How to use multitasking in iPhone 3GS iOS 4

I updated my iPhone 3GS with the latest IOS4 software last night. It did take a while actually because first I had to update to the latest iTunes 9.2 and restart the computer before I could do the update. Best done while you are watching a movie or something. After updating the fist visual change I could see was that the home screen now had my wallpaper as back-ground. Anyway that’s beyond the point, this morning after my breakfast I thought to have a look at some of the snazzy new features and the one that I am most keen putting to test it multi-tasking.

So what is multi-tasking and how does it work on IOS4?

Multi tasking allows you run multiple applications at the same time. This means for example you can continue listening to music on iPod while browsing the web or sending an email. Or, you can now receive VoIP calls and have conversations while using another app.

For the most multitasking seems to work transparently and very quickly without you even noticing it. For example you are now able to upload photos to Flickr but without having to keep the Flickr app open. In this case, the Flickr application will keep uploading those photos while you go read your email or check the weather.

How do I close any of the open applications?

To see all your open applications double-tap on the home button to pull up a pane that shows which apps are open in either a live or suspended state. To close any of the apps hold your finger on any of the ions to see the minus signs. See the picture below.

Play music on the back-ground and access the music controls in the multitasking bar

This feature I really like. When playing music on iPad and using other apps, double tap the home button and swipe to the left to see the iPod controls. See below.

What can’t  apps do while in the background?

• Grab new updates: those of you who were hoping that your Twitter, IM, or IRC client would pull down updates while hanging out in the background will be disappointed. Unless those apps make use of push notifications to alert you of new messages (as the AIM app does), apps won’t be able to check for updates on their own unless they’re in the foreground.
• Work across the entire OS: users have long hoped that some of their favorite apps (such as TextExpander) would be able to work in all parts of the OS, such as Mail and Messages, but that won’t be the case. This isn’t Mac OS X here—Apple still wants to keep each app to itself for the most part.

Multitasking and performance

There has been some cancers that multitasking might slow down the iPhone. As you will be see from the video on top of this post, I had about 12 apps open including video and audio, and didn’t notice any speed issues.

iOS 4 Compatibility

iOS 4 will work with iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. Support for the second and third-generation iPod touch will be available this summer, iPad support will be available in the fall

Some useful links to iphone 4 reviews and news

The iPhone 4 Review (By You)  – from gizmodo.com

Phone 4 review – from engadget.com

New in iPhone OS 4: The Full App-by-App Breakdown  – from ilounge.com