iOS 4.2 Released by Apple: Unites the iOS Family

If you are an iPhone enthusiast that just can’t wait for iOS to have more customization features, a notifications overhaul, and better user interface, then the iOS 4.2 update isn’t for you.

However, the new iOS 4.2, released today by Apple, is an update that will unite all of the company’s portable media devices, and it brings some excellent new features with it.

Update (November 29, 2010): How to Jailbreak and Unlock iOS 4.2.1 for iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G with Ultrasn0w 1.2, PwnageTool 4.1.3 and Redsn0w 0.9.6b5

The iOS 4.2 highlights and new features include:

  • Over 100 new features from iOS 4.0, 4.1 and 4.2 to iPad including Multitasking, Folders, Unified Inbox, Game Center, AirPlay and AirPrint
  • The Find My iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch) feature is now free to use without a MobileMe subscription.
  • The ability to rent TV episodes directly to iPad.
  • AirPlay is a new feature for streaming music, video and photos wirelessly from iPad, iPhone and iPod touch to Apple TV.
  • Mail now features a Unified Inbox, fast inbox switching and a threaded message view.

Considering that the iPhone already has multitasking, the iOS 4.2 update is mainly targeting the iPad, which will now get the coveted feature among several others. Steve Jobs was quoted as saying, “iOS 4.2 makes the iPad a completely new product, just in time for the holiday season. 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.”

iOS 4.2 also features more kid-friendly restrictions, where you can restrict installing or deleting of apps, location and Mail account changes, and Game Center setting for disabling multi-player games. The most conventional update would have to be the wonderful font additions to the ‘Notes’ native app.

iOS 4.2 is compatible with iPad, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, second and third generation iPod touch (late 2009 models with 32GB or 64GB) and new iPod touch.

While a new Jailbreak and Unlocking was promised by the Dev Team to be coming really quick after the iOS 4.2 Official update, there are previous relevant post which may interest the Jailbreaking community:

Greenpoison Jailbreak for Mac and Linux

Limerain Jailbreak

iOS 4.1 Redsnow Jailbreak

iOS 4.1 Ultrasnow Unlock

via Apple