New goodies found in iOS 4.3; multitouch gestures for iPad, more

By on Jan 12, 2011 at 5:17 PM
mobile January 12, 2011

Following news that iOS 4.3 beta 1 has been seeded to developers, Apple’s servers are no doubt being hammered by anxious developers looking to explore all the new features. We pinged a few of our dev friends for feedback on new additions they’ve found and here’s what we have so far:

  • Personal hotspot capabilities for GSM devices — as we exclusively reported earlier today
  • AirPlay support for third-party native apps and third-party Web apps
  • Redesigned FaceTime icon
  • Multi-touch gesture support for iPad — “This beta release contains a preview of new Multi-Touch gestures for iPad. You can use four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen; swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar; and swipe left or right between apps. We are providing this preview before releasing them to the public to understand how these gestures work with your apps.”
  • Configurable slide switch for iPad — users can now decide whether the hardware switch above the volume rocker on the iPad controls mute or rotation lock
  • iAd full screen banners on the iPad — bigger ads… just what iPad users have been clamoring for

Interestingly, iOS 4.3 appears to also have dropped support for Apple second-generation iPhone — the iPhone 3G — and its second-generation iPod touch. This could make the current build Apple’s final software release for these devices.

UPDATE: Several readers have emailed us to point out that enthusiast blog iSpazio may have uncovered a little gem. References to the following effects have been found in the iOS 4.3 code, and they might be introduced as live video effects for video capture and FaceTime calls:

  • Thermal Camera
  • X-ray
  • Kaleidoscope
  • Normal
  • Tunnel of Light
  • Collapse
  • Turbine
  • Enlarge
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26 Comments

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  • Scott

    Just in time to get rid of my dumpy iPhone 3G for an Atrix 4G :)

    • Anonymous

      If I was on.Att that would be my next device with all of its lovely accessories

    • http://twitter.com/_Deone Deone Gaffey

      look at the bionic :) it isnt as glamorized but it has great camera and a dual processor and is amazing. comes out soon. was shown at CES

  • http://twitter.com/iphonephan iphonephan

    I really think that as more and more apps offer integrated AirPlay support, even more AppleTVs will be sold.

    I could imagine a ton of apps, especially games, wanting to make use of AirPlay to mirror content on huge HDTVs, making the iPhone the controller AND the console. Undoubtedly, this would continue to bite into sales of traditional handheld gaming devices, like the PSP or the GameBoy.

  • fz553

    so if iPhone 3g will be on an older version of the OS…is that fragmentation of the OS??!!! hahaha

    • http://twitter.com/iphonephan iphonephan

      In a way, you’re right. Then again, people don’t have to buy a different iPhone after a dot X revision comes out. Samsung wants people to buy a new Galaxy S phone just to upgrade from 2.2 to 2.3.

      Android Fanboys – keep at bay. I like the platform ALOT but I’ll wait till its a bit more homogenized and has better games than the iOS offerrings.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SLACMFPJ4WEZ5ZBXHNRIGVKPXI Joe Nasa

        You be waitin long time friendo if you tink Android will ever have mo betta games. ha ha ha hee hee. :-)

    • Mark Texas

      Reality though is your supposed to be a good little Apple user and upgrade yearly so only the non believers are getting left out.

      How many Mac Power PC users switched to PC’s after they were dropped? I’m guessing a large % of 2G /3G users will migrate to something else. And yes this isn’t an Apple only thing as all devices go EOL.

      • Anonymous

        Are you that really fucking stupid? Lets see here an iPhone 3G is around 2 years old now quickly hitting the 3 year mark with the coming of iPhone 5 in a few months. In other words the hardware is becoming obsolete and is slowly/quickly, however you choose to look at it, being phased out just like everything else in the tech industry. As for your Mac Power PC comment considering most of those guys are brain dead and will buy whatever Apple puts in front of them I highly doubt they would switch to shitty Windows on a PC which I really don’t blame them. I guess Texas really is filled with big stupid wanna be cowboys.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SLACMFPJ4WEZ5ZBXHNRIGVKPXI Joe Nasa

        Don’t mess with TEXAS. We are BIG. We are BADASS !!!

