We’re all just barely over the excitement of the iPad launch (some of us aren’t over it at all yet) and now the impending launch of a new iPhone and its OS 4, featuring the ability to multitask, has our hearts racing again.
My biggest gripe about not being able to have more than one iPhone app open at a time is when I receive a text message while in the midst of doing something else. Whatever app I have open must close for me to reply to the text message. Forget about returning to my task until the text conversation is over.
Trying to arrange a meeting via text message and want to keep my calendar open? It’s a lot of steps to switch between Messages and Calendar.
I’m giddy to be able to listen to my favorite music in apps like Pandora (free), and Last.fm (free) while playing Plants vs. Zombies ($2.99), dealing with emails, taking notes in Evernote (free), or checking The Weather Channel (free).
If you use any GPS iPhone app like TomTom ($39.99) or AT&T Navigator (free with monthly subscription), you will now be able to take a phone call (hands-free, of course) and still hear the service tell you when to next take a right.
Any mobile website app that allows uploads, like Flickr (free) or Facebook (free) will now allow those uploads to happen in the background while you move on to the next thing.
For newshounds, you’ll be able to keep CNN, Fox News, NPR (all free) open while you take a quick tap over to check a Facebook notification, and you won’t have to re-open the news app and spend time trying to find where you were.
Much has been made in various articles covering the new multitasking features about being able to use Skype or Fring (both free) or other VoIP services more effectively, because the app can be open in the background (these apps must be open to receive calls). Users of these services should be thrilled. And they’ll also be able to do other tasks while talking, just like you can when on a regular cellular call.
If you’re an IM maniac, you’ll be able to chat with friends on AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, Meebo (all free) and others, as well as move between surfing the Web, checking email, or pretty much anything else with ease.
I’m looking forward to being able to do research either via the web or on Wikipanion (free, but $4.99 for Plus) and more readily be able to take notes in Evernote.
Most iPhone users consider the lack of multitasking to be irritating, but it sure didn’t stop any of us from buying and using our iPhones. Of course, I’ve got a 3G, so guess who’s going to be spending some money real soon, and whose daughter is going to inherit an iPhone?
