iPhone OS 4.0 Claimed to Include Multitasking, Revamped Interface

[kdarling]

It's the app's fault that it doesn't. Apps are supposed to save and restore their state. Mine do.

Unfortunately a lot of apps don't save state, but that's not the problem he's talking about.

It's that once an app sends you to another app, there's no user path context to take you right back to the first app again.

For example, you use a search app to find a restaurant, then you click on one of the results to get menus or reviews. Off you go to Safari, which is fine, but when you want to flip back and go to the next search result... you can't... the search app is gone. You have to find and restart it (and hopefully it's saved state).

It's a real user pain compared to other phones where a simple Back key push pops apps off the stack and you can retrace your path.

 

[cmaier]

Unfortunately a lot of apps don't save state, but that's not the problem he's talking about.

It's that once an app sends you to another app, there's no user path context to take you right back to the first app again.

For example, you use a search app to find a restaurant, then you click on one of the results to get menus or reviews. Off you go to Safari, which is fine, but when you want to flip back and go to the next search result... you can't... the search app is gone. You have to find and restart it (and hopefully it's saved state).

It's a real user pain compared to other phones where a simple Back key push pops apps off the stack and you can retrace your path.

You can't hit "home" and launch the search app and be back where you were? (I agree, a global "back" would be nice - I've long considered adding that to my apps [which extensively interlink] by passing a URL parameter to tell the receiving app how to get back to the sending app. But I'm not sure it's a different problem than "bad apps don't save state")

 

[age234]

8. Use Physical Volume button up/down to forward/previous track for music apps. --Use Volume Music Control (Only for iPod but works great)

If you use the Apple earbuds, just double-click and triple-click the microphone button.

 

[pad07]

I want...

- Home/Lock screen overhaul, with a screen collaborating all your latest missed calls, new SMS, new emails, next calendar appointments, Facebook notifications etc etc.

- Passcode lock applications on an app-by-app. I'd like to passcode lock my SMS app and my Twitter app, for example. This would be a good security setting.

- Multitasking, as has been said

- Ability to keep music playing (at a reduced volume) if you take a call whilst listening to music. This is possible at the moment but only if you manually press play after taking the call.

 

[vilasgn]

If you use the Apple earbuds, just double-click and triple-click the microphone button.

That's true but most of the time I use my iphone wired (auxiliary) or wirelessly (blutooth) connected to my car. Since Iphone does not support AVRP (correct me) blue tooth profile I cannot next-previous song without opening the iphone.

Now this app works great with auxiliary as well as bluetooth connection! It has play pause feature too.

 

[dwd3885]

you know the funny thing about all this is that all of the OS updates we want Apple to announce in 4.0, the Android 2.1 OS has, as well as jailbroken iPhones:

-better notifications/status icons
-better lock screen
-true multitasking in 3rd party apps
-customization (icons, folders)
-easy swipe access to bluetooth, wifi, 3g settings

I've jailbroken my iPhone and it would be nice if Apple just put all those things into 4.0 so I wouldn't have to do it. If they don't do it, I'll keep my jailbroken iPhone or move to Android.

 

[harley3k]

If I could simply run two applications at once, I would be a heck of a lot happier than right now. When I click on a link in an App and Safari opens, it would be nice to go right back to the first App in the exact same way that I left it (because it was never closed).

Heck yah!!!!

Even if the app saves your state when you leave it, you still have to go looking for the icon to open it again... The single complaint I have about my phone.

 

[distortedloop]

Ability to keep music playing (at a reduced volume) if you take a call whilst listening to music. This is possible at the moment but only if you manually press play after taking the call.

I had no idea you could do that. Not sure I'd want to, but really cool that you can!

you know the funny thing about all this is that all of the OS updates we want Apple to announce in 4.0, the Android 2.1 OS has, as well as jailbroken iPhones:
...
I've jailbroken my iPhone and it would be nice if Apple just put all those things into 4.0 so I wouldn't have to do it. If they don't do it, I'll keep my jailbroken iPhone or move to Android.