  • Anonymous

    i dont think “Redesigned FaceTime icon” is bullet worthy, “-option to customize UI and application icons” would be though

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=47702625 Anonymous

    Let’s see…
    1. Four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen – press home button once
    2. Swipe up to reveal multitasking bar – press home button twice
    3. (kinda) Swipe left and right between apps – seems the same, at least in how it’s worded

    Is Apple looking to kill the home button? That’d be something. Either that, or they may introduce new things the home button will do.

    • http://twitter.com/mattsinopoli mattsinopoli

      Maybe just reduce dependence on the home button? I had a first gen iPod Touch that because once the home button died. Everything else worked fine but without the home button I would have to completely restart the iPod just to switch to a new app. If we can use gestures in place of the home button maybe it will last longer, expanding the life of the product as well.

    • Tricky

      I agree that the multi gestures for access the items, that happened on pressing the home, seem a step backwards. But from a hardware/fault point of view, its one less thing to go wrong – I wonder how many warranty issues/returns they have had on non functioning home buttons on all the ipod touches/iphones/ipads….

      Rich

    • Lkelly1125

      There have been rumors on here that the next generation iPad will have no home button.

  • Anonymous

    Sounds like a good update.

  • http://twitter.com/mattsinopoli mattsinopoli

    I am so I’ll have the option to set the mute switch back to the rotation lock. I really didn’t think I’d miss it but I do. Also gestures for the home screen and multitasking bar sounds great. Every time I hit the home button I cringe since I killed the home button on my old iPod Touch from excessive use.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1001483324 Gerry Quaglia

    A redesigned Face Time Icon. Wow, Apple pulling out the big guns on this one.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SLACMFPJ4WEZ5ZBXHNRIGVKPXI Joe Nasa

      OMG say it ain’t so. This is almost as exciting as the scene between Mila and Nat in Black Swan. ;-)

  • David

    Stop the presses! A new icon. seriously, people, this is BS.

    and a bunch of Facetime goofy filters?? How about fixing the inability to SIGN IN TO FACETIME???

  • Anonymous

    Really informative article, thanks as always. the updates for iPad look like an extremely positive step, apple have listened again! however I’d like to see some of the multitouch gesture support for the iPhone. why can’t it have at least the multitasking navigation via a three finger swipe? otherwise, hot spot looks good and is anyone really honestly that surprised they made another crappy icon? itunes 10, app store, now facetime…
    I do hope the iPad 2 can give much more surprise to me, as the 1Gen iPad is impressed much fans, especially on playing games and watching movies and videos, though it lack of flash support, but with tools like iFunia iPad converter, all are on the go! And the number of iPad user must be bigger and bigger~

    P.S. watch movies and vieos on iPad freely:
    ifunia.com/ipad-column/index.html

  • Tom

    So, new ways for apple to rip off Android, blackberry and palm. Let’s see, swiping up is nothing but an upside down curtain and swiping through apps is something palm and the BB playbook already do. looks like apple is scratching hard to stay in the smartphone lead.

    • Anonymous

      Hey Tom I’m calling you a waambulance. You need some alone time in a padded room if you’re get this worked up over a stupid mobile platform.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SLACMFPJ4WEZ5ZBXHNRIGVKPXI Joe Nasa

    These are some eye-popping and mind-blowing additions to core iOS features and will only improve the totally awesome user experience. Y’all can thank Steve later.

    I am like totally gobsmacked that Apple continues to find ways to improve on a near perfect device. Apple children you may now bow in the general direction of Curpertino…home of geniuses.

    We love you Steven Paul Jobs !!!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SLACMFPJ4WEZ5ZBXHNRIGVKPXI Joe Nasa

    I am so wanting that iPad 2 right about NOW and can hardly contain myself.

    I am getting all hot and bothered just thinking about this new beauty being caressed by my fingers…YeAH BABY…that’s what i talkin bout.

    WE DON’T NEED NO STINKING HOME BUTTON.

  • Markjconnor

    air print is still limited to hp printers

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