Apple has announced today that iOS 4.2 is now available for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, adding a number of new features.
Perhaps more notably is the fact that iPad users will finally get multitasking.
“iOS 4.2 makes the iPad a completely new product, just in time for the holiday season,” added CEO Steve Jobs. “Once again, the iPad with iOS 4.2 will define the target that other tablets will aspire to, but very few, if any, will ever be able to hit.”
All iOS device owners will now have multitasking, Folders, Unified Inbox, Game Center, AirPlay and AirPrint.
AirPlay allows for wireless streaming of music, videos and photos from any iOS device to the Apple TV.
AirPrint lets you wirelessly print photos, email, web pages, and documents from your iPad to any AirPrint-enabled printer.
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According to AppleInsider, Apple has just released the updated iOS 4.2 firmware to developers, meaning consumers should be getting the update in the very near future.
The release is build 8C134, and available for all iOS platforms including the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
Coming with 4.2 is AirPlay, which will give iOS owners the chance to stream content from their devices to an Apple TV and then pick up the content on their device again if they leave the room.
Additionally, 4.2 should bring AirPrint, Apple’s new “powerful new printing architecture that matches the simplicity of iOS—no set up, no configuration, no printer drivers and no software to download.”
Finally, 4.2 should bring multi-tasking, iOS folders, GameCenter and enhanced enterprise support to the iPad.
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Apple’s recently released quarterly earnings revealed that the company sold 250,000 Apple TV set-top devices as of the end of September, three weeks after its launch.
Says CEO Steve Jobs: “We’re happy with how it’s turned out.”
Jobs says he expects sales to pick up with the release of iOS 4.2, which will allow owners to stream their own content in addition to the content they downloaded from iTunes.
Available for $99, the updated Apple TV drops the hard drive of its predecessor and is now small enough to fit in your hand.
The device streams movies from the Web or from smartphones/tablets directly to your HDTV.
Additionally, the second-generation device streams movies from Netflix’s ever expanding “Watch Instantly” catalog and HD movies purchased through iTunes.
The Apple TV has built-in Wi-Fi and an HDMI output.
