Just months after the bruhaha of the iPad announcement, today there was another Apple announcement.  This time it was about releasing a new operating system (OS) for the iPhone.

An operating system is the main software that runs on the phone and it dictates how you interact with the phone (what buttons and icons you press or slide or…)–and therefore how easy it is to use.  Other than the iPhone’s OS, other operating systems include: the Windows Mobile operating system, the Android operating system, and the Blackberry’s operating system.  Today Apple announced the improvements that will be coming to your iPhone. The update will be available and appear in iTunes when you connect your iPhone this coming summer.

The announcement was aimed at developers– those people who create the apps for the iPhone– so that they can get a head start and have apps ready when the new operating system is available.

A Response to Android’s Superior Features

Now, unlike the iPad press conference, this announcement was not about selling you something new. Recently Android phones like Motorola’s Droid on Verizon, or Nexus One on TMobile have been taking customers away from potential iPhone customers.  Android phones have taken the lead from the iPhone in terms of performance features.  iPhone commercials tell you that you can check your email while you are on a phone call.  But you can’t switch between programs like you can on a computer. On an Android phone, like on a computer, you can open multiple applications and switch between the windows (screens on a phone).  This is called multi-tasking.

Android phones also let you use a photo for the background (“wallpaper”) on your home screen. The iPhones home screen is simply rows of icons over a black background.  Android phones let you create folders to make it easier to find your apps. On the road, go to your Travel apps folder. Standing in line you can go to your Games or Entertainment folder.

Since the Droid appeared, Verizon customers in the market for a new phone have been choosing to stay with Verizon, because not only was Motorola’s phone a good alternative to the iPhone, in some ways it was actually better than the iPhone.

In my next post, I’ll go over the details of what’s new in iPhone’s OS4 and why it’s better than the current iPhone operating system…