What Features Are Arriving With iOS 8?
iOS 8 is right around the corner. What kind of improvements can you expect with it?
With iOS 8 about to drop, what better time to take a look at the features you can expect to see with its debut? There's a whole cornucopia of new features you can expect to see once it becomes available. They're detailed below.
1. New keyboard and predictive text
Alongside the addition of SwiftKey and Swype for the onscreen keyboard, iOS 8 will feature predictive text, which suggest options for the next word you're typing. It's been around for Android users for quite some time, but Apple users will finally be able to get at it.
2. Battery usage indicator
We always knew the battery was draining on our iPhone, but not any other more intelligent information than that. iOS 8 brings with it ways to check and see how and which apps are using battery life and how you can better optimize battery usage. This is another feature that's been around for Android users for some time, but now it's headed to iOS 8 -- you don't have to choose which phone you want for battery management anymore!
3. Additional camera features
There's a new time-lapse capture and three-second timer coming to make effortless selfies and portraits, and with focus and exposure controls, iOS 8 is making the iPhone camera the best it can be.
4. Family sharing
Finally, iOS 8 is leaning toward allowing users with different Apple ID to share content with Family Sharing, which will allow you and up to five others to share content you've downloaded via iTunes, thus eliminating problems with paid purchases and permissions for such.
5. Notifications you can work with
Ever receive a notification and wish you could reply right away without having to stop what you're doing? You can do this with interactive notifications, where you can pull down the banner and reply, without having to unlock your phone or wasting another minute on it.
6. Additional Siri features
You can wake Siri now even if your phone is asleep, meaning Siri is always awake from now on. Of course, your phone needs to be turned on for this to happen. Siri will also feature Shazam, so instead of going to launch the app, you can just hit up your favorite digital assistant to find out what that song is you're hearing.
7. Health app upgrades
Your health and fitness apps will be located in one place via the Health app, such as Fitbit and Nike+, and it will act as a central hub for all of this information, with developers jumping on board to support the HealthKit platform.
8. iMessaging upgrades
You'll now be able to send audio and video messages to friends via iMessage, and set up Do Not Disturb on group chats that you don't want to let keep interrupting you during times in your life where you've just got better things to do. You can also share your location with those you're chatting with.
That's just the tip of the iceberg, with plenty more new features and even things we probably don't know about just yet on their way. We'll bring you iOS 8 early impressions once it releases. Which features are you looking forward to the most?
