One of the biggest gripes users of any of the iPortables have is the fact that they aren’t made to multitask. The iPhone can now only do minimal multitasking, which includes the ability to run a connected phone call in the background while you open a second app. This could be changing in the near future based on what’s rumored for the Apple OS 4.0. The change won’t come easy as Apple has a few road blocks, the biggest of which include:

Because the iPhone OS doesn't present a user interface with “program windows,” the ability to launch multiple apps would require this feature to be added. Apps would also have to follow some method of recognizing importance to properly allocate internet connection, etc.

Running multiple programs at the same time will obviously eat up batter life. A full charge can now only offer Up to 5 hours on 3G and up to 9 hours on Wi-Fi internet browsing.

Consumers now want more than just to connected on the go, instead they wish to have everything at their fingertips (most of the time this means all at once). Multitasking is a way of life. Android OS has understood this, so now it is Apple who has to do some catching up.