iOS 4 Brings the iPhone 3GS Closer to the iPhone 4

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The update for the iPhone operating system, now rebranded iOS 4, was released last night and is now available to download. We take a look at what's new.

This major OS update is only available for the iPhone 4, due for release on 24 June, the iPhone 3GS and the latest-generation iPhone 3G (which will only get some of the new features, with no multitasking or customisable homescreen), as well as the second and third generations of iPod Touch.

Note that the iPhone Edge, otherwise known as the original iPhone, won't be able to support this new update. There's no update for the iPad yet either, which is due sometime in the autumn.

Multitasking

Some users will be jumping for joy at the thought of finally seeing multitasking come the iPhone. For others, however, the idea of using several applications at once will bring fresh concerns about the already dodgy battery life. Apple has promised that multitasking won't impact battery life, but that remains to be proven in practice. In any case, multitasking is useful and pleasant to use, as it's handy to be able to switch between applications without having to shut one down to open up another.


iBooks

Apple's pocket bookstore, launched alongside the iPad, is now also accessible via the iPhone and iPod Touch. In other words, you can now buy e-books in Apple's iBookstore and read them on your handheld device with functions such as a bookmark, so you can carry on reading where you left off, and the ability to save books as PDFs.

Playlists

You can now build playlists without having to use iTunes.


Photo & video

The iOS 4 brings a 5x digital zoom function. This is all very well, but as expected, it seriously affects picture quality. A face-recognition function means you can store and retrieve photos by the subject's name, and a new video function also allows you to focus on the person you're filming.

Customisable homescreen

This new function may not seem like anything special, but it's been eagerly awaited by a great deal of iPhone users. Just like on the iPad, you can now replace the black background of the homescreen with the picture or photo of your choice.

Folders

The iPhone now has room for over 2,000 applications. How? By allowing users to store and organise apps in specific folders (photo, news, games, etc.) by simply dragging and dropping them in. The really clever thing is that updated handsets will automatically suggest folder names that fit with the type of applications you have.


Single inbox

The update will allow you to view and manage e-mails from your various different accounts in one single inbox. This is another much-awaited feature.

Pro functions

You can now use your iPhone with a Bluetooth keyboard. The iOS 4 also allows you to connect to several Exchange accounts, and brings VPN support plus improved data protection and security.

Spellchecker

Several suggestions will be given when a misspelled word is detected.

So is it worth ditching your iPhone 3GS for an iPhone 4?

With the iOS 4 update, the iPhone 3GS really isn't that far off an iPhone 4.

The 3GS supports all the new features brought by the iOS 4 with no apparent impact on the handset's overall responsiveness. At least, that's our impression of things after having used the updated 3GS for almost 24 hours, although some problems have been reported on the web.

Steve Jobs promised that the iPhone 4 battery would be able to handle multitasking without melting away like an ice-cube in the sun. We'll be sure to check that out too. However, as our 3GS has only been running the iOS 4 since last night, it's still too early to say whether the system upgrade has any real impact on battery life.

So with such similar functionality, it seems that if the 5-Megapixel camera, video editing functions and videoconferencing feature (exclusive to the iPhone 4) aren't a priority for you, then there's no real reason to ditch your trusty 3GS!



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