One of the most eagerly anticipated new features of iOS is support for multitasking. But that doesn’t mean the second you update your phone to iOS 4 you’ll suddenly be able to run all of your existing apps in the background. Instead, Apple has made a limited set of services available for running in the background. For instance, you’ll be able to stream audio from a music app in the background while surfing the web. You’ll also be able to continue a Skype call while playing a game, because VOIP can run in the background.
But it’s not going to be a free-for-all, which could potentially take a toll on battery life and overall performance.
So Apple is requiring developers to tweak their apps to support the new multitasking feature, and that’s exactly what’s starting to happen. MacRumors notes that apps are starting to show up in the App Store, complete with support for iOS 4 multitasking functionality.
One of the first apps to support multitasking is Dropbox, a tool for synchronizing your files between your phone and desktop, and sharing them with other users. It might not be the most exciting implementation, since the new version basically just makes it easier to switch between apps. But hopefully we’ll start to see some iOS 4-ready audio and VoIP apps soon.
The new iOS 4-compatible version of Dropbox is available as a free download from the App Store.
Update: Here are some other apps that support multitasking in iOS 4:
- Pandora internet radio
- NY Times app
- Evernote
- ESPN Scorekeeper
- Fandango
- Navigon GPS app
Know about some other apps with support for multitasking? Let us know in the comments.
