What to expect with iOS 8 – The Highlights
In the latest of their release announcements, Apple have revealed further details about the upcoming operating system for the iPhone.
Having recently rolled out iOS 8 beta 4, users have noted a new built in app called Tips. In addition to this it also comes with a redesign of the control centre and menus including separate panels for wallpaper and display settings.
The Tips app is a great new addition which is to reportedly give users tips and tricks for using the features of iOS 8. The app will be then updated weekly to give tips such as navigation shortcuts and tutorials on how to use Siri. Personally I would like to see some tips on how to conserve battery as well.
There are a few other features that were announced in an earlier release which sound pretty exciting. The first one being the Battery Usage Indicator which to be fair makes my case above slightly redundant ( but it wouldn’t hurt to have it in the tips all the same)
The Battery Usage Indicator in iOS 8 can show you where the battery is being drained. With the advice that it provides users will be able to selectively change their settings or uninstall the apps that use the most battery. This is a great app for the game and app developers as it can help make their apps more efficient.
Interactive Notifications
Already available on some Androids iOS8 has released the ability to interact with the notifications that comes up as opposed to opening the app in order to do so. Users will be able reply to text messages through the top notification banner.
Swiping an alert to the left will reveal a reply/dismiss button, allowing you to do things faster without unlocking your phone.
Messages Upgrade
Messages now have a lot more to offer. Apple added the ability to send audio and video messages to your friends effortlessly. But more importantly you can set Do Not Disturb on spefic threads so you’re not constantly getting alerts on the mass messages.
This is an excellent feature in my opinion and I can’t wait to see this in action.
Widgets
This is another upgrade that Apple have been a bit behind on getting and it is about time that they did. iOS 8 will now be able to allow apps to share data and functions with other applications. Alas however we can’t get too excited about this as widgets will now only be available through the notification centre and not the home screen.
This is just a snippet of what iOS 8 has to offer but there will be much more to come I’m sure in the coming weeks.
Right now only registered developers on the Apple store are able to check out the new iOS 8 beta with it to be rolled out this fall with the latest version of the iPhone.
