Apple release iOS 8

Apple will be releasing iOS 8 today at 6pm UK time, two days ahead of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus release this Friday.

Apple has promised that the operating system update will offer incredible new features and applications, which will be available for all iPhone and iPad users.

Apple has stated that this software is the "biggest release since the launch of the App Store".

New iOS 8 features:

Easier reachability

Apple has made iOS 8 easier to use with one hand (which should help a lot considering the size of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus).

The update means when you double tap the home button the entire screen shrinks down to make it easier to reach.

Messages

Apple has also made an update to the Messages application. These new features include speech to text, as well as being gesture-sensitive. The gesture-sensitive feature means you can lift the iPhone to your ear to listen to the message, speak to respond to the message and then move the iPhone away from you to send the message.  

Touch ID

An existing feature from the iPhone 5S but it can now be used on third-party apps opening up a huge amount of possibilities.

More interactive notifications

Notifications for third-party apps are now more interactive. For example, you will be able to ‘like’ statuses without going onto the Facebook app.

Health app

A huge range of health and fitness apps will be available that take advantage of the new M8 Motion co-processor. The update will be able to keep track of data such as blood pressure and glucose levels. You will also be able to share this information with healthcare providers.

 

We can expect a mad rush to download Apple’s new operating system; however we don’t expect there will be as many problems this year as there has been in the past. Nevertheless, it may be worth waiting a day or two before upgrading to iOS 8, to avoid the rush and also so you can hear about any problems that may occur during your upgrade.