Apple Announced iOS 8 - Here are the Essential Features and Improvements

Apple spent the majority of its 2014 Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) covering the main aspects of the much-anticipated iOS 8 operating system. The update is expected to be more of an improvement upon iOS 7 than an entirely new interface of its own.

So When is the Release Date?

Despite the fact that there weren't any mentions of the rumor-surrounded iPhone 6 or iWatch at the WWDC convention, most tech pundits have gathered the impression that these devices will be released in time to come equipped with iOS 8 later this year.

While developer's can get a hold of a copy of iOS 8 right now, the rest of us will have to wait a few more months for the commercial release.

Apple usually shifts new versions of iOS out of the beta phase as soon as the newest iPhone is ready for release, and in year's past that has always happened in September, so we expect the same this year.

What are the Main Changes and Features?

To give you an idea of what to expect from iOS 8 we've reviewed the main features and changes below:

• Expanded Fingerprint Scanning Abilities

The new fingerprint sensor introduced in the iPhone 5 has so far only been used to authenticate lock screen logins and verify identity before iTunes purchases.

However, iOS 8 is set to change that, as app developers will receive access to the fingerprint scanner. This will probably lead to the introduction of fingerprint authentication in financial and social apps.

At the WWDC, representatives from Mint.com illustrated how TouchID could be used to facilitate more secure mobile banking operations. PayPal representatives were also in attendance.

• Built-in Card Scanning

On top of improving the usefulness of TouchID, Apple is also introducing a new feature that will let you scan and import your credit card details using the iPhone's camera.

You would simply take a picture of the card, and the card number, expiration date, and security code would then be automatically imported into digital fields to drastically speed up the online shopping experience.

• Instant Hotspot and 'Handoff' Feature

A new feature called Handoff will make it easy to sync all of your activities from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac computer.

For example, if you're in the middle of writing an email on your iPad and suddenly have to switch over to your Mac laptop, all of your work will be instantly transferred.

Furthermore, the Instant Hotspot feature will replace the personal hotspot gesture from iOS 7, making it easier to convert your phone's data connection into a usable WiFi signal.

• Taking Phone Calls and Handling SMS on Your Mac

Another helfpful way iOS 8 will improve integration between Mac computers and mobile Apple devices is by lowing for the forwarding of phone calls and text messages directly to your Mac.

It should be noted that you'll need to be running the latest version of OS X Yosemite to take advantage of this feature.

• More Convenient Notifications

The notification bar will be more interactive and easier to access from the lock screen. You'll be able to take action on notifications as they come in, with just a few taps and without having to navigate through several screens.

• Quicktype Keyboard

Apple says that the keyboard in iOS 8 will be its most accurate, smartest, and fastest ever. The new keyboard will add much-requested predictive text to the native input method, much like third-party input methods such as Swype and SwiftKey, both of which will also be receiving extensions that improve their functionality as well.

• Improvements to iCloud, Family Sharing, and Geolocation

Apple is introducing iCloud Drive in iOS 8, and even though the 5GB free limit will remain, the service will be able to sync and store more kinds of documents, PDFs, presentations, images, and spreadsheets.

Furthermore, the iCloud-compatible iOS 8 Photo app will be able to automatically save all of your images and edits across all of your Apple devices. 

Speaking of syncing and sharing, new family sharing features will make it possible for users to share downloaded content from the App Store, iTunes, and iBooks libraries across up to 6 devices.

The new iCloud Drive will also interact with the iPhone's GPS capabilities to log the last location of your phone immediately before the battery dies. How many times have you misplaced your phone and been unable to find it because it died? With the 'Send Last Location' feature enabled you'll be able to quickly check the last known location of your phone through the iCloud.

• The New Health App and HealthKit

Apple will also be introducing a Health app that will be capable of importing and centralizing data from external health and fitness apps. Nike and the Mayo Clinic are already on board with the HealthKit developer's kit.

Conclusion

While iOS 8 will still look a lot like iOS 7 in terms of design, the new apps and features will add enough value to motivate most users to upgrade.