the iPhone for third-party apps via an Expose-type interface. (Core iPhone apps, like email and the iPod music player, can already run in the background.)
Of course, the iPad just so happens to run on a modified version of the iPhone OS, which raises the question: Might multitasking support for the iPad also be on tap? Hmmmm ...
Other recent rumors for iPhone software 4.0 include the addition of a universal inbox (one that would display e-mail from all your different accounts at once) as well as the ability to add individual contacts to the iPhone's home page as icons, similar to apps.
The Apple event is slated for 10 a.m. PT on Thursday. Stay tuned.
