Apple held a press conference regarding details on iPhone OS 4, here is what will be coming your way!

The iPhone, which holds 64 percent of the mobile user browser usage will be releasing their latest operating system update this summer.

According to Steve Jobs, there will be 1500 new APIs for developers and 100 new user features.

MULTITASKING!!

According to Jobs, multitasking has been around before but it drains mobile phones of their power quickly. “We figured out how to implement multitasking for third party apps and avoid those things. That’s what took us a little longer, but I think we nailed it,” said Jobs.

Users will be able to double press the home key, a window will appear with programs that are currently running. Each program will essentially freeze it’s current state and move to the current active application.

Apple has created seven specific APIs to ensure multitasking works, the first being audio. This will allow you to listen to Pandora while doing other things. These APIs will also be available in the developer kit released today. Pandora is already adjusted and ready for the OS 4.

Voice over IP, background location (GPS), push notifications, local notifications, task completion and fast app switching will be apart of the new multitasking development. Now you will not have to have Skype open to receive VoiceIP calls.

The iPhone 3G and iPod touch 2nd generation–will run “many things”, but they will not get multitasking.

Folders

Apps will now be organized by optional folders. Dragging an app on top of another one will create folder and automatically name it based on the two apps category. The folder will look like an icon, which can be launched by pressing on it. Before there were only 180 spots for apps on the iPhone, but with the folder system you can place 2,160.

Custom Backgrounds

Backgrounds for the lock screen and home screen can both be customized now.

Unified Inbox

You can combine more than one e-mail account under the same view, rather than each different inbox. E-mail threads can also be attached to one another, much like Gmails.

iBooks support

iBooks will be on the iPhone just like the iPad. Thus making the iPad even more irrelevant. Books will be purchased and read anywhere.

Enterprise

Data safety and protection will now be available to developers. You will be able to develop in your app encryptions, which will also be applied to e-mails.

Companies will now be able to host their own applications on their server, rather than Apple.  *Note: This could mean Apple will be more lenient on what apps can be on the iPhone.

Game Center

Essentially the Xbox Live for Apple. This is a clear move to compete with Windows Mobile 7. It will include an easier way for developers to match multiplayer gamers to one another challenge friends, leaderboards  and achievements.

iAd

Apple’s mobile ad system according to Jobs, “We think most of this mobile advertising really sucks. We thought we would be able to make some contributions. This is about helping our developers make some money through advertising to keep their free apps free.” He want’s to change the quality of mobile ads. The ads will bring emotion, much like that of TV ads. iAd will be in the OS, so it will not leave an application when pressed (they will be more like videos). For Apple to host and sell the ads, they will receive 40 percent. 60 percent of ad revenue will go to developers. Ads will take over the screen when clicked, but are generally interactive and do not open browsers. Steve then goes into explaining that it’s built with HTML5, further enforcing his hate towards Flash.

“We do not have any plans to become a worldwide ad agency. We tried to buy a company called admob, and Google came in and snatched them from us. We bought Quattro instead. They’re teaching us and we’re learning as fast as we can.”

Other updates

Not long ago Apple already implemented the gifting of apps, but some notable features to be placed in the new OS will be: syncing IMAP notes, 5X digital zoom, creating playlists, camera focus, altering the home screen wallpaper, iPod out option (probably for audio and video, perhaps the rumored printing option), use of bluetooth keyboards, larger internal fonts, alter mail image sizes and quite a few more.