The launch of the new iPhone 4 featured a new version of the iOS 4(formerly iPhone OS). Steve Jobs claimed the new iOS to be the “most significant update since the release of the original iPhone OS”. Well, we here at the Geek engineer review the latest OS to find out if the Steve is true or is this just another instance of the Reality distortion field in full force.

The biggest features from an end user standpoint are the introduction of folders as a way of grouping apps together and simplifying the iOS interface and of course, multitasking.

As the full review of the iOS 4 is a long and intensive task, we have broken down the features into easily consumable posts. This here is the first part of the review.

Folders

On my iPhone I have five screens of apps. That’s ridiculous. And as odd as it sounds, I can never find the right app when I need it.

iOS 4 folder

Folders are Apple’s solution to the problem, and it seems to work. This is how you can make a folder on iOS 4:

• Press and hold your finger over an app icon on your home screen,
• Wait for the icons to start jiggling,
• And then move one icon over another one.
• The two will form a group called a Folder and the Folder will be automatically named based on the type of apps in it.
• You can also rename the Folder.

naming a folder in iOS 4

Like many features in iOS 4, Folders are both an improvement and a burden. The burden comes from the fact that you now have to tap, wait for a folder expansion animation and then tap again to launch an app in a folder. Folders also remain “open” until they’re closed.  I mean, if you launch an app in a folder, when you return to the home screen you’ll actually end up in the last folder you launched the app from and not the Home screen. Hit the home button a second time to actually get to the home screen. I suspect this is a bug that Apple will fix however.

It’s also very easy to forget what you put in each Folder (you can store a maximum of 12 apps in a Folder). The Folders all look the same and although they give you a little preview of what’s inside it’s often difficult to tell. I’ve found that the best solution for me is to keep frequently used apps directly on the home screen but put everything else in Folders. Keeping everything on a single home screen also really helps keep things tidy and efficient. If you do have a ton of apps and can’t remember what folders you put them in, the Spotlight search is probably going to be even more important to you now than it has ever been. Or you can try to group similar apps in one folder, like entertainment folder for instance.

iOS 4 organized by folders

I suspect when we get true multitasking and once these mobile devices turn into active productivity devices rather than passive consumption devices then we’ll need much more than Folders. Remember the first time you saw the Start menu? You’ll probably get a similar feeling in the next few years on a smartphone OS.