Apple has done what many have expected, and that is announcing iOS 8. Yes, the new version of iOS is real, and it appears to be the best version yet. Apple has brought forth quite a lot of features in this new update, and we've managed to choose the most intriguing features, which we'll be talking about.
Family Sharing:
This feature is quite similar to Kid's Corner found in Windows Phone 8. While we do like Microsoft's implementation, the name is very underwhelming. Apple went with the right name, along with the right features to make its version the best available right now. With Family Sharing, parents can block their children from purchasing apps from the App Store without their consent. Furthermore, they can also choose which apps, videos or music their children are allowed to access.
In addition, users can use Family Sharing to tell where a family member device is located.
iCloud Drive:
Apple has been a part of cloud game for quite some time, but it has allowed itself to be overrun by the likes of Dropbox, OneDrive from Microsoft and Google Drive. However, the company is aiming to bounce back with iCloud Drive. With this new feature, users can drag and drop files on their PC or Mac and then access them from their iOS device. As per Apple, if one should edit something on a device, it will sync and show up in the other devices.
Nothing new and exciting here, as we've seen it all before. It's just good to see Apple catching up with the leaders.
Interactive Notifications:
Usually when iOS users get a notification, to interact with it, they are required to leave the app they were using beforehand. That's a problem, but it has now been fixed with iOS 8. Users can now easily respond to a text message or email without ever leaving an app, which is pretty exciting in our eyes.
Private browsing per tab:
Private browsing within a web browser is very important for the millions who stare at their iPhone alone at nights, especially if others can get access to the device. With this new feature, users don't have to switch their entire browsing session to private; they can do it on a tab per tab basis. Not a big feature, but good enough to warrant recognition.
Support for DuckDuckGo:
For those who do not have an idea what DuckDuckGo is,that's fine. We'll lay it out in the easiest way to understand. DuckDuckGo is a search engine, and unlike other search engines such as Google Search, DuckDuckGo does not track its users. If Internet users don't want their data to be collected, this is a search engine one should consider using.
HomeKit:
Home automation is becoming very important, and Apple doesn't want to be behind the curb. Google has already bought Nest for this very purpose, and Microsoft teamed up with Insteon on an app for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, along with selling Insteon devices in its stores. With all this happening, Apple had no choice but to get involved, and so it does with HomeKit.
With HomeKit, users will have the ability to control any smart appliances within their home. Users can even use Siri voice commands to turn on a light bulb or open a garage door.
Wi-Fi Calling:
Imagine wanting to make a phone call but the cellular network is down, what would to do? Just simply make a phone call via Wi-Fi network. This can be done with iOS 8, but we'd love for the day when Wi-Fi calling is more of a go-to service when compared to regular network phone calls.