I ordered a Nexus One last night. I'll keep it 30 days and see how I like it and the T-Mobile service.

Why'd I do it? Because we all know that Apple will make it difficult, if not impossible to jailbreak OS 4, and they will certainly make it impossible to jailbreak the new hardware when it comes out (they've pretty much slammed the door shut on iPod touches already, and the post-October '09 iPhones must be tethered at power up or reboot to maintain jailbreaks).

So, like you, I'm not interested in another locked down iPhone that deprives me of some basic features I feel are necessary for my device, UNLESS they offer something super amazing in both terms of hardware and software that I just can't live without.

 

[dwd3885]

I had no idea you could do that. Not sure I'd want to, but really cool that you can!



I ordered a Nexus One last night. I'll keep it 30 days and see how I like it and the T-Mobile service.

Why'd I do it? Because we all know that Apple will make it difficult, if not impossible to jailbreak OS 4, and they will certainly make it impossible to jailbreak the new hardware when it comes out (they've pretty much slammed the door shut on iPod touches already, and the post-October '09 iPhones must be tethered at power up or reboot to maintain jailbreaks).

So, like you, I'm not interested in another locked down iPhone that deprives me of some basic features I feel are necessary for my device, UNLESS they offer something super amazing in both terms of hardware and software that I just can't live without.

The Nexus One is a really great phone. But be careful even if you return within the time frame (i think 14 days?) you will owe restocking fee on the phone to Google. The Nexus One is just a refreshing device that only points to the future of the Android phone being great. Apple needs to catch up.

 

[DougB541]

IF you compare one year ago thread about the iPhone people were a lot less realistic.

Good to see people at least recognizing that the iPhone lags behind in some strong features.


Hopefully they do a good update. Seriously, allow full multitasking and improve the notification system and its a great start right there.

I'm glad the industry also is off the "iPhone Killer" ridiculousness. Very little half assing by companies now and just doing what they should've been doing.

(well I think Blackberry half assed the storm a bit but mostly WebOS and Android...both worth CHOICES next to the iPhone.).

Thats really all the market had to do...provide good choices...no need to KILL any phone.

 

[distortedloop]

The Nexus One is a really great phone. But be careful even if you return within the time frame (i think 14 days?) you will owe restocking fee on the phone to Google. The Nexus One is just a refreshing device that only points to the future of the Android phone being great. Apple needs to catch up.

30 days in California on cellphones...that's state law, and it's an exception specified in the fine print of the Google checkout.

I'm aware of the $45. Small price to pay for renting the phone for a month if I decide to return it and can't convince them to waive it. I really anticipate sending it back, but you never know, I might be as impressed with it as many others.

Thanks for the warning, though.

 

[tivoboy]

iphone 4.0

deleted

 

[dwd3885]

30 days in California on cellphones...that's state law, and it's an exception specified in the fine print of the Google checkout.

I'm aware of the $45. Small price to pay for renting the phone for a month if I decide to return it and can't convince them to waive it. I really anticipate sending it back, but you never know, I might be as impressed with it as many others.

Thanks for the warning, though.

i had ordered it but decided not to open it because i couldn't stomach the $45 return fee if I was to return it. Although that is probably because I was going to use it on ATT Edge network. If it had been Tmobile all the way I think I would keep it. I mean really, the Nexus One is a very nice phone. I would say 1b to the iPhone 1a.

 

[distortedloop]

i had ordered it but decided not to open it because i couldn't stomach the $45 return fee if I was to return it. Although that is probably because I was going to use it on ATT Edge network. If it had been Tmobile all the way I think I would keep it. I mean really, the Nexus One is a very nice phone. I would say 1b to the iPhone 1a.

I'll see for myself tomorrow! (wow, talk about coincidence, exactly the moment I typed that Growl popped up a notification message that my Nexus One had left the Fed Ex origin facility).

You actually had the box in your hand and didn't open it? Wow, talk about willpower!

Of course you'd have to see it in action with 3G, otherwise the slow networking will just kill you with frustration - not really a fair comparison.

