Hot new features uncovered in iPhone OS 4.0 beta 3

By on May 4, 2010 at 7:17 PM
Exclusive May 4, 2010

iphone-os-4.0

Here’s the thing… We just installed the newly released iPhone OS 4.0 beta 3 and found quite a few changes. There are a lot of minor things like how the background of the multitasking interface matches the background in the iPad’s browser, but all of the big new changes are awaiting your perusal after the jump.

File Sharing

Yes, you read that right. Apple is finally going to allow you to transfer files to and from your iPhone straight from your computer. It works like this: You plug your iPhone into iTunes, head on over to the Apps page and scroll down. From there you’ll be able to drag files to and from your iPhone and your computer. We have not been able to get the feature to work as of yet, but it seems a lock that support will be enabled for more than the Mail app. That is if this feature makes it past the development stage.

iphone-4b3-file-sharing

Media Player Widgets

When you fire up the multitasking interface you see a new set of widgets that control the iPod application. To access it simply swipe to the left. From there you’ll be able to play, pause, move between tracks and open up the iPod app itself. Let’s hope this is just the first of many such widgets.

iphone-4b3-widgets

Multitasking: Closing Applications

Shutting down applications that were running in the background was a huge pain in the butt in previous releases, but things have been simplified in beta 3. No longer do you have to press, hold and click close for each application. Instead you simply press and hold the icon of one of the many applications you’re currently running, and you’ll be given the option to close whatever ones you wish in rapid succession. A good way to describe it is by saying it basically now works in the same way you delete apps on the iPhone.

iphone-4b3-multitask

Orientation Lock

Landscape mode was one of the many great things brought forward in OS 3.0, but now, one year after its release, Apple has finally realized that not everyone likes having the entire UI flip about thanks to the over-sensitive accelerometer. To enable orientation lock, you simply have to fire up the multitasking interface, swipe to the left and click the Portrait Lock icon. Simple, right?

iphone-4b3-widgets3

Did we miss anything that you spotted? Drop us a line and we’ll update the post.

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  • http://techreject.com Alex

    Unless I downloaded a mislabeled ipsw 8 days ago, document sharing and the task manager were available on beta 2. The iPod widget/rotation lock and the wallpaper are the only new things in the UI on beta 3.

  • MicroNix

    Wow, copy files to *and* from the Apple device. That’s smokin hot…had it been on iPhone 1.0! How can you get excited about things that have laughably been available to other smart phones for years?? I mean really! Wow, did you know you can now plug an iPhone into your computer and it….charges? Oooo, I’m all giddy inside. Unreal! Jobs could show you how you can use the back of the new iPhone as a mirror and the whole damn Apple community would need a new pair of shorts! Guys, this is pathetic in ways that just can’t be explained!!!

    • Hamranhansenhansen

      > How can you get excited about
      > things that have laughably been
      > available to other smart phones
      > for years??

      Because a) iPhone is still the best smartphone in the world, even with some features missing, and b) when the features appear, they’re always done in a really elegant way that is a joy to use.

      Copy/Paste is a perfect example. Android users have had a horrible implementation for 1.5 years while iPhone users have had a great implementation for 1 year. I’ll take the latter.

      • justin

        Because a) iPhone is still the best somewhat smartphone in the world, even with most features missing,

    • Prem

      This is hilarious! thank you! your comment does make a lot of sense. I especially liked that comment about the back of the iphone being used as a mirror :)

  • http://www.iphoneconnection.co.uk iPhoneConnection

    Loving the Orientation lock idea, a feature we have waited a long time for!

  • Gregory

    @MicroNix – Your bizarre rant is the only thing that seems pathetic here.

    How can they get excited about new features for a product they own when other products have had similar features? Do you even listen to yourself?

    • MicroNix

      @Gregory – I think (well, no, its obvious) that you completely missed the point. The point that these great new features which are being lauded by the Apple community are so much old news and so … basic … that it is pathetic to make such a big deal out of them. Personally, I’d be embarrassed in 2010 if my smart phone didn’t allow me to copy files to and from it no matter what application put them there. Something that is expected from any smart phone is just hailed as this great new thing with Apple which is where the “bizarre rant” came from. Its just comical, that’s all.

      • Hamranhansenhansen

        No, you’re missing the point.

