Need to Know: iPhone OS 4.0

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Apple finally unveilled its iPhone OS 4.0 last night, but what's in it for businesses?

While Apple hasn't really answered this question directly, it has alluded to its quest for perfection being the reason for delay. When it comes to copy and paste, for example, Steve Jobs said that Apple wasn't the first, but that it is the best.

When does the OS get here?

The update will be available this summer. The good news it won't cost you a penny. Though don't get too excited if you're an iPhone 3G user, as you'll get everything else except the multi-tasking capability. Time for an upgrade?

What about developers?

It's all about the application programming interfaces (APIs) and Apple has included more than 1,500 of them as part of the new release. This means developers can start to do even more cool things for the iPhone.

The other good news is Apple has made the beta software and software developer kit (SDK) available for developers straight away. You just need to head to its developer website and get downloading.

Maggie Holland
Maggie Holland

Maggie has been a journalist since 1999, starting her career as an editorial assistant on then-weekly magazine Computing, before working her way up to senior reporter level. In 2006, just weeks before ITPro was launched, Maggie joined Dennis Publishing as a reporter. Having worked her way up to editor of ITPro, she was appointed group editor of CloudPro and ITPro in April 2012. She became the editorial director and took responsibility for ChannelPro, in 2016.

Her areas of particular interest, aside from cloud, include management and C-level issues, the business value of technology, green and environmental issues and careers to name but a few.