Apple Releases iPhone SDK 4 Beta to Developers
Alongside Apple's
media event today to introduce some of the features for its upcoming iPhone OS 4, Apple has posted iPhone SDK 4 Beta to its
developer site to offer developers the tools necessary to implement the new features. Apple has also posted a number of
developer pages highlighting changes in the new version of the operating system.
Apple notes that there are over 1,500 new APIs available in iPhone OS 4, including access to the Calendar application, in-app SMS, access to photos and videos in users' Photos libraries, full control over video playback and capture, mapping improvements, and incorporation of Quick Look functionality for previewing documents. Also included is Apple's "Accelerate" functionality, which provides access to a iPhone-optimized complex mathematical functions such as vector and matrix factorization, array multiplication, and computation of simultaneous linear equations.
Other major features we've covered are summarized below:
- Apple Announces Multitasking in iPhone 4.0
- Apple Introduces iAds Mobile Advertising Platform
- Apple Introduces Game Center for Leaderboards and Achievements
- iPhone OS 4 to Bring iBooks to iPhone and iPod Touch
- Apple Enhances Email and Enterprise Features in iPhone OS 4
Popular Stories
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker.
Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...