When running on iPhone 3G, iOS 4 disables multitasking, background wallpapers, Bluetooth keyboard support, and a “data protection” feature. The first generation iPhone and iPod touch can’t run iOS 4 at all; those early devices make up less than 10% of the entire number of iOS devices soldApple’s three years of OS upgrade support for the first generation models compares favorably with other platforms, where devices are often unlikely to ever see an update. For example, Google’s Android OS, which has delivered software updates that are at least on par and often better than most other competing platforms, stopped supporting new updates for the original T-Mobile G1 after a single year.

The HTC myTouch 3G was released in the US less than six months before Android 2.0 was unveiled, but still hasn’t received that release yet, let alone the newest 2.2 update, which is currently only available to users of the Google-branded Nexus One. Even many recent Android phones won’t be able to update to the latest Android 2.2 right away once it becomes officially available.Apple has worked to push all of its mobile users to the latest version of the operating system as soon as possible after its release, making it available as a direct download from iTunes rather than relying upon the various mobile operators to distribute it over the air, as Google’s Android, Nokia’s Symbian, RIM’s BlackBerry, HP’s webOS, and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile platforms have to do.