The context of this story

Year: 2009
Products: iPhone

iOS 4, multitasking, and the hunt for Android

It was already apparent in 2009 that relations with Google would not be idyllic due to the Android operating system, and Apple was preparing for a clash on all fronts. At the moment, the company is primarily trying to strengthen its mobile operating system. The upcoming fourth version is intended to catch up with Android, primarily through full and significantly refined multitasking support for third-party applications and the elimination of another list of minor issues that have been annoying iPhone users.

Apple introduced the new version of the iOS 4 operating system in April 2010, and the main new feature is indeed multitasking support. However, as already indicated, Apple took a different approach to simultaneous processing of multiple tasks than its competitors. Concerned that poorly written applications would use up resources, especially battery power, and give users a bad impression of the device, iOS developers decided to rewrite most of the functions that were defined as “justifiably required for multitasking[.”]{dir=”rtl”} These were now part of the API, and when an application calls them, it passes on its requests and can then terminate. When the request is fulfilled, the system calls the application again with information about the result of the request, and since applications have had to start in the same state you left them in since the early days of the iPhone, the user has no chance of noticing that the application was not multitasking.

We can illustrate this again using Skype as an example. It tells the API which Internet address to check and how often to check for new messages for the user. Then it quietly clears itself from memory and lets the operating system do the dirty work for it, but not randomly, rather in conjunction with other requests so that the connection and battery are used as efficiently as possible.

In this case, too, the implementation of multitasking is more rigid than in Android, where everything is decided by the application itself, or rather its developer. Google’s approach gives developers more freedom, including the freedom to write a bad application that will drain your mobile phone. Apple puts more emphasis on quality, leaves less room for maneuver, and solves more issues for developers. The question is whether you see this as limiting the developer’s scope or, on the contrary, freeing them from the tedious routine that is entrusted to the core of the system. It should be noted that this system feature, which is not immediately apparent to developers and is often overlooked, is also the reason why the overview of “multitasking” applications in iOS is not as perfect as, for example, in webOS from Palm/HP, and at first glance, multitasking in webOS appears more perfect. However, this is only a matter of graphic design and the primary binding of running processes to tasks passed to the API, rather than to independently running tasks. The reward for the user is a percentage increase in battery life, which is not insignificant considering that smartphone batteries today have trouble lasting a day of operation.

Other new features in iOS 4 are more in the realm of improvements. First and foremost, it is now possible to use a Bluetooth keyboard with the iPhone, and there is also the iBooks application for reading electronic books. Both of these features have been inherited from version 3.2, which was designed exclusively for the first iPads.

Other new features and innovations in version 4 include support for a unified mailbox, where emails from all mailboxes are displayed in a single window. Until now, it was necessary to switch to separate windows for each individual mailbox. Support for multiple Exchange accounts has been added, along with other features aimed at business users. Folders have been made clearer, as has working with the camera: you can focus by touching an object on the display, and photo and video processing has been improved.

Special attention was paid to FaceTime, an Apple service based on the SIP standard that allows iPhone 4 and later iPad users to make calls over a WiFi connection, including video transmission. Apple had high hopes for the service and even released a version for Mac computers, allowing FaceTime users to make calls from their computers. Despite favorable reviews, FaceTime has not yet caught on, even though Apple tries to make it clear in the system that the called party can use it and automatically switch the desired call to it.

iOS 4 was released by Apple on June 21, 2010, along with the launch of the iPhone 4, and is the first version of iOS that no longer supports older devices such as the iPhone 2G and first-generation iPod Touch. iOS 4 is also the first version to be officially named iOS—it was only from this point on that Apple began using the iOS designation, having previously used iPhone OS or OS X. Of course, the designation was also applied retroactively to previous versions. Another factor was that the iPhone was no longer the only device using this operating system, so it was not practical to confuse users.

It is also the first major version of iOS that iPod Touch users do not have to pay for, as was previously the case. By charging for new versions, Apple significantly slowed down their penetration into the iPod touch market and received strong negative PR as a result. It wasn’t worth five dollars.

A significant revision came in September 2010 with iOS 4.1, which added the Game Center for player cooperation and the Ping music social network. While the game center became a popular means of enabling and offering even demanding games over the network, the Ping social network met with the same cold reception as its web version. However, Game Center is no longer available for iPhone 3G models, making it clear that the second iPhone model is heading for retirement.

The next revision, 4.2, finally unified the operating system between iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touches. In addition, it introduced the ability to wirelessly play multimedia on Apple TV using AirPlay, as well as wireless printing with AirPrint. Both features are rather marginal. Revision 4.2.1 is also the last version of iOS available for iPhone 3G and second-generation iPod Touch, ending their support in iOS in November 2010.

From the above-mentioned device support periods in new iOS versions, it may seem that Apple is discarding its older products too soon, but in reality, Apple’s support is above average. Competitors such as HTC and Samsung usually limit their support for new versions of Android to one or two subsequent revisions. In many cases with Android, you have to expect that you will not be able to upgrade your mobile phone to a higher version of Android, or at least not soon after Google releases a new version of the system. The average support period for new releases on Android phones is just over a year, while for Apple iOS it is currently around three years – all Apple phones except the iPhone 2G and 3G are still supported, and this support extends to the limit of their technical lifespan.

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