A new video of a white iPhone 4 claimed to be running a "test" build of iOS shows an Exposé-style multitasking interface, one that was originally planned for inclusion in iOS 4 but was ultimately scrapped.
Last March, AppleInsider was first to report that Apple would add multitasking support to iOS 4 with an interface much like Exposé on the Mac OS X operating system. In April, Apple did announce iOS 4 with multitasking, but task management was instead accomplished with a multitasking tray at the bottom of the screen more akin to the Mac's Dashboard interface.
People familiar with the matter later informed AppleInsider that while early builds of iOS 4.0 implemented the aforementioned Exposé-like interface, Apple in the weeks leading up to the software's introduction felt the experience of the feature wasn't up to snuff, and ordered it to be redesigned into its current form.
Now, on Tuesday, a new video claiming to show a "test version" of iOS was spotted by Engadget. The video shows an Exposé-like multitasking interface that gives a visual representation of open applications when switching between them.
Based on information from people familiar with Apple's software development, AppleInsider believes the software shown in the new videos may be an older version of iOS 4 never before seen in public. To support this, the video also shows the Voice Memos application with an older version of the application's icon, rather than the current blue representation.
Adding even more credibility to the authenticity of the video is its source: Vietnamese site Tinhte.vn. The same site has been the source of legitimate leaks in the past, obtaining a 13-inch MacBook last May before it was unveiled, as well as an iPhone 4 prototype.
The latest videos show a white iPhone 4, a device that has yet to be released, but is expected to arrive in the coming weeks. But the hardware in the videos is a prototype device, sporting 64GB of internal storage capacity.
The included version of iOS also has a slightly different interface when creating and naming folders in iOS 4. A quick scroll through the native Settings application also shows Facebook integration included with the mobile operating system.
The Exposé multitasking menu also includes a search bar at the top of the screen. On the current build of iOS, Spotlight search is invoked by scrolling the home screen to the left.
Aside from those minor tweaks and additional features, the software on the alleged prototype device looks largely the same as the iOS 4 that is currently available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Apple is expected to show off the next major update to its mobile operating system, iOS 5, at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, scheduled for June 6 through June 10 in San Francisco, Calif.