        They’re not necessarily basic features, because they have to fit into a system that has zero viruses and malware and is used by consumers, not techies.

        And, it has been very easy to put files onto an iPhone via apps like Air Sharing, or get at files that were already on an iPhone with apps like iPhone Extractor. In other words, we’re not going without these features anyway. We just haven’t had a system-wide “right way” of doing things for this particular feature yet.

        And while we’re talking basic features, iPhone is the only mobile with desktop class C apps. I would rather have C apps than file sharing, you know? That’s why there are desktop class apps and console games on iPhone and not on Android or other phones.

      • Martin

        @MicroNix – You’re right that this is an old feature. The big deal for users of Apple products is that it WAS available on every iPod before the iPhone OS. It was an annoying loss and now people are glad to see it back.

        So we’re talking about it not because it’s a big deal nowaday or is “hailed as this great new thing”, but because it was damn ridiculous to lose it in the first place.

        The excitement is sarcasm for people who know the history of the iPod/iPhone. I’m sorry you couldn’t get that.

      • http://www.fudge-packing-for-fun-and-profit.com Fudge Packer

        I’m sorry but file transfer is NOT back. I could use my old white iPod as an USB drive, now you’re forced to use iTunes… good luck if you’re not at your own computer.

      • eon

        You could use Orb, DropBox or MobileMe to move files wirelessly so I don’t understand the conflict here.

      • spaz

        I agree with you. I have an iPhone and love it but Apple seems to fall short in a lot of areas, especially iTunes and you’re right. If Microsoft or Google were to come out with these things now people would be like “wow it’s about time”. With Apple they act as though Apple originated the thought. Once again I do love my iPhone but Apple seems to be behind the times a lot and it’s annoying that they are treated like heroes when they finally do come out with some small much needed improvement that has existed on other phones.

  • Will.I.Am82

    Micronix is absoutely correct. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the new features seem well executed, but sooooooooooo late that I don’t even care, and I had 2 iPhones when I got caught in the iPhone bandwagon rush, getting a 3G, then a 3GS the moment they came out.

    These features, while now great for iPhone-ers who’ve been wanting them, are indeed laughably available to most other smartphones, and have been for years. I fail to understand how common smartphone features on almost all smartphones that make it to the coveted iPhone are lauded? Then, people like me, and who agree with me get hated on for merely pointing out the truth. If Android all of a sudden just a web browser showing full HTML on 2.1, iPhone fans would be all on our nuts talking about “iPhone 1.0 had that. Get with it. It’s 2010. All smartphones have a full HTML web browser.”

    • Hamranhansenhansen

      Hardly anybody with an iPhone even knows what Android is, let alone cares.

      All phones are missing what could be called “basic” features from a desktop PC perspective.

      For example, Android has no C apps, just baby Java apps. Android has malware. Android has terrible battery life, even on phones that have a larger battery than iPhone. The Android interface is much less responsive than iPhone even on hardware with twice the CPU power. Android has no desktop display system. Android has no multichannel audio support.

    • Billions

      Well, Will.I.Am, Micronix… Perhaps you can feel similar excitement when Android finally allows more than 256 megs of app storage, or app storage on an SD card later this month. That limit seems sorta archaic now in 2010.

      Point is, every platform has its shortcomings and all companies are fixing and adding things as they see fit. Don’t get too excited over what’s “laughably missing” on the other guy’s platform when they all lack some common features.

  • Johnny

    No one cares about “amount” of features or timely ability to copy and paste except for people who comment on blog posts. People who use tech every day as a part of their life need the feature to fit in seamlessly. So take your junkbox i*-killers that can download torrents and control COD in 2500 x 1600 on a 6″ OLED display and purportedly will someday do full Flash (because they promised), and stare at it as you slowly realize how unimpressed you are and how useless that brick really is.

  • Matt

    Got file sharing working with Ftponthego app. :)

  • ENNE

    I love my 3gs…its my scond iphone now…(2g first) and i can say i love apple stuff…my macbook pro for architecture design and an imac at home…and hoping get an ipad soon!!! :) I cheer all the new functions in the iphone..but please…since the rumor of the native radio app in october…cant wait…for me its a essential app…cause i liste a lot of radio programs…not music…and maybe in the rest of the world its not necessary…cause internet radios…but im in south america…thats why i think its a MUST app for me…
    btw…the people here is so rude…any comment that seems to punish apple is discredited? is only an expression…LET IT BE!!!!!

