Apple Adds More Integration and Improved Communications with iOS 8

Apple continues the transformation of its iOS operating system, which began with iOS 7. The new iOS 8 has a lot of new features, aimed at enhancing productivity, communications and integration with Mac computers.

Continuity. Apple is seeking greater integration between iPhone, iPad and Mac, including the ability to start an activity on one device and finish on another. Now the SMS and MMS messages that previously only appeared on your iPhone appear in Messages on all your devices. You can even send SMS or MMS messages directly from your Mac and make or receive iPhone calls using your Mac as a speakerphone. Finally, you can use your iPhone’s hotspot as easily as connecting to a Wi-Fi network.

Enterprise. iOS 8 improves the way corporate users are informed of how their devices are configured, managed or restricted. iOS 8 also offers expanded security and management improvements as well as new productivity features, including an expanded level of data protection for some built-in apps, the ability to set your out of office response, see your colleague’s availability when scheduling a meeting and support for configurable Thread Notifications in Mail. 

Messages. Now, you can communicate with just a swipe. The Tap to Talk feature allows you to share your voice and the same simple gesture also works for sharing videos and photos within Messages. Group messaging now gives you the ability to add and remove contacts, leave a conversation and the option to not be disturbed. Users can easily browse through all of the photos and videos within a conversation and share multiple photos and videos at once. You can choose to share your current location from within Messages for an hour, a day or longer.

Keyboard. New predictive typing for Apple’s QuickType keyboard is smarter and more personalized, and takes context into account, such as who the recipient is and in which app you’re typing. QuickType understands the way you communicate, suggesting favorite phrases, so you can write entire sentences with just a few taps. What the keyboard learns is encrypted on your device and never sent to the cloud.

Health. The new Health app gathers the information you choose from your various health apps and fitness devices, and provides you with a clear and current overview in one place. iOS 8 offers developers the ability for health and fitness apps to communicate with each other. With your permission, each app can use specific information from other apps to provide a more comprehensive way to manage your health and fitness. For example, the Nike+ apps using NikeFuel will be able to pull in other key Health metrics such as sleep and nutrition to build a custom user profile and improve athletic performance.
 

iCloud. With iCloud Drive, documents of any type can be safely stored, accessed and edited across your devices. Make edits on one device and the most up-to-date version of your documents will be available across all devices, whether an iOS device, Mac, Windows PC or on www.icloud.com.

Photos. In iOS 8, the Photos app and iCloud Photo Library give you access to all of your photos and videos across your enabled devices. The Photos app can automatically straighten horizons and with smart editing tools, you can quickly adjust light and color or access individual tools for deeper fine-tuning. With iCloud Photo Library, every adjustment and effect is automatically updated across your devices.