Apple has incorporated over 100 new features and enhancements in the latest version of iOS. While certain features like multitasking and folder management have received a lot of publicity, we have also been constantly learning about several other minor, yet interesting, enhancements in iOS 4.
We had recently written about 9 iOS 4 changes that you may not have noticed. Here is a list of five more changes introduced in iOS 4:
Over-The-Air Note Syncing:
Apple has introduced a nifty new feature in iOS 4 that will enable users to sync their data from Notes app to their MobileMe or email accounts. For instance, syncing the Notes app with your Gmail account will create a folder on your mail account where all your notes are saved. This is particularly useful if you are on your computer and would like to access all your notes.
Screen Orientation Lock and Quicker Access To iPod Controls:
The multitasking feature introduced in iOS 4 also includes quick access to iPod controls, as well as an option for locking the screen orientation in either portrait or landscape mode.
These options show up when you swipe to the left on the multitasking "dock" manager similar to the way you access Spotlight feature from the home screen.
Users have been requesting for the screen orientation lock for quite sometime as the accelerometer feature can get quite annoying when you move around in the bed while reading, as the screen keeps rotating.
Apple has addressed this issue in the iPad by replacing the mute switch just above the volume control button on the side of the device with a "screen rotation lock".
The quicker access to iPod Controls from within an iPhone app will also a useful feature.
Though the implementation of the screen orientation feature in iOS 4.0 is quite neat, I still prefer the functionality offered by the SBSettings Toggle – Rotation Inhibitor for jailbroken iPhone.
One-Click Shipment Tracking:
We regularly come across email correspondence that contain references to phone numbers, website URLs, etc. These details are recognized by the iOS and are conveniently linked to the corresponding applications. For instance, you may tap on a phone number in an email message to automatically initiate a call. iOS 4 has now extended this functionality to track shipments and packages as well. Tapping on these numbers will take the user directly to the carrier's website where the user may track their shipments.
Group Messaging:
The iPhone's Messages app now includes a new functionality called 'Group Messaging'. The Group Messaging functionality comes handy when the user wants to send a message to multiple recipients. With Group Messaging enabled, users may now view assimilated replies from these different recipients in a threaded format inside one message window. Users may enable or disable this functionality from the Messages Settings page as seen in the screenshot below.
Put a Call On Hold:
Apple has replaced the on-screen 'Hold' button available during calls for iPhone 4 users to make way for the new 'FaceTime' button to activate the feature. Steve Jobs had defended the company's decision by noting that 'Hold' and 'Mute' essentially performed the same function. However, as we had noted last week, Apple does not seem to have completely removed the feature. Users can tap-and-hold the on-screen 'Mute' button to access the 'Hold' functionality.
Have you noticed anything new? If so, please let us know in the comments and as always don't forget to drop us a line to tell us if you found these changes in iOS 4 useful.
[via TUAW]
