iPhone OS Renamed to iOS, Offers Multi-tasking and Other Upgrades

What would a new iPhone be without a new iPhone OS? Unlike the iPhone 4, we already saw official details of iPhone OS 4.0 preceding today’s conference. However, we didn’t know that Apple had a new name in store for the operating system: iOS. That’s fitting since the OS coincides with the “biggest improvement” to the iPhone since the original and extends to an increasing number of devices (iPod touch, iPad).

The biggest news to iPhone owners is the addition of multi-tasking, which will be available to iPhone 4 and 3GS owners, but sadly not to 3G owners. The multi-tasking will include seven background functions, which will continue running while you work on different apps: audio, VoIP, GPS navigation, push notifications, local notifications, fast app switching and task completion.

Other upgrades of iPhone iOS include an iPhone-based version of iBooks, Apple’s e-book software that initially launched on the iPad, enhanced mail with unified inbox and attachments for third-party email, app folders, social gaming and Bluetooth keyboard support.

iOS will make it out to iPhone 4, 3GS and 3G models this summer and to iPads in the fall. [via MobileCrunch]