 

[AppleMatt389]

So that is why I putting them as things that should of been there day 1.

It's "should HAVE" not "should of".

The only thing worse than your self righteous and patronising posts, is that! Please learn that it's not correct English, or even slang.

 

[macfan881]

It's "should HAVE" not "should of".

The only thing worse than your self righteous and patronising posts, is that! Please learn that it's not correct English, or even slang.

I Just love people who have nothing better to do than bash people's spelling on the internet out of all places

Oh by the way its patronizing

 

[Rodimus Prime]

I Just love people who have nothing better to do than bash people's spelling on the internet out of all places

Oh by the way its patronizing

To me it tells me that he knows I am right so he has to resort to bashing.

 

[AppleMatt389]

I Just love people who have nothing better to do than bash people's spelling on the internet out of all places

Oh by the way its patronizing

This guy was trying to put forward a well reasoned and solid argument, and with that atrocious grammar he just weakened his image.

Oh, by the way, it's patronising in British English

Oh and he's right, his argument is so fantastic, I have to bash his grammar. Gosh I'm a dumb dumb.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

This guy was trying to put forward a well reasoned and solid argument, and with that atrocious grammar he just weakened his image.

Oh, by the way, it's patronising in British English

Oh and he's right, his argument is so fantastic, I have to bash his grammar. Gosh I'm a dumb dumb.

Either make up some valid arguments that counter the points I made or you just proved my point that I was right. To me action that result to going to straight insult on something completely irrelevant and only incorrect to grammar nazis and business writing and consider that it was not business writing and more spoken language then not as big of a deal. Just some one who only way to deal with being nailed with the truth is to insulting.

 

[greygray]

Grammar arguments on a tech forum is irony at best.

Anyway, customizable themes would be nice on 4.0.

 

[Carniphage]

Unfortunately a lot of apps don't save state, but that's not the problem he's talking about.

It's that once an app sends you to another app, there's no user path context to take you right back to the first app again.

For example, you use a search app to find a restaurant, then you click on one of the results to get menus or reviews. Off you go to Safari, which is fine, but when you want to flip back and go to the next search result... you can't... the search app is gone. You have to find and restart it (and hopefully it's saved state).

It's a real user pain compared to other phones where a simple Back key push pops apps off the stack and you can retrace your path.

My preferred technical solution for this problem is deferred or lazy quitting.
When leaving an app, it would not quit but stay resident in memory, retain all state data ready for instant restore.

This would allow users to happily hop between 2, 3 or 10 apps, instantly with no loss of state. The new iPhones have enough RAM for several apps to be co-resident in memory.

Of course, eventually, memory would run out. And it's at that point that the oldest App would be made to quit.

This would seem to a better solution than a conventional user-driven multi-tasking scheme.

C.

 

[mrochester]

My preferred technical solution for this problem is deferred or lazy quitting.
When leaving an app, it would not quit but stay resident in memory, retain all state data ready for instant restore.

This would allow users to happily hop between 2, 3 or 10 apps, instantly with no loss of state. The new iPhones have enough RAM for several apps to be co-resident in memory.

Of course, eventually, memory would run out. And it's at that point that the oldest App would be made to quit.

This would seem to a better solution than a conventional user-driven multi-tasking scheme.

C.

That is how conventional multitasking works on a mobile phone! Apple just need to create a task switcher too, perhaps with a long press of the home button.

 

[ajprice]

Multitasking UI: I see it as a kind of app switcher/dock stack like popup brought up by a home button press or gesture, showing the open apps, and able to bring it up and move from one app to another.

Something like this, but iPhone-ised

 

[Carniphage]

That is how conventional multitasking works on a mobile phone! Apple just need to create a task switcher too, perhaps with a long press of the home button.

There are two differences in what I am suggesting.
* Suspended apps get no CPU time.

* Users are not required to quit applications manually. They can keep launching new apps, and at no point does the system ask you to close something down.


C.

 

[scottylans]

I saw a video of SBSettings on youtube myself and that was the clincher, apples lock down had to go at that point.
It's how things should have been in the first place!