  • Melvin Dinklemeyer

    Wow sounds like a less intuitive version of the palm pre’s interface. Apple is finally almost caught up with Palm. Too bad it’ll never have flash. Maybe by the time the entire internet has been redesigned to make use of html 5 apple will be all the way caught up. Congrats apple, the iphone 10 will be one sick phone!

    • eon

      I guess it’s too bad it doesn’t have a floppy drive too right???? Tech is moving, so get on it or get run over.

  • Melvin

    Wow sounds like a less intuitive version of the palm pre’s interface. Apple is finally almost caught up with Palm. Too bad it’ll never have flash. Maybe by the time the entire internet has been redesigned to make use of html 5 apple will be all the way caught up. Congrats apple, the iphone 10 will be one sick phone!

    • Billions

      I’m guessing you ‘copy and pasted’ that on your Pre? Does WebOS allow global copy-and-paste yet? Global search? Is it still sluggish?

      C’mon man, WebOS is good, and so is the iPhone OS. Deal with that.

  • http://fuckyoualltrash.com Mr. know all

    lolz..morons

  • Mr Lizard

    I don’t like the fact that the app close button is the same as a delete button. It suggests that you’re deleting the app.

    For consistency, they should use a cross to describe closing an app, and the delete icon for deleting things.

    • Kurt

      It’s like you’re deleting the app out of the tray. I think it’s fine, but it could work either way I suppose…

    • Solo

      It’s actually not the same button. Pulling it up is the same but deleting an app has a b&w “X” button, closing it from the multitasking is a giant red minus sign. Kinda hard to miss the difference.

      • Clem

        Mr Lizard was talking about the ‘delete button’ which appears when you want to delete an sms, a video, a phone number, or anything else except apps. I agree with him when he says that fir consistency, they should invert the use of the delete and cross sign for the apps.

  • Kryptic

    Orientation Lock – oh how long I have been waiting for you! The joys of being able to text in bed are something I have thoroughly missed for the past year! Apple have clearly realised that their product is actually bought by real people who have lives.

    On the subject of being anal about things missing from the iPhone; file-transfer is something that probably only about 1% of iPhone users care about. And clearly all of them have decided to rant here.
    Never, in the 2 years I have used an iPhone, have I thought: “darn, if only I could use the rather limited, and carefully managed storage on my phone to save that powerpoint presentation I need for work… It’s just such a faff having to carry my tiny, cheap-as-chips memory stick around with me! And Dropbox takes hours and hours to set up…”
    Get real people. An operating system which works seamlessly and completely un-obtrusively is far more important than having a feature list so long by the time you’ve finished reading it the next version of software has been released…

    Although I’m not for a minute suggesting that I enjoy only being able to listen to Spotify when I’m doing NOTHING ELSE on the phone. Multitasking wasn’t asking alot.

  • CLEARLYNOTSIMPLE

    Since ppl now days are using their cameras waaay more iPhone needs to put a flash on their phones for use in the evenings or in dark places. Not having a flash really sux!

  • Robert

    I want my EVO!!

  • Kishore

    Will it be possible to use iPad to access hard drives, in the near future?

  • WJC

    Will installing the beta wipe my phone? My UDID is registered.

  • Dylan

    Let’s see here… Other phones have had what the Iphone hasn’t. The Iphone without those things is still the best phone on the market. With these features added, why would anyone own anything but?

  • Alex Sir

    I can see file transfer being big for video game developers. A dev can release a new car or what ever and the user just downloads the file transfers on the iphone and drives their shinny new BMW, without having to wait for apple to approve an update. And it could be big for the unofficial community. A guy in his basement with no live releases a new map pack. It could be used for exporting Microsoft Word files. A dev could make a third party media app (that plays in the background) and sync to and from iTunes. I could go on and on. Just don’t kill the feature apple. Please?

  • Lorenzo

    It’s nice that apple is trying to add some nice things the the Iphone… I have the 3gs and would like apple to add call blocking to there phone… Will os4 add any new fetures to the phone… After all it’s a phone.

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