iPhone 4.0 to be introduced this week

The company has begun informing media outlets that it will be holding a special event on its campus on 8 April to introduce the iPhone 4.0 firmware.

Little information was given about the new OS or what features it will introduce, but early rumours have suggested that the update could offer multi-tasking, a feature which would allow more than one application to run at the same time.

While the iPhone hardware is capable of multi-tasking, the feature is currently accessible only by 'jailbreaking' the device, a process of removing security protections that Apple has repeatedly advised against. Such modified handsets commonly have trouble with firmware updates.

The late winter to early spring period is commonly when Apple unveils its hardware and software updates for the iPhone. The new products are then released to the public later in the summer.

The news comes just days after the company delivered what many consider to be the biggest product release since the original iPhone. Apple said that in its first day of availability, the new iPad tablet sold some 300,000 units.