The fact that iOS 8 was announced on the first day of WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) supported by Apple the San Francisco it was not a surprise for anyone, considering that Apple made it a habit to announce every year during this event, the next iOS operating system. But this announcement was eagerly awaited by millions iOS users (and not only) more for confirmation CERTAIN feature-uri which were rumored to be included in the new system.
In terms of iOS 8 system interface, it will not be very different from that of iOS 7, the new system being in fact a improved version of the current system. But among the new features which will be available in iOS 8 there will be some quite interesting ones.
New features in iOS 8
- Interactive Notifications & Widgets – users will be able to interact with applications that display notifications (banners or lock screen) directly from the respective notifications (for example, they will be able to respond to a message directly from the notification for it, etc.), which on previous iOS systems was only possible for devices with jailbreak; also, in iOS 8 users will be able to add widgets to the system (for now only in the Notification Center, but even that is better than nothing);
- Recent Contacts & Multitasking - the list of recent contacts will be displayed in iOS 8 at the top of the App Switcher (another feature borrowed from jailbreak tweaks);
- Mail Gestures & Multitasking - users will be able to mark e-mails as read by swiping right over them (swipe right), and they will be able to access more options (including the deletion one) by swiping left; in addition, in iOS 8 it is possible to stop in the middle of writing an e-mail to access other e-mails, and then resume composing the respective e-mail from where you left it;
- Spotlight – in iOS 8, searching in Spotlight will display results including from the App Store, iTunes Store, News, Maps, etc.;
- Continuity - a very welcome feature, already existing on Mac, which allows users to start working on various files/documents on one device (such as on a Mac) and continue where they left off on another device (iPad or iPhone); users will have quick access to Continuity through a small icon displayed on the Lock Screen (its lower-left corner);
- Word Prediction (QuickType) – feature borrowed from Android, QuickType will predict the next words from a phrase while typing it, depending on the expression style of the users; predicting words will be different in a professional conversation compared to a personal conversation;
- Calls Across iOS - users who have several iOS devices will be able to answer from one device to a call received on another device, provided that the respective devices are in the same network (for example, to answer from the iPad to a call received on the iPhone); this feature will be included in the future operating system Mac OS X, Yosemite;
- Group Message – feature already available on various IM applications (WhatsApp, Viber and even Facebook mobile), will be included in iOS in the Messages application: users will not only be able to add or remove contacts from the group, but will also be able to mute the conversation or leave (Leave) the group (even if it was created by them);
- Audio Messages & Message Media - just like in WhatsApp, users will be able to send and receive audio messages; what's more, when the device is locked, when we receive the notification of an audio message on the lock screen, we only have to raise the device to our ear to hear the message, and to answer, we speak with the device to our ear, then remove the device for the message to be sent. Also, all media files shared in a conversation will be viewable in one place, which will make their selection easier;
- Health app - the rumors said that it will be called Healthbook, but the name of the application will be simpler, Health; the application will combine data available/sent from various accessories or fitness devices;
- HomeKit – the home system integrated in iOS 8 will allow the interaction of devices with various systems in the house (for example, you can inform Siri that it is time to go to bed, and this, through HomeKit, will signal various systems integrated in the house to perform certain actions such as turning off the lights, closing the doors or closing the garage, etc.);
- Family Sharing – feature through which members of a family (maximum 6 people) can share their media files and access them directly from the devices on which they are already stored (without having to copy them to their personal devices first); also, if a family member buys an application from the App Store, another member will be able to download the respective application on his own device without having to buy it himself, and when a child wants to buy an application, he will be able to make the transaction only after asking the parents' permission using this feature;
Other new features available in iOS 8 I am new controls for edit photos, the possibility of a buy various on iTunes through Siri, Shazam integration in Siri (the function of audio recognition), the possibility to put break (on hold) to one call on FaceTime, display battery consumption for each application in part, the search engine DuckDuckGo in Safari, shooting mode Panorama also available on iPad etc.
STEALTH SETTINGS – Apple announced iOS 8 at WWDC 2014
