iOS 4 Multitasking with Pandora [iOS 4 Tour Pt. 1]

So, you’ve got iOS 4 installed, now what? Well, one of the most anticipated features to land with the new iOS 4 is its ability to multitask. Most apps in the app store do not yet support this feature, since app developers must explicitly code to the APIs that permit its function, however one app released today is one that we’ve been waiting to see it run in the background for some time now: Pandora. So if you haven’t yet, go get the Pandora update and follow along as we look at this new awesomeness!!

Not long after iOS 4 hit iTunes Apple started releasing iOS 4 capable apps. Pandora Internet Radio is one of them and having it run in the background brings a whole new dimension to using Pandora on the iPhone. In fact, the whole device and experience is more enjoyable rather than the constant frustration it used to be without this function. Gone are the days of pausing music when wanting to check email, browse the web, or whatever. In fact, the process works so well with Pandora that you would swear it was the built-in iPod function that you were listening to and not a third party app – and here’s where things get interesting.

The backgrounding of Pandora enables the application to mimic, in nearly every conceivable way, how the iPod functions work. Pandora takes over the tiny “play” icon in the information bar, replaces the iPod icon on the task bar and if you double click the home button while locked – the iPod controls actually pause/play Pandora – a very nice surprise indeed! So in essence, if you have Pandora installed, you have seemless, iPod-esque control and integration to a constant and endless stream of music. The one lacking integration of running Pandora in the background that I noticed was when I took a phone call: the app failed to resume playing music however, to get it to play again only took a quick double-tap of the home button and a touch of the play icon.

Now, where’s that Skype update that Steve teased us with in the iPhone OS 4 preview keynote address?