Interface restricted by iPhone limitations

The multitasking support believed to be in iPhone 4.0 will be based on Mac OS X's Expose feature, a new report hints. Proposed interfaces for the option have so far been a mystery, in part because the firmware remains deep in development. People said to be familiar with Apple plans, however, claim that the interface will definitely use an Expose-like scheme, albeit scaled down to cope with the iPhone's screen limitations.

Double-tapping the Home button will allegedly bring up a task manager with a series of icons, each representing an in-progress app. Tapping one should zoom out of the switching interface, and then into the appropriate program. App icons are being used instead of preview thumbnails, the sources say, because it would difficult to show the latter on an iPhone's small screen. Although in some ways closer to the Command-Tab switcher in Mac OS X, the interface is described as having a variety of Expose-like traits.

Current iPhone 4.0 builds are also said to display other upcoming features, such as a global inbox, something Apple's Steve Jobs has acknowledged as in development. The firmware may also allow people to add individual contacts to their Home screens, making it possible to call a specific person with a single touch. It is not guaranteed that either feature will be approved for the final version of the firmware, says AppleInsider.

by MacNN Staff