First iOS 4 Multitasking Apps Appear in App Store

The first Multitasking enabled apps are now appearing in the Apple App Store, ready for iOS 4. Dropbox, a well-known app is one of the first to support iOS 4’s Multitasking API. Multitasking is a iOS 4’s new feature which is only available on 3GS and iPhone 4 devices. To help with battery issues, Apple introdocued seven background services for iOS 4, which include:

- Background audio - Allows your app to play audio continuously.
- Voice over IP - Users can now receive VoIP calls and have conversations while using another app.
- Background location - Navigation apps can now continue to guide users who are using other apps
- Push notifications - Receive alerts from your remote servers even when your app isn't running.
- Local notifications - Your app can now alert users of scheduled events and alarms in the background, no servers required.
- Task finishing - If your app is in mid-task when your customer leaves it, the app can now keep running to finish the task.
- Fast app switching - This will allow users to leave your app and come right back to where they were when they left - no more having to reload the app.
It seems as if most iOS 4 apps should and will and will implement ‘fast app switching’ which allows you to switch in and out of an app without having to restart it.

Apple will distribute iOS 4 June 21st.


via Mac Rumors