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What we didn't get from iPhone OS 4

Now that the announcement of Apple's iPhone OS 4 is over, we look into what we wanted but didn't get from the much-awaited update.

Headshot of Nicole Lee
Headshot of Nicole Lee
Nicole Lee Writer
I started my career with CNET all the way back in 2005, when the (original) Motorola Razrs were all the rage. Since then, I've written about everything from consumer electronics to internet culture for outlets like CNET, Engadget and Yahoo. Outside of work, I'm a big fan of baseball, board games, tabletop RPGs and improv comedy.
Nicole Lee
2 min read

We were pleased to see much of our iPhone OS wish list checked off Thursday at Apple's iPhone OS 4.0 event. Finally, we'll have multitasking, folders, improved e-mail, and more. But just to be thorough, we have to look over the common wish list items that appear to be lacking from the iPhone OS announcement.

iPhone OS 4 brought us many good things, but there are still some things missing. James Martin/CNET
  • Mass storage mode: We would've liked to see an easier way to just drag and drop files from our computer to the iPhone without having to go through a third-party app.

  • Tethering with AT&T: Yes, we know this is already possible with the current OS, but AT&T in the U.S. hasn't gotten onboard with it yet (tethering is currently available in other countries like Canada and the U.K.). We were hoping we would hear more about it at the event, but no dice there.

  • Audio profiles: It would have been nice if the iPhone had different audio profiles for different environments that you could easily switch between.

  • Flash support in Safari: Yeah, this was a pie-in-the-sky wish, but we know a lot of you out there wanted it.

  • FM radio: Another one that was highly unlikely, but again, we know there are some who want it.

  • Wi-Fi syncing: We would've really liked it if we could sync or back up our information on the iPhone over Wi-Fi instead of having to plug in our USB cable.

  • Built-in photo editing: We know you can get third-party photo editors on the iPhone but it would be nice to have a built-in one as well.

  • Printer support: This is a little more relevant to the iPad, but we also wished iPhone OS 4 would provide some printer driver support, which would be very helpful for printing out documents and notes.

  • Multiple notification bar: On Android, there is a handy pull-down area where you can see all of your recent notifications, like for your new messages or new voice mails. It would be nice to see that on the iPhone as well.

These are just a few that were on our list. Was there anything that you wanted out of iPhone OS 4.0 but didn't get? Sound off in our comments section below.